by Aaron Hubble
Charles looked at Bobby. “All the sheep in one pasture. That makes things a bit easier.”
Bobby agreed and then turned back toward his assembled men. “Let’s look as intimidating as possible. Go in with your rifles, but make sure they’re unloaded. I don’t want a stray bullet to cause a problem, but they don’t need to know that. They need to think we’re crazy and desperate enough to rip a hole in the bulkhead and let everyone be pushed into space.”
The weapons were retrieved from each transport and then unloaded. Bobby looked at the pilot again. “Lead the way.”
Straight across from the transports was a large metal door leading into the staging bay. He pressed a large button on the control pad. A fanfare of music started playing as the door opened.
“Move in!” Bobby shouted and his troops stormed into the staging bay, weapons held brazenly in front of their chests in a show of force. Stunned looks greeted them as they surrounded the assembly of about fifty people. A man in a black uniform decorated with medals strode forward.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded his face turning a brilliant shade of red.
Bobby stopped in front of the man. “I’m Bobby Hughs, commander of R3 ground forces, and I would like to personally thank you for your hospitality in welcoming us to this very impressive installation you have. And you are?”
“Major Ahmed of the CPF corps of engineers,” the man said smugly.
Like all CPF officers Bobby had encountered, this one managed to effortlessly sound condescending and superior. It had to be something taught in their academy.
Bobby held out his hand but the Major made no move to take it. Bobby slowly dropped his hand. “Well, Major, as I said, thank you for the welcome, and now it’s my duty to inform you that you are hereby relieved of your command.”
“You have no authority here!” the major bellowed.
Bobby looked around. “On the contrary, the rifles in our hands give us all the authority we need. In case you hadn’t heard, R3 doesn’t recognize the authority the CPF has stolen from free citizens. Now if you will kindly rejoin your people in line, we can make this painless for everyone.”
The Major spread his feet wide and planted them on the deck, his chin thrust forward. Bobby understood this man; in fact, they were probably a lot alike. While he hated everything the Major stood for, there was a part of Bobby which didn’t want to embarrass the man. He stepped forward, moving very close to the man’s ear and lowered his voice.
“Sir, we’re both proud soldiers. The last thing I want to do is show you up in front of the people you command. However, if you push me, I will have no recourse but to do something I would rather not. Stepping back in that line on your own because you’re out-gunned is a lot less painful than being dragged back because you’re outmatched. It’s up to you.”
Bobby stepped back and looked into the Major’s eyes. He could see the struggle, and he felt it himself. Just when he thought the man was going to take the challenge, he stepped backward, executed a perfect military turn, and returned to the line of people now surrounded by R3 soldiers. A sigh escaped Bobby’s lips. The easy way was much preferable.
Taking a position in front of those assembled, he fell comfortably into the speech he’d given dozens of times in front of CPF soldiers, workers, scientists and citizens around the world.
“As of now you are prisoners of R3. Consider yourself lucky because you have just been granted freedom from your former imprisonment within the Continental Peace Federation. Make no mistake. You were a prisoner of the CPF. You were a prisoner of their rhetoric and lies. You were a prisoner of their tyranny made easy to swallow when it was wrapped up in the credits and rations they paid you for your service. Today I am offering you a choice. You can choose to remain a prisoner and R3 will be happy to house you in one of our many cooperative farms and mining operations in Australia where we attempt to reform you of the warped thoughts the CPF has implanted in your mind, or you could choose this day as the day of your deliverance. Join us and work with us, lending us your special gifts and talents to help us liberate the Earth from oppression. If freedom is your choice today, then step forward.”
No one moved at first. Then he saw heads begin to turn as some began to wonder what the others would do. A dark skinned woman was the first to step forward, followed by almost half of those assembled in the bay.
“Good,” he said. “Let me be the first to welcome you to R3. The rest of you can join at any time, but until then you are prisoners of the resistance.”
They lined up those who had chosen to remain loyal to the CPF along the back wall and made them sit, guarded by several of Bobby’s troops. Bobby and Charles walked up to the windows that looked out onto the smaller of the two ships, the one that would take the governors to the distant planet.
“That is one beautiful ship,” Charles said. “Now what do we do with her?”
“Now we have about a week to find out everything we can and put together a team that will make the trip to this Aereas. Noni will need to know everything. I want Fernando up here as quick as possible.”
Charles laughed. “That man is going to wet himself when he sees this.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Aereas - Alam, Ma’Ha’Nae city under Lake Keali
Andy’s mattress lay flipped upon its edge, and the metal bed frame was in several sections on the floor. A piece of the frame straddled the top of the door and the shower enclosure. Draped over this makeshift gallows hung a strip of knotted sheet.
Pulling on the linen noose, Andy checked its strength and nodded to himself grimly. It would hold his weight and that was all it had to do.
He stepped into the living room and looked at the clock set into the wall. There were five minutes before the guards would do their last check of the night. The apartment was as bare as it had been the first day they’d brought him here. It wasn’t hard to say goodbye. He’d had enough of this place, and it was time to leave.
Checking the time once again, he moved into the bathroom. The chair scraped across the tile floor as he dragged it into the bathroom. Stepping up onto the chair, Andy pulled the noose over his head and then tightened it around his neck. Taking a deep breath, he stepped off the edge of the chair and felt the noose tighten around his neck.
As he felt only air under his feet he had one thought.
I hope they’re not late tonight.
****
Sovan unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment. At first he didn’t see the human. He wasn’t in the living room. Tensing, Sovan gripped his weapon tighter and moved slowly toward the bathroom. The blood in his veins turned cold at the sight of the human hanging limp, by his neck.
“Falmar!” He yelled to his partner while running into the bathroom. “Get in here! I need your help!”
He grasped the hanging man’s legs and lifted him up just enough to take the pressure off his neck until Falmar was able make it into the apartment and help him. The man’s face was red and he prayed the human hadn’t killed himself on his watch.
The man’s eyes popped open.
Momentary confusion swept over Sovan, and then he knew he’d been had.
Strong hands grasped the side of his head and slammed it into the wall behind him repeatedly. Sovan tried fighting him off and landed several wild punches, but his vision was dimming and he was losing control of his limbs. The final blow caused his vision to go black, and he slid down the bathroom wall to the floor.
****
The tension in the noose relented as Andy was able to get his feet back on the chair he’d pulled into the bathroom earlier and pulled the noose off his neck. The second guard came barreling into the bathroom. The look on his face was one of surprise when he saw Andy standing on a chair and his partner lying on the floor.
Grabbing the metal rail that had been his gallows, Andy attacked the guard, pushing him into the living room. He swung the brace like a baseball bat, but the guard side-stepped the blow meant for his
head and launched himself into Andy.
Still in his back swing, Andy was unable to defend himself from the guard’s counter attack. A shoulder took him in the chest, and the two men crashed into the wall behind them. Wallboard cracked around Andy’s shoulders and white dust drifted down onto the guard’s back. The air whistled out of Andy’s lungs and left him gasping. Falmar grasped his shoulders, pulled him away from the wall, and flung him across the living room. He crashed into the couch.
Perhaps he’d misjudged the strength and skill of the guards.
The man was upon him in an instant, pulling him roughly from the furniture. Andy head-butted Falmar, sending the big man reeling backward. Andy charged after him and landed several more quick blows to the man’s face and then his stomach. Falmar was able to deflect the third punch and grasp Andy’s arm in his own hands. Tripping Andy, the guard had him on the floor.
The two wrestled across the room, neither man able to gain an advantage. The stalemate ended a moment later as Andy was able to free an arm and gouge at Falmar’s eyes. The guard howled in pain, and his hold on Andy lessened. Using the moment to his advantage, Andy rolled free. The guard wasn’t down long. He too was able to gain his feet and charged toward Andy once again.
Andy scrambled toward the piece of bed frame. Gripping the cool metal, he made a blind swing in the direction of the guard and felt the vibration of an impact in his arms. The guard staggered backwards, blood streaming from his head and tumbled to the floor only to roll on his shoulder and come up again, this time holding a knife he’d pulled from his boot.
Andy couldn’t believe the man was still conscious. He needed to incapacitate Falmar before this got out of control.
Falmar charged. Andy feinted a swing. The guard ducked under the imaginary attack. Then Andy swung the piece of rail. A momentary look of surprise floated across the Falmar’s face as he understood, too late, that he’d been duped. Unable to stop himself from raising his head, Andy’s swing caught the guard squarely on the side of the head. The guard tumbled to the side, crashed into the wall, and lay motionless.
The rail thumped to the carpeted floor and Andy doubled over, hands on his knees, trying to regain is breath. Moving to the guard’s side, Andy placed his fingers on the man’s neck. There was no pulse that he could find. He glanced at the wound the rail hand inflicted and grimaced. The side of the man’s head was caved in, the hair matted with blood.
That wasn’t how Andy saw this playing out. Nobody was supposed to die, he just wanted out, but his hand had been forced. He took a deep breath and knew he needed to work fast. Moving back into the bathroom, he hurriedly pulled the clothes off the unconscious guard, bound him, and then used a piece of bed sheet to gag him.
He started to exit the apartment when he remembered what Evie had said about the door leading out of the city. She said it was somehow biometrically keyed to the Ma’Ha’Nae.
He was not Ma’Ha’Nae. Looking at the dead guard lying on the floor he knew what he had to do. Andy picked up the knife that lay beside the guard.
“Sorry, friend, but I need one more thing from you.”
As Andy set to the grisly work, he ran over the details of the story he’d created just for Evie.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Aereas - Alam, Ma’Ha’Nae city under Lake Keali
Evie’s eyes fluttered open in the darkness. Confusion cluttered her mind. Something had awakened her.
Pounding on the door of her apartment came again. She pushed herself into a sitting position and tried to orient herself to her surroundings. The pounding continued, this time more frantic. Leaning over the edge of the bed, she waved her hands around trying to find her prostheses. Her hand brushed across them and she fitted the legs onto her stumps, feeling the limbs automatically adjust.
Standing, she wobbled briefly and then walked across the room while rubbing sleep from her eyes. Turning on one small light, she unlocked the door and Andy burst into her apartment, almost knocking her over. His eyes looked wild and he carried a bundle of clothes in his arms.
“Shut the door,” he breathed.
Evie followed his command and then turned toward him, frightened at why he was here. “Andy…what’s happening? Why are you out of your apartment by yourself?”
“It happened, just like I told you it would.” He paced the small room like a caged animal.
“What happened?” He passed into the glow of the small overhead light and saw for the first time the cuts on his face and a large red welt around his neck. “Andy! You’re hurt!”
He stopped pacing and looked at her. “I did what you told me to do. What you told me last night when you came to my apartment. I gave them information. Jondon came over this afternoon and I spilled it all, every detail of the invasion and anything else he wanted to know. He promised me more freedom before he left. I didn’t know that the freedom he was talking about involved my death.” Andy’s hand began to massage his throat. “They just tried to kill me Evie. The two guards came into my room, beat me and then attempted to strangle me. I fought them off.”
Evie shook her head, the emotions warring inside of her. She couldn’t believe the people she’d come to know would attack Andy. “Are they…”
“Dead?” He shook his head. “No. I’m not that barbaric. Just unconscious, but I must get out of the city before they finish the job.” Taking several quick steps he stood before her and grasped one of her hands. “I need your help. You say you love me, and now I need you to prove it to me. Help me escape the city, Evie. Help me run away into the forest.”
His intense eyes looked into her soul, pleading with her for help. She looked down. Should she help him? He’d insisted he wasn’t the man she’d known. Could she trust him? His story didn’t add up to her experience with the Ma’Ha’Nae.
“I…I don’t know. You’re a prisoner, I don’t think I can. What would they do to me if they found out I helped you escape?”
“You’re right,” he said dropping her hand and turning his back to her. “I can’t ask you to do this for me. It would endanger you. But…” his voice trailed off and then he turned back toward her. “You could come with me.”
“What?” she asked, taken back by the intensity in his voice. The man who’d rejected her last night was asking her to run away with him. Was this a dream?
“Come with me. We can’t stay here because these people have proved they’ll kill when someone’s usefulness is done. I can’t go back to the CPF because I have given up intel. The continent is huge. We could find a place to hide and start our life over again.” His eyes pleaded with hers.
Evie was confused. Beyond confused.
She wavered, not knowing what to think. “I don’t know, Andy.”
“I have to leave, with or without you. Without you I’ll wander around the city looking for the door until someone spots me and that will lead to an altercation. With you, we go straight to the door and avoid any run-ins. There’s been enough blood shed, enough hurt. You can prevent any more.” Andy reached forward and grasped her trembling hand. His hand was warm and comfortable and so familiar. Was it really him? Had her husband come back to her? His eyes searched hers.
“Give me a chance, Evie. If you don’t want to go with me I understand, but at least show me where the door is so I can disappear—”
“Okay,” she interjected, cutting off his plea. “I’ll do it. I’ll take you to the door and I’ll leave with you.”
Andy smiled and her heart melted. It was his smile, her husband’s smile, the one he gave only to her. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she giggled.
He squeezed her hand and then folded her into a hug. Evie sagged into him and fought against the almost overwhelming need to weep. All of her pent up emotion wanted to burst out, but she couldn’t afford to be a blubbering mess right now.
“Good,” he said. “Let me put these clothes on and then we’ll go. We still need to get past the guard at the front door, but I think if we surprise him, I
can subdue him quickly.”
Andy changed in the bathroom. Evie paced.
Was this the wise thing to do? Stopping in mid-stride, she smiled to herself. It didn’t matter if it was the wise thing, it was what her heart wanted, and following her heart was exactly what she wanted. Lucas, Andy, it didn’t matter what he wanted to be called, all that mattered was he remembered her and wanted to be with her. She moved into the bedroom, put on a pair of pants, shirt and light coat. Using a pillow case as a bag, she loaded the other clothes Mirala had just given her. Andy was waiting for her, wearing the too big guard uniform. He also held something wrapped up in what looked like bed sheets. The white cloth had a small red stain in one spot.
Evie pointed to the bundle. “Is that blood?”
“This?” Andy gestured to the bundle. “Just something I took from the guard that will help me…us escape. The blood must have come from me. I think I used the sheet to wipe this cut on my forehead.
“Okay,” Evie nodded, satisfied with his answer. “What’s the plan?”
“You’re going to walk out the door and engage the guard in conversation. I’ll follow behind you and hopefully subdue him without a fight. Then we stay in the shadows until we get to the door. Do you think you can do that?” Andy asked.
Evie was almost giddy with the possibilities, with thoughts of their future. “Yes, I can do that.”
“Okay,” he held his hand out to her. “Let’s go.”
If it hadn’t been happening in the flesh, she would’ve said she was dreaming. Her hand folded into his. She always believed their hands had been purposely constructed to fit together. That hadn’t changed. It felt so right.
