by Darren Beyer
“Someone—” Andrews motioned toward the cityscape of New Reykjavik on the horizon. “—is going to talk. I’ll find out where this magic is done and how.” His attention was drawn to the sky.
Jans followed his gaze to streaking contrails falling from above.
“Those are from the dropships in orbit.” Andrews sneered. “It won’t be long before troops hit the ground: armored infantry and—if my eyes aren’t failing me—walkers. They’re here to take your precious city.”
“You’ll be appointed governor, I suppose?”
“I don’t need to be appointed. The president is announcing right now that the Euramerican Coalition Information Service has confirmed that the nuke used on Mars came from your reactors, the material enriched in a facility you are hiding. You should have granted us access, Jans. Refusing gave us all the justification we needed for the use of military force. It is just after noon in New York, and the stock exchange is tanking on the news. But no stock is taking a hit like yours. When it hits thirteen bits a share, a group of holding companies will begin buying. On behalf of investors, I’ll then buy the holding companies. By this time tomorrow, I’ll be in charge of AIC, and you—” Andrews looked toward the spaceport. “—will be wishing that you had told me where and what Helios is before it was too late.”
“I don’t care—” Jans stopped mid-sentence.
Out of the smoke, the soldiers walked from the skimmer with weapons aimed. In front of them came limping a tall African woman with short hair, her arms behind her back. Another figure was being carried, smaller and with long dark hair wrapped in sealing tape that obscured her face. Both wore AIC Defense Force uniforms.
Andrews and Erik looked up.
“You,” Erik said under his breath. His eyes narrowed.
The African woman recoiled.
“What a small universe.” Andrews stared incredulously. “I knew we would catch up with you, Ms. Nkosi. May I call you Mandi? I feel as though I know you. You are a woman of surprises, but never would I have expected you to surprise me like this.”
Jans couldn’t pull his gaze from the dark-haired woman being carried. Andrews motioned to the soldier, who laid her roughly on the ground. The hair fell away from her face.
“Sophia—” Jans cried with a sob.
“Jans, I’m sorry.” Using only her arms, Sophia awkwardly pulled herself around to face him. Her legs trailed motionless behind her.
“No, Sophia—”
“Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better.” Andrews gestured to Erik and nodded at Sophia.
Erik made a motion to the soldier who knelt next to Sophia. Pulling her head up by her dark hair, the soldier held his pistol to the sealing tape wrapped around her temple.
“Get your hands off her!”
“Now, Jans,” Andrews said calmly. “Tell me about Helios.”
Chapter 72
Eridani
Mandi yanked hard against the soldier who held her arms, but he jerked her to her knees. She turned her head and closed her eyes.
“Mr. Mikel, I’m not going to ask again.”
The sound of a cracking whip split the air, and something warm and wet splashed across Mandi’s face. She opened her eyes and her stomach churned at the sight of the lifeless body of the soldier who had held Sophia lying motionless on the ground. A streak of blood was painted across his chest where something had ripped open his armor. That same blood covered Mandi’s head and uniform.
“Sniper!” yelled Erik.
The soldiers dove behind the van and off the side of the road. Mandi dropped flat to the ground just as another whip snapped through the air. A soldier put his hand to his shoulder and cried out, falling to the ground, writhing in pain. Mandi could see sunlight shining through a small hole on the opposite side of the van. The sniper had hit a blind shot right through the vehicle. The soldier struggled to his knees, but another crack and another hole in the van preceded his fall to the ground.
“Spaceport control tower.” Erik popped his head around the front of the van and pulled it back.
Mandi winced at another crack and a hole that appeared half a meter from Erik’s head. Erik pulled the rifle from the hands of the fallen soldier. He opened the breach of a large barrel under the weapon and loaded a half-meter cylindrical rocket. The soldier next to him did the same, and together the two straightened and fired at the control tower. Yet another crack split the air, and the soldier next to him fell. His shot flew wide, but Erik’s flew true. The missile impacted the tower, and in a blinding flash the windows blew out and most of the structure disintegrated. Erik dropped quickly behind the cover of the van and waited for half a minute before popping up again. He nodded in affirmation to Andrews and used binocs to scan the area.
“Drone!” Erik called out.
One of the two remaining soldiers reached into a pouch, retrieved a small disc, and flung it high into the air. Before it could fall, it shot off under its own power and headed toward the broken tower. Erik wrenched an armband off the body at his feet and studied it as the drone arrived at its target. It moved in random patterns before climbing to a higher altitude and circling in lazy arcs above.
“It is done.”
Mandi’s head dropped.
“The spaceport will be one of the primary targets of the drop troops.” Erik shifted the binocs to scan the area. “All this activity will draw their attention. We must move quickly.” Erik motioned with his head to the two remaining soldiers. One leveled his weapon at Jans and Mandi, as the other shouldered his and picked Sophia up off the ground.
Mandi limped alongside the soldier carrying Sophia. Jans was at her side, arms still bound, and Andrews brought up the rear rapping his cane slowly on the road. The walk to the spaceport was slow and painful.
The terminal parking lot was nearly empty. Smoke rose from the ruins of the control tower, where only the metal skeleton of window frames had survived the blast. Inside the terminal it was dark, and Mandi could see no detail through the smoked glass doors. No one was in sight.
Steering clear of the main building, Mandi and Jans were led to one side to a locked chain-link gate. One of the soldiers fired a single shot and with a stiff kick broke the lock. On the tarmac inside, an orbital shuttle sat ready for flight. Farther along, a corporate helo was parked, its pilot lying half out of the cockpit, lifeless arms almost touching the ground. A clean bullet hole marred the otherwise spotless windshield. To the helo’s side, another man lay face down in a pool of blood on the blacktop. A ground tug stood abandoned to the side. The one unencumbered soldier raised his weapon to his shoulder and moved forward at a crouch, scanning the tarmac. The soldier carrying Sophia dropped her roughly and unslung his rifle to cover the rooftop.
“Our sniper?” Andrews turned to Erik.
“Could be.” Erik’s eyes warily narrowed. “We don’t have time.” He raised his voice. “Get to the helo. We leave now.”
One of the soldiers ran to the helo and dragged out the pilot’s body, unceremoniously letting it fall to the ground. All but leaping into the pilot’s seat, he began prepping for flight. Within seconds the helo turbines spun up, and the blades of the ducted fan engines began to turn.
“I don’t want to state the obvious, Erik.” Andrews looked the small aircraft over. “But that helo won’t carry all of us.”
“Pilot, co-pilot, and two passengers. You, me, Mikel, and the pilot equals four. One of our soldiers will remain behind. The other non-essentials—” Erik looked to Mandi and Sophia. “—will be taken care of.”
“No,” Jans pleaded. “Haven’t you done enough?”
“You should have told me everything when you had the chance, Jans.” Andrews crossed the tarmac leaning on his cane. “Their deaths are on your hands.”
Andrews nodded to Erik who motioned to the remaining soldier.
“Freeze!” A voice called out from down the flight line.
Mandi’s heart jumped, as heads turned toward the ground tug parked by itself on the
tarmac. She could just make out the shape of a man underneath pointing a rifle toward the main group. She recognized that tense figure, the powerful lines of the hands bracing the gun.
“Grae,” Mandi whispered.
“Anyone moves, and the old man gets it.”
The soldier in the helo stepped out and pulled his weapon to the ready. The one covering the roof let his rifle fall on its sling, pulled his pistol, and stepped close behind Mandi.
“What do you want?” Andrews put out a steadying hand.
“Cut the hostages loose and back away.”
“I’m not sure I can do that.”
“You can die first.”
“You can’t take out all of us.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Whatever happens after I pull the trigger won’t matter to you. Let the hostages go, and all of you move toward the helo. I’ll let you fly out of here. Take your big win and go.”
“A hollow victory. I’ve spent years plotting, planning, pulling in every favor. I’ve watched AIC develop technologies that my engineers told me should take centuries. I’ve seen AIC make discoveries that I should not have seen in my lifetime. How? Why? I don’t know, but it’s all going to be mine.”
“You’re not leaving with the hostages, and I’m not leaving without them.”
“There’s one thing I don’t understand.” Andrews paused to look up at the destroyed control tower and the roof of the terminal. He turned back toward the barrel of the gun pointing at him from under the ground tug. “You hit my soldiers at—what—half a kilometer? One shot through the wall of a van and the military’s most advanced body armor. You could have perched in any of a dozen places and taken out all of us as we walked here.”
“And your question?”
“Why didn’t you?”
Mandi’s stomach sank.
“Something tells me you were a little too close when that control tower was hit. Something also tells me you are lying under that vehicle with nothing but a broken rifle.” Andrews paused. “So come out with your hands behind your head. Or we start shooting the hostages.” He glanced at Mandi. “Starting with her.”
The soldier behind Mandi roughly put his pistol to her head, as Erik slid toward the helo.
No shot rang out. Andrews did not fall.
“You have until the count of three.” A spurious smile grew on Andrews’ crooked mouth. “One, two—”
From behind the ground tug rose the armored figure with his hands behind his head. Mandi gasped at the burn damage along the side of his body. An eye shield covered most his face, the side cracked and charred. Below it, his exposed cheek was burned raw. But Mandi would know him anywhere. Grae slowly moved toward Andrews, while Erik covered him and the soldier held Mandi.
“You’re Gregory Andrews.” Grae spoke matter-of-factly as he approached.
“You I don’t know,” Andrews said, eyeing him. “Now, you’re someone who will cause me no more trouble.”
“Your hands,” Erik called out. “Let me see your palms.”
Grae scanned the area as if looking for someone then turned to Jans.
“Danny?”
Jans lowered his eyes and shook his head, and for a moment Grae’s expression lost all emotion. Then he looked to Mandi, and his face softened.
“I wish we could relive that moment of your roboso episode.” Mandi looked at him in confusion, then his eyes hardened, and he winked.
“Hands!” Erik repeated. “I won’t say it again.”
Grae turned toward him and brought his hands from behind his head. As he opened his palms, a small metallic cylinder fell free, clinking as it rolled across the ground. A small light blinked red on its end.
In a single smooth motion, Mandi smashed her elbow into the soldier holding her and charged toward Grae. Erik turned his weapon toward her as she leapt and hit Grae squarely in the chest. Grae allowed her momentum to carry him backward to the ground, and the two landed hard on the tarmac, both letting out pained grunts.
Then the helo exploded.
Chapter 73
Eridani
Jans stared in disbelief as Mandi knocked Grae to the ground. An instant later, a massive concussive wave hit and a flash of heat swept over him, as the helo erupted in a fireball. The soldier Mandi had elbowed was flung into the servicing cart, his back bending unnaturally as he struck. One of the spinning engines of the helo disintegrated, its fan blades becoming missiles, shrapnel that blasted into Erik. Andrews was blown backward, and he twisted unnaturally as he fell heavily onto the tarmac.
Jans’ ears rang. His head hurt, and his mind was numb.
Sophia lifted her dark head to him, dazed but conscious. She took one of his hands bound behind his back and squeezed it.
“Sophia, cut me loose.” Groggily he looked around and motioned with his head toward a small piece of twisted metal nearby.
Sophia dragged herself to it as Jans rolled so his back was turned to her. She used the improvised knife carefully to free him. Quickly he twisted and put his hands to her face, kissing her for a long moment. Then he lumbered to his feet and surveyed the destruction.
The soldier who had held Mandi lay twisted, sightless eyes staring skyward. Erik lay face down on the pavement, his body shredded. Mandi was on top of Grae, pulling off his helmet and looking intently into his eyes. Of the soldier readying the helo, there was no trace
Andrews groaned and rolled onto his back. His cane had broken underneath him, and a sharp end pierced a gap in his armor. It had gone through his stomach to protrude from his side.
Jans spotted Dagan’s pistol on the ground—Andrews had brought it with him. He limped to it and painfully bent to pick it up, then walked to Andrews and towered over him.
Andrews slowly opened his eyes. “You’d kill a helpless old man,” he coughed.
“You’ve taken everything you could from me. Now I’m taking everything back.” Jans extended his arm full-length and steadied his finger on the trigger.
“Jans, no!” Sophia’s voice came from behind him. Mandi had her arms around Sophia and was holding her upright. “You’d be no better than him.”
“He must pay.” Jans didn’t move, the pistol remained pointed at Andrews’ head.
“We’ll get him.” Grae stepped to his side, setting his hand carefully atop Jans’ and pushing the pistol away. “But Sophia is right. This is not the way.”
Jans turned the pistol on its side, studying it.
“I’m sure you saw those drop pods, Jans, the same as I did. It won’t be long before the Coalition troops are here.” Andrews’ voice was strained, hoarse.
“You might think you’re a lucky person, Andrews.” Jans’ hand trembled as he flung the pistol over the spaceport fence. His eyes bored into the face of the hunched old man on the ground. “But I’m going to expose you and the evil that you’ve wrought. I’ll bring you down.”
“Many have tried, Jans.” Andrews coughed even as a minute smile appeared on his face. “They have all failed.”
“We’ve got to leave, Jans.” Grae looked over his shoulder to where Mandi helped Sophia to a seated position.
“How?” Jans walked to Sophia, and carefully lifted her up. She was so light. She felt so right in his arms.
“Wait here.” Grae jogged to the ground tug and slid into the driver’s seat. He powered it up. “Get Sophia on board,” he called as he circled to where Jans knelt next to Sophia.
“This won’t get us very far.” Jans set Sophia gently on the ground tug, as Mandi climbed onboard, and Jans took an open spot on the edge.
“Far enough.” Grae raised a corner of his mouth in a half smile and started the tug moving.
“I’ll find Helios,” Andrews called out, as Grae drove away from the scene of destruction. “I’ll find it and bring you down!”
Andrews continued yelling as Grae took the tug onto the runway. Whatever he was saying grew faint and was lost to the distance. Across the field, Grae turned on to an access road leading to a locked ch
ain-link gate. He slammed the tug through in a clash of metal on metal, and bounced onto the dirt road beyond.
Everyone held tight as the road carried them toward the beach. Through the trees, Jans made out the unmistakable silhouette of another of his skimmers. The tug drove out from behind the screen of trees and skidded to a hasty stop. Leaping off, Grae ran to the two-seat skimmer and opened the main door and cargo hatch.
“Someone took the six-passenger skimmer.” Grae scowled at Mandi, who meekly smiled. “We can get two in the cockpit and—if we clear some gear—one in the cargo area.”
“Two plus one equals three,” Mandi said, “We’re one seat short.”
“No, we aren’t.” Grae pulled gear from the cargo bay.
“Mandi’s right—”
“She is right in her math, but wrong in her conclusion. I’m not coming.”
“Wait!” Mandi shouted.
“Jans, you went through skimmer training, right?”
“I remember the basics—”
“Sophia flew herself down here. She can assist from the front seat. I have a flight plan programmed to rendezvous with Dauntless. You’ll be okay once you clear the area.”
“Back up, Grae,” Mandi insisted. “What do you mean, you’re not coming?”
“Mandi.” Grae stepped to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He swallowed. “I have work to do on Eridani.”
“I won’t let you—”
Grae moved his hands to the sides of Mandi’s head, pulled her close, and kissed her. For a brief moment Mandi gave in to him. Then she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away.
“Don’t do this to me,” she cried.
“I’m sorry—” Grae turned to leave.
“Stop—” Mandi whirled after him. She threw her arms around his neck and held him. “I’m not going to wait forever.” She kissed him hard and pulled away, wiping her eyes. “You come back to me. Or else.”
Grae forced a smile and nodded, his eyes glistening. Wordlessly he turned, climbed back onto the ground tug and powered it up. Mandi watched as he drove away down the road and disappeared into the forest.
