by H. M. Clarke
Pain exploded in Katherine’s leg but she also felt Barkley suddenly go limp and he dropped to the ground. Tom rushed forward in time to catch Katherine before she collapsed. A look at Barkley’s head showed that a pistol round had taken him clean between the eyes. The pistol that had taken Daniel’s life now took payment from his murderer.
Varden’s rifle shot had hit her in the thigh. As Tom held her, Katherine could feel the shattered bone grinding together.
“Kath, I think you need a doctor.”
Katherine tried not to laugh. “I’ve seen enough ‘doctors’ for one day.” Tom carried her over to lie next to the still unconscious Joshua and then began to administer field dressings to her injury to stop the bleeding. “Don’t worry Tom; I’m not ready to be put on the Butcher’s Bill just yet.”
“Commander. I’m sorry-”
“Varden, stop right there.” Katherine held up a hand to emphasize her words. “I’ll be fine. One of the side effects of Barkley’s experiments is fast healing. It will take more than this to get rid of me.”
The look on Varden’s face told Katherine her sergeant did not believe her. She then felt a jab and knew that Tom had administered painkillers. She had been running on painkillers for most of the day. Katherine pushed herself up into a sitting position against the wall.
“Okay Alpha squad. Tom, Varden and Steve. I want you to carry Joshua and Ross up to the entrance and then I want Tom to contact the William Light and have Hunter land as close as possible to the entrance to ease the transfer of the wounded. I don’t want to be jostled over too much rocky terrain when you come back to get me, Daniel and Sam.”
“Kath, I won’t leave you.”
“Tom. You will leave me. My priority now is to make sure you get Ross back to New Holland and to ensure a minimum loss of life doing it.” Tom’s determination to stay still showed on his face. “Look, the sooner you go and call Hunter to come closer to the entrance, the sooner you can come back to get me and the others.”
Tom still hesitated.
Katherine reached out and pushed him hard in the shoulder. “Get to it Lieutenant.”
“Commander.” Tom gave Katherine a tight lipped nod and immediately set about arranging Varden and Steve to escort Ross and then Tom scooped up Joshua in a fireman’s hold. The Val Myran did not bat an eyelid as his head dangled over Tom’s shoulder.
Seeing Tom occupied, Katherine flicked open her comm unit to a private link. ‘Steve don’t respond, just listen. This is an order. On your way out I want you to set charges at the entrance to this level and to leave the detonator unit with me before you leave.’ Steve glanced sharply at her and Katherine repeated. ‘This is an order Lieutenant.’
After a moment Steve gave her a curt nod.
‘Don’t let Tom come back early for me. Tie him up if you have to.’
Steve gave her another nod and a moment later slipped her the detonator while Tom was busy. Then he went back to Varden and helped her to carry the unconscious Ross out of the room
As Tom followed the others to the door he paused. “We’ll try not to keep you waiting too long Kath.”
“Just go.” Katherine waved him away with a hand and watched as her Best Friend disappeared through the door.
Chapter
Thirty-One
Daniel is her responsibility and she will get him out, at least to get him out as far as she could. Then as soon as Katherine heard over the comm that the William Light had arrived she would activate the detonator which has a pre set thirty minute delay. It would not do to have the Alliance come back and clean out the facility before the Federation could send an investigative team. It was imperative that the Alliance not get their hands on any research or test data that was derived from their sick experiments.
The painkillers Tom had given her had kicked in. A glance at her shattered leg made Katherine wonder if her new accelerated healing ability could cope with bone shards and missing chunks of flesh.
Doubt it.
A quick assessment of her right leg showed that it was useless, but the left was still in working order and both arms still moved as she wanted them. She will either hobble or crawl out of this place with Daniel, or die trying.
It took all her willpower to make herself look at Daniel. From her position Katherine could not see the entry and exit wound. If she did not know any better, he looked to be sleeping.
Katherine slowly pushed up from the floor and carefully balanced herself on her good leg, using a hand on the wall to help steady her.
Immediately Katherine realized that there was no way she could move herself or Daniel like this. She dropped back to the floor and scooted up to Daniel’s still sitting body. Reaching around under his arms, Katherine carefully slid Daniel to sit between her legs so that his back was against her chest. She concentrated hard to look past the now clotting blood in his hair and to ignore the wound to his head and his dead weight was awkward to maneuver, but she managed.
Slipping off her utility belt, she quickly adjusted it to its full extension and then fed it around under Daniel’s arms and then tightened and buckled it around her waist. Daniel was now tightly secured to her and that left her hands and arms free to help them move.
She picked up the detonator from the ground and clipped it to her T-shirt where she could quickly reach it. And then Katherine began to slowly, so very slowly pull herself and Daniel backwards.
Katherine pressed the detonator button and crawled backwards, vainly trying to drag Daniel’s crumpled body with her, but her body was to broken; to battered to do it.
Silent tears made runnels through the blood caked on her face and she wailed at herself, trying to make her body do the impossible. So much for Barkley’s accelerated healing.
Tom and the rest of Alpha Squad would be long gone by now. Hopefully Steve had managed to get Tom on board the William Light without any hassles after setting the charges. Just as she should have been, but then nothing ever works out the way you plan them.
Katherine tugged again at Daniel’s arm. Logically she knew that in her condition she had no hope of escape. Not with a shattered leg and the jab of broken ribs every time she drew a ragged breath. 72 and 56 would die in this place. And it was the thought that she was unable to keep her promises that crippled her most.
“Commander!”
“Katherine!”
Penetrating through her pain and frustration Katherine heard the voices. Two of which sounded familiar. Two of which should have been light years away from this place.
“Paul?” Her voice sounded weak and raw. Shouting at herself had made her hoarse.
“Katherine.”
Two men came running towards her and all Katherine could think was, What the hell are they doing here?
Paul Hillier stumbled to a halt beside her and immediately began to check her injuries as armed men swarmed around them.
“Where are you hurt?” he said as he worked.
“Everywhere,” she said, her voice had no force behind it. But her eyes stayed glued to the man standing behind Paul.
“What are you doing here Sir?” Her voice was barely audible but Admiral Baverstock heard her and smiled.
“Don’t worry about that now. We have to get you out of here.”
“I’ve activated charge-”
“No you haven’t. Shepherd made sure Tran didn’t set them.”
Katherine did not need to see the Admiral’s face to know that he understood her plan to suicide.
An obscenity escaped Katherine’s lips before she realized. Don’t swear in front of the Admiral.
“Don’t blame Tom,” Baverstock said. He then moved quickly as the last of Katherine’s strength slipped away and caught her head before it could fall back to the floor.
“Take it easy Kath.”
Katherine did not have the energy to answer the Admiral. There was a tugging at her waist and then she felt the belt fall away.
“No. Daniel.”
Katherine made a f
eeble attempt to grab at Daniel but Paul Hillier had lifted him away, placing him carefully by her side within her reach. He placed her hand on Daniel’s shoulder.
“Sorry Commander. I need access to your leg wound. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
Katherine’s sudden grab for Daniel had made her lightheaded and she closed her eyes and felt the comforting warmth of the Admiral’s lap behind her head. She was vaguely aware of the new sounds of armored feet as the Admiral’s shore party reported the current situation to him. She felt a hand brush her hair away from her face before resting their warmth on her temple.
Katherine suddenly felt safe. She finally fell unconscious.
Katherine’s eyes snapped open as she was jostled in her bed. She tried to move but found herself restrained.
“Sir. The Commander is awake.”
Katherine did not recognize the voice but quickly realized that she was strapped into a medical gurney and that she was not on the William Light.
“Where am I?” She asked glancing wildly about her. The last thing she could remember was being in a dark corridor alone with Daniel.
“You’re safe Katherine.”
The voice was familiar. She calmed as Admiral Baverstock stood beside her and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“You’re aboard my shuttle on transit to the medical bay on Australia. My medical crew had to strap your legs and ribs and restrain you to stop the movement from wrecking what they’ve done.”
“The others?” Katherine’s mind felt groggy and slow and she was having trouble concentrating.
The Admiral smiled down at her. “They are on their way back to New Holland on the William Light.”
“Good,” she murmured. Her mind was beginning to shut down again as it cried out for sleep.
“Lieutenant Shepherd is very loyal to you Katherine. When you remember what has happened, just don’t judge him too harshly.”
Strange thing to say. The thought drifted away as Katherine fell back into a deep sleep.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Tom Shepherd sat in the cargo bay of the William Light with his head cradled in his hands.
He felt sick inside. When the Admirals’ people had carried Katherine out to the cold light of day it suddenly hit Tom just how wounded she was. She was always so strong, Tom always thought her indestructible. He never told her that but he thought it.
Seeing Katherine’s broken body on the stretcher bought home to Tom the fact that what he felt for her was not just friendship. And it scared the shit out of him that he had come so close to losing her again. Losing her to Yunga had been bad enough; after all everyone had thought her dead for over a year. But losing her when he could have prevented it?
Tom pressed his face further into his hands. He had let the Admiral take her with his people. The Australia had the best medical bay in the Australian Fleet, the William Light was not equipped to be a medical transport and that was what Katherine needed now.
“Lieutenant.”
Steve Tran’s voice intruded into Tom’s thoughts. He stifled the need to push him away and instead scrubbed hard at his face before turning to face the Tac Officer.
“What is it Steve?” His voice was even, betraying no emotion. Tom could see the man’s reluctance to trespass in his misery. This time Tom did not care that his feelings were apparently so evident.
“Hunter has detected an anomaly in his surface readings.”
Tom sat up straight and frowned. “What type of anomaly?”
“He thinks it might be a vehicle of some sort. Mark wants you to go up front and have a look.”
“If it’s a land vehicle it could be refugees from one of the enclaves.” Steve gave him no comment. “Tell Mark I’ll be with him in a moment.”
Steve Tran gave him a nod and disappeared back into the passenger cabin.
Tom scrubbed at his face again and then rose slowly from the crate he was sitting on. Tom glanced down at Sam’s shrouded body that was secured on the shelf next to him. Wallowing out back with the dead will do nothing to help in the long run and he knew that Katherine was going to be all right, there are things in the here and now that need to be dealt with.
Mark Hunter’s fingers were frantically flying over the optics as Tom ducked through the door into the cockpit. “Mark, what have you found?”
“Something strange….” Hunter’s concentration was still focused on the optic scan display. The images changed rapidly in response to Hunter’s fluid commands, Tom watched in fascination as Hunter finessed the tuning until finally he turned back to look at him. “Got it!”
Tom settled into the co-pilots seat and looked at the information now showing on the optical frame. It showed a 3D map of the area with a flashing marker moving steadily across it. The display of numbers beside the map showed the objects height relative to the planet’s surface and Hunter had used his magic to manipulate the sensors to pick up the objects exhaust trail in an effort to backtrack where it had originated.
Mark’s finger tapped excitedly at the frame, momentarily distorting the optics. “Got the little bastard!”
“What’s going on?” To Tom the object looked to be a refugee vehicle moving around to find somewhere safe to hole up and he said as much.
“Tom, I’ve been tracking this since I moved to the pickup point at the ridge. It’s moving at an altitude that most sensors would miss, thinking that it would be a land vehicle, but the Skipper had the William Light decked out with the best, so we picked it up.” Hunter’s fingers tickled the frame again and a new display leapt up. “Have a look at this.”
Tom leaned forward and quickly took in the information.
“Shit.”
The object was a Tiger; a small three-man fighter usually used for short haul convoy escorts and connected with a large fleet carrier. The exhaust trail that Hunter had mapped showed that it came from a position ten clicks north of the site at Braidon Hills.
“It’s armed to the teeth and its shielding is better than you get on most frigates.” Hunter looked at Tom, a feral gleam in his eyes, “The complex had another exit, maybe another lab facility.”
Tom heard Hunter’s unspoken question and suddenly felt relieved that Katherine’s injuries caused her to be taken onto the Australia. If she was here she would have had this ship turned around and headed straight to the new complex no matter what her injuries. Her one thought would be to destroy that complex. Tom felt a twinge of guilt; he had stopped Steve from laying the charges at Braidon Hills, the Federation needed the place intact so that any evidence about Alliance involvement and what they were working on could be found. But then again, would Kath have let the Tiger run?
“Mark. Send a packet to the Australia, notifying them of the site’s co-ordinates and all the info on that Tiger.” Tom paused and looked again at the Tiger’s heading. “Their heading is running parallel to ours. I want you to drop back and shadow them. I want to know more about what they are up too. Alert me if they change direction”
“Aye Aye Lieutenant.” The helmsman’s fingers again few over the optics and within a few moments Tom saw the icon flash for a sent data packet. He turned and headed back into the personnel cabin and flopped into the nearest chair. Ignoring Steve’s inquiring gaze, Tom’s body fell into a much-needed sleep.
“Lieutenant.”
Tom started in his chair. Normally a light sleeper, he was not used to being roughly woken. His body must have really needed sleep. Tom looked up at Steve.
“I’m awake.”
It was then that Tom realized that his body could feel no vibration and there was no humming sound from an active engine. The William Light had landed.
“Why have we landed?”
“Mark’s got something on that Tiger we’ve been following. That will explain everything.”
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Not long. About an hour.”
“Shit.”
“I think you might be glad of
having this hour once this day is finished.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Tom said as he rose from his chair and stretched himself as much as he was able in the confines of the personnel cabin. He then made his way into the cockpit.
“Hunter.”
“Lieutenant.”
The Astrogator was always formal when there was heavy business at hand, though his urge to impress was more pronounced whenever Katherine was present.
“What have you got for me?” Tom sat down in the co-pilots chair and waited for Hunter to pull up the optics. The same display flashed up as before except that this time the Tiger was not producing a tracking trace. It was stationary, about 10 Klicks south of them. What the hell are they doing?
“How long has the Tiger been stationary?”
“Twenty minutes. As soon as I noted them going down I landed as well and have been watching them on the sensors. No one has left the vehicle and they have kept their engines hot.”
“So. It looks like they’re waiting for something.”
“Or someone.”
Tom looked again at the optics. The Tiger had landed on an open plateau that would be noticed by any craft flying in the vicinity. They were not hiding themselves. Maybe they were hoping to be mistaken as refugees, though a detailed scan of the craft would show that not to be the case.
“Whatever they’re waiting for; they want to be able to leave in a moment’s notice. Since the engines are hot that means they won’t be waiting around long.”
Hunter’s fingers skipped over a second optics screen. What he saw caused him to frown. “The sensors can pick up no incoming traffic and I can detect no one on foot either.”
“Maybe they’re waiting for a signal -” As soon as Tom spoke, the optics showed the Tiger suddenly firing up its engines and a red icon flashed that its weapons systems were armed.
“Mark, get us the hell out of here.”
The deck already thrummed with the sounds of the engines. Tom gritted his teeth. The standard armament on a Tiger would rip right through a planetary craft like the William Light. And the pulse weapons on the William Light would only tickle the Tigers shields if fired at their full potential.
