The Between (Earth Exiles Book 3)

by Mark Harritt

  Mike and the team walked back into the aircraft. Tom and Mickey sat down on the same side as Joacar, who glared at them. Mike and Everett sat down on the same side as Matki and his family. Shar took a seat next to Mickey.

  Joacar continued his speech, punctuating it with jabs of his finger at Mike and the rest of the team. This was followed by Matki shaking his head, denying whatever point it was that Joacar was trying to make.

  Finally, Mike couldn’t stand it anymore, “Matki, please, tell us what’s going on.”

  Joacar kept talking, but Matki raised his hand, indicating that he should stop for a moment. Finally, Joacar relented, and Matki turned to Mike.

  “Joacar feels that everything that has happened, has happened because of your team. He believes that the Turinzoni wouldn’t have come if you hadn’t led them to our village. He believes that Althus would still be alive, and the other village would be well, if you’d never come to our world.”

  Mike was stunned. He looked at the team. Their expressions ranged from astonished to bemused at the thought that Joacar blamed them for the problems facing the tribe.

  Mike began to get angry. His entire world had been turned upside down a short year ago. All the problems they faced, they faced because of the world into which they’d been thrown. Through no fault of their own, they’d had to fight monsters, robots, and what, until recently, Mike had thought were aliens. Everything in this world was lined up to kill Mike and the people he cared about.

  Mike had felt guilty previously, but now that Joacar was accusing them, he felt nothing but anger. Mike’s face grew red, and he was about to tell Joacar exactly what he thought about him and his theory. Joacar could see the fury building in Mike’s face, but he wasn’t about to back down.

  Everett saw what was about to occur, and he put his hand on Mike’s shoulder, “Ah, Mike, this might not be a good time for that.”

  Matki also saw what was about to happen, and he spoke sharply to Joacar. Joacar was so shocked at being corrected by Matki that he looked away from Mike, an incredulous expression on his face. Matki spoke again, and Mike watched as Joacar struggled to bring his anger back under control.

  Mike was angry, but Everett was right. If he expressed his feelings, he would do more harm than good. He swallowed his anger, and it was very bitter going down. Then he took a few deep breaths, to establish and maintain control. Once he had it under control again, he spoke, “Joacar,” he paused, breathing deeply, “Everything we’ve found in this world, was in place before we came here.”

  He paused again, feeling the anger slowly subside, then he continued, “The Turinzoni would have come anyway. They’re coming from another part of this world.” He pointed at Shar, “According to Shar, this is what they do. They’re slavers. They’ve done this in other places around this world. And now they’re here. They took the other village, because they are slavers. They didn’t do it because they wanted to strike back at us. In fact, up until about a week ago, they didn’t even know that our team,” he pointed at Tom, Everett, and Mickey, “existed. Hell, they still don’t know that we exist. They probably think they’re fighting your people.”

  He paused again, to let that sink in.

  Everett spoke, “Joacar, think about this. If we hadn’t come, the Turinzoni would have been at your village next. You never would have known about them. They would have come in like thieves in the night, and taken your entire village, just like they took Althus’.”

  Matki translated everything for Joacar. Joacar grew pale when he thought about what had happened to Althus’ village, and the idea that it could have happened to his seemed to terrify him. Mike saw the fear in Joacar’s expression. That brought Mike’s anger to heel. He knew that Joacar wasn’t a bad man. He was concerned for the people in his village. Mike was a convenient target for that fear.

  Mike spread his hands and leaned forward, “Joacar, I understand that you want to blame us. It seems like we have trouble following us. I agree with you on that.”

  Mike paused, looking down at his hands, “But that water has already flowed down the river. Now, we need to find a safe location for you and your tribe.” He pointed at Joacar, “You can’t go back to your old village. And you can’t go to Althus’ village. Further east and south is just as dangerous. In fact, if there are other villages out there, you might want to send runners to tell them about the danger.”

  Joacar shook his head, “But where will we go? Is there no place safe from these Turinzoni?”

  Mike sighed, “I don’t know. We have to get your tribe away from this valley. It’s dangerous here.”

  “Mike, remember when we first met Caul, and he was talking about the high pass, the one that would take us back north?” Tom asked.

  Mike snapped his fingers, “That’s right. Caul knew about a pass to the north.”

  Tom stood up, “I’ll go get him.”

  Mike looked over at the pilot, who had been listening to both sides of the conversation with his translator, “Can you get me that map, please.”

  Shar nodded, “Certainly.” He stood up and walked to the front of the aircraft, taking care around Matki’s leg, which was stretched out straight. He shifted the top of the table up, and pulled out the plastic map. He brought it back to Mike.

  Mike got up and put the map on the floor between Joacar and Matki. Mike pinched the corner of the map, and the the translucent sheet turned opaque, then displayed the three dimensional map. Joacar was amazed, as was Balia.

  Mike explained, “This is a representation of the land around us.” Mike pointed at the map, “Here, is where your village is. Over here, that’s where Althus’ village was. Right here, that’s where the Turinzoni have their base of operations.” Mike pointed at the next valley north of where they were, “Up here, that’s where Caul said the pass was to the other valley.”

  At that moment, Caul showed up. Matki explained the situation to Caul. Caul walked forward, and Mike showed him the three locations that he’d pointed out to the others.

  “Caul, do you think that your tribe would be able to survive that far north?”

  Caul nodded, “Yes, I think so. It is not so bad up there. There is plentiful game. We would be able to survive, I think. It is higher in elevation, and colder, but we could survive.”

  Mike tapped an area on the other side of the mountains, closer to where their compound was, but further north, “This area is further away. Once we move you here,” Mike pointed at the area that Caul had vouched for, “We could explore this area and see if there is a better place, further away from the Turinzoni’s base of operations. It would be a while before the Turinzoni found their way there. Maybe a good long while.”

  Joacar pondered this new information, then shook his head, “I don’t know, Mike. It is a very long trek to get my people so far north. Plus, we don’t know what’s up there. I don’t want to take the chance on putting my people at further risk.”

  Mike sighed, “Look, Joacar, you have dragons and their spawn over here,” Mike pointed toward the west, “And you have Turinzoni, slavers, over here,” he pointed toward the east. “If you move further south, you risk upsetting the other tribes there, correct? North may be the only choice you have. And there, you would have an entire mountain range between you and the Turinzoni.”

  Matki nodded, “It may be the only choice left to us, Joacar.”

  Joacar wasn’t convinced, “We have no food, and I don’t know about the dangers. It is too risky.”

  “Well, that part about having no food isn’t entirely true,” Everett said.

  Mike grinned, “Yeah, and we also have some new weapons for you.”

  Joacar studied them both very carefully, “What food, what weapons?”

  Mike started rolling the map up, pinching the corner to turn it off, “Well, it just so happens that the Turinzoni left some supplies behind that they haven’t used yet. We tested it with our spectrometers, and it’s edible for us. I know that Matki can eat our food, so it should be
good for your tribe as well.”

  Joacar didn’t seem convinced, “You said something about weapons?”

  Mike grinned, and he nodded, “There are about three hundred Turinzoni that don’t need their knives or rifles anymore. They left behind some spare ammo as well.”

  Matki laughed, “Yes, dead men don’t need such things.”

  Joacar was a tough nut to crack, though, “It is such a long way to go. We have elderly people and babies.”

  Shar spoke, “I have an aircraft. It is not so far to go if I fly you there.”

  Mike looked at Shar. It was a good idea, but he wasn’t sure that he trusted Shar with the location of the tribe. Still, they could move the tribe north, then relocate them to a different location after Shar was gone.

  Shar was almost a gift from heaven. A pilot with an aircraft at his disposal wasn’t something that Mike could ever have imagined. And, not believing in miracles, Mike had his suspicions about Shar. Still, use the tools you have at hand.

  Mike motioned toward him, “Exactly. So we can get you food, new weapons, and transport your people over the mountains. We can even send scouts north to take a look around to find the best place for your people to settle.”

  Even then, Joacar wasn’t completely satisfied. Mike didn’t blame him. Joacar had to worry about his people. They argued back and forth for a good ten minutes. Finally, Joacar conceded, “Okay, I will send my men back down to gather up the weapons that were left after the battle. I will also send my people to gather the food and other supplies . . .”

  Mike shook his head, “No, we’d be better off if we use the shuttle to grab the supplies. We can move them to a different location, preferable north of the pass that Caul was talking about. That way, we don’t have to worry about the Turinzoni trying to reclaim them. But we’ll need men to help us put it all on the aircraft.”

  Joacar nodded, “Okay, we will meet you at the landing zone and help you load the supplies.”

  Mike nodded, “It would probably be a good idea to shuttle the women and children north of the pass first, to keep them out of harm’s way, and give them a head start if the Turinzoni show up.”

  Joacar pointed at the floor of the aircraft, “You will take them there in this?”

  Mike nodded, “The elderly and the wounded as well.”

  “I guess I am the wounded?” Matki asked.

  Mike smiled at his friend, “What’s the matter, afraid you’re going to miss something.”

  Matki grinned right back at Mike, “Oh no, I don’t think I will be missing a thing. My beautiful wife will be cooking for me while you are all working. I think that is a very good idea that you have there, Mike.”

  Matki translated that to his wife. He must have said something else as well, because Balia started blushing. Caul chortled, Joacar smiled, and Jendi started blushing.

  Mike pointed out the smile on Joacar’s face, “I guess you aren’t as angry with me now as you were.”

  Joacar grudgingly admitted that he wasn’t as upset as he had been, “You cannot blame me for being concerned about my people, Mike.”

  Mike nodded, “I understand completely, Joacar. Believe me, though, when I tell you, we’re trying to do the right thing here. I just wish I’d been able to do more. I wish we’d been able to save the other village.”

  Joacar was saddened by this, “I wish you could have helped them. They didn’t deserve that. Althus was a good man. I considered him to be a friend.”

  Balia, both her hands wrapped around Matki’s left hand, spoke next, “Geonti will not tell you this himself, but he is heartbroken that Retha has been taken. His father was going to discuss the bride price with her father very soon.”

  “So, she was more than a girlfriend?” Mickey asked.

  Balia nodded, “Yes. He was hoping to bring her back to our village and start a family.”

  Mickey looked at Mike, “Man. That sucks.”

  Everett nodded, “Too bad we can’t bring the mechs into this. Sixty Turinzoni wouldn’t stand a chance against our five mechs.”

  Mike turned his head and looked at Everett, “Yeah, especially right now. They have no idea that we have mechs.”

  “What are mechs?” Shar asked.

  Silently, Mike cursed. He looked at Everett, and he realized the mistake he’d made. The team had grown too comfortable around the pilot, and they’d let slip a very important bit of information.

  Mike studied Shar intently, to the point that Shar began to fidget. Then he made a decision, one that he might regret later, “We have battle mechs that could fight the grey man base.”

  Shar took in this bit of information, then shook his head, “No, that wouldn’t be possible. The mechs would never get past the force fields. Not even the dragons can get past the force fields.”

  That was an interesting bit of news. “Force fields?” Mike asked.

  Shar nodded, “Yes, nothing can breach them. Not only do they push back against any force applied against them, but they will also cook it if it stays too long.”

  “You’ve seen this happen?”

  “Yes. Dragons try it all the time. The force holds them back while the energy cooks them. Then they wander away so badly burned that they die on the plains around the encampment.”

  Mike stared at Shar. The technology on this world confused him. They had technology that was far advanced of what he knew, but in other areas, they seemed to be on par, or behind the old Earth humans at the compound.

  “Is there a way past the force field?” Everett asked.

  Shar shrugged, “I fly inside the compound, so you can enter from above. But, not from the ground.” He stopped, and with a very serious look, said, “But, you don’t want to turn off the force field. The dragons in the area are very, very dangerous.”

  A wry smile painted Mike’s face, “Don’t worry. We’re very familiar with the dragons on this planet. The last thing we want to do is tangle with them.”

  “What happens if there’s a threat on the outside of the compound?” Everett asked.

  “Then security mans the towers.”

  “All of them?”

  “Most of them. The commander of the guard force and a few others stay inside of the main building.”

  Mike thought about this, “So, if there’s a threat outside, then all of the security is facing out?”

  Shar nodded, “Yes, they face out to the threat.”

  “So, if there was a threat inside the camp, they wouldn’t know about it, and probably wouldn’t know how to deal with it if there was a simultaneous threat from the outside?”

  Everett looked at Mike, “you going somewhere with this?”

  Mike nodded, “Oh yeah, I most certainly am.”

  “You want to share?”

  “What if there was a huge attack by dragons. The largest they’d ever seen?”

  Shar came to a conclusion pretty quickly, “Every available gun would be on the perimeter.”

  “What do you think a team of fifteen prepared commandos would be able to do if they were in the compound when the attack was happening?” Mike asked.

  Everett nodded, “I see where you’re going with this.”

  Shar looked at Mike, “You have these ‘commandos?’”

  Mike nodded, “we have commandos.”

  Matki had been listening to everything that was being talked about, “Mike, do you think you might be able to rescue the villagers?”

  Mike made a see sawing motion with his hand, “it’s possible. We need more information about the compound, but it’s definitely possible.”

  Matki looked at his wife, and then Joacar, “If you could do that, you would have our gratitude. It’s more than the fact that they are a neighboring village. Our families are intermarried with their families. They are our cousins.”

  Mike nodded, “I understand. Still, we need to know more about that location.” He looked up at Shar, “Is there a place where we can watch the compound without being seen, or worrying about bein
g attacked by the dragons?”

  Shar held out his hand to Mike, motioning for the map. Mike handed it over to him. Shar spread it out, pinched the corner, and spread it on the floor. He put his finger on the spot where the grey man compound was. He held it there, and the map started to zoom in.

  “Whoa, Google Earth!” Mickey exclaimed.

  The map zoomed in until the compound filled the map, then Shar lifted his finger from the map. Mike looked at the compound. It was set against the side of a cliff, with a ring of six towers in a semi-circle around the compound.

  Shar pointed out the important parts of the compound, “You can’t see it from this angle, but the ground here is raised, about three meters from the surrounding ground. The towers are set above that raised wall. The force field stands out from the towers about ten meters, and settles all the way down to the surrounding ground.”

  “So that part of the wall is maybe part of what powers the force field?” Mike asked.

  “It is possible. I think the towers are part of it. The shaft of the towers glow at night.”

  Mike pointed at the map, “This looks like the landing field.”

  Shar nodded, “Yes, that’s where they land the aircraft. Usually, there are more shuttles like mine at the field. Sometimes fewer, depending on what is going on.”

  “What’s this building here in the center?”

  “That’s the main entrance to the base.”

  Mike was confused, “I thought this was the base?”

  “No, not at all. Most of the base is back inside of the mountain. Once you get inside the main entrance, then there are tunnels, rooms, work areas, and a cafeteria back in the mountain.”

  “How many of the Turinzoni are in there?”

  “All of them, except for the ones that are actually in the towers for security. Their quarters are in there.”

  That worried Mike. If any of them were left back inside, then it would be a bloody fight to gain entry into the building.