The Free Trader and his companions reached the corridor of destruction. Scorching marked much of the wall space. Parts and pieces of Bots were strewn across the floor. The smell of singed animal hair still lingered. Braden and Micah walked into the laboratory. G-War went with them while the others waited. No one else was willing to go in there to relive the recent past.
Braden first went to the young Professor and checked through his pockets. He carried a device that looked like a communicator. Braden pressed the ‘off’ button. Micah checked her neural implant.
‘Master President! We’ve been out of contact for so long, I thought we’d lost you!’ Holly pronounced joyously.
‘Can’t really talk now, Holly. Both Professors are dead and we’re searching one of the labs now. We need to get back to the ship and rest. Can you bring it into the cove and have it waiting for us, please?’
‘Of course, Master President. It’ll be there and we’ll resume our conversation whenever you are up to it.’ Holly closed the link.
“Holly is bringing the ship in,” she said, barely above a whisper, leaning heavily on a table.
‘Brandt, can you meet us at the doorway where we entered the underground complex?’ Micah asked over the mindlink.
‘Yes, Zyena will bring us to you. How is everyone?’ he asked with some trepidation.
‘Tired. See you soon, my friend.’
Braden opened cabinets and drawers in a fruitless search for his blasters. Micah was fading fast. He’d already taken one from her and was carrying it because he couldn’t find his belt either.
“Time to go, lover,” Braden conceded, putting her arm over her shoulder as he supported her to walk out. Through the wreckage outside the lab they shuffled, down the corridor of the older storage area and to the stairs. At the top, Brandt’s big head blocked most of the light. Micah groaned when she saw the steps.
Braden took the rope from Micah and set her on the bottom step. The others gathered around. “Brandt has suggested that he can pull you up. Take this end and I’ll run the rope to him. When he starts pulling, everyone grab on. You’re all coming together.”
Braden tried running up the stairs, but slowed quickly and climbed slowly after a short time. At the top, he greeted the King warmly and handed him the rope. The Aurochs clamped his mouth down on it and started walking back toward the compound. The rope slid around the corner of the doorway as the slack was taken up. He kept walking while looking back. Bronwyn and the misfit mob stood in the distance, watching. Zyena was on the branch overhead, waiting to see her mate.
Micah was first, then Strider with Bounder close by, helping her from behind. Pik carried Skirill. Aadi let go of the rope tied around Pik’s waist, holding onto the rope that Brandt was pulling instead. Ferrer and Brigitte came next, side by side, as they carried Fealona between them. G-War and Treetis hopped up the steps on their own, being the last ones to emerge into the daylight.
Bronwyn freed herself from the misfits and ran to Micah, hugging her and crying. The misshapen bunch produced a stretcher that they timidly approached with. Braden looked at them harshly, but nodded. Micah climbed onto the stretcher and Strider lay next to her. Fealona found space and curled herself into it. Four misfits grunted as they lifted it.
Brandt let go of the rope once everyone was outside. Braden closed the door, relieved at leaving the unpleasantness of the underground complex behind. He committed to shooting first and asking questions second from there forward. Some enemies were impossible to negotiate with. He wanted to talk with Holly, but his neural implant was gone.
They had much to discuss when he returned to the ship.
“Brandt, Bronwyn, straight to the cove, please. Holly is bringing the ship in,” Braden said. He coiled the rope as he followed the others. The remainder of the mob fell in next to the stretcher and those who could took turns carrying it.
Braden didn’t remember it being so far to the beach, but he was fresh the other time he’d traveled it. And they’d been with Brandt, who made travel over great distances seem effortless.
Zyena and Skirill flew ahead, joining their daughter on the highest railing of the ship, a deck above the bridge, from where Old Tech spires rose even higher.
The others finally made it as Holly expertly slid the ship’s deck as close as possible. Brandt ran and jumped, landing halfway onto the deck where he fought his way aboard. Braden handed him the rope, which he again held in his mouth. Braden dug into the sand with the rope wrapped around his waist, giving the others something to hold onto as they climbed aboard.
One by one, they worked their way up. Once they had a good grip, Brandt used his strength to easily pull them the rest of the way onto the deck. The misfits made to climb aboard and Bronwyn stopped them before Braden intervened. They put the stretcher on the deck and backed away. Braden delivered Treetis and G-War to the ship before climbing aboard himself. He looked back at the misfits, half of them were crying as Holly maneuvered the tall ship from the cove. Bronwyn threw them kisses and waved. Braden joined her in waving to them and thanking them for being there.
“You can tell them that we’ll be back. Soon, we’ll return and we’ll need their help,” Braden said, resting a hand on the girl’s shoulder. When she told the mob, their mood brightened immensely and they ran around in circles on the beach, before dashing away to get ready for Bronwyn’s return.
Rest at Sea
“How long were we gone, Holly?” Braden yelled from the deck.
“The sun still has not set from when you departed the Warden earlier today. You have been gone a total of eleven hours,” Holly replied through the ship’s speaker system.
“What?” Braden was confused. “Not even one whole daylight?” Brandt, Zyena, and Bronwyn were the only ones who were certain that such a short time had passed since they’d departed. Everyone who’d gone underground had their internal clocks messed with. Micah couldn’t believe how tired she was from less than a daylight’s worth of activity.
“Let’s get you checked out,” Braden said, insisting that Strider, Fea, and Micah go to the small Med Lab to let the Bot examine them. Reluctantly, they went. There was room for three in the elevators, so Braden went with them. It was the fourth level below the main deck, nearly in the bottom of the ship’s great keel where the scientists and research laboratories found their home. First one was checked, then the other. Holly had uploaded the specifics for Wolfoid physiology to make the examination go smoothly. Both of the patients were heavily bruised, but no other damage.
The cuts on Strider’s chest and abdomen did not require stitches, which was good news since they’d scabbed over. She would not have liked getting them ripped open just to sew them back up. Fea’s incision required stitches. The Med Bot took great care working on her, but the ‘cat still struggled and yowled. G-War showed up outside the Med Lab and made his displeasure known to all.
Besides giving each a shot of something, the Bot recommended all three patients ingest significant amounts of water.
Braden and Bronwyn went to the galley and started ordering food, running it to the main deck as soon as it was ready. The Rabbits disappeared downstairs to the garden. Pik used the water hose to douse himself and take water to the others. He stripped out of his skin suit between trips, standing under the shower until a glass was emptied, and then he refilled it.
They ate and they drank. They were quiet. None of them were ready to talk about the events of the day, until Strider spoke. ‘We found a wide tunnel, well-used, that descended into the big hill. It had a gate. I think that’s what you’re looking for.’
Zeeka glided off the top deck and turned into the wind to land gracefully on the second deck railing. ‘Yes. It is something worth taking a better look at,’ Zeeka added, sharing the image from her mind’s eye over the mindlink. ‘Just watch out for the monkeys as you travel the path toward it.’
Micah perked up. “Thank you to the women’s team, Strider, Zeeka, and Brigitte. We’ll start there, at the
tunnel. I didn’t want to search through anything else of the Professor’s, and I didn’t want to go into that complex again. I don’t know if my legs would carry me down those stairs. I’m sorry, did you say monkeys?” Micah said.
Bounder bristled. Strider lifted her head from a deck chair where she rested. Braden sat on the deck next to Micah, who was also reclined in a deck chair. He perked up with interest, not having heard anything about the plan to rescue him.
‘What did you boys find on your way to the compound? I know you can hear me, Ferrer. Come on, out with it,’ Strider taunted the Rabbit as she didn’t expect her mate to come clean with details that might not have portrayed him favorably.
‘He ran first!’ Ferrer blurted. Bounder closed his eyes and turned from Strider, then opened and looked philosophically at the open ocean.
‘And…’ Strider prompted.
‘And we ran into a trap and Bounder smelled like a wet dog and he was piled on top of me until Skirill freed us!’ Ferrer finished by praising the Hawkoid.
“Did you just say that you two ran into a trap?” Micah asked.
‘It was cleverly hidden,’ Ferrer tried to make an excuse.
‘What’s your distorted version of events?’ Strider asked her mate, sipping more water.
‘I believe enough has been said on the issue,’ Bounder said, looking at Strider wearing a big, Wolfoid smile. He didn’t need to mention how the Rabbit panicked or how he was afraid for the companions. It all turned out well, and that was what mattered most. ‘Have you noticed how the ocean’s waves sparkle, like the gleam in your eyes when you look at me?’
The companions had a good laugh at Bounder’s expense, the levity welcomed after a difficult time.
“Monkeys,” Braden repeated. “I hate monkeys.”
“Pik came up with the plan. He made it all work,” Micah said seriously. Braden joined Pik by the shower and they talked for a while, discussing Pik’s plan and the assumptions he’d made in building it, because it sounded exactly like the plan Braden would have developed in that situation.
Braden made sure to join Bronwyn in the well deck where she dangled her legs in the water between Chlora and Rhodi. Braden kneeled next to the girl and thanked each of the Dolphins. Rexalita appeared behind the ship, diving and rising, blowing air and water from the breathing hole atop her head. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
Aadi stayed low by Micah’s chair, where he could brace himself, to keep from flying away as the ship sailed out from under him. ‘Master Micah, I have good news and bad news,’ Aadi started. Micah braced herself. ‘Six of the eggs survived the encounter with the Security Bot.’ Aadi didn’t need to say anything else. He was carrying ten eggs.
When the sun set, Holly turned on the deck lights to help people get to their beds. The weather was mild, so the Wolfoids decided to sleep in the open air by Brandt. The ‘cats went to the garden level. The humans sought their own beds, Braden helping Micah up the last flight of stairs above where the elevator ended. Pik slept standing up with the shower raining over him. He could have been asleep for a while, no one knew since he hadn’t moved. They let him go. He was as comfortable as he was going to be. Brandt lay down and relaxed, happy to have everyone back in one piece.
Come morning, stiff people made their way to the galley for a heavy breakfast, the breakfast of the famished. The Wolfoids had taken the elevator up rather than climb the stairs. Strider was too sore to walk, as was Micah. Braden felt bad, worse when he saw Fea and the shaved spots all over her body. She walked carefully, too. Bronwyn escorted them as the elevator didn’t respond to the ‘cats, no matter how loudly Treetis yowled.
Within a few heartbeats, Treetis was standing and pawing at the fabricator.
“What would you like, little man?” Braden asked.
‘Fish. Lots of fish,’ Treetis answered. Braden ordered four servings of the salmon, knowing that the fabricator could do no more than four at once. Braden put the dishes on chair seats, the right height for a full-grown Hillcat to eat without having to bend over.
“When do we go back?” Micah asked.
“Today, to check things out, I think,” Braden replied. “Then as soon as you’re ready, we’ll go get Caleb and anyone else who’s ready to come along.”
“I’m going with you,” Micah said firmly. Braden tried to argue, but she wouldn’t have it. “Just in case you already forgot. Last time I let you go in alone, look what happened.”
Braden laughed. “Sounds good. Let’s see if we have any other volunteers.”
Braden stood and looked at those in the galley. “We’re going ashore to check things out, see about that tunnel. Who’s coming along?”
Bounder looked sternly at Strider. ‘I’m coming,’ he said. G-War said that he and Treetis were coming. The Rabbits both politely declined. Brandt said he was coming, too. Pik, Aadi, and Bronwyn also volunteered. The three Hawkoids rounded out the group.
Pursing his lips, Braden walked to the outside deck. “Everyone but Strider, Fea, and the Rabbits is coming,” he said to himself, hoping that it was only going to be Bounder, him, and G-War. He went back inside to make an announcement.
“You might as well rest then. We’ll go ashore first thing tomorrow and we go there for real. We won’t be looking around, either, we’ll be going to get our people back.” Braden headed for the stairs down. He wanted to talk with Pik and Aadi.
The Tunnel
Holly sailed the ship toward the rocky outcropping and into the cove beside it. Braden and the companions stood on deck, watching the island as it drew nearer. Only Bronwyn was excited to go ashore. The bad experience with the Professors tainted the others’ opinion of what should have been a pleasant island retreat.
The Hawkoids launched themselves skyward, flying high over the trees and the island as they headed toward the tunnel into the hillside. Until they found the monkeys, they weren’t going to fly below the treetops.
The misfit mob was on the beach jumping up and down. Bronwyn cheered and waved to them. Braden had a hard time not hating them since they’d done the Professor’s bidding. He knew they had no choice, but he still couldn’t reconcile himself with it.
The Warden’s deck scraped against the sand and it started with Brandt running and jumping as far as he could. It wasn’t graceful, but he almost made it into the dry sand. He landed in the ankle-deep surf, frozen where he landed until he could pull his hooves free. The misshapen creatures ran into the woods in terror when the Aurochs launched himself from the deck.
He waded back to the ship where three ‘cats, a Wolfoid, and Bronwyn climbed onto his back. He returned to the beach to safely and dryly deposit his riders. The ‘cats continued to ride on his head, while Bounder jumped off and with man-horse’s help, Bronwyn climbed down, too. Fea said she felt good enough to accompany her mate. No one was going to tell her no, so she came along. Brandt understood that if possible, she’d ride him the entire time. According to Strider and Zeeka, the tunnel was big enough for even Brandt to use.
Bronwyn rallied the mob of the Professor’s creations and sent them toward the compound. She rode on the man-horse as the others stayed nearby, waiting to fulfill her any wish.
Braden and Micah walked warily, each of them carrying a blaster. Braden had lost his to the Professor, so Micah shared hers. She carried her sword, but Braden didn’t think she was capable of fighting with it. She continued to move deliberately. Whatever the Security Bot shocked them with, it had not been kind to their bodies.
They were recovering, slowly.
When the group reached the compound, the misfit mob wanted Bronwyn to play a game with them. Braden suggested that they’d play later, but they had to go to the hill and enter the tunnel. The misfits hooted and yelled, saying that it was forbidden to enter without the Professor. They had no intention of telling the mob that the Professors were dead.
Without waiting for them to agree, Brandt turned and took the wide path that headed west.
Micah open
ed her neural implant to check in with Holly. ‘We’re heading toward the tunnel now. Do you have any final words, in case we get cut off?’
‘I wish we had time to study the laboratories in the underground complex. If I could get a peek at his notes and the equipment, I’d be able to tell you what he was doing. Beyond that, I hope there are signal repeaters in the tunnel so I can talk to you all the way down, assuming it goes to the undersea city. In any case, I’ll follow you for as long as I can if you minimize the window, don’t close out in entirety,’ Holly said, hoping that Micah would comply with his request.
‘I think we’re going to need your help. This is the land of the ancients and no one knows them better than you. It’s kind of like being back on the RV Traveler, eh, Holly?’ She minimized the window as they kept walking, eyes searching the trees for the monkeys. Bounder watched carefully, keeping his lightning spear trained on the branches that lined the path. Pik traded his trident for Strider’s spear, so he wielded firepower, too. They knew that they’d burn down the whole forest if the monkeys provoked them. Worse than that, they were good with it.
Micah had her blaster dialed to wide flame. Braden had his set in the middle, neither a wide flame nor a narrow beam. He wanted revenge for when they had beaned him in the head with a rock.
The first monkey appeared on the trail before them, standing with a spear held across his body, as if he could block their way. Bronwyn yelled at them to wait as the man-horse ran with an odd gait past the companions. Bronwyn slid to the sand and strolled to the monkey. It chattered at her as she kneeled and talked with it. Braden and Micah couldn’t hear what she said. They walked cautiously past Brandt, blasters aimed at the trees. They stopped between Brandt and Bronwyn, knowing that they were in the line of fire should the monkeys act.
Free Trader Box Set - Books 4-6: Battle for the Amazon, Free the North!, Free Trader on the High Seas Page 59
