“Is he dead?” asked Kobak.
Cole bent down and checked for a pulse. There was none to be found. Cole looked up at his youthful ward and shook his head. “Looks like the old man’s heart couldn’t take it anymore and stopped working.” Cole searched the body and found a water bottle, which he handed to Kobak. “Drink up.”
“But it belonged to the dead man,” objected Kobak.
“He doesn’t need it anymore.”
“What if it’s poisoned?”
“I doubt that. Here, give it to me, and I’ll take the first drink.” Cole opened the bottle and took a long sip of cool, refreshing water. “Here, it’s okay.”
Kobak hesitated for a moment before chugging back what was left in the container. His stomach grumbled. “I’m hungry.”
“That will have to wait until we find our friends.”
“Alan, I have to use the bathroom.”
Cole chuckled. “Welcome to soldiering. There’s never a toilet around when you need one.”
Kobak crossed his legs. “I’m serious, I have to go.”
“Come with me,” said Cole, escorting Kobak off the path. They stopped near a flowing river. “Feel free to go anywhere.”
Kobak shook his head and looked for a spot to relieve himself.
Cole leaned back against a tree and relaxed for a moment. He closed his eyes and thought about Wendy, praying that she was somewhere safe.
Crack!
Cole’s eyes flashed open. He froze in place, listening intently, trying to hear any more branches being trampled underfoot behind him.
Another twig snapped.
Like a trap springing to life, Cole dove at Kobak and wrapped his arms around his waist. They fell into the river and vanished under the water.
A spray of gunfire hit the surface of the river where the two fugitives had disappeared from sight.
Cole wrapped his arm around Kobak and swam as far as he could under the water until he was forced to surface to breathe. They broke the surface under the twisted roots of an ancient tree. Cole clamped a hand over Kobak’s mouth and brought up a finger to his lips, warning the prince to be quiet.
“Do you see them?” said a voice barely above a whisper, coming from the other side of the river.
“No, not yet,” replied a different person. “They couldn’t have gotten too far. Keep looking.”
Cole felt Kobak begin to shake. He wrapped an arm around the terrified youth and held him tight. They could hear their pursuers poking around in the undergrowth looking for them. Finally, they moved off to continue the hunt.
When he could no longer hear the men, Cole lowered his hand from Kobak’s mouth and whispered, “Chosen trackers.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Kobak.
“You’re going to stay here until I come back and get you.”
Kobak shook his head. “Alan, I don’t understand, what are you going to do?”
Cole held up one of his daggers. “I’m going to deal with them.”
Kobak’s eyes widened. “What if you don’t succeed?”
“Hide here for about an hour and then push on through the jungle on this side of the river.”
“Please don’t go.”
“Son, they’ll soon give up their search when they can’t find us and double-back to try to reestablish our trail. It’s them or us, and I’d like both of us to stay alive.”
“Be careful.”
Cole winked. “Always.”
“This is pointless,” complained the corporal, shining his light on the ground “There’s not a single track on this path. It’s obvious they didn’t get out on this side of the river. We need to turn around to see if we can find their trail on the other bank.”
“What shall I tell company headquarters?” asked the radioman.
“Let them know we’re widening the search. That should keep the officers happy for a few more minutes.”
The third tracker brought up his night vision goggles and scanned the jungle. Aside from a couple of small reptiles further down the trail, they were alone. “Yeah, we’re wasting our time out here. There ain’t nothing but a few lizards and us on this side of the river.”
“Follow me,” said the corporal, heading back to the spot where they had last seen Kobak and the Terran. Impatience combined with the fear that he had lost their quarry soon took hold, and the corporal began to jog. A minute later, he slowed down and reached out to push a branch aside that was blocking his way. Too late, the soldier spotted a dark shape leap at him.
The attack was short but brutal.
Cole saw the lead soldier extend his arm to brush the branch to one side. With all his might, Cole thrust his dagger into the Chosen warrior’s exposed armpit and twisted it. Before the man realized he was dying, Cole dropped to one knee, drew his pistol, and fired it into the stomach of the man next in line.
The second tracker reached for his stomach and leaned over onto a tree for support.
The last warrior in line heard the shot and rushed to bring up his rifle to his shoulder. He died a split second later with a hole blasted between his eyes.
Cole stood and placed the barrel of the pistol against the skull of the lead tracker and pulled the trigger, finishing him off. He watched the radio operator slide down the side of the tree to the wet ground, holding his hands over his bloody wound.
The doomed soldier looked up at Cole as if he were the very embodiment of the devil and mouthed, “No.”
Cole fired a single shot ending the soldier’s life. Cole rummaged through the dead soldiers’ remains, helping himself to a rifle, a pistol, and as much ammo as he could jam in his pockets. Cole dashed to the water’s edge and slipped back into the river. With his rifle held above water, Cole swam back to the tree where he had left Kobak.
“Kobak, are you in there?” he whispered.
“Is that you, Alan?” replied the prince.
“It sure is.”
Kobak swam out and smiled. “I heard gunshots and feared the worst.”
“There was gunfire all right, but none of it flew in my direction.”
Cole climbed out of the water and helped Kobak up the slippery bank onto dry land.
Kobak asked, “Are we safe?”
“For now, but we still need to keep moving. If those three soldiers could find us, others could as well.”
“While you were gone, I thought I heard some people walk past my hiding spot speaking Old Kurgan,” said Kobak.
Cole examined the ground and found tracks that looked to be made by sandals the Kurgan civilians wore. “Okay, let’s follow these footprints and see where they lead us.”
“What if they’re angry about what happened to them?”
“One problem at a time,” replied Cole, cradling the dead soldier’s rifle in his arms. “One problem at a time.”
Chapter 29
The first living survivors Sheridan came across were a pair of elderly Kurgans who had paused to catch their breath. He avoided eye contact with them and continued to trudge down the muddy trail. Katin urged them to keep moving. Before long, they passed families sitting on the side of the trail, too tired to carry on. Sheridan gritted his teeth. He wasn’t used to abandoning people, whoever they may be, to face certain death.
High above the jungle canopy, an army drone hovered for a few seconds before flying off.
“How far behind us do you think Kordus’ people are?” Tarina asked Sheridan.
“Probably less than an hour,” he replied, wishing it were more.
“What are we going to do? We can’t just leave all these people to die?”
Sheridan looked over at his wife. “Trust me, it’s taking all I’ve got not to stop and help them, but we’ve got to keep moving. Three people against hundreds of well-armed soldiers isn’t going to end well.”
A darkened shape stepped out from behind a tree, startling Sheridan. It was a Kurgan warrior. The man lowered his spear, pointed it at Sheridan’s heart, and said something.
“He wants us to go with him.”
“What if we refuse?”
As if on cue, six more warriors emerged out of the shadows.
“Okay, tell him he’s got my undivided attention,” said Sheridan. “Where does he want to take us?”
Katina and the man spoke for a few seconds. She finally said, “He’s taking us to see Kyrran.”
Sheridan tried to remember the name but found it lost in his tired mind. “Who’s he again?”
“He’s Lord Kun’s son, and I suspect the new ruler of his people.”
Sheridan slung his weapon and nodded to the warrior. “Tell him to lead on.”
For close to an hour they worked their way through a long line of refugees until they came to a rocky hill. The warriors escorted Sheridan and his colleagues inside a cave which stretched far back into the hill. The cavern was lit by several small oil lamps. There were children scattered around the cave, holding on to one another, and staring at Sheridan as if he were the man responsible for everything that had happened to them.
A Kurgan woman approached them and pointed at the child in Katin’s arms.
“Karil,” said Katin, holding the infant out so the woman could see her.
The woman canted her head to get a better look and began to talk. Sheridan couldn’t catch what was being said, but by the look on the woman’s face, it was clear she knew the child. A few seconds later, Katin bowed her head and handed over the child.
“I take it that woman knew the child?” said Tarina to Katin.
“Yes, she’s her aunt. I told her how we found Karil and she thanked us for our kindness.”
“Hopefully, that’ll work in our favor,” said Sheridan as Kyrran walked toward them.
Kyrran looked them over before indicating to a spot against the wall with his hand. They took a seat while a handful of armed Kurgans stood guard over Kyrran.
“Over to you,” said Sheridan to Katin.
Kyrran raised a hand. “I speak her Kurgan, good.”
Sheridan was genuinely impressed. He hadn’t taken the warrior for a scholar as well.
“Holy man, Kard, he teach me some words,” added Kyrran.
Sheridan leaned forward. “Sir, I take it your father didn’t make it?”
Kyrran looked at Katin and shrugged.
“Major, keep it simple,” she advised.
Sheridan pointed at Kyrran. “You, new lord?”
Kyrran nodded. “Sky weapon kill my father.”
“Sir, you and your people are not safe here. You must keep moving.”
Kyrran looked at Katin. “Where is brother?”
“I do not know,” she replied.
“Why?”
“I lost him in the arena.”
“Bad people have him?”
Katin shook her head. “No. He is still free.”
Sheridan chafed at not being part of the discourse. “Sir, you can’t stay here, it’s far too dangerous. You and your people have to keep moving.”
Kyrran raised a hand and then stood up. Sheridan watched him walk to the cave entrance to confer with some of his fellow warriors.
“Katin, you’ve got to get him to understand they can’t stay here,” said Sheridan. “If they do, they’ll be slaughtered.”
“I’m not sure that’s what’s on his mind right now,” she responded.
“Then what is?”
“My brother. I think Kyrran wants to hand him over in exchange for a ceasefire with Kordus.”
“How did you draw that inference?”
“Because I heard some of his men saying that when we walked in here. They’ve suffered terribly because of my brother and me and want it all to end. To be honest, I can’t blame them.”
“Wait a minute,” said Tarina. “Kordus is the one to blame here, not you or your brother. He’s the person who’s going to have to answer for what has happened here today.”
“I said I couldn’t blame them for feeling the way they do, not that I’d hand my brother over to end this nightmare. I’d die first.”
“He’s waving to us,” said Sheridan.
“I think he wants us to join him,” said Katin, getting to her feet.
At the cave entrance, Kyrran pointed to the sky. Barely one hundred meters above the tree line hovered a drone projecting an image in the air of the burning city for all to see. A cry swept through the refugees when the bodies of dead Kurgans lying on the ground outside of their homes appeared.
“Khyshal,” said Katin, using the Kurgan word for bastard.
A couple of second later, General Kordus’ face filled the night sky. “Prince Kobak and Princess Katin, you need not run anymore. Turn yourselves over to my forces, and I will ensure a quick and painless death for the two of you.”
Katin bared her teeth and hissed.
The image changed to one of the Imperial Palace on the Kurgan homeworld. Most of the building was in ruin. In a room charred by fire, a couple of Kordus’ soldiers reached down and turned over the burned remains of the siblings’ parents.
“I present to you your parents,” said Kordus. “I was told they took the coward’s way out and killed themselves rather than fight to keep the throne for you.”
Katin raised a fist to the sky. “I’m going to kill you, you son of a nameless whore. Do you hear me? I’m going enjoy ripping your guts out with my bare hands.”
“Easy does it,” said Tarina, placing her hands on Katin’s shoulders. “They still might be able to see you with that drone’s surveillance system.”
“I don’t care,” she snarled.
“Think of your brother.”
That seemed to mollify Katin for now.
Kordus’ face reappeared. “This is for all the people who may be harboring the traitor Kobak among them.” The image in the sky changed, and a row of Chosen soldiers stood with their weapons pointed at the backs of several civilians on their knees in the dirt. One was the town’s holy man, Kard.
Some of the warriors by the cave yelled curses and shook their spears in defiance at the image.
“Oh, God, no,” said Sheridan under his breath as the captives were shot one by one until only Kard remained alive.
“I know you can understand what I’m saying,” said Kordus to Kard. “Tell them what I want to hear. Tell them to hand over the prince and all of this will come to an end.”
The old priest raised his head and looked up. His face contorted. Kard’s eyes blazed with hate. He yelled, “Resist,” in Old Kurgan at the camera. A split second later, he was gone, shot in the back of the head by one of the soldiers.
Kordus kicked the dead priest’s body causing more warriors to scream at the projections. The General looked at the camera. “Give me what I want, or I swear I’ll kill one hundred natives every hour on the hour until I have the traitors in my hands.”
The image went dark.
Anger swelled in the hearts of the warriors.
The drone came back to life and projected a new image. It was of Wendy being held down on a cot. “If the natives won’t give me what I want then perhaps their guardians will,” said Kordus.
Sheridan saw what was about to happen and turned Tarina away so she wouldn’t see the saw cut into Wendy’s leg. A horrible scream filled the night as the Chosen orderly began to cut. Sheridan clenched his jaw so tight it hurt. He closed his eyes, unable to watch the torture being inflicted upon one of closest friends.
“No!” screamed a pained voice somewhere in the jungle.
Alan, thought Sheridan. He handed Tarina to Katin and sprinted in the direction of the voice.
“You lousy bastard!” shouted Cole. “Come here and fight me man-to-man, and I’ll kill you!”
Sheridan pushed past two refugees staring up at the drone and ran down a darkened trail until he saw Cole and Kobak looking up at the gut-wrenching images. Sheridan sprinted over and lowered Kobak’s head so he couldn’t watch.
Kobak’s fac
e re-appeared. “Give me the prince, and I’ll spare this woman. If you fail to do so, I’ll cut off all her limbs and feed her to one of this moon’s many hungry predators. Don’t think for a moment that I won’t do what I say. Give me what I want!”
The projection switched off, and the drone flew back toward the city.
Sheridan looked at his friend. Cole shook with rage and anger. White-hot hate filled every fiber of his body. “Alan, she’s alive,” said Sheridan. “He hasn’t killed her yet, or he would have shown it.”
“I’m going to kill that Kurgan bastard if it’s the last thing I ever do,” said Cole.
“There’s a pretty big line of people ready to do the same thing.”
Cole nudged Kobak toward Sheridan. “Take him, Major, I’m going back to the city to rescue Wendy before any more harm comes to her.”
“Alan, I want to go too, but we’re still vastly outnumbered and outgunned by Kordus. We need to be smart if we’re going to help Wendy and come out of this alive.”
“Frig smart. I want blood!”
“And you’ll get it. Just come with me, and let’s talk with Kyrran and come up with a plan that will work for all of us.”
“Who’s Kyrran?”
“Follow me.”
The moment they entered the camp, Tarina and Katin sprinted to join them. Tarina threw her arms around Cole’s neck and began to sob while Katin swept up her brother in her arms and held him tight.
Sheridan walked to Kyrran’s side and fixed his steely gaze on the young warrior., “What do you want to do?”
The young warrior flashed his razor-sharp teeth and held his sword high in the air. “We fight.”
Sheridan nodded and placed a hand on Kyrran’s shoulder. “Have you ever heard of the Zulus?”
Chapter 30
Inside the cave, Kyrran assembled some of his commanders while the remainder of his men helped usher the rest of his people deeper into the jungle.
Sheridan and his friends sat on a log warming their hands over a fire. He looked at Katin. “I know Kyrran prides himself on his education, but I want you to translate what I’m about to say word for word, so there’ll be no confusion when the time comes.”
Crimson Fire (The Kurgan War Book 8) Page 13
