“Lieutenant, what seems to be the problem?” I asked raising my hands to show I wasn’t holding a gun.
“Piran, get out slowly,” she ordered looking away from me and gazing around the empty cargo deck, “Real slow.”
I kept my hands in the air and jumped down to the pad. She backed up and signaled a few workers to her side. They covered me as she holstered the big pistol. I said big because when you’re looking down a barrel, all guns look big. In the case of Bryndís’, it was a big revolver with huge no nonsense bullets.
“I believe, we need to talk,” I suggested looking at the anger on the faces of the women who formed a semi-circle in front of me.
“One of your pilots just lifted off with a squad of Rebels,” the Lieutenant for security at protein LZ explained with a sneer, “I assume you come to be sure Princess got off okay.”
“Hold on Bryndís, are you talking about Sade?” I asked, easily looking puzzled because I was, “I’m here on orders from Captain Gesina. He’s in contact with Rebels at West fruit Hamlet. Princess was assigned to fishery LZ.”
“Well, your pilot, Sade, isn’t at fishery LZ. She was here. A squad of armed men and women got off the protein Shuttle and started shooting up my LZ,” she said indicating her right shoulder sling, “Your pilot arrived and they boarded her helicopter.”
“They took her by force?” I asked hoping Princess and her copter were commandeered rather than the alternative.
“Not if her setting down in the middle of their formation,” Bryndís replied with a whole lot of sarcasm, “and her jumping out to help load one of their wounded, is being a kidnapped victim.”
“I can assure you my arrival had nothing to do with Lieutenant Sade’s action concerning the Rebels,” I stated, then making small shaking movements with my hands, asked, “Can I lower my arms?”
“Just a second,” she replied, then to one of the women facing me, said, “Clear the helicopter of any guns.”
The woman climbed into my bird and appeared a short time later. She carried my big pistol and the assault rifle. “These are all I could find.”
“Are those the only guns you have?” Bryndís asked me.
Talk about your naiveté, what did she expect me to say? Or was she testing me? I decided it was a test.
“There’s another pistol in the pack hanging behind the pilot seat,” I confessed, “Can I put my hands down now?”
The woman with my weapons reached back and pulled my small pistol out of her back pocket.
“You can put your arms down now,” the security officer said. Looks like I had passed the test.
“Has Princess been here a lot lately?” I asked slowly lowering my arms. The semi-circle looked as if they would gladly act as a firing squad with the slightest provocation.
“For the last month she’s been here a lot. I assumed Gesina was using her for protein LZ because she’s a woman,” Bryndís explained, “Obviously you’ve noticed a woman would have more freedom of moment than you’ve experienced.”
“I think she went rogue and off her missions by coming here,” I said trying to piece the parts together, “Was she seeing anyone here, like a friend, or something more?”
“Now, now Lieutenant Piran. Just because we’re a matriarchy doesn’t mean we’re lesbian. Well, we do have a fair share of ladies of that persuasion, but most of us prefer men,” she said. She seemed to be relaxing which made me more comfortable. When she waved down the guns pointing at me, I was sure. “Princess has a friend,” she continued, “Her cottage is just down the road. She went there most every time she came to protein LZ.”
“Another thing. Where did the Rebels come from?” I asked as I looked at the small house with the high roof where Sade’s friend lived.
“They came out of the protein Shuttle. Once they were off, they gathered on the side of the LZ and watched the Shuttle finish its mission,” she reported, “They didn’t attack until I sent one of my people to question them. She’s dead and so are two more of my people. Lucky for us, we women stick together and everyone has access to a weapon. If Princess hadn’t carried them away, I’d have them in body bags by now.”
She was serious. The ground crew at protein LZ had over a hundred workers and, if each had a gun, then a squad of even well trained troops wouldn’t have a chance.
“Have you reported them to protein Station?” I asked.
“We’re dark, but once communications are reestablished, you bet I well,” she said sounding more like the security professional that she was. “Is Javelin alright? You said he was in contact with the Rebels?”
“He has Marines and a strike team of Park Rangers with him,” I explained, “I’m worried about the Rebels up north and the new group heading southeast with Princess.”
“It’s late,” she said either ignoring my observation or dismissing it as something beyond her control, “I’ll get some food brought out to you and you can have your guns back in the morning. Right now, I only trust my people. You understand?”
“Consider myself under your protection,” I said with a smile, “I’m used to sleeping on the cargo deck.”
True to her word a food truck arrived a short time later. Bryndís had assigned two guards to keep an eye on me. The three of us ate together and it was nice to have a few minutes of female companionship. I’d been so busy on Nafaka my social life was nonexistent. And the best part was they were flirting back. I might even have gone for more. But, I had a busy night ahead of me and it didn’t include my lady jailers.
Too soon, according to my guards, I excused myself and unrolled my sleeping bag. They gave me privacy by staying away from the helicopter. Once I’d fluffed up the bag, I eased into the cockpit.
Chapter 61
The confines of the cockpit were tight but after slinging on the Clan strap, I pulled on my Clan trousers and the pullover. Night objects became visible.
My guards were speaking in low tones. That was nice as they were trying to be considerate and not bother me. I heard every word and saw them clearly as I slid out of the hatch.
The house of Princess’ friend was a tall one story affair. I tested the door knob but it was locked. Easing around to the side, I studied the window. A simple latch secured it. My knife blade unlocked it and I gently slid the window up.
Inside was a large room with simple furniture, a kitchen and one door off to the side. I assumed it was a bedroom. I didn’t know what I was looking for but knew I had to have a look. If I hadn’t had the Knights hood, I would have missed the extra wire. It looked like the other electric wiring running along the junction of the wall and ceiling. The system of exposed wiring went along with the no permanent structures deemed by the Galactic Council for Nafaka. It looked unfinished while being functional. People could always find ways around restrictive laws.
The wire that caught my attention wasn’t a simple conduit for electricity. It was coaxial and while coated to resemble the other lines, this one didn’t go to a light or an appliance. It snaked through a hole in the corner. No one could have seen the hole with the naked eye, unless you were up close and searching for it. But, for me, the heavy radio wire glowed bronze while its sister wires gave off a silver sheen. Whatever the wire was, it had conducted a lot of power recently. I followed the bronze glow until the glow disappeared into the ceiling.
Backtracking the wire, I found a male plug hanging behind an end table. The ceiling had an opening that was covered by a board laying in a frame. So, as a Knight Protector of the Clan, I used my special powers to lift a chair and place it under the opening. Then I stood on the chair and pushed up the board.
The ceiling space was a web of bronze glowing wires. They formed patterns on all four sides of the walls. It was a radio antenna. What possible use was a massive antenna array to a simple worker at protein LZ? This along with a simple short wave system could easily reach from fishery LZ to the mountains north of protein LZ. And, it was undetectable if they only used it during dark periods when our sect
or went off line.
Lieutenant Sade and her friend were communicating with someone secretly. My guess was the Rebels. Now, I had a test for the protein LZ’s security office, Lieutenant Bryndís.
At dawn the Lieutenant arrived with two others in attendance. I was sitting cross legged at the hatch. She released my weary guards with a wave of her hand.
“Good morning, Bryndís,” I said with a smile, “Have you questioned Sade’s friend yet?”
“I was just on the way. What are your orders?” she asked. I noticed the sling on her arm had been changed and the pure white cloth reflected the light from the rising sun.
“I’m still standing by until Javelin changes them,” I said stretching, “By the way, you might want to check the attic of the friend’s house.”
“And what will I find?” she asked while narrowing her eye lids and giving me an evil look.
“Nothing except my suspicions,” I said holding out an energy bar. “Breakfast?”
“Stay on the landing pad, Piran,” she warned as she waved her two assistants to follow her.
I was unguarded, but it didn’t make any difference. I had eyes on me from multiple angles and no plans. We were in another dark period so I laid back and went to sleep. The sun was high when my radio squawked.
“J-Pop this is Base, come back,” the Senior Chief called.
“J-Pop for Base, go ahead,” I answered from the cockpit.
“J-Pop, we’ve got a call from the old Druid,” Dunya reported, “He’s requesting aid. Says it’s a medical emergency. He didn’t sound well.”
I acknowledged her message than filled her in on yesterday and what I found last night. Even if something happened to me, I knew Command would do something about Princess and the Rebel radio. And, they’d know which side Lieutenant Bryndís was on.
My helicopter lifted off at 10:30 hours and I raced northwest until I passed the foothill. From there I angled north to the small feeder river and followed it through the mountain pass. I was rushing but not worried. Druids can take care of most minor and quite a few major issues. Whatever medical emergency they had couldn’t be that drastic. That’s what I was thinking before I entered the mountain meadow and saw the smoke. Then, I started worrying.
The steep mountain path and the rocks and roots slowed me as I tried to rush. It twisted and turned, taking advantage of natural trails through the trees, making it longer than a straight line. As I raced to the flat where the Druid buildings had stood majestically in the forest, I was hit with the smell of burnt wood and seared flesh. The lodge was a mass of mostly burned logs and the work shed had a few pieces of equipment still standing in the collapsed rectangle of the shed.
I searched until I located Artair and Brenton. They had pulled two badly burnt Druids to a cluster of trees upwind from the smoking ruins.
“What can I do?” I asked looking from Artair to Brenton.
Artair had a bloody hole in the side of his robe. Brenton’s leg was roughly wrapped in a piece of brown robe.
“Go after them, Knight Protector,” Brenton ordered.
“But I can get you to a doctor,” I pleaded, “You both need medical care. As do the two brothers.”
“The brothers will take a long time to heal. A little longer will do them no harm,” Artair stated. He was struggling to breathe and the pain of his wound was displayed on his face.
Brenton added, “Artair and I are old and tough, we’ll be fine. They took Denzilee.”
“Why would they take a little girl?” I asked in horror. My mind conjured up a few reasons for capturing a child. None of them good, or accurate, as I soon found out.
“Denzilee is the granddaughter of an Elder council member,” Brenton said wincing as he struggled for a more comfortable position, “Her capture can put pressure on the Druid Council. Even if the Elder doesn’t bend to their wishes. The child’s capture is an indication of Druid and Clan weakness.”
“This is why Knight Protectors were created,” Artair said straining to look me in the eye, “A war people have attacked and taken a member of the Clan. Do your duty.”
He coughed and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and refocused on me. I saved him the trouble of speaking again.
“I know my duty,” I said sliding a medical kit off my shoulder, “First a little triage to assure that I find you alive when I get back with Denzilee.”
“But you have hours of daylight to track them,” Brenton protested as I unwrapped his leg. It was shattered and, when I peeled off the makeshift bandage, a bleeder started to bubble arterial blood.
“I am a Knight Protector of the Clan,” I assured him as I hit the bleeder with chemicals to cauterize the artery. He inhaled and his breath caught as he fought back a scream. It was painful but he held on until I applied a splint and a new wrap.
“But, you are wasting,” Artair started to add his voice to my delay. I cut open the robe and poured in antiseptic powder. He coughed and fought back tears. For my stubborn delay, or from the pain, I wasn’t sure, but the old man started crying.
“Trust me Elder,” I said as I moved over and began to spread salve on the two burned Druids, “I know my duty. I am angry and the Clan vengeance I administer will be brutal. No one shall escape the killing, maiming and taking of Clan members. For this you have my vow.”
My words soothed Artair and Brenton or maybe it was the battlefield medical treatment. In either case, they settled back. I went in search of some weapons. They’d done fine getting to safety but night was coming and they’d needed fire and weapons to fend off forest predators.
In the rubble of the still smoking lodge, I located a gun case that had survived the fire. After careful consideration, I selected two revolvers. The hardy pistols wouldn’t jam and they delivered big bullets with lots of noise. If the Druids were attacked by anything that twelve shots couldn’t drive off, they’d be dead anyway.
Back at the Druids, I gave Artair and Brenton the revolvers. Then I built a fire and stacked enough wood to get them through the night. I rechecked the bandages and reapplied salve to the burns. Then to the horror of all four Druids, I set about cooking a meal.
“Phelan, don’t you think that you should be on the Rebel’s trail?” Artair asked. His frustration pouring out with every word, “We can live without food.”
“Elder, peace,” I said as I stirred in potatoes, onions and carrots that I’d retrieved from their root cellar. The vegetables and beef I found were boiling in a large pot. I looked up at the sun that was just touching the western ridge. “I am not Phelan nor a Lieutenant in the Navy. I am not your nurse or your cook. Everything I am doing is for the Clan. Everything I do tonight is for the Clan. You will eat and live until I return. Now eat.”
I handed him the bland stew in a cracked bowl. He took it by simply bowing his head. I believe he had finally given up on directing me in the task. The others received a portion of stew in dishes just as damaged. It was all I could scrounge from the wreckage of the lodge.
The sun was low and the shade of the mountain placed us in a quickly vanishing twilight. I checked all four Druids again. Then without a word, I strolled away. Away from civilization, as rustic as it was, and from humanity, mine and that of my enemy. I imagined the long line of Knight Protectors, that had passed before me, had felt like this when they went out to punish offenders.
Chapter 62
I found the foot prints of the Rebels after searching a half circle around the edge of the Druid monastery. The combatants apparently expected no trouble as they’d fallen in from the attack on a well-worn trail. It wouldn’t have mattered if they’d chosen a rougher path. I could see the impressions of their boots as if I was marching right behind them. In a way I was. A steady jog carried me up winding and twisting mountain hills and down shallow valleys.
Their foot prints glowed and from faint impressions, they grew in intensity. As the foot prints brightened against the soft leaves of the forest, I slowed to a fast walk. When
the trail led between two boulders, I circled around through the woods.
The woman on rear guard was chewing. It wasn’t loud, or open mouthed like an offense against good manners, it was just the gnashing of food. But to me in the Knight suit, it was like water dripping into a pail. Distinctive and loud enough to pull me in her direction.
I didn’t know she was a female Rebel until the bottom of my left fighting stick had puncture her brain. Using the same point, I carved a deep C for Clan into her dead forehead. If she were ever found, it would signify who had killed her. The act was both a warning and a promise.
After my grisly deed, I took to the trail. The foot prints were more distinct as the night deepened. I counted nine adults and one small set not too far ahead. Slowing to a quiet walk, I moved up the dark trail. Two guards waited and they weren’t chewing, they were whispering from either side of the path. Too stupid to live, the Marines like to say. In their case, it was true.
On the left side was the mountain rising up towards heaven. The other side dropped off into a deep gully. I took neither side. I simply walked up the trail.
“April, is that you?” the left trail guard asked.
So I rammed the point of my right fighting stick through the throat of the other guard. While, his right side partner was bleeding out, lefty was busy getting his brain in gear. Before he could identify the danger, his voice became a gurgle and he died on the point of my left stick. I stayed just long enough to carve both of their foreheads.
Seven war people to go, one little girl to save, and the night was young. The land beyond the kills spread out. The mountain was steep on one side and the drop off receded leaving a forest thick with trees and undergrowth in the dale. I moved further into the trees, still following their trail.
They had a fire going. It wasn’t a roaring fire but it was flame in the night. To me it was as good a daylight would be to them. Nasty habit needing comfort in enemy territory. Of course, they didn’t know they were in enemy territory, yet.
Galactic Council Realm 1: On Station Page 33
