Dax zoomed in on the face of one of the crucified men. He lowered the binoculars and avoided Fyre’s gaze.
“What is it?” she asked.
He glanced at Glaw as the Ursu erected a hammock and fell back into it.
Dax kicked the hammock. Glaw spun around and fell out. “Dude, what gives?”
“You’re coming with me,” Dax said. “No debate.”
“Unless you found a Hagorian honeybee hive,” Glaw said licking his lips, “dream on.”
“Ambassador Von Rha needs our help.”
Glaw glanced at Fyre. “Oh, sure.”
“I’m coming with you, Dax,” Fyre said.
“No, Fyre.” Dax put his hands on her shoulders. “There’s no telling when the Vanguard legions will return. I need you to help direct the exodus. Please.”
She nodded and pointed at the nearest Ursu ship. “I’ll be at the troop ramp, waiting.”
Dax called over two Polar Ursu and asked them to bring ropes. Dax and Glaw ran down the narrow mountain path to the clearing. They sprinted across the clearing and came to rest at the Wheel of Vanguard.
Dax looked up at the center of the flaming wheel. Ambassador Von Rha hung from iron nails hammered into his feet and hands. Rope bonds around his wrists and ankles helped support his weight.
“Ambassador?” Dax called out.
Von Rha’s eyes remained shut.
A Polar Ursu tied one end of a rope through a loop at the base of a grapnel hook. He hurled it up at the Wheel of Vanguard. It hooked round one of the spokes.
Dax took an Ursu Kopis sword from a Polar and began to climb. Soon the flames licked at his rope. He climbed faster.
Dax’s felt the red hot steel blister his hands. He hurriedly reached Von Rha. He cut the ropes his bonds and used the Kopis to pry the nails from Von Rha’s hands and feet.
Von Rha’s eyes sprang open. His head turned to Dax. “Leave me, human,” he said.
“I’m doing this for your daughter,” Dax said.
Smoke billowed into Von Rha’s face. He choked and shook his head. “I deserve this punishment. I brought hell upon your race.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dax said and freed one of Von Rha’s hands. He leaned over Von Rha’s body to free the other hand. “If it wasn’t for you, Ambassador, we’d never know about the conspiracy.”
With his free hand, Von Rha grabbed at Dax’s arm and stopped him prying loose the nail that held his other hand against the burning wheel.
“Why do you think the Legions relented?”
“Maybe the Ursu invasion had something to do with it?”
Von Rha shook his head and winced as the flames licked at his face. “I hear your sarcasm, human, but hear me when I say they are toying with you.”
“They’re gone to lick their wounds and regroup.”
“Elements within the Vanguard legions want an excuse to conquer your home planet. They want you to flee, so they can pursue you all the way back to Earth. It gives them no choice, but to destroy all your people. Or worse.”
“I’ve seen the worse your people can do,” Dax said and as the wheel completed one full turn, he pried loose the last nail. “I won’t let that happen. Now are you going to let me help you, or do I force you?”
Von Rha’s eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped against Dax’s shoulders.
Dax maneuvered Von Rha over his shoulder. He glanced at the flames devouring the rope above him and quickly began the descent. Halfway down he felt the rope snap. He and Von Rha plummeted to the ground.
A moment later he found himself in the arms of a Polar Ursu. The creature let Dax gently tumble from his embrace.
“Human, you fall like a cub weaning from its mother,” the Polar said.
“Thanks, I guess.”
Dax glanced over his shoulder. Glaw held Von Rha in his arms. He gently set down the ambassador and plucked the nails out of Von Rha’s feet and hands.
Glaw cradled the Vanguard in his arms. The man seemed close to death.
“He ain’t got long,” Glaw said.
Dax checked the Ambassador’s pulse. “We need to get him to a sick-bay, fast.”
“What about the other dude?” Glaw asked.
Dax walked around the other side of the Wheel of Vanguard to face the second victim.
As he recognized the victim he felt a surge of anger.
He stared up at Blaidd’s bloody face.
“I denied you the pleasure of vengeance, Zen Dax,” Blaidd shouted and coughed blood onto his chin. “Take what you can from ending my life.”
Glaw came around to face Blaidd.
“Too bad,” Glaw said and plucked a Vanguard legionnaire spear out of the ground. “Kind of liked the old dog. You want me to finish him off for you?”
“No,” Dax said. “Bring that whole damn wheel down.”
Glaw nodded to the Polars. Two grapnel hooks flew through the air, dragging ropes in their wake. They fastened to the eye sockets of the central dinosaur head armor.
Four Polars got on the ends of the ropes and pulled.
The Wheel buckled and came crashing down to the ground.
Dax took his Kopis and sliced at Blaidd’s bonds. He found the rope that held Blaidd up and cut it with one slash of his knife. Blaidd fell to the ground.
Dax removed the nails from Blaidd’s feet. The Lupos shed a tear but refused to cry out.
As Dax moved to Blaidd’s hands and slowly worked the nails free, Blaidd whispered, “Why must you humiliate me this way?”
Dax met his gaze. “I’m saving your life. Whether you like it or not.”
“But why?”
“I need your help to end this before there’s no one left to save.”
A Polar hoisted Blaidd over his shoulder. Dax led the group back to the Polar ship. As they approached the Polar ship, Dax looked around for Fyre. He couldn’t see her.
“Strange,” Dax murmured.
“What?” Glaw asked.
Dax found Valkyrie waiting at the troop ramp to the Polar ship.
Van Cleef held Fyre by gunpoint and Thor slapped a pair of magnetic cuffs over her wrists.
Dax felt his hands ball into fists. “What is this?” Dax shouted.
Valkyrie nodded at Van Cleef and he and Thor raised their weapons. They aimed at Dax.
“Orders, Commander,” Van Cleef said. “Don’t give me an excuse to put you down like the sewer rat you are.”
“Are you mad?” Dax shouted. “If it wasn’t for Fyre we’d all be dead now.”
Valkyrie held out a pair of magnetic cuffs. “Hold out your wrists.”
“Explain yourself, Valkyrie.”
She slapped on the cuffs. “Commander Dax, I’m arresting you for sedition by violation of the Vanguard Peace Accord.”
“This is crazy,” Dax said. “Fyre, explain to them.”
“Your girlfriend’s done enough talking,” Valkyrie said. “A Death Hawk prisoner, Tebrok, confirmed that Fyre worked against the Peace Accord to force a diplomatic incident between our peoples.”
“A diplomatic incident?” Dax gasped. “Can you stop one minute and hear yourself?”
“Tebrok’s handed over evidence of a plot to bring both sides to the brink of war. She’ll be tried for genocide.”
“Are you mad?” Dax asked. “Fyre didn’t kidnap the passengers of Hermes.”
“Tebrok’s evidence shows your girlfriend and her father conspiring to do exactly that.”
“I’ll speak with this Death Hawk,” Dax said. “Get her admit her evidence is faked.”
“Impossible,” Valkyrie said. “Tebrok killed two of my best marines and escaped.”
“I’m sorry about your marines, Captain. And I can understand why you’re upset, but Fyre and I are not responsible. Tebrok can’t be trusted.”
“Why?” asked Valkyrie. “Because she’s a Vanguard?”
“After everything Tebrok did you must believe her evidence is a lie,” Dax said. “The Pea
ce Accord was never worth the paper it was written on.”
“That’s sedition talk, Dax,” Valkyrie said.
“Fyre, tell them this evidence is a lie,” Dax shouted.
Fyre avoided his intense gaze.
“Fyre?”
“Shut it, Dax,” Thor said. “If it wasn’t for you, all our friends would still be alive.”
“I can see it now,” Van Cleef said. “Olsen would still be with us, but you forced the Vanguards to defend the Accord the only way they know how.”
“When we transfer to Valiant,” Valkyrie said, “you’ll face a court martial.”
“Your girlfriend will be handed over to the Vanguards,” Valkyrie said.
Thor shoved Fyre in the back and forced her onto her knees. “Whatever they do to her will be too good for her,” Thor said. “Captain, we can save the trouble of a court martial. Kill her now.”
Dax shrugged off Valkyrie and ran to Fyre. He felt a sharp pain shoot up his neck and stumbled forward.
A shot rang out.
CHAPTER 92 - VAN CLEEF
As Dax fell, he grabbed Valkyrie’s keys to his cuffs and disengaged the magnetic lock.
Valkyrie aimed her weapon. “That was your first and last warning shot,” she said.
Dax nodded. He faked resignation, dropping his head and grabbed at Valkyrie’s weapon. He ripped it from her grasp.
Van Cleef dropped his rifle, drew a knife from his thigh sheaf and charged at Dax.
Dax brought up the weapon. But too late. Van Cleef barreled him to the ground.
The knife tore through Dax’s shoulder and pinned him to the ground. Van Cleef reached out and tore at Dax’s throat with his fingers.
The rage in Van Cleef’ eyes seemed to consume the man.
Dax felt death’s kiss. He felt it take him inch by inch from this life. But as he slipped away he reached out with his mind and propelled his senses like a missile into Van Cleef’s eyes of rage.
He saw Van Cleef’s secret. He felt the man’s sorrow at failing to protect Private Olsen. His anger at betraying the woman he loved.
With the last of his energy, Dax pried away Van Cleef’s fingers just enough to speak.
“Martha doesn’t blame you,” Dax said.
“What did you say?”
Van Cleef squeezed Dax’s throat with one hand. With his other, he beat at his own head as trying to knock himself out.
Dax delved deeper into Van Cleef’s mind and found a lake of fire. He waded into it and felt its power as his own. He felt his body crackle with the secret rage. A limitless energy.
He knew he couldn’t contain it. He’d have to unleash the rage and he feared doing so. He gave Van Cleef one last chance.
“She blames herself for her son’s death,” Dax said. “Not you.”
Van Cleef’s eyes widened. His grip relaxed. His hands flew to his head.
“Get out, get out!”
“Release me before I crush your mind with your own rage.”
Van Cleef convulsed. “Get out of my head!”
Dax felt himself walk through the lake of fire in Van Cleef’s mind. As he waded through the flames he came to an island in the center of the lake. There he found Van Cleef. Curled up in a fetal position. Sobbing.
“Kill me,” Dax said as his held out his hands and shaped the flaming lake into a hurricane of fire, “and we both die.”
Van Cleef leapt up at Dax and struck him. “Die!”
Dax drew his arms to his chest and brought the hurricane down on them. The flames passed over Dax and engulfed Van Cleef.
Dax felt himself hurled from Van Cleef’s mind. He opened his eyes and pulled a leg free. He kicked Van Cleef off his chest. He crawled away as Van Cleef convulsed in agony on his back.
“Van Cleef?” Valkyrie shouted. She turned to Dax and raised her weapon.
“What are you doing to him?”
“I found the rage of his guilt and made it into a weapon. I turned his own mind on him.”
“Stop it,” she said and aimed her weapon at Dax.”
“I cannot.”
Blood spurted out from Van Cleef’s nostrils.
“I’m warning you, one last time,” Valkyrie said. “Save Van Cleef or you die with him.”
Dax stood shakily. “He’s strong. He needs to find his own way. Make peace with himself.”
“I can’t lose Van Cleef,” Valkyrie said. “I’m giving you to the count of five to save him, or I’ll shoot you dead where you stand.”
CHAPTER 93 - SAVE HIM OR DIE
“Five seconds,” Valkyrie said.
Dax knelt over the convulsing body of Van Cleef. He reached out and placed the palms of his hands on either side of Van Cleef’s head.
“Four...”
Dax propelled his mind like a missile into Van Cleef’s mind.
He found Van Cleef crouched on the lake island. Trapped in the eye of the hurricane of fire.
Dax sprinted and realized he was running on the surface of the lake. He leapt at Van Cleef and placed his body between Van Cleef and the flames like a shield. He summoned the hurricane and shouted, “Burn me. Burn me.”
The hurricane engulfed Dax. He shut his eyes and he felt Van Cleef’s rage, fear, and guilt incinerate his flesh. His mind. His soul.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself on his knees. The hurricane had burnt itself out. Van Cleef lay at his feet. Shaking.
“You are now at peace,” Dax said.
Dax let his hands drop to his sides and looked up at the barrel of Valkyrie’s weapon.
“Van Cleef?” she asked.
The big marine lay still in a pool of his own sweat and vomit.
Valkyrie aimed her weapon at Dax. “Commander Dax, I hereby execute you for murder of--”
Van Cleef opened his eyes. “What’s a man got to do to get some shut-eye around this place?”
Valkyrie laughed and lowered her weapon.
She looked at Dax with repulsion in her eyes. “What have you become?”
“Valkyrie,” Dax said quietly, “I want to save people, not kill them. We are peace keepers. These heinous experiments on humans are conducted from a human science ship orbiting Mars. It’s a conspiracy between elements of both governments. I need to go there and end this thing. But I need your help. Are you with me?”
Valkyrie glanced at Van Cleef and Thor.
“Don’t ask me how I know this Captain,” Van Cleef said, “but I believe Dax means well.”
Thor seemed gripped by fear. He hugged his chest tight and nodded.
Valkyrie shook her head. “Captain Grint will never go for it. He’d see you dead first, Dax.”
Dax felt exhausted. He had nothing left to fight with. He sensed Fyre looking at him. As if studying him like a lab rat.
Fyre came over to Dax and helped him to his feet.
“Captain Valkyrie,” Fyre said, “the ship Dax speaks of is the Nexis. Commanded by Nia Grint.”
“Hannibal Grint’s daughter?” Valkyrie asked.
“Indeed.”
“So what’s it going to be, Valkyrie,” Dax asked. “Do you arrest me or help me save the galaxy?”
CHAPTER 94 - LOVE BITES
Dax felt a sharp ringing noise in his ears as he stared at the curved walls of his Ursu ship quarters. The door slid open. Fyre stood before him. She wore a silk translucent blue gown that hung low over her shoulders and back. Tears of soft glowing blue rolled down her face.
She turned away. It seemed in embarrassment to wipe her tears. He caught sight of a large animated nano-bot ink tattoo on her back.
A scene of an eagle and a snake. The eagle swooped down on the snake. The snake raised itself up to strike. The eagle’s great talons tore at the snake’s fangs.
He wondered what influenced her to make such a choice.
“Beats the cliché of a rose or a dolphin,” he said.
“My father is dead,” Fyre said and took a sharp breath. “Everything changes now.”
He swallowed
hard and chastised himself for his light-hearted small-talk.
“Because I failed to stop a war?” Dax said.
“Sacerdos’ prophecy gives us hope, but only if we let go of the past and realize everything is different.”
“The past is all I have, Fyre.”
“No one who survives will be the same. The few brief moments we share may be our last. We should savor it for what it is.”
The ringing in his ears dropped like a giant tolling bell, down a church tower into a bottomless pit. He clung to it, like a drowning man to the shame of his wife’s death.
He felt like a hollow man. Unsure of what to feel. And, if he would ever feel anything ever again. Knowing only that he wanted to desperately feel something.
He didn’t even know if he had enough left in him to hate Fyre.
“I will never forget you killed my wife,” Dax said.
“Just as long as you remember I saved your life.”
The ringing in his ears seemed to turn into a single voice. A distant singing. He glanced around the room. There was no music playing. And yet he could hear it.
He gave into its peaceful, soothing cry. Until he realized the song was somehow coming from the empty space between Fyre and himself. As if they were psychically generating it between them.
He jolted and stepped away from her.
How can I accept calm into my soul when I should be burning with rage?
He forced himself to suppress the song.
“Tell me about this curse you call a prophecy,” he said.
“After,” she said and licked her lips.
“After what?”
She reached violently behind his head and pulled him forcefully to her lips. Kissing her felt like growing wings in a power-dive down a mountainside towards a lake of fire. As their bodies entwined, he felt all their grief and sorrow incinerated by their mutual lust.
CHAPTER 95 - BLOK’S DISCOVERY
Oksana Blok needed answers. She couldn’t help but feel Zen Dax was at the heart of every question she needed answering. She found herself stood outside the door of his quarters. She allowed a couple of crew members to walk on by and once the corridor was clear, she placed a small device over the door’s retina scanner.
Valiant (Jurassic War Universe Book 1) Page 39
