Junkyard Dogs series Omnibus

by Phillip Nolte

  "What if they attack the terrorists and destroy her?"

  "It certainly be possible, Lass, but I got to be believin' you'd still be gettin' some kind of compensation. There's ought we can be doin' 'bout it right now, anyway. We'll just have to be seein' what happens."

  Helen Murdock prided herself on being tough and independent and she'd been through rough patches before, more times than she could count. She lifted her head and straightened her shoulders. She'd get through this new challenge as well.

  "Thanks, Hawkins, I needed that."

  "If you be gettin' her back, I will personally be doin' everything in my power to be getting' her back in shape. As I said earlier, we be havin' everything you'll be needin' right out there in the Scrapyard. Most of the stuff would probably be improved machinery from newer models. She could be better than she be when she be new!"

  Murdock cracked a smile.

  "So, you're a dreamer, are you?"

  "Aye, Lass. When it comes to these old ships, that I be."

  "Are you hungry, Hawkins? I could whip us up something while we're waiting."

  "A bit o' somethin' wouldn't go badly at all, Lass. Lead the way."

  Chapter 65

  New Ceylon Orbital Station, Central Spindle, October 10, 2598.

  Oskar Kresge nodded to the image of the Ambassador on the viewscreen in the old communications hub of the orbital station. Harris, Carlisle and two other leaders crowded into the small compartment, the rest of the Resistance leadership listened as best they could from out in the corridor.

  "So, Excellency, your scan of the station indicates that Ezra Brimstone does have a nuclear device?

  "Yes, Commander, the anti-radiation coating makes it difficult, but there is a nuclear construct that shouldn't be there. The signature looks very much like that of the military self destruct device that Ensign Carlisle described. And it appears that the terrorist leader has kept it nearby. The device is currently located near the main airlock of the station spindle."

  "They must have brought it on board when they boarded the station and just left it in the airlock area, under guard. At least we know he isn't bluffing about having the device. Now all we need to worry about whether or not he'll use the damned thing!"

  "The weapon is almost certainly a last resort, Commander. I believe that if we convince him that he still has options, he will be reluctant to use it."

  "I hope you're right."

  "I would also point out that we are not even certain that he has the means to activate it."

  "I thought of that too, but the ship they got the device from was operated by the Brotherhood during the Succession War. It's quite possible that they would have access to the proper codes. We just can't take that risk. If you're ready, Excellency, Chief Allen will patch us through to the terrorist leader."

  "I'm ready, Commander, put the call through."

  "This is Commander Kresge calling Ezra Brimstone. I have the Meridian Ambassador standing by."

  A few moments went by before the terrorist leader appeared on the viewscreen.

  "Put him on, Commander."

  Brimstone didn't look good. Over eighty hours on high alert takes a toll on a man, even one in good physical condition. He looked like he needed a shave and his distinctive mohawk haircut looked a bit frazzled. He hadn't lost any of his polished arrogance, however.

  "Mr. Ambassador, how nice to finally meet with you."

  "I assure you I do not share the pleasure. What is it that you want?"

  "For now, I just want to talk to you, Excellency."

  "Talk. I'm listening."

  "Very wise. Where are you?"

  "We are currently parked at what we deem is a safe distance away from your threat of detonating a nuclear device."

  "Just as I feared. Perhaps you could provide us with some funding. You know that we had intended to take you for ransom. Nothing personal, I assure you. I regret that we weren't able to ..."

  The dialogue faded as Carlisle made her way out into the corridor and motioned to Kathy Haines. The two them slipped into an adjacent room to attempt communication with the unknown contact using Carlisle's wrist computer. Haines watched with some interest as the much smaller woman with the distinctive Spacer markings on her face worked with the sophisticated computer. They waited a few more minutes to ensure that the conversation was going well enough to hold the attention of the terrorists before Carlisle selected the HWCN icon from the menu on her unit and activated the link.

  "Welcome to the Hartwell Wrist Comp Network. Another user is within a thousand meters. Would you like to initiate contact?"

  "Yes," said Carlisle.

  ***

  Peter Larkin was just about to put the coup de grace on the Ultimate Boss of the Mutant Carnivore Invaders when the game was interrupted by a silent contact notice.

  "Welcome to the Hartwell Wrist Comp Network. Another user is attempting to contact you. Would you like to connect?"

  "Yes," said the young man, pausing the game.

  Carlisle's communication to him was deliberately in the form of text, with no audio or video to alert the terrorist guards. Four levels southward in the spindle, the fingers of her right hand moved in the intricate patterns required for use of the one-handed, virtual keyboard

  "This is Ensign Carlisle, Federation Navy. Use text only. Must not let terrorists know about contact. Are you P Larkin?"

  There was a short pause before his reply came through.

  "P Larkin here."

  "We need information on terrorists. Can you activate video link on wrist computer? Icon looks like small camera. Activate and scan room. Use utmost care, do not alert terrorists!"

  Peter found the icon and activated the link. Carlisle's display showed a nice looking boy of about eleven years old with tousled, straw-colored hair. He orientated his body with his head to the north and spun slowly in a full circle.

  Carlisle and Haines saw what appeared to be a smallish room, obviously an office of some kind with a desk and a few chairs, all designed for low gravity. Sleeping strapped into one of the chairs was a little girl with similar-colored hair, dressed in a pink coverall. On the other side of the room, next to the only door, was a guard with a pulse rifle. He was not in battle armor and, at the moment, he had his back to the camera. He seemed to be intent on something going on outside the door.

  "Just as I thought," said Haines, "that's the security chief's office. Go out that door and look south and you'd be able to see the barricaded hatch in the floor. Where are the Governor and his wife? Find out if the boy knows anything."

  Carlisle sent another text message.

  "Where are your parents?"

  There was another pause as the boy composed his reply.

  "They took Mom and Dad out for some kind of call. Not here now."

  "Are all four of you ever in that room together?"

  "Yes, they bring Mom and Dad in when we eat."

  "How long until you eat again?"

  "About an hour and a half. Can you send food? Been eating same boring stuff."

  "We'll see. How many guards?"

  "Usually one guard on our room."

  "How often do they change the guard?

  "Not sure. Every four hours?"

  "Where is Ezra Brimstone?"

  "Don't know. Nearby?"

  "Thanks, Peter, that's all for now. Can you leave video feed on? We need information."

  "Yes, will leave video on."

  "Do not contact us unless there is an emergency. Keep all communication to minimum. Must not alert terrorists!"

  "Roger," came the reply.

  Carlisle looked at Haines.

  "They must have the Governor and his wife in the larger security receiving area," said Haines. "If we want, we may be able to attempt a rescue within about an hour and a half. Hopefully, your video link will tell us when they're all together. What do you think, Ensign?"

  "Hostages... lunch break... zero gravity..."

  "What?" Haines loo
ked at Carlisle quizzically.

  "Sorry, bad habit. Yes, we should get a team together and be ready to go as soon as Peter tells us that his parents are back in that office."

  "I wonder if they're done talking yet?" asked Haines.

  The two women went back into the communications area in time to catch the tail end of the conversation between the Ambassador, Ezra Brimstone, and Commander Kresge.

  "...I would think carefully before doing anything rash, Mr. Ambassador!"

  The viewscreen switched over to a view showing Governor Larkin and his wife, Valerie, bound and gagged and lashed to chairs with their backs to the wall.

  "As you can see, the Governor and his family are still alive...for now. If you do not begin meeting my demands within the next half hour, I will begin killing them. I believe I will start with the daughter first."

  Kresge interrupted.

  "Don't harm them, Brimstone. I can meet one of your demands right now. We have a ship and we can move it into position as soon as you give the word."

  "You'd better not be stalling. What kind of ship?"

  "It's a Bombardier freighter, much like the ones you attacked us with. It's perfect; you and your men already know how to operate it."

  "What about the money? I want three million credits."

  "We're still working on that, Ezra. They tell me that there's only about a million on the station. We'll have to get the rest somewhere else."

  "Perhaps the Ambassador can help?"

  "I'll be sure to ask him."

  "A wise choice, Commander. I will call back with more instructions as we get closer to my deadline." The viewscreen went blank.

  "Surely you don't mean to give that degenerate what he wants?" said Davis-Moore.

  "No, that wasn't what I had in mind. I'm just trying to buy us more time."

  "We have weapons and equipment, Commander," said the Ambassador. "My personal bodyguard, all twelve of them onboard this ship, have the very latest battle armor and all manner of offensive weapons. Just give the word. They are at your disposal."

  "Thank you, Excellency, that's a most generous offer," Kresge shook his head slowly, "but the politics of this situation mean that we have to be very careful how we use any Meridian forces."

  "I politely disagree but I understand completely, Commander."

  "Haines and Carlisle are back. Maybe they have something for us."

  "Just let me know how we can help when you decide what you're going to do, Commander," said the Ambassador. "I'll sign off for now."

  "Thank you, Excellencey."

  Kresge met Carlisle and Haines out in the corridor.

  "We made contact with the boy," said Carlisle. "The children are in the office of the security chief, just as Kathy thought they'd be, the boy says that he thinks the whole family will be in that room when the terrorists feed them in about...," she stopped and looked at her wrist comp before continuing, "...an hour and fifteen minutes. He can give us a video feed from the room so we can tell when the best time to go in would be."

  "Let's get a team together right now," said Kresge. "I'm going, so are you, Ensign. You too, Kathy. Who else?"

  Carlisle responded, "...small hatch...short corridor...," she shook her head. "The more people we try to use, the more crowded that area will get and the more time it will take to get everyone in and out, Sir. I think we need a small team on this side of the hatch to help the hostages get down here and no more than three or four of us to go in." She thought for a moment before continuing, "Actually, I have an idea that we might be able to use. We get the Ambassador to call Ezra and..."

  Carlisle outlined her rescue plan. With Kresge's approval, she got back in contact with Peter Larkin.

  Chapter 66

  New Ceylon Orbital Station, Central Spindle, October 10, 2598.

  Four people gathered in the chamber below the barricaded hatch that led northward into the area where the terrorists were known to be holding the hostages. Hal Norbert, the same technician who had barricaded the hatch earlier, was very carefully and quietly removing the clamps and pipes that had held the hatch against the single attempt by the enemy to open it. Below him were Oskar Kresge, Kathy Haines, and Tamara Carlisle. Carlisle was looking intently at her wrist comp. Waiting in the adjoining compartment were Clancy Davis-Moore, Orville Steuben, Jane Tresham, and Ryan Harris. Hanna Jordan was reportedly on her way up one of the spokes, just in case there were any medical needs. Irene Marshall, a personal friend of the Governor and his wife, was coming up to be on hand as well.

  "Okay," said Carlisle, "they just brought in the Governor and his wife. All of the hostages are in the same room. Good kid! He's positioned himself where we can see part of the corridor."

  Kresge called down the hallway. "Have the Ambassador call in...two minutes." His message was relayed to the communications room four levels down.

  Salvador Vasquez, currently manning the communications console, relayed back his assent.

  Kresge turned to his companions. "Remember, if we have to shoot at anything, just make damned sure you don't hit Ezra Brimstone! He might have that nuclear device rigged with some kind of dead man's switch."

  The group waited nervously as Norbert handed down the last of his makeshift but effective barricading equipment and came down out of the way.

  "Ezra and two of his men just headed down the corridor to take the call," said Carlisle. "Two more minutes!"

  Harris relayed a message from Vasquez. "Brimstone and the others have joined the call," he announced from the adjoining compartment.

  "I'm sending Peter his next instructions now," said Carlisle.

  ***

  Peter Larkin felt the inaudible signal on his wrist comp indicating that a communication was coming. He checked the display.

  "Peter, this is Ensign Carlisle, activate your diversion now!"

  Peter loaded the final battle scene from Mutant Carnivore Invaders and, unlike the other times he'd played the game, turned the sound up to maximum and the display to full size. He resumed play. The makeshift holding cell was immediately flooded with the image and the bellow of the Mutant Carnivore Boss and a cacophony of sound from imaginary pulse weapons, exploding missiles and other assorted mayhem. Joshua Jericho came in from the hallway and shouted at the young man.

  "Turn that damned thing down, kid!," he shouted. "Now, or I swear I'll smash it on the deck!"

  Peter looked at the man as though he hadn't heard him. The noise and confusion of the fake battle worked perfectly to mask the soft noises made by the rescue team working the mechanism of the hatch, opening it, and deploying into the short corridor.

  Carlisle, easily the most agile and also the most experienced of the rescuers in weightless combat, had been tasked with freeing the hostages. To avoid any chance of collateral damage to the hostages, she kept her captured pulse pistol clipped to her belt and made ready to enter the holding area armed with a stun rod. She positioned herself on the corridor wall opposite the door to the office, gathered her legs under her and launched her body straight at the lone guard. Belatedly recognizing the threat associated with the newest commotion, the guard turned and began to swing his pulse rifle towards her. She caught him with a stun bolt to the middle of the chest from a distance of less than two meters. He slumped and floated limply. She motioned urgently to the hostages to follow her, the Mutant Carnivore Boss on Peter's display continuing to bellow in pain and anger as the ersatz battle raged on.

  Out in the short corridor, Kathy Haines brought her pulse rifle, one of those captured in the earlier altercations, to the ready as she and Kresge went past the door to the office and moved to cover the entrance to the short corridor. They were tasked with securing the position and holding it while the hostages were negotiating the hatch. The Commander and the security chief stopped at the end of the corridor where it opened into the large receiving area for the airlock. Ezra Brimstone and his four companions, surprised by the sounds of the video game battle scene emanating loudly from the s
ecurity office, were just beginning to react. In the nearly zero gravity conditions, their movements were poorly coordinated. Kresge took quick aim and fired his pulse pistol at the group of enemies gathered around the communications console, careful not to aim anywhere near Brimstone. A man went limp and released his weapon. Brimstone immediately took cover behind his remaining men. As he did, he called out and, after a short delay, two men in battle armor, complete with secured helmets, floated out from the airlock area. Using their suit thrusters, began to slowly and clumsily advance on Kresge and Haines. The two station defenders aimed for the heads of the armor-clad figures and managed to score several hits, which slowed the enemy advance, but did not stop them.

  Meanwhile, Carlisle had guided the two children down the hatchway into the arms of the people waiting below and was holding out her hand to the governor's wife.

  "You'd better hurry it up, Ensign!" Kresge called out, "We got two guys in battle armor coming! I don't know how much longer we can hold them!"

  Carlisle grabbed the governor's wife by the hand and, as gently as she could, given the urgency of the situation, guided her over to the hatch opening. Behind her she could hear the sharp bark of several pulse rifles and the higher-pitched snap of Kresge's pistol. These were the sounds of a real battle! Peter Larkin had shut down his game display upon negotiating the hatch. Next, Carlisle grabbed the governor's hand and pulled him over to the hatch opening. Two hands shot out and latched onto him, pulling him downwards. Carlisle went back into the room and slipped Sondia Saladin's Truthseer device into the unconscious guard's breast pocket before grabbing the guard's pulse rifle and shoving it down the hatch. She then headed towards the battle at the end of the corridor, calling out to her companions as she unclipped the pistol from her belt.