Katin shook her head. “Before I met you, I never imagined Terrans behaving as you four do.”
“How did you expect us to act?” asked Sheridan.
“I never believed all of the outlandish propaganda our Ministry of Information used to publish about the human race being bloodthirsty killers, but I never imagined you laughing and caring for one another as you do. You’re almost Kurgan in your behavior.”
“If it’ll make you feel any better, there are plenty of people who still think that Kurgans eat their prisoners.”
“That’s a barbaric notion. We’d never do such a thing.”
“That may be true, but your soldiers have committed countless atrocities in the name of your religion that cannot be excused,” said Wendy.
“For that, I apologize,” replied Katin, bowing her head.
“Hey, let’s go easy on her for a second,” said Cole. “I’m not ignoring what the Kurgans have done to us, but we’re not lily-white when it comes to war crimes. We currently have people in custody back on Earth for ejecting Kurgan prisoners out into space to die. Let’s not forget that we backed and armed the wrong person when the Kurgan Civil War started. When all is said and done, and the historians write their books, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of blame to go around.”
“That’s if the books don’t get edited and re-written to hide the truth as they were after the last war,” said Sheridan.
“I see we are more alike than I ever suspected,” said Katin.
“And that’s a good thing our two species can use to build a lasting peace between us,” said Sheridan.
“It’s getting dark. I’m going to kill the fire,” said Cole. “There’s no point in advertising our whereabouts.”
“What do you say—two-hour shifts?” said Sheridan to Cole.
“Sounds about right. I’ll go last as it’s always fun to wake up people at the crack of dawn. They really appreciate seeing my smiling face.”
In the dark, four men edged their way around the disabled Kurgan shuttlecraft with their weapons tight in their shoulders. The stomach-churning stench of rotting flesh hung in the air. A pack of small two-legged lizards with long arms and slender necks ignored the soldiers while they hungrily dug at the remains of the dead predator.
“Sergeant, look, there are tracks heading away from the ship,” said one of the men, pointing at the ground.
“How many?” asked the sergeant.
“Judging by the shape and size of the footprints, it looks like four humans and two Kurgans.”
The sergeant shone his light over the tracks and nodded. “We’ve found them.”
“Shall I contact headquarters and let them know?” asked a soldier with a ground-to-satellite radio on his back.
“Yes,” said the sergeant. “Make sure you let them know we’re going to track them down and kill them for General Kordus.”
As silent as a thief in the night, the four Chosen soldiers melted into the jungle with one thought on their minds: death.
Chapter 13
Sheridan rolled over, opened his heavy eyelids, and saw the gray light of dawn edge higher on the horizon, heralding the start to another long day.
“Hey, sleepy head, time to get up,” said Cole, nudging Sheridan’s shoulder.
“I’m already awake,” he replied, stretching his arms over his head.
“Anything come in on the comms during the last few hours?” asked Wendy, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Nope, not a word,” said Cole, handing the radio back to Wendy.
“A girl can hope.”
Tarina crawled out from under the shelter and ran a hand through her short, white hair. “Okay, ladies, grab a rifle and let’s find a secluded spot to go to the bathroom.”
“Have fun,” said Cole.
“When it comes to plumbing, you men have got it easy,” shot back Wendy.
“We can look for fruit at the same time,” said Katin.
“Sure, but stay close,” cautioned Sheridan.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Kobak asked Cole.
“Sure, help me get the fire going again,” replied Cole, trying out his seldom used Kurgan.
“While you two do that, I’m going to check the traps to see if anything was foolish enough to wander into them during the night,” said Sheridan.
“This spot looks about as good as any,” said Tarina, standing next to a tall fern. “Katin, you can go first.”
“This is so embarrassing,” said Katin.
“Get used to it. If things don’t go to plan, we may be stuck out here for a few more days.”
Wendy spun on her heel and brought up a finger to her lips.
Tarina could see the fear in her friend’s eyes and mouthed, “What’s wrong?”
Wendy pointed at the muddy ground.
Tarina’s stomach dropped. On the ground were at least six different sets of barefoot tracks.
“Kurgans,” whispered Katin. “Those have to be Kurgan footprints.”
“Are you sure?”
Katin nodded. “By the size of them, I’d say they were all made by males.”
“We’ve got to get back and warn the others,” said Wendy.
“I wouldn’t move a centimeter if I were you,” said a strange voice in Kurgan coming from inside the jungle.
Tarina reached over to pull her rifle from her shoulder when a red laser dot appeared on her chest. Two others materialized: one on Katin and the other on Wendy’s forehead.
“Lay your weapons down on the ground and then get down on your knees with your hands on top of your heads,” instructed the man.
Tarina gritted her teeth before nodding to her friends to do as they were told. She laid her rifle in the mud and slowly got down on her knees.
With practiced precision, two Chosen scouts rushed out of the jungle and frisked the women for any hidden weapons.
“They’re clean,” said one of the soldiers after confiscating the women’s concealed knives.
Tarina watched the fern leaves split apart as a Chosen sergeant and a private walked out. Scars covered the sergeant’s face. “I take it you are Princess Katin, and these two Terran unbelievers are the ones who helped you and your brother to escape?”
“Yes, I am Princess Katin,” she replied, keeping her chin up. “And you have committed a grievous crime the second you stepped foot on this forbidden moon.”
The sergeant sneered. “Save your breath, your Highness. A holy war has been declared, allowing us to do as we please. You and your traitorous brother are now considered to be enemies of the empire, and as such, I have the authority to execute you both. Now, where is your brother hiding?”
Katin shook her head and looked past the sergeant as if he weren’t there.
Tarina glanced out of the corner of her eye at the sergeant. He was wearing a uniform that included boots. She doubted there was a Kurgan officer nearby or he would have shown himself by now to gloat over the princess. So, who made the tracks?
“Sergeant, the women’s tracks lead back in this direction,” said one of the chosen scouts.
“Get up,” ordered the sergeant, yanking Katin and then Tarina and Wendy to their feet. He grabbed Katin by the neck and pushed her forward, his rifle jammed in her back. Two other warriors walked behind Tarina and Wendy, using them as human shields.
“See, it’s not that hard to light a fire,” said Cole to Kobak as the kindling ignited and spread throughout the pile of wood.
“You will have to teach me more about survival,” said Kobak in his native language. “The closest I ever got to the outdoors was visiting the gardens at the palace.”
Cole smiled. “Son, you’re going to have to slow down. My Kurgan is very rusty.”
Kobak nodded as his English was almost non-existent.
“I wonder if Mike had any luck with his traps?” said Cole, looking around. Katin walked out of the brush. Cole saw the terrified look in her eyes and reached for his rifle.
“Don’t!” warned
a man walking behind the princess.
Cole swore when he recognized the Chosen sergeant’s rank on his collar. Wendy and Tarina joined Katin. All three women were forced onto their knees with their hands on their heads.
A chosen soldier darted forward and took Cole’s rifle.
“Prince Kobak, get up on your feet and move over here by your sister,” ordered the sergeant.
“No, don’t do it!” yelled Katin.
With a flick of his wrist, the sergeant smashed the butt of his rifle against Katin’s head, knocking her out cold.
“That was an incredibly dumb move,” growled Cole.
“Bring the prince here,” said the sergeant to the nearest soldier.
Grabbed by the collar, Kobak got to his feet and fought the man holding him all the way to his sister’s side.
Cole saw no one was watching him and reached behind his back for his knife. He grasped the hilt tight in his hand and prepared to throw the blade at the first person who tried to kill the siblings.
“Crap,” said Sheridan to himself.
From his hiding spot, he could see his friends were in imminent danger. He got down on his belly and brought his rifle into his shoulder. Sheridan laid his sights on the sergeant’s head and waited. If he acted too soon, he risked losing the element of surprise; however, if Sheridan waited too long, one or more of his friends could die. He held his breath and gently pulled back on his rifle’s trigger.
“Record this,” ordered the sergeant.
The radio operator brought up a small handheld camera and began to film.
“General Kordus, in accordance with your orders, we have captured the traitors and will execute them as enemies of peace,” said the sergeant, thrusting the end of his rifle barrel onto Kobak’s head.
Before either Sheridan or Cole could react, the Chosen sergeant dropped his weapon and staggered to one side. A bloody arrow protruded through the doomed soldier’s neck. A split second later, a volley of blow darts struck the three surviving soldiers. Tipped with fast-acting poison, the darts were fatal. The soldiers gasped and writhed in agony on the ground as their lungs ceased to work.
Sheridan broke cover and ran to Katin’s side. Tarina already had the young princess’ head in her arms. “Is she okay?”
“She’ll have a good bump on her head when she comes to,” replied Tarina. “Apart from that, I think she’ll be all right.”
Sheridan looked at Cole, who had shielded Kobak behind his back.
“Mike, here comes more company,” said Wendy.
Sheridan turned around and froze in place as six Kurgans walked toward them with a mix of primitive weapons in their hands. The warriors didn’t wear their traditional battle armor. Instead, they wore loose-fitting brown clothes, sandals, and a brass cuirass over their chests. The head Kurgan had a bow, while his comrades carried long blowguns and an assortment of knives and axes in their belts.
“Okay, everyone, stay calm,” said Sheridan as the closest Kurgan stopped and looked him in the eyes. By the way the warrior studied him, Sheridan was positive he was the first human the Kurgan had ever seen.
The warrior pointed at Sheridan’s weapon and said something. The native may have been speaking Kurgan, but it was in a dialect Sheridan couldn’t comprehend.
“I think he wants you to drop your weapon,” said Cole.
Sheridan nodded and carefully placed his rifle on the ground while two of the Kurgans disarmed everyone else.
The leader walked forward and looked down at Katin. Without warning, he scooped her up from Tarina’s arms and handed Katin off to another hunter.
Kobak walked from behind Cole, yelling, “Let my sister be!”
Cole tried to stop him, but the young prince was too fast. Kobak got within an arm’s length of his sister when the head Kurgan brought his hand back and slapped Kobak across the face, knocking him to the dirt.
Sheridan raised his hands to show he was unarmed and meant no harm. With his eyes fixed on the leader, he got down on one knee and rolled the prince over. “Whatever you do, don’t let them see anger or fear in your eyes,” whispered Sheridan.
Kobak gritted his teeth, wiped the dirt from his face, and sat up.
The head Kurgan barked an order.
Some of the warriors walked over and hauled Sheridan, Cole, and Kobak to their feet. One by one their hands were tied behind their backs. The women, not seen as a threat, were not bound.
“I’m scared,” said Kobak.
“Me too,” replied Sheridan. “Just keep your head up and your wits about you and you’ll be fine.”
“I’d prefer to have a 30mm chain gun to help even the odds,” said Cole.
The lead warrior forced everyone into line and pointed off to the east. With Kurgans in front and behind, the small column walked away from the campsite leaving behind the bodies of four Chosen warriors. No sooner had they departed when scavengers, hiding in the undergrowth, emerged and scampered over to the remains for an easy meal before the larger carnivores smelled the blood in the air and came in search of fresh meat to devour.
Chapter 14
Robert Sheridan sat back in his chair and waited for Admiral Kaar’s image to appear on his laptop. He rubbed his tired eyes and reached for his sixth cup of coffee this morning.
“Good morning, Admiral,” said Kaar.
“I wish it were a good morning,” replied Robert. “Have you received any new information about the coup from your higher command?
“Yes, I have. Regretfully, late last night the charred bodies of the Prince Regent and his wife were found in a demolished portion of the palace. If Prince Kobak is caught and killed, there will be nothing to prevent Chancellor Kordus from taking over the Kurgan Empire.”
“Is the Old Guard still wavering?”
“Yes, General Krotz has publicly demanded to see Prince Kobak’s dead body before he will openly side with Kordus.”
“Well, that gives us breathing room in which to react.”
“If only that were true.
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“I was informed less than an hour ago that a task force under General Kordus’ command has jumped away from the fleet.”
The muscles in the back of Robert’s neck tensed. “Do you know where they went, and how large of a force he took with him?”
Kaar nodded. “Kordus took a relatively small task force consisting of a troop carrier and two small escort ships. He’s on his way to Ki-9A, a remote star system deep in Kurgan space, which is strictly out of bounds to all Kurgans, less those from the royal family.”
“If this place is out of bounds, how is Kordus allowed to operate there?”
“One of my contacts in the High Command believes that Chancellor Kordus extorted a temporary reprieve for his son and the soldiers under his command out of the Kurgan Religious High Council. Only the Lord Kurgan knows what he had to promise to get permission to step foot inside that star system.”
“This isn’t good. I’d hoped we would have gotten ahead of Kordus and rescued the prince long before Kordus had a chance to react. I guess we’re playing catch up now.”
“Robert, clearly time is now our enemy. When can your people be ready to deploy?”
“In a matter of hours. Captain Killam is still pulling all the pieces together.”
“Please hurry. I’m not exaggerating when I say the very future of the empire and the peace we have sought this past year are both hanging in the balance.”
“We will do our best. If anyone can keep the prince alive, it’s the four people he has with him right now. I guess that’s why you chose them.”
“Thank you. I will await the signal that your force has jumped to Ki-9A.”
“You’ll be the first to know. Admiral Sheridan, out.” With that, the discussion ended and the computer screen turned black. Robert let out a tired sigh and faced Captain Killam who had been sitting in a corner where Kaar could not see him. “Thoughts?”
“As we still haven’t r
eceived permission from Admiral Oshiro back on Earth, anything we do in the next few hours will be on your shoulders, sir,” said Killam.
“I’m aware of that and prepared to take responsibility for my actions. Is the force you have been assembling ready to deploy or not?”
“Rear-Admiral Black has come down with a case of Solan shingles and is confined to his quarters. I was going to recommend Rear-Admiral Martin to replace Black.”
Robert shook his head. “No, it’s too late in the game to look for a new commander. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to take charge of the task force and get our people home, Rear-Admiral Killam.”
Killam’s mouth dropped. “Sir, are you sure? I’ve turned down several promotions in the past to remain at your side.”
“You’re the right man for the job. Besides, I’ve noticed Commander Nosara chaffing at the bit to take your job in the operations branch.”
“Yes, she’s the ideal person to become your new chief of operations.”
Robert looked into Killam’s eyes. “Admiral, I need you to get your people ready to deploy in the next few hours, or all of this will all be for naught,”
Killam stood up and came to attention. “Sir, we’ll be ready on time, and I give you my word we’ll bring the prince back home alive.”
Robert smiled and shook Killam’s hand. In the back of his mind, he could see his son and Tarina. His heart ached at the thought of maybe never seeing them again. “Please bring all of our people home, Admiral.”
Chapter 15
Sheridan swore up a storm at a cloud of buzzing insects hovering around his head. With his hands tied behind his back, there was no way to swat away the annoying bloodsucking bugs.
An hour into the march, Kobak dropped to his knees and refused to go another step. A muscle-bound warrior picked him up and the journey continued. Kobak, like his sister, now lay asleep over the shoulder of a Kurgan warrior.
“Where do you think they’re taking us?” Tarina asked Sheridan.
Sheridan looked over his shoulder at his sweat-covered wife. “They didn’t kill us outright like the Chosen soldiers, so I have to assume we’re being taken to where these Kurgs live.”
Crimson Fire (The Kurgan War Book 8) Page 7
