Le'ha's people gathered dead wood from the forest floor, and, despite it being wet, they soon had a good sized fire going. With the addition of more and larger logs, the fire grew higher and stronger. Then the E'meset added freshly cut purple wood to the inferno, and it began to produce a column of black smoke.
The roar of the enormous fire was deafening. The E'meset certainly know how to build a fire! Kathy thought to herself. She and Le'ha kept their eyes trained on the western sky and waited.
At extreme magnification, in the direction of the opening of the cave where they had abandoned their own vehicles, Kathy noticed a movement in the branches in the tops of trees. As she watched, a few of the smaller trees fell. She pointed it out to Le'ha.
"My sister, I do not see it. You have the eyes of Lentavat Top'Aya.”
"That's something that sees very well, I take it?"
"It is the large flying killer. Have you not seen it?"
Kathy recalled the first few minutes in her billet back in New Roanoke and the thing she saw flying as she looked through her window. As fearsome as that thing looked, something below in the forest had yanked it out of the sky.
"Yeah. I've seen it. I figure that movement to be the mercs. They've been looking for us all this time. Dave was right about Wilmington, he's dogged. They're cutting their own path through the forest. It'll take them at least an hour just to get to the main trail. Once on the trail, at best speed, it'll be another two hours before they get here. Point is, they see us, and are headed this way. It's time to go."
The odor hit Kathy's nose first. It struck her as odd because of their location. The smell was just such a contrast to the perfumed air. It was the odor of burning aviation grade Eco-fuel. Quickly, Kathy turned around, and there perhaps two kilometers to the east came twenty of Wilmington's V-tols. They were making a wide left turn around a hill and spreading apart, lining up for a strafing run.
Kathy quickly turned to Le'ha and asked, "What's the word for run?"
"Eyya."
Kathy adjusted her voice generator's volume to maximum, and when she shouted, the word echoed off the surrounding hills, "Eyya!" Kathy and Le'ha turned and ran down the reverse side of the temple, placing the stone structure between them and the incoming hostiles. It did not, however, stop the sound of the engagement. The sound of missiles launching and machine guns rattling was all too familiar to Kathy. This time, however, instead of stopping an army of terrorists, they were being employed against a gentle people who were being used as cattle. The sound of the impacts and detonations of the missiles followed instantly. Kathy knew that their So torrie were dying.
Kathy, long ago, had noted that Le'ha was still carrying the .52 caliber alien weapons from the armory of the fish that Dave had given her. Without a word, Kathy grabbed the rifle from Le'ha's hands and aimed almost straight up. Just as she did, one of the V-tols flew right over them, its belly just clearing the top of the temple. Kathy began to fire; she emptied the entire magazine of explosive shells into the aircraft.
The V-tol belched a plume of inky black smoke. Its engines coughed and sputtered. A long trail of flame erupted from the exhaust vents like a blow torch. The pilot ejected and the ship exploded. Its burning remains fell into the forest below.
Le'ha watched this drama with total stoicism. As the smoke poured up from the crash site among the trees in the valley below, she looked at Kathy and whispered, "And now it begins…again."
As Kathy had directed, she and Le'ha ran for the rally point. The aircraft were turning to run at them again.
At the rally point, Kathy counted only fourteen of their original thirty So torrie.
"Oh, my God," Kathy gasped, "we lost sixteen?"
"One hand and one died, Kathee. I sent two hands to tell the E'lawvat E'meset of your deeds."
Overhead, a missile screamed in. "Drop!" Kathy shouted. Few understood her, but when they all saw Kathy and Le'ha fall to the ground, they did the same.
The missile slammed into the rock directly above the cave entrance. The explosion loosened several millennia of accumulated soil off the side of the rock. Tons of dirt, rock, trees, and vegetation slid down the rock face completely burying the cave entrance.
With their escape route denied them, Kathy reacted quickly. She, Le'ha and the remaining fourteen So torrie ran to place their backs against the landslide. This and the surrounding hills and the E'meset pyramid restricted the V-tols attack vector to a forty-degree wedge directly in front of them.
The twenty aircraft lined up only fifty meters above the ground and started moving slowly toward them. The terrain forced them to fly close to one another. They moved slowly, no doubt sure this would be over in seconds. The flight commander did not have a full complement of missiles remaining; his first attack had been a heavy one. As Kathy watched the V-tols, she prayed her gamble would work. At three hundred meters, she and the others opened fire, each emptying their magazines. Four hundred and fifty, fifty-two caliber explosive projectiles, and Kathy's thirty-five point five six rounds, filled the air. As they began to impact the V-tols, all the So torrie reloaded and another volley was launched towards the hovering enemy.
The impacts were devastating. Four ships fell from the sky instantly, another exploded completely. Six more began to pour smoke from their engines and two began to fly erratically indicating that either control surfaces were hit, or the pilots had been. Regardless, thirteen of the V-tols were now out of action, leaving only seven fully functioning ships. The flight commander made the decision to fight another day. The seven healthy V-tols now backed off, firing their machine guns from the hip in an attempt to suppress Kathy's fire, and it worked; Kathy and the E'meset all fell to ground effectively disappearing in the undergrowth.
The eight damaged, but still flying, ships married up with the other seven, who then escorted them away.
Quickly, Le'ha sent a detail back to the bonfire to check for wounded. Sadly, there were none.
Kathy realized there was but one means of escape. Swing southwest, through heavy forest, around the incoming ground forces to avoid contact, and then head for New Roanoke.
Kathy knew the V-tols had informed the ground element of their location, size, and armament. They would also inform them of the result of their attack and the fact that they were withdrawing.
As they departed the area, Kathy looked up to see a single V-tol hovering some distance away…watching. As quickly as possible, they moved under the cover of the forest.
Kathy knew that in order to survive, they had to get all the way back to New Roanoke where, with any luck, Dave was already in possession of the city.
○O○
Cerf Delaflote's V-tol had been hit and several warning lights were illuminated on his instrument panel. Redundant systems were activated, and he was confident that his machine would carry him to a safe landing at a clearing he had earmarked long ago as an emergency landing area. He had, however, no confidence in his commander.
He contacted Wilmington and reported the encounter. Wilmington was not happy. Delaflote did not concern himself with Wilmington's happiness.
"Serf, you worthless piece of shit!" Wilmington shouted over the COMde. "You let savages defeat you."
"Conneries!" Delaflote shouted back. "You can never have been a military man; you screwed this operation up from its inception! This was not the main body of the CDF. This was but a small contingent of peacocks! Even if this were the CDF, your element and mine are now widely separated, and so no coordinated attack could possibly be orchestrated. The peacocks just punished me with some unknown weapon you were completely unaware of, because you made no intelligence estimate. You have completely underestimated these people—you called them animals…you fool! They are learning, and once organized they will destroy you and all you have built here! Vous imbécile incompétent!"
"Are you quite finished?" Wilmington asked. "I am the commander here and I will not tolerate insubordination. Here are your new orders: Find the Indigs and attack
them. And do try not to be shot down, will you?"
"I must first land to effect temporary repairs and care for my wounded."
"No! Let the wounded fend for themselves. You get all operational aircraft on the mission I just gave you. Fly them into the ground if you must! But you, by god, do as I have ordered…you arrogant French bastard, or I will kill you myself!"
"Ferme la bouche and listen," Delaflote demanded. "There were only fifteen of them and only one is a SUB. When they departed the village, they headed southwest. I suspect they know where you are, and are avoiding you as they return to the city."
"Return to the city?" Wilmington was incredulous.
"Tromper, this was a ruse, the main body of the CDF is returning to the city to take it from you. And with Indra's willing assistance, they will do just that."
"Then you get your ass in the air and stop them!"
"I will search out the targets…but only after I have cared for my people and machines. This is Épée six actual, out."
Chapter 26
At the Gate
Dave was experiencing a new form of worry. He couldn't be sick, and he had no stomach to knot up, but his worry meter was pegg'n out. He had thought they would get out of the cave a lot faster than they had. The sinkhole had slowed them down considerably. He assumed that by this time Kathy and Le'ha had reached their destination, executed the diversion, and by now were headed back to New Roanoke. Perhaps they were already there.
"Koma," Dave addressed his guide, "We're gonna have to move faster. Wilmington's V-tols must have arrived on the scene by now and reported that they didn't see any CDF. The mercs could be on their way back to the city right now. We've just lost too much time at this damn hole."
Koma just stared at Dave…between the speed at which he spoke and his Texas accent, Dave figured Koma understood very little. "We—have—to—move—faster." Dave bit off each word.
Dave considered sending all the SUBs ahead—they could run faster and longer than the Bios. That, of course, would mean leaving the Bios alone out here in this forest. Besides, Wilmington had some two thousand mercenaries with him, what could two hundred SUBs do? Even if all six hundred sixty-nine CDF personnel arrived at the same time, they were going to be badly outnumbered.
Though Dave was sure they had lost the race back to the city, he knew they had come down to it. They were out of food for the Bios, and their respirators were almost done. They were going to have to fight this battle, outnumbered or not. Surrender was not an option, Wilmington was not taking prisoners, and everyone knew it.
Once on the surface, everyone was moving with a real sense of urgency. They all understood just how critical time was.
As they headed west, Dave's thoughts turned to Kathy. Had she made it? Was she all right?
He had been considering the odds of success and survival, and they were not good. But…if by some miracle, they should both make it, he wondered, would she marry me? We've never even had a date. Would she think me crazy if I asked her? Perhaps we should date a while. But when he considered all they'd been through together, and what they had come to mean to each other, No two Bios had ever shared love as we have. None had ever seen within one another as we have. Surely, we’re well beyond dating.
It dawned on Dave that such thoughts at this point in time were just a little ludicrous. But, at least he was thinking of the future...he had something to live for.
○O○
Mitch and Cassie had departed the city from the west in their PC, then followed the resupply trail which headed south to the clinic.
As they reached the hills just north of the clinic, they turned off the supply path and headed east. Their plan was to return to the E'meset city of Vortain Val Leasa. Perhaps the E'meset there could direct them to where their friends might be, or at least provide some information. It did seem the only logical place to go.
They pulled up to the cliff with great waterfalls pouring down. From the cliff top, looking east and a little north, they could just barely distinguish the two hills between which was suspend the three-rope bridge. They either had to cross all these tributaries to get to their south side, or they could descend the cliff here and then head south to the vine bridge. This was where they, Kathy, Dave, and Zolna had descended when they first encountered these cliffs.
They opted to climb down here. Mitch stopped the vehicle and they exited. They had not gotten three meters from the PC when out of nowhere, like ghosts, hundreds of E'meset appeared, screaming and hooping and brandishing their weapons. They were carrying both their own native weapons and the large caliber alien weapons they must have acquired at the fish. Mitch and Cassie stopped and raised their arms over their heads. The ring of angry E'meset tightened around them. Then a much taller E'meset burst forth from the group. He was decorated with all manner of ornaments and painted hides, and on his head was a sort of helmet that looked like some animal's head. The E'meset's face could be seen through the open jaws. The top of the helmet was adorned with several brightly colored plants and things that somewhat resembled feathers.
In his right hand, he carried one of those cricket bats with sharpened stone edges. As he got closer, he started to shout and raised the club above his head. He was headed right for Mitch, who planned on grabbing the E'meset's wrist and breaking it, but Mitch knew that as soon as he stopped this fellow, the rest of the throng would descend upon them.
As Mitch poised to defend himself and his wife, he said to Cassie, "I love you," then another voice shouted out the word "Lopa!" A figure flashed in between Mitch and the large E'meset So torrie. This figure grabbed the arm of Mitch's attacker and shouted, "Ey, yuhes tuva an!"
Their savior turned around. It was Illat, their guide from their first visit to Vortain Val Leasa.
"Man…we thought you were dead!" Mitch yelled as Cassie jumped up and threw her arms around Illat's neck.
"Yuhes tuva an, my friends," he exclaimed. "E'lawvat E'meset from the family tribe of The Hand of the Rock found me, and I was given La Vat Ay. Now I am new."
"Given what?" Mitch asked Cassie.
"La Vat Ay," Cassie repeated, "I don't know those words."
Illat placed the flat of his left hand in the center of both their chests as he had done before, "I am so pleased you all now fight to end the bleeding, but we must hurry. We are run to help Le'ha, Kathee, and Dave to take the city away from the Ukse of Wilmington."
"Take back the city?" Mitch was incredulous. "How do you know that?"
"I hear from anensa." Mitch remembered the anensa, the piercing sound the E'meset could make in their throats to communicate over great distance.
Back inside the PC, Mitch took the wheel and Cassie sat in a seat behind him. Illat sat near her, but had to sit on the floor in order to fit inside. Mitch could not override the computer to open both doors of the airlock so Illat pulled them off their tracks and jammed them open.
The big fellow with the feathered helmet climbed on top. They proceeded on, five hundred E'meset following right behind them.
"What's happened?" Cassie asked Illat.
"Kathee and Dave have made the Ukse follow them out of the metal city. Now they race to get back to the city before the Ukse and take it from them. We go to help."
"Where did you get all these additional E'meset?"
"Le'ha sent a hand of So torrie from Vahn'Ha Poh calling for aid and telling of your fight against the Ukse. Many of these had waited near the ruins of the great temple of Lu'aya, and at the three stones of Lamaha, to attack the metal city."
From up front, Mitch called back, "Well, looks like it's game on!"
Forty minutes later, an E'meset darted in front of them jumping up and down.
Exiting the vehicle, they all ran to the man who collapsed with exhaustion, he was an E'meset scout. Breathlessly, he explained that many many hands of Ukse were to their south, headed north out of the clinic toward the city. They were in vehicles and moving fast. And to make matters worse, a hungry T'Pu Iya was to t
heir north blocking the trail to the city.
"T'Pu Iya?" Mitch asked. “Isn't that one of those big things that Zolna killed with the rocket?"
"Yes, darling, it is."
"Oh, crap. We don't have any rockets."
Cassie's eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Em'etar vetsey…rockets."
Mitch looked at her in amazement. "What do you mean we don't need rockets?"
She turned toward Illat. "Where in this forest would you and your So torrie attack the Ukse?"
"To the feet of the sun in the cleft of the hills."
"What?" Mitch asked.
"He means to the south where the trail passes between those two long low hills. You remember—the same place where Sel's SUBs were ambushed returning to New Roanoke." She turned to Illat and took his hand. "Okay, Illat, you take your people, go to the cleft, and prepare to attack the Ukse. But hold your attack until after Mitch and I pass through in the PC. Do you understand?"
"We will wait, but we will not let them get away," Illat agreed.
"There could be a thousand or more Ukse, so please wait," Cassie pleaded. "And when it's over, meet us at the moss-covered rock that looks like an angry face—you know the rock?"
"Yes."
"Good.” Cassie smiled. “Let's go,"
Mitch felt her grab his arm and drag him toward the vehicle. "Where are we going? What are we doing?" he demanded.
"You're not going to like it, so just get in and drive."
○O○
Illat watched as the strange Ukse vehicle sped away to the north. He shook his head then called his people together. The throng of five hundred gathered around Illat and he told them of the Ukse plan. This caused some confusion…to the group it sounded as if Illat was telling them the Ukse had a plan to attack themselves.
The Vampires of Antyllus Page 36
