The Enclave (The Verge)

by H. M. Clarke

  “I think now would be a good time for us to leave,” she said forcing herself to her feet and pushed away from the wall.

  “Jesus Kath.” Tom had his hand on her shoulder before he had finished speaking. She felt his fingers probing the muscle and abruptly pain lanced through her arm and she gasped.

  Tom swore. “I need a medikit.”

  “We don’t have time,” Katherine shrugged Tom’s hands away causing pain to arch along her shoulders. His probing finger now made her body truly aware of the pain.

  “Kath.”

  “We move out now. It will keep until we get back to the William Light.”

  “Yes Skipper,” Steve’s response stopped Tom’s reply dead and then he spoke over the Tac Net. “Fallback to the entrance. Now.”

  Everyone turned and high tailed it out of the T-junction and up the long tunnel that lead to the outside world.

  Steve fell in beside her as the group ran up the corridor. “We lost Sam.”

  “Shit,” Katherine could not keep the remorse from her voice. She liked Sam.

  “Did you see any sign of Hyde?”

  “No.” Katherine mentally kicked herself. He was one of the main reasons they were here. “I saw no sign of him.”

  “Was he even here?”

  Katherine did not answer. The mention of Hyde’s name started a nagging feeling deep in her stomach. She slowed her run letting Steve and Varden pull away from her. She had expected more of a fight to get out of this place; so far it had been more of a cakewalk. It was like…

  Katherine halted and started to look around her. She may be being paranoid but that is what has kept her alive for the last three years. She turned to look at Daniel who had stopped just behind her.

  “Do you feel anything wrong?”

  Cocking his head to one side, he pondered Katherine’s question.

  “Kath, we don’t have time for this. They’ll be on us.” Tom tried to snare her arm and hurry her forward but Katherine refused to move.

  “I feel nothing wrong. They want us to leave.”

  “Come on Daniel, let’s go.” Joshua laid a gentle hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You’ll be safe soon.”

  “That’s the point. This has been too easy. Why go to all this effort to take Daniel and not fight tooth and nail to keep him? Why go to all the trouble to get me here and not try to keep me? None of this makes sense.”

  “It doesn’t have to make sense,” Joshua said.

  Katherine looked at him and made a decision. “No. I suppose it doesn’t.” She shook her head and began to move up the tunnel. There was still no sign of pursuit.

  Katherine continued towards the bright square of sunlight that streamed through the broken entranceway, using an arm to hurry the others after her. As their commander, she should be the last to leave this place and ensure that her people get out alive.

  What are you planning 72? Daniel’s voice sounded loud in her head and she nearly jumped in fright when she heard it.

  If you are asking me that in the first place, you probably have an idea of what I am going to do.

  But they want us to go.

  And I want to know why. I plan to find out. Barkley would be a good place for me to start.

  And then what?

  I blow this place back to Hell.

  Let me come with you.

  No 56. You need to stay with your brother. I want you to make sure he doesn’t come after me.

  Why would he do that?

  The reason is too long to explain at the moment. Just ensure that he stays above ground 56.

  Their exchange had only lasted several seconds and Katherine saw Steve waiting at the entrance watching his crew trot past him with an appraising eye. Katherine was the final person to reach him. She leaned in close to ensure that the others could not hear.

  “Steve, I’m going back in. I want to find out if Hyde is here.”

  “And you’re worried about why it was so easy for us to get out.”

  Katherine gave her Tactical officer a sharp nod. “I need a commlink, spare ammo and some body armor if you can spare it.”

  “What about that shoulder wound?”

  Katherine moved her shoulder, tried to free up the stiffening muscles. “The shoulder wound is fine.” Katherine’s tone brooked no argument and Steve Tran gave her none.

  “The commlink and ammo I can do, but the body armor…We are all kitted out in the full armor rig and none of ours will fit you.”

  “The first two are fine Steve. There are several pieces of body armor now lying unwanted on the first level. I’ll scab some from there.”

  Katherine looked hard into Steve’s eyes. “No one is to follow me Steve. No-one. Understood?”

  Steve said nothing but his glance slipped to Tom who was standing a short distance away with Reed. He nodded.

  “Sir?”

  Both Katherine and Steve watched Varden as she approached them.

  “It is not a good idea for us to stay here.”

  “No it isn’t,” Steve said. “Sergeant, round everyone up and get them moving to the William Light.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “The skipper and I will stay and mine this doorway as a surprise for anyone wanting to poke their noses out of it.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  Steve’s voice carried to the others and Katherine saw heads swing towards them.

  “But-“

  “There are no butts Tom. You will do as you are ordered.” Katherine took a step forward jabbing a finger at him to emphasize the point. Tom bristled a moment but backed down.

  “Varden, move this lot now.”

  The sergeant gave her lieutenant a curt nod and began to bark orders at the others. The group left reluctantly but they left, leaving Steve and Katherine. Steve passed her his spare commlink and the ammo packs from his utility belt.

  “I’ll wait up here for you to return skipper.”

  “Steve-“

  “I insist. Varden can keep the others in line.”

  “Okay, okay. Just be careful in case the Alliance decides to pick you up instead.”

  “You know me Skipper.” Steve gave her a smile. “I’ll be waiting on the ridge opposite.”

  “If I’m not out again within three hours you are to go back to the William Light. And that’s an order. Your priority then will be to get Daniel and Joshua Val Myra back safely to New Holland.

  “Yes Skipper.”

  Katherine clapped Steve on the shoulder and smiled. It was all the thanks she could give him. And she could understand the man’s reason for wanting to stay. The anger he felt at seeing those bodies was still burning in him and he wanted to see justice done, to witness it on their behalf. Steve would do nothing to stop her doing what had to be done. Unlike Tom.

  Katherine checked that she had a full clip in her Keckler and when Steve offered her his sidearm she took that as well and tucked it into the waistband of her track pants.

  “I’ll see you on the other side.”

  “Not if I see you first.”

  Katherine turned and disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel leaving Steve to make his way across the valley to take up a sniper position on the ridge across from the entrance.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  Katherine made no effort at concealment. Not this time. Boldly walking down the tunnel, she had Steve’s Auto pistol in one hand and the Keckler sitting comfortably in the other. Back in the T Junction Katherine saw Sam’s broken body and there was no sign of the enemy.

  Where was the pursuit? Where were the people they were firing at only half an hour before?

  Katherine knelt down beside Sam’s body and looked into his ruined face. No one deserved a death like this. She hoped it had been quick. She hoped that Sam did not suffer through the agony of having the skin flayed from his flesh.

  “I’m sorry Sam, but I need these more than you do.” Katherine removed the ammo clips from his utility belt and slipped them onto her own
. She also picked up Sam’s rifle and slung it over her shoulder. Katherine would test it later to see if the filaments had damaged the firing mechanism rendering it unusable. If it did not work she could take the ammo belt from it and then use the thing as a club.

  Sam’s body armor was form fitted and too large for Katherine, but it had been enough to protect the flesh underneath from the filament frag grenades. She did note that the filaments had jammed themselves in the joints making any further movement in the armor impossible. If only Sam had had his helmet faceplate down he might have had a chance.

  The armor is…

  Katherine quickly unbuckled Sam’s utility belt and brushed away the webbing covering the armor mid riff revealing a small command panel. She pressed a few buttons and breathed a sigh of relief as the indicators all flashed green. It was still operational. She then passed her thumb over the Gentec scanner and the armor ejected the cartridge that contained the control panel. Katherine held the device in her hands a moment before letting her fingers fly over the touch panel. The indicator lights flashed green again and Katherine slipped the device into one of her belt’s ammo pouches.

  The next time someone fires as me, I’ll find out if the Kinetic shielding still works. Though I won’t care anymore if I don’t duck in time.

  “I’ll be back for you Sam. No one gets left behind.” Katherine pulled down the helmet visor, covering Sam’s face, giving him some dignity as he waited to go home.

  And then she was off down the corridor towards the lift foyer.

  Still no sign of anyone. A glance at the lift indicator panel showed that it had been deactivated. The soldiers they had been fighting must have left via the stairs and that meant that the stair access would be guarded.

  Katherine looked again at the lift and an idea began forming in her mind. Her hand dropped to her waist and felt the hook and steal filament that was standard issue on the RAN utility belt. Luckily the painkillers had set in and she could no longer feel anything in her injured shoulder.

  She wedged her fingers into the small gap between the lift doors and pulled at the left side with all her strength. The injured shoulder felt like it wanted to complain but the painkillers prevented it from hindering her. Katherine knew when her shoulder could feel again that there would be hell to pay.

  The door groaned and moved and the new gap was now large enough for her to wedge in her body and then use it for leverage as she pushed at the door with her leg, all the while keeping an eye out for any noise that would announce unwelcome company.

  As soon as the opening was wide enough to fit her body width ways, Katherine unslung Sam’s rifle from her shoulder and quickly stripped it of ammunition before jamming it into the gap between her legs. She slipped her body out from the doors and watched as the doors clamped hard against the long, stocky rifle.

  It will do, Katherine thought as she began to unwind the fine steel cable from its reel on the utility belt. At its end was a weighted electro-magnetic clip and Katherine began to twirl it around. Satisfied at the feel of its weight, Katherine ducked her head into the lift shaft and looked about.

  Emergency lighting bathed everything in a pale glow leaving parts of the shaft in darkness, but there was enough light for Katherine to see what she needed to see. The lift car was sitting several floors below her at what was obviously the bottom level. Three floors was a long way to drop if this does not work out, and landing on top of a lift will not make the impact feel any better.

  Katherine pushed those thoughts out of her mind and turned her attention to the head of the shaft. The lift was an old fashioned computer controlled pulley and cable system, low maintenance and had hardly any power signature, which made it perfect for a covert location like this. The low-tech choice also made Katherine’s task a hell of a lot easier. Playing a foot of cable through her right hand, she let it hang a moment as she searched the ceiling above and then when her eyes settled on a good anchor point, the cable flew out of her hand and curled itself around the crankshaft of the lift motor. Katherine then flicked a switch on the reel activating the electromagnetic current and the hook clamped quickly around the cable. A sharp tug showed that the line was secure and then she leapt into the empty shaft, hoping that the line was short enough not to let her hit the bottom.

  Katherine dropped like a stone, the friction from the steel filament burning through her raised left hand; her right still held the auto pistol armed and ready. Then her velocity abruptly stopped, the end of the line nearly ripping the utility belt through her body. Katherine was not wearing protective armor now – she had to remember that. It was another pain she would have to look forward to when the painkillers wore off. The bruises would be a nightmare, and the rope burned flesh of her left hand would not be very forgiving either. Looking down past her dangling feet, Katherine could see a metre or so of clearance between her and the top of the left carriage. At least she had estimated the right length for the cable; she would not be breaking a leg here.

  Moving her right hand to the filament reel, she stretched out her thumb from its grip on the auto pistol and deactivated the electro magnet. Katherine did not hear the sound of the hook being released but was ready to spring aside when she dropped the short distance to the lift so that the falling cable would not hit her.

  Katherine stayed glued to the side of the lift shaft, still and silent after the echo of the falling cable had disappeared. But there was no sound of a guard, no bullets tearing through the ceiling of the lift.

  Katherine frowned.

  Surely the Alliance wouldn’t be this sloppy?

  Katherine’s frown deepened. They were expecting her again. A way had been left open for her, but who was waiting for her at its end?

  The bones from her knuckles stood out from Katherine’s skin as her grip unconsciously tightened around the stock of the pistol. If Hyde was there waiting, he would not even have the time to draw breath to speak before the first round found its way into his body. And she would gladly die to make sure that the rest of the magazine’s occupants followed it.

  Whatever was going on, Katherine knew with a certainty that they were not going to kill her for returning, at least not on sight anyway. Still, it did not pay to let your guard down.

  Katherine activated her comm unit.

  “Steve, I’m not meeting any resistance. They are still trying not to hurt me.” Katherine tried to choke back the laugh that rose from her throat. It came out sounding clipped and derisive.

  ‘They’ll regret that decision pretty soon.’

  “What did they do to me to make them want to keep me alive? What did they do to Daniel? And if we are so important, why let us both go?”

  ‘I can’t answer any of that Skipper.’ Even over the Commlink Katherine could hear the hesitance in his voice. ‘They might never be answered.’

  “Maybe I’ve read the situation wrong and I get shot as soon as I step out of the lift. I won’t have to worry about it then.”

  ‘Captain-’

  “I’m not suicidal Steve.” Katherine cut through the Lieutenant. “I’m just a realist.”

  Steve did not reply.

  “Steve, I’m going to leave my commlink open. I want you to hear everything that happens. And if anything happens to me, I want you to turn tail and get the Hell out of here. That’s an order.”

  There was a long stretch of silence before Steve Tran answered her.

  ‘Understood.’

  Chapter

  Twenty-Four

  Katherine slipped through the lift access panel and landed lightly in the lift. The doors were locked open as if inviting her into the fourth level corridor for a friendly get-together.

  She rose with her pistol up and ready, listening for the slightest betrayal of sound that would indicate that someone was lurking outside. But Katherine could only hear the even sound of her own soft breathing.

  Katherine stepped out of the lift and into the corridor. Glancing right showed a white, empty corridor, glancing le
ft showed her something different.

  At the end of the corridor stood a man dressed in the same grey T-shirt and sweat pants as she. He was also built like a brick shit house, and in the bright white corridor did not look very friendly. In each hand he held a knife.

  In her right hand was Steve’s Auto Pistol. Reflexively, before she even recognized he was no guard, she had the pistol aimed at the man’s chest. Katherine stopped herself from pulling the trigger.

  Quicker than the eye could blink, the man flicked a hand leaving himself holding only one knife.

  Katherine was at least ten metres away and she watched as the knife somersaulted through the air as it covered the distance between them. She quickly sidestepped left, reluctant to attack someone who looked to be a test subject like herself. Her gun did not move and Katherine felt the sharp jolt as the butt of the knife thudded into her pistol and sent it flying away from her hand.

  Shit!

  And with another burst of speed, the man was right in front of her, his other held knife ready and deadly. He came in fast, the long bladed knife arching down towards Katherine’s throat.

  She dropped to the ground and lunged towards where the throwing knife dropped to the floor. The man lunged at her open back, going for the easy kill.

  With her own burst of speed, Katherine flipped over and caught the blow with the sleek bladed throwing knife, now held secure in her right hand.

  The man leapt back and Katherine took the opportunity to scramble to her feet. The two then began to warily circle each other, studying each other for something that can be used to their own advantage. Katherine adjusted the throwing knife in her hand. It was double bladed so she could not hold it backhanded like she was used to, if she did the blade would cut her forearm to ribbons. Just her luck that the man liked it up close and personal. If he had used a gun, Sam’s Kinetic Shield generator would have given her enough protection to incapacitate this man without risking her life and limb.