Wendy hesitated, unsure of what she should be doing.
“There’s nothing you can do. She’s gone.”
Wendy turned. “No! I don’t believe you. There must be something we can do to help her and the others.”
Angela shook her head. “There is nothing you or I could do that would help Tarina. If we tried to stop them, we’d end up dead like the others.”
With her head bowed, Wendy shuffled back to her bunk and collapsed onto her mattress. She brought up her knees to her chest and began to sob. She felt as if someone had just thrust a dagger deep into her heart.
“Let it out,” consoled Angela, sitting on the edge of the bunk.
For several minutes, she cried until she rolled over and wiped the tears from her face. “This is horrible beyond words. Poor Tarina, we were so close to getting away.”
“I’m sure that she’d still want us to try.”
Wendy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her closest friend had just been taken away for execution and Angela was treating it as a minor setback. She shook her head. “Unless you’re a pilot and a damn good one, we’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m no pilot. I thought perhaps you could give it a try.”
Wendy looked Angela in the eyes and said, “In your dreams.”
Angela stood up and shook her head. “Then I guess we’re stuck here until you die or I find us another pilot, whichever comes first.”
Chapter 28
“Okay, it’s nearly 2300 hours, Master Sergeant Cole and I are going to take a better look around this evening and try to learn what we can,” explained Sheridan to Toscano. “If we’re not back by 0300, carry on without us. The task force isn’t due for another day, so you have plenty of time to mark and record all of the LZs for them.”
“Right, sir,” replied Toscano.
“Are you sure you don’t need another set of eyes?” asked Urban, chafing to help.
Sheridan shook his head. “No, Sergeant, you have to remain here. Two people may be able to move about without drawing too much attention, three might be pushing it. Besides, I only brought back enough clothes for two people.”
“You’re welcome to mine,” said Cole, waving a hand in front of his nose. “It’s gonna take a week of long hot showers to wash the smell of my body.”
“Sergeant, you can’t go anywhere. I need you to help me coord the incoming fire,” pointed out Toscano.
Urban knew that he didn’t have a leg to stand on. He relented and nodded.
Sheridan said to Toscano, “We’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Good luck, sir.”
“How come no one ever says good luck, Sergeant?” groused Cole.
“Because it would be wasted on you,” replied Sheridan. With that, he led Cole out of their hiding spot and back out into the open. Both men took cover and looked up into the sky trying to see if there were any drones flying about.
“The coast looks clear,” said Cole. “Let’s get a move on, sir.”
Sheridan hunched down and led them into the darkness. It took them less than ten minutes to make it back to the office door they had used the night before. Sheridan quickly jimmied the door open. Only Sheridan had a weapon on him. As Cole was playing a prisoner, he wasn’t carrying one. The room, as before, was quiet. All of the lights were off. Sheridan dug out his flashlight and turned it on.
“Okay, from here on out, unless we’re dead certain that we’re alone, we cannot talk to one another,” explained Sheridan. “As I’m supposed to be escorting you somewhere in the mine. I’m going to speak Kurgan to the guards and the odd word to you in English to move you along.”
“Sounds par for the course,” said Cole with a grin on his dirt-covered face.
“If, for whatever reason, we get split up, head straight back to the cavern and let the others know what has happened.”
“Yeah, whatever, sir. I ain’t letting you out of my sight. So quit stalling and let’s get a move on. My skin’s crawling. I think these rags are infested with lice or whatever pests they have on this godforsaken rock.”
Sheridan shuddered at the thought of the little parasites and scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t think mine are much better.”
“Don’t change the subject,” Cole whispered, sliding over to the door leading out into the tunnel system. When he didn’t hear anyone moving about, he opened the door.
Sheridan stepped out and grabbed hold of his pistol, a Kurgan one that he had kept from the fight on Illum Prime, and pointed it at Cole. “Walk,” he said in his best attempt at a Kurgan speaking English. Which sounded to him more like poorly spoken Arabic than anything else.
With his hands by his sides, Cole began to walk down the long sloping corridor. When they came to the tarpaulin screen, Sheridan stopped and poked his head inside. Bile rushed to his throat when he saw at least twenty new emaciated bodies lying on the ground in a heap. Some of the men and women had their eyes open looking up at him. It appeared that the Kurgans didn’t care if the Chosen warrior who looked after the dead was around, they just kept dumping the bodies. Sheridan pulled his head back and took in several deep breaths to calm himself and to rid his nostrils of the vile smell from the room.
“You okay?” whispered Cole.
Sheridan nodded and pointed down the corridor with his pistol. They carried on for another minute before coming to an open elevator shaft. Sheridan stepped up to a metal bar secured to the wall to prevent people from falling down into the shaft and looked down. He could only see a few meters below them, after that it was as dark as pitch. He moved back, pushed the button, and waited for an elevator to arrive.
Just as their lift arrived, a voice in Kurgan called out, “Hold, please.”
Sheridan turned and saw a Chosen sergeant running toward them. He raised the bar and motioned with his weapon for Cole to step back. The sergeant stepped into the elevator as did Sheridan and Cole.
“Where are you taking the prisoner?” asked the sergeant.
“The third level,” replied Sheridan, recalling the mine schematic on the map.
The sergeant nodded and looked down at this watch before saying, “Your prisoner looks healthy enough. Is he going to join the others?”
Sheridan had no idea what the sergeant was on about. Rather than keep talking and potentially revealing that they weren’t what they appeared to be, Sheridan shook his head.
The sergeant shrugged and pressed the down button for the third and eighth floors. With a shudder, the elevator began to descend. Cole and Sheridan looked over at one another as if to say that they had dodged their first bullet of the evening. Less than thirty seconds later, the elevator came to a halt. Sheridan nodded at the sergeant before escorting Cole out onto the third floor. He stopped for a moment to get his bearings.
“The nearest duty station is to your left,” said the sergeant just as the elevator continued on its way.
Sheridan waved and waited for the sergeant to disappear from sight. The second he was gone, Sheridan lowered his weapon and indicated to the right with his head. It didn’t take them long before they came to the first cavern filled with sleeping prisoners.
Cole saw a painted sign. “What’s that mean on the wall?”
“It says Red One. I think they color and number code the caves.”
“The schematic said that there were thirty-three caverns, did it not?”
Sheridan nodded. “Let’s see how long it takes us to walk the length of the tunnel; see if there are any exits along the way we could use when the time comes.”
With Cole in the lead, they walked in silence studying every nook and cranny of the long passageway. Every detail, from the size of the caves to their exact location, was memorized.
A hushed voice seemed to float on the air. Wendy rolled over and did her best to ignore it. Her tired body craved sleep. Again the sound of a woman’s voice invaded her subconscious. For a split second, she saw Tarina standing there next to her bunk. Her heart began to ra
ce. Pulled out of her deep slumber, Wendy opened her weary eyes, turned over, and sat up. Instead of her friend standing there, her eyes focused on Angela’s face. “What do you want?”
“I know what you said earlier, but I think that we should still try to escape tonight while we still have the chance.”
Wendy shook her head. “I already told you. I don’t know how to fly a ship.”
“I know but what if we forced one of the shuttle’s pilots to help us? I know that you can’t read Kurgan, but I can. I could assist you with the ship’s navigational computers.”
Wendy sat up and hung her feet over the side of her bunk. As much as it pained her, she knew that there was nothing she could do to help Tarina. Perhaps Angela was onto something. Wendy knew that without her friend to help sustain her courage that her days were probably numbered. Escape seemed the only logical thing left to do. She slipped her feet into her clogs and looked over at Angela. Feeling as if she was about to betray her best friend, she said, “Okay, let’s do this.”
“What are you two deceitful bitches up to?” asked Travis as he slipped out from the shadows. Neither woman had heard him sneak into the cavern. Both looked over at him with a look of horror on their faces.
He pulled a long knife from behind his back. “I said, what are you two bitches planning to do?”
“We were just about to go to the bathroom,” replied Angela. “After the guards have been drinking, it’s not safe for a woman to go there on her own.”
Travis stepped closer. He twisted the blade around in his hand. “You’re lying. I can see it in your eyes, you Kurgan witch.”
Angela moved Wendy behind her, protecting her with her body. “I’m not lying.”
With a move that surprised both women, Travis shot his hand out and grabbed Angela’s left wrist and twisted it hard over. She grimaced in pain and dropped to her knees. Before Wendy could help, Travis shot a knee straight into Angela’s head, knocking her out cold. With a lustful look in his eyes, Travis grabbed Wendy and pulled her close to him. The smell of alcohol on his breath made her turn her head away.
“What’s wrong, Captain? Don’t you like enlisted men? When I get finished with you, you’re never going to forget how much fun you had tonight.”
“No!” pleaded Wendy as she squirmed in his arms trying to break free.
He reached up and forced a grubby hand over her mouth. “Don’t fight it, little girl. Hell, with a man like me, you may even like it.”
No matter how hard she fought, she could not escape his vice-like hold on her. She tried to bring her knee up to hit him in the groin, but he had already placed his hip there blocking the move. The thought that he knew what he was doing terrified Wendy. Travis chuckled and pushed her back against her bed. They fell back and Travis landed on top of her. His hands began to tear at her clothes. Fear filled her mind. She knew that no one was coming to her aid. Even if any of the other prisoners were awake, they were all too scared of Travis to lift a finger. She closed her eyes and blocked what was about to happen out of her mind. All of a sudden she heard Travis gasp in pain. A second later, she felt his body being pulled off of hers. She opened her eyes and saw two men standing beside her bed. One was a Chosen soldier who held Travis’ knife in his left hand while the other man, holding Travis by the neck, was dressed as a prisoner.
“Are you okay?” asked the prisoner.
“Yes,” she replied. She turned her head and saw that the Chosen warrior seemed to be examining her face. Something about him made her look deep into the man’s eyes. Her eyes widened and her heart leaped for joy when she recognized the man standing before her. “I know you. You . . . you’re Michael Sheridan . . . aren’t you?”
“Shhh,” said Sheridan, bringing a finger up to his lips. Quietly he asked, “How do you know me?”
“I’d know you anywhere. You may not remember, but we’ve met before. Not to mention, Tarina has your picture all over her room and in the cockpit of our old Avenger.”
Sheridan’s pulse began to beat faster at the sound of Tarina’s name. Right away, his mind took him back to a cold, fog-filled morning on a distant world when he and Cole had rescued a handful of downed pilots from a Kurgan patrol. A smile crept across his lips when he recognized Wendy. He was aghast at her condition. Her clothes were ragged and torn. Her face was covered in weeks of dirt and grime. It looked as if she had lost fifteen kilos since he had last laid eyes on her.
“My God, I do remember you. Your name is Wendy. Where’s Tarina? Is she here?”
Wendy shook her head.
Just as Sheridan was about to ask where Taina was, a woman at his feet moaned and tried to sit up. He bent down and helped her up.
Wendy jumped from her bunk and swung an arm around the woman. She looked up at Sheridan and said, “It’s okay. Her name’s Angela; she’s my friend.”
“Who’s this then?” asked Cole as he tightened his grip around his captive’s neck.
“His name is Travis,” replied Wendy, with hate in her voice. “He’s nothing more than a traitor. He sent Tarina and some of the other prisoners away to be butchered by the Kurgans.”
Sheridan’s gut felt as if he had been sucker punched. The ceremony was not supposed to happen for another couple of days. “When was she taken?”
“I’m not sure; some time after five this evening.”
Sheridan turned on a dime and took hold of Travis’s dirty uniform collar and pulled him toward him. “Where did you send her, and how do I get there?”
Travis looked from Sheridan to Cole. His days as master over the lives of his fellow service personnel had just ended and he knew it. “You’re both Marines, ain’t ya? What are you doing here?”
Sheridan tightened his grip on Travis’ collar and began to choke him. “Answer my bloody questions.”
Travis began to quiver. He gasped for air. “Look, sir, I was only doing what needed to be done to stay alive.”
“Where is she, and how do I get there?” Sheridan asked, inches away from Travis’ face.
“They were marched down to the train loading platform for movement out to the Kurgan camp in the desert. It should be leaving in the next few minutes. You’ll never get there in time.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” With that, Sheridan pushed Travis back into Cole’s arms. He looked over at Wendy. “Where’s the nearest elevator?”
“Head out of the cavern, turn right, and it should be no more than one hundred meters away on the left-hand side of the tunnel.”
“What do want me to do with the traitor?” Cole asked.
“Kill him,” said Sheridan.
Travis’ eyes widened. He went to speak but found that Cole had wrapped his arm tightly around his neck. Like a boa constrictor, Cole began to squeeze the life out of the collaborator. Sheridan was surprised that neither woman looked away. Instead, they seemed to relish watching Travis flail about as he lost the fight to live and died in Cole’s powerful arms. After less than a minute, it was over.
“Where can we dispose of the body?” Cole asked Wendy.
“Leave him here with us,” said Angela. “I know plenty of out of the way spots to stash his body where it will never be found.”
Cole laid Travis’ body on the ground before looking up at Sheridan. “Now what, Captain?”
“I’m going to try and stop the train. If I can delay it’s leaving for a full twenty-four hours, then they’ll be here when the task force arrives.”
“The fleet, it’s coming here?” asked Wendy.
Sheridan nodded. “You have to keep it quiet. Your lives require that secrecy be maintained.”
“I think I can keep my mouth shut for a day or two.”
Cole stood. “Okay, then it’s done. Let’s go.”
Sheridan shook his head. “Master Sergeant, I need you to stay up here with the prisoners. I can blend in with the Chosen soldiers and do what I must. You, on the other hand, can do more good by remaining back here. Someone needs to help the prisoners wh
en the Marines arrive.”
Cole hesitated a second before offering his hand. He did not want to split up from his friend but knew that he was right. He forced a smile. “Good luck, sir. I’ll see you in a twenty-four hours.”
Sheridan shook his friend’s hand. “It’s a deal. Try not to be late.”
With a look of fierce resolve in his eyes, Sheridan turned and ran for the nearby elevator. His mind fixed on saving Tarina before it was too late.
Cole looked over at Wendy. “Would either of you two ladies happen to have a weapon on you?”
“Actually we might just be able to help you, Sergeant,” said Wendy. She looked at Angela. “Why don’t you go and retrieve your pistol and anything else you think might help us from your hiding spot?”
Angela looked up at Cole with genuine fear in her eyes.
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” said Wendy, trying to reassure her worried comrade. “Trust me, everything will work out. You’ll be home with your children before you know it.”
Angela patted Wendy on the hand, stood up, and walked out into the darkened tunnel.
“What was that all about?” Cole asked.
“She’s just worried, that’s all.”
“Aren’t we all? How many prisoners would you say we can count on should things turn ugly?”
“You just met them. Everyone here is too afraid or too tired to lift a finger to save anyone but themselves. You saw what was about to happen to me and not a one of them could be bothered to help me.”
“Jesus, an army of three people. That is not what I’d hoped to hear.”
“Sorry. Anyone who pushed back or showed any spark of life was killed within days of getting here. Most of the people left alive are emotionally broken wrecks.”
“It’s not your fault. Aside from the tunnel that leads to the next level, do you happen to know how many elevators there are on the third level?”
“Six. Why?”
“Just a thought,” replied Cole, his voice trailing off while he pondered his next move.
Trident Fury (The Kurgan War Book 3) Page 16
