by Kal Spriggs
***
Chapter Twenty-Three: Waking Up Is the Easy Part
I woke up in a dark, musty room. I lay on a cool, concrete floor. I sat up and felt around. I thought it was a closet until found the edges of a sink and then a shelf with some plastic bottles. Some kind of cleaning closet, maybe?
My head hurt and my hands trembled. I wasn't sure if it was from fear or if the stunner had messed me up. In the movies, the actors always shook it off after a minute, but I'd seen from the Academy Prep School that the movies got things wrong all the time.
Where was I? The question kept going through my head, a panicked repeat that threatened to chase every other thought out of my head.
Focus on the what, I thought. I had been hit by a stunner. I was certain of that. How? I had a vague impression of a burning pain throughout my body. I felt across my head and I didn't feel a lump or anything under my hair, so I didn't think I'd been physically hit.
I moved over to the slit of light on the floor and my questing fingers found the edges of a metal door. Something about it felt solid and secure. I tried the handle just in case, but my kidnappers had locked it.
As I acknowledged the thought, I felt a chill pass through me. Kidnapped, I thought, I've been kidnapped... who would want to kidnap me? Truthfully, my grandmother came from a family of some money and the Admiral probably had some set aside as well, but neither of them were exactly wealthy. Plus, while the Admiral didn't seem particularly fond of me, I winced as I thought about what she would probably do to a kidnapper, if only from the principle of the thing.
I started as I heard a door open, not far away, followed by the sound of conversation, “... believe that she's not involved. Has to be, you know?” I didn't recognize that voice, it sounded like a woman, but the door muffled her voice too much. “I mean, the fact that she doesn't talk to her at all is a smoking gun, you maintain some kind of contact even if you despise each other, if only to keep up appearances.”
“Yeah, and when my people grabbed her, they said she was in conversation with Alexander Karmazin. That little hock-digger probably put her up to this, told her to find some dirt to discredit us,” I recognized the voice as Tony's father. What was he doing here?
I felt my stomach sink, though, as I thought about the inventory transfer that had bothered me... and the conversation I'd had with Karmazin and Ashiri. This is about the parts, I thought, they have stolen thousands of dollars of equipment... and I'm the only one who knows about it. Well, I admitted, not the only one.
“What about the other girl?” the woman asked. “Alexander Karmazin will be a bit hard to reach, he never leaves the Enclave, but you said the girl wasn't one of them.”
“We tracked the call,” Tony's father said. “Some new immigrant family, the girl attended the Academy Prep School with Jiden and Alexander Karmazin. They probably pulled her in as a cut out, I'll have my people pick her up, shouldn't be hard, she's just a girl.”
I felt my hands clench into fists at his tone. Yet I couldn't argue with his statement. Ashiri was just a girl. So was I... and he had kidnapped me easily enough.
“What should I do with them, though?” Tony's father asked. I didn't miss the hesitation in his voice. Clearly he expected to be told something unpleasant. Given the fact that he'd calmly spoken about kidnapping a teenager, I shivered at what might make him hesitate.
“We'll turn them over to our buyers,” the woman said. "They can deal with them like they did with the other intern, Ted Meeks, wasn't it?”
“You don't think someone will ask questions when she goes missing?” Tony's father asked.
The woman laughed. Some people had a pleasant, friendly laugh, the kind that makes you want to laugh with them. I just shivered at the sound of her laugh. “Stupid girl falls for a young boy she just met, they run off together to make babies. I'm sure I can write up an appropriate letter. No one but her family would think twice about it. And if they raise too much fuss... well, I can smooth that over as well.” I didn't know who this woman was, but she seemed confident enough of her connections. The tone she used about me told me that she didn't really consider me human... I was just a piece of meat to be done with as she pleased.
“If you say so,” Tony's father said. “Uh, our business associates will be arriving soon. You probably want to head out if you don't want to spook them.”
“Yes, yes, they'd be ever so uncomfortable if they realized I was aware of this little transaction. Be certain you get the money up front this time, they still owe us from the last shipment,” the woman's voice was chiding, as if she spoke to a child or a man of limited intelligence.
“I'm not stupid, let me do my part, you just make certain you clean this up.” There was something hard in his voice, and the way he said clean made me wonder if he meant my family too.
“It always amuses me when you show some spine,” the woman said, “like a puppy, trying to growl. Walk me to my skimmer, dear, and tell me about how Tony is doing...”
I heard the door close behind them and I leaned my head against the metal door. I felt utterly hopeless. I was just a kid, trapped in a broom closet. What was I supposed to do when adults, presumably armed adults, had kidnapped me?
Some part of me whispered that I couldn't do anything. I was locked up, outnumbered, I didn't have a weapon. I was fourteen years old... what could I do but give up?
Right, I thought, that's just what the bastards expect. I couldn't let them win. They had already "dealt" with Ted, who I had pulled into this mess. They were going to kidnap Ashiri and who knew what they would try to do to Karmazin. Certainly he, at least, wouldn't believe whatever story they pushed about my disappearance. He was confident enough to try to do something about it... but what if they planned for that? What if he came out where they could grab him... or worse?
The thought of Ashiri, locked in the dark by herself was bad enough. The thought of Karmazin being just as helpless made me suddenly angry. I would not let them do that, not to my friends. Even if I couldn't escape, I might at least manage to warn both of them.
I felt around, I needed a tool, a weapon, something. My hands found doors below the sink and I opened them to feel around inside. As I felt the familiar shape of a metal bottle, I slowly began to smile.
***
Not much later I heard the outer door open. I heard a voice, half muttered, grumble and then the sound of footsteps as the person drew closer. "... get the girl, Smith, hurry up, Smith, oh, while you're at it, fetch me some coffee, Smith. These idiots think that money makes them so much better than me. I never should have taken this job."
I almost let out a giggle between the combination of my nervousness and his obvious displeasure.
Any sympathy I felt vanished as I heard him fumble for keys at the door. "At least they let me slap the boy around a bit when he got mouthy. They don't want her bruised up like the last one, she better behave herself a little better."
I heard the lock click and he pulled open the door. I squinted against the light, but I didn't hesitate and I flung the contents of the mop bucket right in his face. He let out a scream and pawed at his eyes and the chemicals that no doubt burned. Just the fumes had made my eyes burn for the past few minutes, I didn't want to think about the sensation of a face full of it.
As he stumbled back I rushed out the open door, stooping to pick up the plastic jug and glass bottle I'd left near the doorway.
I gave them both a shake as I ran down the hallway. Behind me I heard the man curse again and stumble into the wall. I left the hall and found myself in a break room of some kind, with a sink, a table and some chairs, and a small refrigerator. After being trapped in the dark for hours and against the harsh glare of the artificial lights, everything had a surreal look. I didn't see a computer or datapad or anything like that with which I could call for help. I did see a pair of doors, one of which I hoped led outside.
I started towards the first door just as it opened. A big man, with a scar across his cheek s
tood there, a pair of other men in the room behind him. He seemed shocked to see me.
Before he could even open his mouth to speak, I shook up the plastic jug and then aimed it at him and twisted off the lid.
White, bubbling foam shot out and a moment later, the scarfaced man let out a high-pitched shriek as the stuff hit him in the face. My fingers burned where the foam had touched them and I could already feel blisters forming. As the spray ceased, I dropped the first bottle and backed hurriedly to the other door. Behind the scarfaced man, his face buried in his hands, I saw the other two men rush forward, trying to get past their companion.
I shook the other bottle as I backed into the other door. I twisted the knob and felt a rush of relief as it came open. As I stepped through the door I threw the glass bottle at the floor and heard it shatter.
I slammed the door on the cloud of white vapor that erupted. Looking around, I saw a chair leaned up against the side of the building and I jammed that under the doorknob. Then I turned and ran.
My first instinct was to run for help, but all I saw was partially constructed buildings. I must be at a construction site, one of the ones that the engineering side of Champion Enterprises operated. Down the way I saw a pair of military style skimmers, painted black. Enforcers, I thought, maybe Karmazin tipped them off already.
I ran towards them and saw the doors on both of them were open. I rushed up the ramp of the closest one and physically ran into someone.
We both stumbled back, but I caught the edge of the hatch and stayed on my feet. Tony's father sprawled backwards with a squawk and a look of shock on his face. Behind him, instead of Enforcers or Militia, I saw a pair of men in grungy clothing looking through a crate and Tony standing with a datapad. “So, dad, they’ve paid us the bit they owed us for the last shipment…” he trailed off as he saw me.
Not the Enforcers, I thought with horror.
"Get her!" Tony's father shouted.
One of the men pawed at his belt and pulled out a pistol.
I didn't wait for him to aim it at me, I jumped to the side and hit the ramp control. As the ramp lifted, I heard a muffled shot ring out and heard a whine as the bullet struck the hatch combing. I heard a shout as I ran around the back of the skimmer. I paused there and looked around.
I could run, but these military skimmers would catch me easily, and I could see the stubby guns mounted under their noses. If Tony's father had supplied his criminal friends with ammunition, they could kill me without even needing to set down.
Clearly this went beyond a single transaction or even the other ones that Ted had suspected. This was millions, maybe tens of millions of illegal business and clearly Tony was just as involved as his father. I heard the ramp close and looked over at the other skimmer. I didn't see any movement from here... what if it was empty? I didn't have a skimmer license, I'd never really flown one, but Karmazin's flight simulation was supposed to be pretty accurate.
I heard the ramp start to whine behind me and shouts. I sprinted to the other skimmer and up the ramp.
The cargo bay was empty and I rushed through it to the cockpit.
I didn't take the time to try to strap myself in, I just grabbed the controls.
Okay, I thought, power, pitch, yaw... I flipped a switch and alarms jarred me. "Ramp deployed, for safety, please close ramp."
Override, I thought and hammered the button that Karmazin had told me about. The alarms silenced, though I still saw half a dozen red lights on the panel. Time for those later.
I fed power to the engines and their roar almost made me jerk in surprise. With the ramp down, it wasn't a whine, it was a full-bodied bellow as the skimmer lifted, turbines screaming as they thrust downwards.
I got it up, but the entire craft wobbled and swayed. I tried to compensate but the entire thing swung around, the back end heavy. The ramp, I thought, it must be affecting the aerodynamics.
I was facing the other skimmer, now, and I saw the backblast of air from the turbines knock several running figures back. Someone near the other skimmer leveled a weapon and fired and I saw the bullet spark off the armored screen in front of me. Crap, I thought, I need to get out of here.
I tried to rise higher, but the entire craft shuddered and swayed too much and I almost lost control again.
Past the other skimmer I saw lights, what had to be the city. I fed the forward throttle power and the skimmer lurched forward, losing altitude but gaining forward speed. I slipped over the top of the other skimmer by less than a meter and then lumbered through the air, barely clearing the top of the building they'd held me in.
"Communications..." I muttered to myself. I pawed at the radio but other than a green light, I didn't seem to have any effect.
This wouldn't work. I couldn't climb high enough to show on radar. Sooner or later they would follow me in their skimmer and I somehow doubted that I would outrun them if they even remotely knew what they were doing. Then they would shoot me down... assuming they had guns.
Guns, I thought. I flipped the switch next to me and a glowing target carat appeared on the heads up display... and I heard a voice over the roar of the engines, "Weapons systems engaged, sealing vessel for combat, ramp closing, landing gear retracting, power systems to full.
As the ramp closed my skimmer seemed to come to life. It went from a lumbering behemoth that barely responded to a dashing charger that I couldn't restrain even if I'd wanted to.
I fed power to the engines and this time the skimmer leapt upwards. Acceleration pushed me back in my seat. I fumbled with the seat restraints with one hand. Going at these speeds, I did not want to lose control, but if I did, the seat restraints might save me.
I'd buckled both shoulder straps when I saw a flare out of the corner of my eye, followed by a loud roar and a flash of light. They fired at me!
The skimmer rocked and I heard what sounded like metal tearing and a rattle as something struck at high speed. The entire craft shuddered and the surge of power turned into a hiccup.
I barely kept control as the skimmer's engines began to eat themselves, throwing bits of metal and smoke in a cloud around the craft. I limped it in a circle, barely staying in the air. I saw the other skimmer ahead of me now and coming up fast. Another shot went past and detonated behind me, but my flight pattern was too wobbly and they missed.
I tried to bring the target carat up so that I could return fire, but the craft only shuddered and sank lower. They were coming up fast now, staying low, presumably so no one would see them here on the edge of town. They were almost below me, close enough that I could see they would pass under me, probably to get another shot in to finish me off.
I felt a manic grin form on my face. They wanted to pass under me, did they...
As they swung under my flight path, I cut all power to engines and dove. Either my timing was off by a bit or the controls moved slower than I expected, either way, instead of a head-on collision I only managed to slap the back of the other craft.
As the ground came up to hit me, I hoped it was enough.
***
Chapter Twenty-Four: I'm Not Really Sure This Was A Good Idea
I woke up, hanging upside-down above the cracked cockpit canopy. It looked like the entire contents of the shuttle had accumulated there, everything from a sports rifle of some kind to a first aid kit.
I probably need both of those, I thought. If the other skimmer hadn't crashed, they would be coming for me. Hopefully someone had seen us and called the Enforcers, but I couldn't count on it. The seat restraints had held me, but the rest of the cargo must have bounced around the inside of the skimmer. I tried to reach for the buckles that held me, but I barely choked back a scream as I felt the bones in my hand grind.
Use the left hand, dummy, I thought. For some reason, the thoughtful part of my mind sounded a lot like Karmazin. I didn't want to think about that just now.
I popped the seat restraints with my left hand and then promptly landed head first on the canopy, which gav
e way and dumped me the remaining distance to the ground.
I landed hard on my right hand and I screamed so hard that I might have passed out for a moment. When I could finally see again, I realized that my skimmer had come to rest upside down in a partially constructed room. Either the roof had been incomplete or my skimmer had smashed it, I wasn't certain.
I tried to stand, but my right leg didn't want to work, so I dragged myself to the doorway. It opened out on a newly built street. Down at the end, I saw the other skimmer, with a long gouge it had carved when it crash-landed. As I watched, I saw several figures climb out of the wreckage. So, I thought, I guess I didn't get them after all.
In the movies, when a skimmer crashed, it blew up spectacularly. I wasn't sure whether I should be grateful it didn't happen like that or disappointed. Maybe a little of both.
I crawled back out of direct sight and considered my options. My leg wasn't working, my hand hurt so much I could barely think, and it wouldn't be long before someone came this way. At this point, I couldn't run, I had nowhere to hide, and they were going to hurt me, maybe even kill me.
They're going to try to kill me, I thought and my gaze went to the rifle that lay where it had fallen out of the cockpit.
I crawled over to it. My entire body hurt but the bones in my right hand grated and ground with every motion. I had to pause, halfway there, to throw up. The heaving motion made my ribs stab in pain. I wondered if I'd cracked them, but I knew I'd broken my hand.
I crawled the last bit of the way and leaned against a bit of rubble. I pulled the rifle into my lap with my left hand. It was a simple thing, I saw, a bolt action rifle, probably for hunting. I drew the bolt back and saw several rounds in the magazine. I worked the bolt and slid a round into the chamber. If they were coming to kill me, then I'd just have to kill them first.
***
“Hey, Jiden, you there?” I heard Tony's voice call out a few minutes later.
I had braced the rifle on some of the debris and lay on my side behind it. I didn't respond. Some part of me still hoped this was a misunderstanding... but I wasn't about to risk my life on that.
