Lucas’s men jumped up to attention.
“At ease fellas, this commander is ready for the first seven.”
“Yes sir.”
The guard opened the door and looked at the commander. “Sir, any of these in particular?”
“No soldier, just count ‘em off.”
The guard picked the first seven against the starboard wall leaving the killer, Aaron and a short fat guy with horn rimmed glasses. The first seven were escorted to the Banshee. Captain Lucas continued watching as the door slid shut and he vacuumed the gangway for detachment. He pressed the intercom,
“Wesley, first ship is loaded, notify we’re ready for the second.”
Wesley responded, “Aye sir.”
Several minutes had passed and again the transport lurched as another Banshee docked.
Again the same docking procedure was performed. A tall red haired commander with white sideburns entered along with two officers.
He spoke with the same demanding voice, “I’m Commander Remke; Let’s get this over with.”
He was brash, Captain Lucas thought. Maybe that’s what it takes to get a security command. In either case, Lucas didn’t like him. Again, they were led down the corridor to the brig bay and prisoners were chosen.
Remke picked the steely eyed one and the giant knowing his crew could handle the worst case prisoners then he picked the last four on the port side. He got Terri, Mitchell,Serena, and Rand. Then he looked at the short fat one on the other side.He figured the chubby one would be fun to tease. “Hey lard ass, on you’re feet!”
The short man got up and Rand interjected, “Good thing you didn’t pick the Asian kid, he’s a smart ass.”
Aaron’s eyes flew open, as if to say ‘What the hell!’
“Oh, is that so?” Remke smirked.
Remke looked at the Asian kid again. He liked smacking around guys who back talked.
“Porky, set yer ass down !” He redirected his attention to Aaron, “You, devil eyes, get up!” He barked.
Aaron quickly jumped up without saying a word.
All seven were being escorted to the Banshee in single file when Rand heard the steely eyed one in hushed tone behind him. “I’m gonna eat your heart out.”
Rand whispered back, “Too late, my ex already took it.”
#####
PLAN B
The seven prisoners were taken to the Tracker bay. A small bay of 20 by 20 feet that housed a 4 person, amphibious, all terrain, 8 wheeled tracker. The tracker was chained to the floor with heavy eye hooks. To each side of the bay were 5 fold down jump seats. The Banshee wasn’t designed for prisoner transport. Overhead to watch them was a wide angle monitor.
Unlike the previous captain, Remke was not obliged nor cared to tell them anything other than ‘Shut up and sit down’! Listening and feeling was the only clues the prisoners had of knowing what the squad was doing.
Rand surmised it would still take several minutes before the third Banshee was loaded. And keeping with Security protocols’, the squad would leave simultaneously, arrive at the same point, recharge batteries and repeat the procedure. While Banshees make formidable combat vessels, they lacked the necessary power for continuous hyper-drive. If at any point a Banshee did not arrive with the others, they would back track looking for a distress signal.
Terri sat next to Rand and wanted to talk. Anything was better than setting, thinking of what lay ahead. Probably hard labor, lack of sleep and little friendship, if any.
The security personnel had left and locked the door leaving the prisoners to themselves. Probably one of the few times they would be allowed so much liberty.
“I know you,” Terri said.
“You should, we were caught together only two weeks ago,” Rand replied.
Her eyes lit up, “Pilot!”
“Yep.”
“You kicked the dead Blister in the head,” Terri giggled.
Blister was what coalition called Republic soldiers. Often when a Coalition soldier killed a Republic soldier he would say, ‘I popped a Blister.’
“I’m Terri Hades, Captain or once was.”
“Rand, also currently known as dead meat.”
“We’re not dead yet pilot.”
“We might be better off if we were”.
“My orders are...” Rand interjected, “To escape if at all possible,” Rand interrupted.
“Yeah,” she said.
“It’s not a bad order if you can pull it off,” Rand commented.
“Once we get there, there’s no escaping,” She said with defeat in her voice.
“There’s a chance,” Rand told her.
“A chance of escaping?”
“No, of taking the ship.”
“I think we’re outgunned.”
“Standard crew of six or seven,almost even.”
Terri asked, “So, any ideas?”
Rand exhaled a laugh, “We need a plan B.”
“What happened to A?”
“You make a plan B if A fails, so why even plan A when B is supposed to succeed.”
“You gotta point.”
“Want to get out of here?” Rand smiled.
“How?”
“I served on a Banshee for four years,” he continued, “See those hatches in the in the upper wall?”
“Yeah,” she said secretively.
“Those are service hatches, the left and right both run between the decks. You can access all engineering all the way up to the forward compression antennae.” Rand paused and Serena, next to Terri, perked her ears up. “Now, halfway down those shafts another shaft goes left or right depending which side you’re on, and those shafts run to the outer drive hulls.”
Terry said sarcastically, “So, we escape from wrist-cuffs, sneak our way to the power generators, shut down the power and engines, subdue the crew and fly away. Well, what have we got to lose except our lives?”
“Look”, Rand explained, “There’s only about six crew that run this thing and two are probably counting sheep, if not now, soon.”
Serena jumped in, “I’ll help!” Her eyes had a sparkle of hope and excitement. “I never stole a ship before, only robbed them.”
“Uhhh, yeah,” Rand murmured.
Then quietly Rand whispered to both girls, “But that hard one; listen very, very, closely; he will kill us the first chance he gets. He wont fail and miss”, Rand stared at Serena, “He will rape you first.”
“Gotcha, so we ditch ‘em, right?”
“Leave him to me, now get the boys over here and that big fella.”
Terri rounded up the other three leaving the steely eyed killer to his pitiful and painful fantasies.
“Ok big fella, what’s your name”? Rand asked.
“Perry, but..but everyone calls me Perry.”
Rand blinked his eyes twice, “Ok Perry, do you think you can push that Tracker up against the door and hold it there?”
Perry turned, looked at the Tracker then slowly turned with a humongous smile showing all his teeth. “I like pushing heavy things!”
“That’s good Perry. That’s real good.”
“Ok”, Rand directed his attention to Mitchell. “What do you do?”
“What’d’ya mean what do I do?”
“Your occupation, trade. What is it?”
“I told you, I stole shuttles.”
Aaron spoke, “He means, what are you good at, Dumb ass.”
“I am good at it, winker!” Mitch sniped at Aaron.
“Well, you can’t be very good at it.” Rand said.
“I can out fly you old man!”
Rand looked at the floor and shook his head and thought, ‘We’re screwed.’
He looked back up, “Alright fly-boy, we’ll give you a chance. What’s your name”?
“Mitch, .....Mitchell Flannagen, but don’t call me that”!
Rand dismissed Mitchell’s weak threat.
“Alright, next?” Rand looked toward Aaron.
“Aaron Chun, I am graduate of Aster Technical University of Mars. Graduated top 3 percent,” Aaron said proudly. “I specialize in nano technology”
Terri looked at him with major curiosity, “What the HELL are you doing here? You could have enough money to buy your freedom”.
“My parents say, I must pay remittance. I have dis-honored them both.”
“”Aaron?” Randall drew Aaron’s attention, “What we’re about to attempt will dis-honor your parents even more. Are you in or out”?
Aaron turned and looked at steely eyes. He turned back around. “I’m In”.
Just then a humming started and a high pitched vibration traveled through the bulkheads.The Banshee squad was underway.
“Alright, now little lady; you’re the last one of this bunch. What can you offer”?
“I don’t know”.
Serena’s eyes darted at each of them. “I was with the ‘Dust Gypsies.”
That was all Serena had to say. Everyone went silent. Dust Gypsies were pirates that generally haunted trade lanes and hid within asteroid belts, They assaulted civilian cruise ships and commandeered freighters. And while Dust Gypsies were considered ruthless, deadly and notorious, here in the midst of this group was the smallest Dust Gypsy imaginable. She was cute, even pretty, tiny, unassuming, almost playful and under five feet tall. Still, with a switchblade she could have sliced all five of them before they knew they were bleeding. Serena learned how to use her size well. She lured them with her innocent look, even to the point of giving in and when an enemy thought she was unguarded Serena would strike. Not hard or brutal but swift with several strikes before an assailant could respond. More than once Serena was covered in someones blood.
Rand looked at Terri and Terri looked back. “What a band of misfits we make,” Terri said.
Rand laughed out loud. “This is gonna be fun.”
“Ok group, listen up,” Rand explained a plan to take the ship and imprison the crew, while steely eyes just stared menacingly at them but out of earshot.
“This ship is going to stop to recharge the jump batteries. When it does, the other two will stop also. They travel in packs.”
“Like dogs,” Perry interrupted.
“Just like that,” Rand said then continued. “After they are charged, all three will jump to hyper-drive again and that’s when we move. If they weren’t removed, there should be tools on that tracker. We’ll look for something to short the batteries and put our cuff tether in between.. They’re gonna get hot just to let you know. Hopefully the fire warning doesn’t set off. We get me first then everyone else. Perry, you block the door and I will remove every ones cuffs. Then we push the Tracker against the door”. Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Good, that was easy. Now, Perry you just stay with the Tracker and don’t let anyone in except us, ok?”
“Ooooooo K”, Perry gave the Ok sign. Terri and Serena smiled at him. He smiled back.
“Serena, as soon as you are free, knock out the monitor camera and stay with Trevor unless we call out for you, so you’re a backup.” Serena nodded in agreement.
“Aaron , you two will go straight up the right service shaft. Open up every hatch. That will show up on the bridge and they’ll come looking for you. Terri, Mitchell and I will go to the small arms arsenal up the left shaft. I’ll short the switch so they don’t know where we went.” Rand scanned their faces to see if any might back out, but they all looked alright, considering they are attempting to steal a battle cutter. “Try not to kill anyone. I’m hoping not to add murder charges to our repertoire.”
Perry looked confused.
“Don’t worry Perry, it wasn’t important.”
“Corner them if at all possible and disarm them. If you have to, knock ‘em out.”
“Take your seats and stay quiet until we start up again. Any questions?”
No one had any questions so Rand concluded.
“Once we shut down engines we have to hurry. The other two Banshees’ will come back searching for us soon. Alright then; Terri would you like to add anything?”
“Just...keep low,” Terri added.
SIEGE
The humming had stopped and the passengers had ample time to think and mentally prepare except for Perry. Perry sat quietly slowly turning his head watching everyone contemplate or sleep.
The only thing that Perry thought of was where Numitz was and how Numitz was doing.
Aaron slept like a cat. He was napping and then would open his eyes for a few seconds and then shut them again.
Mitchell said something to the Steely eyed character but the only response Rand heard was “You’re all gonna die.”
Time spent waiting always seems to be longer and when it seemed like they had forgotten their plan the humming resumed. They were moving again. Banshees could travel just over one hour before shutting down again so it was time to move fast.
Rand barked at all, “Lets do it!”
They leaned forward and stepped up to the Tracker.
“Perry, lean against the door!” Rand exclaimed.
“Oooo K,” Perry said, forgetting what they were planning.
Perry, still wrist-cuffed put his massive back against the door. The rest searched the tracker for tools or loose equipment. Aaron found the tool box under folded canvas in the back cargo compartment. He turned but couldn’t lean back far enough to reach it but Serena quickly jumped on top and being so small easily turned around and managed the latch. Mitchell looked inside and found and electrical adjustment wrench that would work well for shorting the battery.
Rand had opened the hood then turned around to pull the rubber seal from the primary connector.
So far so good. “Mitchell, you got it?”
“Yeah”, Mitchell came around the front with the wrench behind him.
“Serena, grab the canvas, this thing’s going to get red hot.”
Rand was barking and didn’t mean to but everything was urgent and it needed done quickly.
Serena came around with canvas trailing. “Ok, Serena, use the canvas as a glove”.
“Mitchell, turn around and give the wrench to Serena”.
Serena struggled with the wrench but she was able to get a good grip on it through the canvas.
‘Good girl’, Rand thought.
“Mitchell, go help Perry hold the door.”
“Alright, Terri, I’m going to lean back and you direct Serena into position”.
Rand used his thumbs to position his wristcuff wire over the terminal.
Terri spoke, “Serena, turn it slowly clockwise until I say stop”.
“There, now slowly go down”
“Good,...good,...only four inches.....good..two...sloooow....one inch.......”
KZZIZZIZZSNAP!!
Serena cried out, “Oh Noooo!” as the wrench clanged down through the battery hold.
“It’s alright, stay calm, let’s do it again,” Rand said calmly.
Serena was scared of it but she crawled on the floor and managed to retrieve the wrench. She the laid it on the fender, took hold of the canvas then fumbling, re-gripped the wrench.
“Ok ok ok, I got,” Serena tried to convince herself.
“One more time,” Terri said.
Terri started directing Serena again. Rand’s back started to cramp. It seemed impossibly frustrating but Terri continued directing Serena downward.
“Alright Serena, you’re almost there. Just..hold..on.”
“It’s one inch, closer, now.”
‘KAK-KAK-K,KA ! The wrench flew over the plastic grill. Serena couldn’t pull herself to keep it tight against the terminals.
Rand and Terri took a deep breath. Rand looked over and saw Trevor, Aaron and Mitchell, all three leaning against the door. Rand and Terri both sweating.
“Maybe we should switch around,” Rand said.
Then a shadow cam up beside Serena.
“Gimme the canvas,” It was steely eyes.
Serena turned backward
s and gave it to him.
Steely eyes walked over, knelt down and retrieved the wrench. He walked back and looked at Terri. “Let’s get this over with.”
He sat the wrench down, rolled the canvas tight then grabbed the wrench. Steely eyes then leaned on the fender backwards letting his weight rest on the hood.
Terri had a strange sense there was a bit of hope. She began directing him toward the battery. Unlike Serena, steely eyes was quicker and had no apprehension. Terri quickly directed him over the post.
‘ KBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT’
Smoke rolled from under the hood as Rand’s cable burned in half. Rand leaned forward swinging his freed arms.
“Thank God”! Rand exhaled.
He turned to look at steely eyes:, “Thanks, whoever you are.”
“I’m Father Vallin Portierre.”
“A preacher?” Rand asked in surprise. “You said you were gonna eat my heart out!”
“What?”
“Yeah”, Rand explained. “In the corridor.”
The preacher laughed out loud and had remarkably white straight teeth, “I said, God will lead your heart right.”
“Why were you staring at me?”
“Because you stared at me,” Vallin continued, “I don’t back down from evil.”
“I’m not evil!” Then Rand recalled him staring at Serena. “Well, what about Serena?”
“Well look at her, she’s gorgeous!” The Pastor shied, “That was lustful, I apologize,” and he looked at Serena. She almost looked bashful. No one had ever said she was gorgeous.
“Ok, enough, we’ve got to get this done.” Rand motioned Serena up next.
Again another thin cable burned then Serena found a hammer and swung over head into the ever -watching lens.
“If they didn’t notice us before, they will now,” Serena was right.
Rand had freed Aaron, Terri and Mitchell; and was in the process of burning through Vallin’s cable when their was a banging at the door.
KBlam...KBlam...KBlam...
They all heard the voice from the other side.
“You will cease your activity and release this door, NOW!” Came a muffled voice from the other side. Clearly, whomever it was, was quite agitated.
SIEGE (TRAMPS Book 1) Page 5
