“Perhaps, but we have come so far. We have new medicines, new technology, and so much more. Until the Prime Minister’s assassination, there had not been a murder in over twenty-five years. We have made incredible strides.”
“Have the people on the surface not made progress as well?” asked Cee.
“Well yes, but nothing compared to us.”
Betrothed had been listening attentively. “Our friend is becoming distressed and defensive.”
“Quite so, my dear. He is a good man but is so close to the situation, he cannot see the obvious.”
“What is so obvious?” asked Fitz.
“You have made progress, as you have said, but the human being is still a human being, and your Prime Minister is dead.”
Fitz sat alone with his thoughts for a while, not caring if others could hear. Finally, he turned to Cee and said aloud, “Where do you think we should begin looking?”
“One is not certain. I’m afraid that the most logical place to look is as near the site they attacked with the nuclear device.”
“Yes, that would make sense. What does not is, why would they launch such an attack at all? I know how they love to close with an enemy and kill him at close range. Why would they resort to such an attack?” mused Fitz.
“We could overfly the area and see what our sensors pick up,” offered Cee.
“Yes, that is an excellent idea.”
“Captain, take us down and see if you get us a close look at the area surrounding the blast site.”
The tiny ship streaked toward the lonely planet.
Chapter 27 – Contact
“No sir, we’re not getting anything,” said the radar operator as he looked up from his screen. “But with what happened, we might miss something.”
“Stay on it. I’m going to check on the surface observers; then I’ll be in my quarters.” Denver’s quarters were just a small alcove off one the side caverns. It was not much, just some pallets piled up for a table where he did his planning and kept a log just in case anyone ever found it.
He found the men, who usually manned the lookout posts, in the shaft leading up to the lookout post.
“Too hot for you?”
“We’re waiting for the detection equipment to be brought in before we go back up there.”
“That’s a good precaution,” Smith answered, as he turned and left.
He found Argie waiting for him, “Hi,” she said.
“Hi, how are things going down at the aid station?”
“Not too bad, everyone is pretty quiet now, waiting to see what will happen next.”
“I’m hoping nothing happens for a while. With any luck, they think they’ve got us, and we’re safe, for now,” he replied.
“How is everybody holding up?” he asked as he headed to his quarters.
“Fancy digs you have here,” she teased.
He flopped down on the cot and began to take his boots off. “RHIP, what are you hearing from the troops?”
“Well, everybody is elated that we stopped them, and they seem to have forgiven you for force marching them to our new hideout. That’s what it is, a hideout, I mean?”
“Yep, I guess that’s exactly what it is,” he said as he lay back on his cot.
“Is there room for two on that thing?”
“Sure.”
She lay her head on his shoulder and soon both were sound asleep.
* * * *
Smith did not want to awaken, but someone was shaking him hard.
“Sir, sir, you’ve got to wake up,” called the young female PFC.
Argie’s eyes popped open. She and the girl exchanged quick glances.
“I’m sorry to disturb you,” the young legionnaire said. “Something is happening.”
Argie rolled to a seated position and went looking for her boots.
Slowly, Denver came to consciousness. He blinked and closed his eyes.
“Sir, something is happening.”
Smith opened one eye.
“What?” he managed to ask, his voice strained and hoarse.
“The unknown is back.”
“Unknown?”
“The sensor target we had before the Reptilian spaceship made orbit.”
He thought for a moment, trying to recall what this young person obviously thought Smith was supposed to know. Then he had it. “It’s back?”
“Yes sir.”
“Why didn’t you say so?”
“I did, I’ve been saying it for quite some time now.” She and Argie exchanged knowing glances.
Denver zipped up his boots and managed to get to his feet without falling. “What’s it doing?”
“I don’t know sir. They sent me to get you as soon as it showed up again.”
He fished around in one of his deep pockets until he found what he needed. “Come on,” he said leading the way to the radar room.
He entered, and everyone looked up. The unit leader was just coming in as well. He looked as if he too had been trying to get some sleep.
Smith leaned toward the screen without saying anything. “Sir, this showed up less than ten minutes ago and has worked its way toward our last position. We don’t quite know what to make of it.”
Sure enough, there was a blip on the screen. The flight path appeared somewhat erratic. “Keep an eye on it. I’ll be back.” He motioned to Argie to come with him. Once alone, he put the headband on.
“You think it might be Cee?” she asked.
“I’m praying it is.” He tried to clear his mind of everything else, then he called aloud.
“Cee, can you hear me? It is Denver Smith; can you hear me?
* * * *
Cee suddenly sat bolt upright. Fitz had never seen him move so fast. Betrothed became agitated as well.
Then Fitz heard Cee’s words in his head, “Yes old friend, I am here. One is most happy to find that you are not dead. We were afraid the nuclear blast had gotten you. Is the rest of the Legion with you?”
“They blasted our old fighting positions. We moved before they had a chance to nuke us. How did you find us?”
“Your old friend Lieutenant Commander Fitzpatrick did it. He is with me now.”
“Fitz is there with you?”
“Yes,” answered Cee. “Where can we find you?”
“Are you sure you weren’t followed?”
“Yes, quite sure.”
“Can you tell me if any of the Reptilians are still on the planet?” asked Smith.
“No, we wanted to avoid detection, so we dropped in steep and got low.”
“And you figured the nuclear blast was a good place to start looking?”
“Yes, that is right; it is only reasonable. Where are you now; we will come to you,” continued Cee.
“No, do not do that. It’s still pretty hot here.”
Cee was unsure of what to say. “It is not too hot, Friend of the People Denver Smith. Our instruments show the temperature to be quite comfortable.”
Smith smiled. Argie gave him an inquisitive look. “You found Cee?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Cee, what I mean to say, is that the radiation level is still high. We don’t even have people on the surface at this time.”
Smith thought quickly. “Cee we are hidden under another ridgeline about ten kilometers west of the blast’s location. Don’t come straight here. Fly around low and listen for any communications between the Reptilians. In the meantime, I’ll try to find someplace to hide your spacecraft.”
“Hide it, why would we wish to hide it?”
“So, you don’t lead the Reptilians to us.”
“Yes, Friend Denver, we will deceive anyone who is looking for you.”
“How big is your spacecraft?”
; “It is the same ship used to rescue your mate with whom you have not mated as is the custom of your people.”
“Yes, I will find a place for you to hide.”
* * * *
Cee turned to Fitz. “I have made contact with our Friend of the People, Denver Smith. He asked that we not come directly to his location, but take a circuitous route. In the meantime, he is trying to find a place to hide our ship.
“They’re alive, all of them?” asked Fitz.
“I will inquire.”
Once again, he made contact with Smith. “Is the Legion with you? Are they still alive?”
“Yes, but we had casualties during the battle.”
“Battle?”
“I will explain everything to you when I see you.”
“Yes, of course,” responded Cee who promptly dropped the link.
He said to Fitz, “The Legion survives, but there was a battle, and there were casualties. He said he would explain all when he sees us.”
Fitz began to leap but hit his head, yet again. “They’re alive!” he exclaimed rubbing his head.
“Calm yourself before you injure yourself further,” insisted Cee.
“I’m okay. I had just about given up hope.”
“I too was afraid for the Friend of the People and all the others. Now we must not give away the position of the Legion, or it is all for nothing.”
Cee instructed the pilots to fly low below the tops of the ridges and stay away from the new hideout for now.
* * * *
Smith removed the headband and rubbed his forehead. He was getting a slight headache.
“I thought you didn’t need that thing,” Argie said, pointing at the headband.
“Well, I wasn’t taking any chances.”
“How did you know it was Cee?”
“I didn’t, but I was hoping it was one of their spaceships, and I might be able to make contact with someone.”
“But why did you leave the radar room?” she inquired.
“I don’t know, maybe I’m getting paranoid, but I didn’t want anybody to know I could make contact with the Greys, well at least one of them.”
“You don’t think the Greys are in on our being deserted to the Reptilians, do you?”
“I don’t think they are, but I have no way of really knowing. I’ll bet Cee is operating on his own.”
Then he remembered. “Fitz is with him.”
“What! Commander Fitzpatrick, but how?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, “but I’ll bet there’s a story behind it.”
“I would imagine so, and I’m also willing to bet that this operation does not have the sanction of either command,” she said.
“You’re probably right. I wonder if Admiral La Force is in on this.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me, but whoever it is has put himself in danger,” Argie added.
“Yes, whoever is behind dumping us here is incredibly dangerous.”
“Do you really think they deliberately left us to the Reptilians?” she asked.
“It would seem so. I mean we were sent to a rock near the contested zone, even though we were told it was safe and deserted, not to mention, it will not support human life. It certainly would seem that someone or some group of people wanted to get rid of us.”
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“First we have to find a place to hide a spaceship.”
“That should be fun,” Argie quipped.
“Yes, it should. Come on.”
She jogged to keep up. “Are we going to let the rest know we’re saved?”
Smith stopped. He pondered the question for a moment. “Better not, one small spacecraft is not going to get us off this mud ball, and I’m willing to bet that the whole thing could still blow up in our faces.”
“Is it my imagination, or are we always one step ahead of disaster?” she asked.
“No, I don’t think it’s your imagination. It’s just a way of life for us.”
He hurried off down toward the lookout posts.
“Why are we going this way?” she asked.
“I want to see if it’s safe to get lookouts back to their posts.”
“‘Safe’ what does that word mean?”
“Don’t know, but we need to get some eyes out if at all possible.”
Soon he found the lookouts.
“Sir, the lookout posts have been surveyed.”
“And?” asked Smith.
“Nothing much above background.”
“Okay, get your men back into position, but I want them monitored. The wind could still blow contaminated dust our way.”
“Yes sir.”
“I don’t want radio silence broken unless an attack is imminent.”
“Where can we find you?”
“I’ll be in the large caverns on the west side of the ridge. When I leave, I’ll come to the top lookout post first.”
“Yes sir,” he turned and hurried off.
“Now we’ll check out the caverns,” Smith said to Argie.
“What exactly are we looking for?”
“We’re looking for a place where Cee’s spaceship can get in and hide. It’s the same one he had when we went to look for you.”
“Don’t remind me,” she said.
“Garden spot of the galaxy compared to this rock.”
“No argument there. No matter where we go, we are up to our armpits in Reptilians trying to kill us.”
Smith stumbled on the rough cavern floor but quickly caught himself. “Slow down, be careful, old man,” he said aloud.
“You want me to get you a cane? We have some.”
“Only if I decide to beat you.”
“You couldn’t catch me. Besides, you’re stumbling all over the place as it is.”
He stopped his headlong rush through the cavern. “You’re right.” He took out his mask and took several deep drags of oxygen. Soon he felt better.
“Are you getting constant updates on the oxygen situation in the caverns?”
“Farouk’s leading the team handling that. You want me to go and find him?”
“Not yet, first thing’s first. We’ve got to find out if a spaceship can slip into one of the caverns or if the openings are too small.”
“Most of them are pretty small,” she said.
With greater caution, they finally made their way to the larger caverns. Equipment was stacked everywhere. Groups of men sat or milled around. Most had staked a claim and were asleep. As Smith passed, those nearby stood and saluted. He returned their salutes as he made his way to the entrance.
Only one could be large enough for a spaceship to enter. Soon he saw what he was looking for, but it was too late. A crew was busy sealing it up.
The NCO in charge came over and saluted. “Inspecting our progress, sir?”
“Not exactly, I was sort of hoping you had not gotten to this entrance yet.”
“I got the LT to give me another crew, so we got on this one right away. What’s the problem?”
“Well, I need a place to hide a Grey’s spacecraft.”
“The Greys, they’re here? Are they on our side?”
“Don’t get too carried away. It’s only one tiny scout ship, and I’m willing to bet it is without authorization.”
“Without authorization, is everybody out to kill us?”
“No, we have a few friends in the galaxy.”
“That’s good to know. So you need a place to park it; come with me. I may have something that will do the trick.”
Smith and Argie followed him out as all three put on their masks.
Once outside, the NCO came to a stop.
“You see, there’s an overhang just here,” he said pointing.
“Hide it under an overhang; that might work,” Smith said glancing at Argie.
“Better than nothing,” she said.
“Yes, but will it keep the ship hidden?” Smith asked.
“We could pile rocks around it to help hide it,” offered the NCO.
“That is a possibility,” answered Smith.
“I’ll need another crew. My guys are pretty run out. By the way sir, is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“The CO says that the Reptilians set off a nuke at our old location.”
“It’s true.”
“But you got us over here.”
“Yes, with much grumbling and complaining, I’m afraid.”
“Nobody is complaining now, sir. You’re pretty good at keeping us alive,” he added with a grin.
“Doing my best. I need you to find your CO, and tell him I need a crew out here. The Lieutenant and I will check it out.”
“Yes sir.” With that, he was gone.
“Come on,” Smith said to Argie.
“I thought you didn’t want anyone outside, might give our position away.”
“That’s right. We’ll only be exposed for a moment. Besides, I don’t think Cee would have entered the atmosphere if there were too many eyes around.
Soon they were under the overhang. It was much larger than what would be needed to hide the spaceship, and if it powered down, the glow would not attract attention.
“I want to contact Cee,” he said to Argie. “No one can see us here.”
“Do you really need the headband?”
“Not really sure. He might be close enough to contact him without it, but what the heck.”
Smith put on the band and concentrated, saying the words aloud. “Cee can you hear me?”
“Yes friend Denver, I can hear you.”
“I have a place to hide your craft.”
“This is good. Send me the coordinates.”
Soon, they watched as a tiny spacecraft sped up the valley and expertly slid up under the overhang. The lower part of the hatch dropped to the ground as the upper rose up. Smith and Argie went inside.
At the top of the ramp, behind the small airlock, Smith could see two familiar faces. The ramp closed behind them; then the inner hatch opened up.
“Hello Commander,” Smith said with a broad grin, as he and Argie came to a halt and saluted.
Hell Fighters From Earth Book 2 Page 24
