Marine's Queen, The

by Susan Kelley

  “And if you don’t find anything, Mudge? You’re supposed to be a famed hunter.” Hadrason sipped his wine.

  “We’ll lift off and move to a different spot, but there’s no way a bunch of women trekked very far over this sandy hell.”

  “Send out double the number of men needed. Half can guard the ones doing the work.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  After Mudge left, Hadrason turned his condescending smile on Callie. “It won’t be long now. You’ll be reunited with your friends. Then we’ll see how willing you are to lead me to the crystallized iron. Why don’t you tell me now, and I’ll be merciful. Didn’t I keep my word about your crew?”

  “You left them with a few hours of life support. They’re all dead for all we know,” Jak spat out.

  “Not if the military ship you sent a message to came to their rescue. Tell you what, Callie dear, if you save me the trouble of searching for your friends, I won’t give the little girl to my men.”

  “They’re not men.” Callie hated his superior smile. “You’ll never find them.”

  Hadrason’s smile slipped, but the communication unit called him before he could answer her challenge. “Sir, could you come to the bridge?”

  “Bring our guests along,” Hadrason growled to the guards.

  The men kept Jak and Callie separated as they made their way up to the bridge. Mudge and another man sat at various stations, monitoring the sensors and scanners.

  “What is so urgent, Mudge, that you had to interrupt my very enjoyable meal?”

  “Sir, we’re having trouble contacting our scout units.”

  “How many can’t you reach?”

  “We sent out six groups of four men. None of them are answering.”

  “None of them?”

  Callie laughed, earning a vicious glare from Hadrason. “Perhaps they froze. This planet turns brutally cold after dark.” But she hoped it was a more human force of nature causing the absence of the men.

  “Shut up, bitch,” Hadrason snarled. “Keep trying to reach them, Mudge. The cold may have affected the gear.”

  The other men looked more frightened than angry. The bridge was silent except for the man repeating his request for acknowledgement from the missing scouts.

  Callie didn’t look at Jak, afraid her hope would show. The cold couldn’t silence so many men instantly. Someone else was out there.

  * * * *

  “He took them to the bridge,” Yalo relayed to Joe’s ear piece. “Sontu, Callie, Hadrason, a Mudge character, and somewhere between two and four other men.”

  “Got it. Now stay down and off the air waves.” Joe rose from the sand, the white grains sliding from his body hugging simutex. Only his eyes were exposed, and he squinted to protect them from the freezing air.

  A stumbling, nearly naked man walked into the meager light marking the closed hatch. He raised a shaking hand and pounded on the door with the strength of a tiny bird. No one would ever hear him.

  Joe glided closer. He pounded on the hatch. The man half turned to look at him, but otherwise didn’t react. The bastard was so far gone in hypothermia Joe wondered how he’d found his way back to the ship.

  The hatch opened a slit. Warm air rushed out, and the freezing man tried to squeeze in the narrow opening.

  “That you, Bull?” someone asked from inside the ship.

  Bull couldn’t answer. He lifted his arms in a pleading gesture toward the warmth spilling out from the door.

  “What happened? Where’s everyone else? It’s damn cold out there,” the inside man said. The door crept open further and Bull fell inside.

  Joe placed a small charge on the lock mechanism of the open door while the other man tugged Bull the rest of the way inside. He moved back into the shadows as someone pulled the door closed.

  Hoping the door guard would help Bull to the infirmary, Joe counted to one hundred. He set off the small explosive. The short popping sounded loud in the desert night, but they shouldn’t have heard it inside.

  With its latch destroyed, the door pulled open easily. The interior lights blazed against Joe’s vision after being outside. Joe leaped in, rolling and bringing his gun to bear as he regained his feet. No guards.

  He closed the door and ran toward the bridge, not hearing any alarms from the door being opened without authorization. Without conscious thought, he counted his steps and noted hiding spots that might help their escape.

  A lift connected the deck he was on to the bridge, but Joe searched for the emergency ladder that led in the same direction. Slinging his weapon over his shoulder, he pulled himself up the rungs. His boots made no sound.

  The ladder ended at a fire door. Joe braced his back against the wall to free his hands. He pulled his laser pistol and set it on stun. He slowly turned the handle on the door.

  One of the guards stood six feet in front of Joe with his back to him. The other occupants of the bridge also faced away from him except for Sontu. The captain’s expression didn’t change. He looked away from Joe and took a step back from his guards. Sontu’s movement drew the attention of everyone in the room.

  “I’m sick of this,” Sontu said harshly. “Let us go, Hadrason, before you end up like all your men out there.”

  Joe used the distraction to stun the guard right in front of him. He caught the man’s body before it fell to the floor. No one noticed.

  “You’re a conniving bastard.” Sontu struggled against the restraints on his arms. The other four men moved in on him.

  Joe’s shots didn’t miss.

  “What by fash!” Hadrason shouted.

  “Joe!” Callie ran toward him

  Hadrason reached for her, and Joe shot him too. The mine owner wilted to the floor, but Joe didn’t see him hit it. He caught Callie against his chest.

  “I knew you’d come,” she whispered close to his ear.

  “You are my queen.”

  “Is that the only reason you came?” Callie pulled back out of his embrace.

  “One of you care to help me here?” Sontu held up his tied hands and saved Joe from answering the difficult question. “I’m happy to see you too, Joe, but I don’t think this is the place to stand around and celebrate.”

  Joe pulled his knife from his belt and freed the ornery captain. “We need to take Hadrason with us. It’ll keep the rest of them from coming after us. They might even leave if he’s gone.”

  Sontu and Callie both picked up weapons. Joe slung the mine owner over his shoulder and carried his pistol in his other hand. They took the lift to the ground level. Joe ran in front, and Sontu brought up the rear.

  A guard was examining the destroyed hatch lock when Joe came around the corner. Joe gave him no chance to react. He kicked the man under the chin. The guard flopped back, unconscious before he hit the floor.

  Joe shouldered the door opened and hopped into the sand. He spoke into his shoulder mike. “Now!” Kam and Roz rushed forward with protective covers and wrapped them around Callie and Sontu. No one cared if Hadrason froze.

  They ran from the vicinity of the ship. Joe slowed so Sontu and Callie could keep up. They weren’t used to breathing the frigid air.

  Joe dumped Hadrason at Yalo’s feet when they reached the rendezvous point. “Call in Vin and Mak. Tell them to take rear guard and help Callie and Sontu get dressed.”

  Yalo assisted them into the weather suits while the marines packed up the rest of the gear. As soon as Callie closed the last snap on her jacket, they took off.

  Kam wrapped one of the covers around Hadrason and hefted him over his shoulder. Roz took lead and Joe dropped back to the rear. As they neared the spot where they’d parked the scooters, Joe ordered Vin and Mak to catch up.

  “Any search parties out?” Joe asked when the two men joined them.

  “I picked up a lot of confused communications within the ship. No one ventured out.”

  “We’ll wait for daylight to head out. The cold might be too much for the women and the captain on the
scooters.” Joe checked the brightening on the horizon. Less than an hour until dawn. Then they could travel for a few hours before the sun heated up the sands. “Vin, blow their weapons and drive systems.”

  Vin pulled out a hand-sized remote from one of his belt pockets. He entered a few numbers. Muffled explosions temporarily lit the sky. “Nobody is going to follow us now, sir.”

  “They could have hover crafts or shuttle vehicles,” Joe said.

  “They have at least one shuttle,” Sontu volunteered.

  Joe looked at Callie standing so quietly beside Yalo. She smiled at him, and his body ached to hold her again. It seemed a year of his life had passed since they’d been together. He couldn’t wait until the sun came up to have her close. “Mount up. Callie, you ride with me.”

  They flew close to the ground though Joe was sure they were well beyond sensor range. Callie leaned against his back with her arms wrapped around his waist. The front of her thighs pressed along the back of his.

  The sun burst over the horizon, turning the sand to a brilliance to rival a sea of diamonds. Joe’s world had never seemed so perfectly beautiful.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The other women whisked Callie away as soon as they arrived. Seeing the healthy, happy children brought tears to her eyes. The new camp amazed her.

  Yalo showed her the climate controlled living quarters and the newly planted vegetable gardens. “Even the temperatures aren’t as extreme in this deep valley. The river is fresh, clean water and there are edible fish in it.”

  They came to the last tiny cottage. “This is mine and Vin’s.”

  “The two of you seem very happy.” Callie sensed a challenge in Yalo’s statement.

  “We’re going to stay together. If the choice is him going to prison or fleeing for his life, I’m running with him. He’s my husband in every way that matters, and I love him.”

  “Then I wish the two of you the best. There’s a Galactic Military ship on its way here. You and Vin should go now.”

  Yalo looked out over the river. “I’m not sure he’ll go without the others.”

  “They should go too. We’ll be safe enough with the Giroux soldiers here and Joe.”

  “None of them will go without Joe.” Yalo’s voice caught. “Why is it I finally find a man I can love and respect and I might lose him?”

  Callie hugged her friend, sharing her fears. “Let’s go talk to those stubborn marines and see if we can get them to save themselves now that they’ve saved us.”

  * * * *

  Sontu nodded his appreciation as he and Becker returned from a tour of the camp. “It’s close to impregnable with enough men holding it. Or the right men.”

  “Becker and his unit are the right men,” Joe said. “He can stay here with the men he has until you send out more reinforcements.”

  Sontu snorted. “The location of Crevan Four will get out as well as the rumor of the crystallized iron. We’ll have all kinds of pirates descending on this planet.”

  “When Edow gets here demand military orbiting patrols or let them know the price of iron is going up.”

  This time Sontu grinned. “You’ve only been around the Giroux court for a few days and you’re developing some sneaky ways.”

  Joe wondered why Sontu seemed amused instead of displeased. Sneaky didn’t sound like a compliment.

  “Will your men be staying?” Sontu gestured at the other marines who waited for the meal the ladies were preparing.

  “If they want to.” Joe would let them each decide for themselves. If the charges against them couldn’t be rectified, the marines stood a better chance of survival and escape if they separated. The Interplanetary Recon Marines were no more.”

  * * * *

  The design of the barrack’s long eating hall perfectly suited the marines. Everything was Spartan and unadorned. Joe and Jak talked quietly at one table while the other marines ate with their single-minded manner at another table.

  Sergeant Becker and a few of his men sipped cold drinks at another table. The mid day sun was upon them and no one wanted to be outdoors if they didn’t have to be.

  Callie joined Joe and Jak while Yalo sat with Vin. The two men fell silent as Callie settled on the hard bench. “Joe, we need to talk about your men before Captain Edow arrives.”

  “He’ll have to take them all back to prison,” Jak said.

  “Not if he doesn’t know they’re here,” Callie said. “And not if they leave before he arrives.”

  Joe looked at his men for a moment before turning to Callie. “I already talked to them. They’re not running or hiding. They’ve had a taste of living a normal life, or almost normal. We’ll all face the charges together.”

  “You could all be sent to prison.” Callie’s chest tightened at the thought of Joe being slowly worked to death on the Nye Moon. “You should run too.”

  “I promised Edow I’d turn myself back to him.”

  “Don’t be stubborn. This is your chance to escape.”

  “Being a fugitive is a type of prison. We thought we were free before you crashed here, but we weren’t. The men want to be able to have children with a lawful wife. They want to have a home.”

  “The women are prepared to run with them.” Callie put her hand on top of Joe’s.

  He shook his head. “My men won’t take these people they care about to such a life.”

  “You can go.”

  Joe looked away from her. “You want me to go away?”

  Five communication devices squawked at the same time and prevented Callie from answering. The marines jumped to their feet and sprinted out the door. Jak rose to follow them.

  “What happened?” Callie asked, hurrying after him.

  “I’m not sure. It was some kind of prearranged signal designed to make sense only to them.”

  “It must be from Webb then. He’s the only one not here.”

  “Isn’t Webb the doctor?” Jak started to run.

  “Yes. Why?”

  “He was examining Hadrason to see why he was still unconscious after that stun shot.”

  * * * *

  Hadrason held a long scalpel at Webb’s neck. The mine owner towered over the smaller man, holding him with ease. “Bring me a hovercraft and the queen, and I’ll let your doctor friend go.”

  “No.” Joe gestured and the marines spread out.

  “No?” Hadrason laughed. “I’ll kill him if you don’t.”

  “And then I’ll kill you. Let him go, and I’ll let you live.”

  Joe heard Callie and Yalo along with the Giroux guards enter behind him. The infirmary wasn’t a big building. “Sergeant Becker, please take the queen out of here.”

  “Yes, Sentinel.”

  “Wait!” Hadrason pressed the knife hard enough to draw a droplet of blood. Webb flinched, but his expression remained calm. “Callie, I’ll kill this man if you don’t come over here.”

  “Kill him, Joe, if he does.” Callie turned and started for the door, Yalo falling in behind her.

  Joe watched the crazed eyes of Hadrason and saw the instant the man decided to act. The wild look flamed like green fire.

  Hadrason threw Webb at Joe, hurtling the doctor so hard his feet only skimmed the floor.

  Joe dodged Webb’s flailing arms and legs in time to see Hadrason throw his knife at Callie’s back.

  Joe shouted a warning, but in his mind he screamed with fear and helplessness. He turned as swift as the flight of the blade but was too far away to do anything but watch it fly toward Callie’s back. Everything slowed to nightmare speed.

  Yalo pushed Callie toward the ground, covering her with her body. The knife thudded with the force of a hammer blow into Yalo’s back as she fell. The two women crashed to the floor.

  Joe and Vin arrived at the same time. Vin carefully lifted Yalo off Callie. A trickle of blood bubbled from the side of Yalo’s mouth, and her breath rasped in her chest.

  “Yalo!” Callie cried.

  Joe knew the
signs of a fatal wound when he saw one. Webb pushed in between Joe and Callie. Joe stood and checked on Hadrason. Kam held him face down with his hands secured behind his back.

  Hadrason laughed with the glee of a maniac. “At least I got one of those bitches.”

  Roz punched Hadrason in the head. The mine owner’s head dropped to the floor like a sack of lead shot. Joe turned back to Callie.

  “You’re safe, my queen.” Yalo’s voice was barely audible.

  Vin held her against his chest. He reached up with a trembling hand and brushed her auburn hair from her glistening forehead.

  “Why did you do that, Yalo?” Callie knelt on the other side of her, holding one of Yalo’s limp hands.

  “Roll her over, Vin,” Webb said. “Let me have a look at it.”

  “No.” Yalo sounded a bit stronger, but more bright blood dribbled down her chin. “You don’t have to look, doctor.”

  “It may feel bad, but I can work wonders,” Webb said. “I’m a hell of a physician.”

  “Let it go, Webb,” Joe ordered.

  “What do you mean?” Callie snarled at Joe.

  “Callie, it’s been my honor to serve.” Yalo’s voice faltered and ended with a gasp.

  “Everybody out,” Joe ordered.

  The other marines fisted their hearts as they passed Yalo and Vin. Becker and two of his men dragged the unconscious Hadrason out with them.

  The doctor rose and walked like an old man to his demolished work area. He leaned an arm against the wall and bowed his head.

  Callie took up Yalo’s hand again, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

  Joe knelt beside her, putting his hand on top of hers and Yalo’s. He felt as helpless as when he’d watched the knife flying from Hadrason’s hand. Yalo lifted her pain-filled gaze toward him.

  “You’re a fine soldier, Yalo Pangol, as fine as any marine I’ve known. We will honor your memory.” Joe wondered if the words brought as little comfort to her as they did to him. A woman he cared about had died on his watch. He’d failed.

  “The honor is mine,” Yalo rasped.

  Joe urged Callie to rise. She gently place Yalo’s hand on her chest.