by Gary Hoover
There was silence.
“Can we sneak in?”
Dave shook his head. “Not likely. They’ll be looking for us. Probably watching us right now.” He looked up and around uncomfortably. There was nothing to see except the inside of the vehicle, but that didn’t prevent the others from following his lead and looking at the walls that surrounded them.
“What about the big gun?” Jeff asked, pointing at the turret above them.
“The gun might be able to get through the wall, but it would take a number of shots, and the whole time we’re shooting, our position would be exposed. All it would take is one well-aimed shot from them with a powerful enough weapon, and that would be it for us,” Dave said with a frown.
“Besides,” Nahima added. “Even if we managed to penetrate the wall, at some point we’ve got to get out of the vehicle, and there’s no way to get to that point without drawing so much attention to ourselves that we’ll have every gun in the place pointed at us as soon as we’re exposed.”
There was a long, uncomfortable silence as they all just stared at the image of the compound.
“Can we talk to them?” Jeff asked. “Maybe offer them some money. They seem to do anything for money.”
Dave shook his head. “From what the mayor says, the money they’re getting for ‘The Raja’ is way more than we can–”
“That’s it!” Jeff said. “Baldwin’s not ‘The Raja’. We’ll just let them know they’ve got the wrong person.”
Dave thought for a while about that one. “But where’s that leave us? We trade you for him? I don’t think they’d take the chance of letting him go. Probably just capture as many of us as they can get and hold us until someone can tell them what’s what.” Dave looked up and around again as if he were hearing the sounds of felears all around them. He shook his head. “I think our best bet is to head to Caesurmia, let Artimus know what’s going on, and see if he can get some people together.”
“Can’t we just use Nahima’s communicator to contact him?” Jeff asked.
Nahima shook her head. “The range is too short.”
“But by the time we get there, Baldwin will probably have been turned over to... whoever.” Jeff said with a cringe. His stomach turned at the thought of what Baldwin might go through and what he might already be going through.
“Do you have any better ideas?” Dave asked with a clear tone of angry exasperation.
Jeff was getting angry himself. But he didn’t have an answer and just glared back at him.
Chapter 50:
Artimus ran his hand absent-mindedly across a rack of women’s coats. They had been shopping for most of the afternoon, and his brain was growing numb.
“What do you think of this?” Codi asked with a smile, as she adjusted a pink and purple floral-print hat.
Awful... terrible... absolutely hideous.
“Uh... I don’t know. Do you like it?”
“Yes. I think so.” She tilted her head to one side, then the other as she twisted her body and examined it from different angles in the mirror. “Should I get it?”
No... no... no... definitely not.
“I guess so... if you like it.” Artimus shrugged.
Codi put the hat back on its shelf. “I don’t know. It’s a little expensive.”
“So, have you been able to get any more information from Duanan?” Artimus asked hesitantly. He had asked the same question, in various forms, over the past several days, but Codi had never had much to say.
She looked directly at him with an unpleasant expression. “You know, I’m not sure what you want from me. I’ve been poking around... asking questions. I don’t see anything out of place.”
“Why’s he building up his security so much? Why’s he otherwise ignoring the pheerion threat? Where’s the–” Artimus stopped himself. One thing he wanted more than anything else was to know the location of the locket Duanan had taken from Jeff, but he wanted to be very careful. He recognized the potential power of the locket, and the fewer people that knew about it, the better. He completely trusted Codi, but once she knew, there would be no way to prevent her from inadvertently saying something. He felt it was best not to mention it – for the safety of the locket and Codi’s own safety.
“I don’t know.” Artimus shook his head.
Codi’s expression softened. “I know all this has you stressed and frustrated, but do you think–” She paused and looked uncomfortable. “Do you think you may be letting your imagination go too far? Maybe you’re–”
“Paranoid?” Artimus snapped a bit angrily.
“No, no, well... ‘paranoid’ is a strong word.” She smiled awkwardly. “Maybe, just, maybe, you’re spending too much time thinking about the worst case scenarios. Just because those scenarios are frightening, doesn’t mean they’re likely.”
Artimus thought for a moment. “I don’t think I’m being irrational.” Am I?
“I just think there’s something more going on than Duanan is letting on. Wait, why is–”
Codi noticed Artimus looking past her at something. She looked over her shoulder and saw a woman near the door examining some merchandise.
“We’ve been to what? Four or five stores so far?” Artimus asked.
Codi shrugged.
“How is it that I noticed that same woman at two of those other stores and now she’s here?”
Artimus pushed roughly past Codi and headed toward the woman. As soon as the woman noticed Artimus moving in her direction, she slipped out the door.
Codi had to break into a light jog to keep up with Artimus’ long and purposeful strides as he headed toward the door.
He stepped onto the sidewalk and shielded his eyes from the bright sun. He looked up and down the crowded street, but the woman wasn’t in sight.
Artimus turned to Codi as she arrived just behind him. “Explain that,” he said with just the slightest hint of smugness.
Codi looked at him with a blank expression. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but didn’t say anything.
Chapter 51:
Jeff felt lower than he had at any point since his arrival. He was sitting in the extreme rear of Princess Trina and needed some time to himself.
It’s my fault, isn’t it? I was joking around and calling Baldwin ‘Raja’. That must be why they grabbed him.
Jeff leaned his head against his jump-scoot.
Now we’re headed to Caesurmia. By the time we get there... Jeff cringed at the thought. He imagined that those who wanted Baldwin, or rather wanted The Raja, would move quickly and collect him before they could possibly return.
If they’re offering the kind of price they seem to be, they’ll be getting him as soon as they can… and then what?
He banged his head against the jump-scoot several times, then felt eyes on him. He looked toward the cockpit and caught Nahima looking at him, but she quickly cast her eyes down when she saw him looking her way.
The guilt, frustration and anger were gnawing at him.
Damn it! I need to do something.
Jeff looked up at his gun-belt which hung on the wall nearby. He looked toward the cockpit. Dave was driving and the others were sitting quietly either staring blankly or dozing. They seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.
Jeff stood up casually. He looked again. Nobody seemed to be paying attention to him. He made his way to his belt, gently and quietly lifted it off its hook, and strapped it around his waist. He looked toward the front again.
That’s it... just a few more minutes.
He eased himself onto his jump-scoot, leaned to make sure he could reach the hatch button but didn’t actually hit it. He began scanning the controls, remembering Nahima’s instructions.
Let’s see. First, I hit the Start/Stop, that will power it up. As soon as I do that, somebody’s going to notice, and then I won’t have much time. I’ll hit the button to open the hatch, then hit the Hover/Land to lift-off, press the pedal, and I’ll be gone.
He exhale
d. He could feel his right leg twitching with nervous energy. He took one last look over his shoulder and then hit the Start/Stop button. The jump-scoot hummed and the controls lit up. Jeff didn’t stop to see if anybody noticed. He just hit the hatch button and watched the rear doors swing open. He hit the Hover/Land button and felt himself rising. He pushed the pedal forward and took off a little faster than he intended.
He was pointing slightly upward and seemed to be heading straight for the top hatch door. Damn it! Jeff twisted the yoke, ducked his head and clumsily, but successfully, avoided decapitation.
As he exited the vehicle, he was badly off balance and in danger of losing control. He slowed, straightened himself and got his bearings. Jeff had hoped there would still be some daylight. But it was very dark, and it took Jeff’s eyes some time to adjust. He suspected there were some lights on the vehicle, but he had no idea how to turn them on. It took all of his concentration just to avoid crashing.
Should be a pretty much straight shot up this road, past the felear village, and a little further to the compound, he thought as he tried to recall a mental image of the map they had studied.
As he gained control, he allowed himself a glance over his shoulder and saw Nahima and Rasp standing at the open door. He turned to look forward again and pushed the pedal.
There was an exhilarating rush of acceleration as he shot ahead and rose slightly. He wanted to get above the branches that overhung the road at points.
It had been nearly a half-hour since they had left the village, but he was going much faster than Princess Trina could travel. Within minutes, he could see the glowing lights of the felear village in the distance. Once it was visible, it took seemingly no time until he arrived at the edge and was passing over. Felears of all shapes and sizes stopped what they were doing and looked up at him as he passed.
Jeff had moments of panic. What the hell am I doing? But those moments were overwhelmed by his desperation and anger, as he considered how Baldwin was being treated.
The accelerator pedal was pushed nearly as far forward as it would go. Jeff didn’t have the nerve to go that last little bit, but even so, the sensation of speed was beyond anything he could have imagined. He could see points in the distance, including the walled compound which had just come into view, but the details of the trees below him were indiscernible within the dimly lit greenish blur.
As he approached the compound, he reduced speed, but was still charging at a healthy pace. He scanned the wall for guards but didn’t see any. As he crested the wall, he did see a small number of scattered felears suddenly look up at the unusual sight.
He brought the jump-scoot down within the walls and slowed it to a near stop three feet above the ground. As he reached for the control panel, he saw his hand trembling from the adrenaline. He hit the Start/Stop button and immediately realized he had the wrong sequence. The vehicle dropped, contacting the ground with a violent impact that jarred Jeff’s spine. Then the whole thing started to tilt, slowly and awkwardly. It seemed to be going in slow motion, but Jeff simply couldn’t reposition himself or get a get a foot out to catch himself. He did manage to prevent his leg from getting pinned and pushed himself off so that he ended up face-down in the dirt a few feet from the vehicle.
Bruce Willis would have done that much cooler.
Jeff scrambled awkwardly, trying to get to his feet. He saw the nearby felears reaching for their side-arms. Without thinking, he grabbed his bat and pulled it from his belt. Damn it! Am I bringing a bat to a gunfight? He moved the bat to his left hand and pulled his gun with his right.
He saw a few flashes and instinctively swatted at the shots with his bat. Amazingly the bat actually seemed to absorb the shots. He squeezed off a couple of shots of his own without aiming, and while he was sure he didn’t hit anything, it did have the desired effect as the felears dove for cover. Jeff holstered his gun and took off at a run toward the nearest building.
As he approached the corner of a corrugated metal building, he saw a surprised felear drawing his gun. Without taking time to think, Jeff raised his bat and charged the felear with the intention of knocking the gun out of its hand. As Jeff made the swing, the felear dove out of the way too quickly for Jeff to adjust his swing. The bat hit the corner of the building with a tremendous force, and the metal bent and buckled. Both Jeff and the felear looked with some surprise at the enormous dent Jeff had left, and the felear took off at a run without looking back.
A few other felears who had been approaching also seemed concerned with the power Jeff had shown, and they stopped their advance. Jeff took the opportunity to slip into a narrow, dark passageway between two buildings.
Now what?
Jeff decided to just keep moving and put his faith in the instincts and luck which had served him so well ever since he had left his world. It was so dark, he had to feel his way, but then he heard a sound. Light shone through the crack of a doorway as the door opened out and partially blocked his path ten feet ahead. Jeff froze for a moment, unsure what to do. Whoever had started to open the door had paused. The hinged side was toward Jeff, so he couldn’t see what was happening on the other side. He heard a commotion coming from the area where he had landed, and he knew felears would be coming after him soon.
After a few more moments of hesitation, he charged the door and hit it at a run. He heard a howl and felt a thump as he knocked the felear back into the building. He continued at a brisk pace and soon found himself in a slightly better lit and more open area. Something drew his eyes to a sliver of light coming from a door in a row of buildings opposite him. He had a feeling that’s where he needed to go.
He ran across and waited in front of the door. He could hear felear voices calmly discussing something in their native language. He peeked through the door opening and saw a felear sitting casually, leaning back in a chair with his feet on a desk. Across from him, two others reclined against some crates.
Jeff could hear anxious voices behind him and realized he didn’t have much time to think things through. He pulled the door open and charged in, screaming like a madman for optimum effect. The felear behind the desk was startled and in a bad position for action. He fumbled and fell off his chair as Jeff took a swing at him. Jeff felt the bat impact the felear solidly, and there was a sickening crunching sound that made Jeff cringe. The felear held his side and cowered on the floor where he had landed. Jeff turned his attention to the other two, but they were already scrambling out of the door. On the opposite side of the room from where they had exited, there was another door that was drawing Jeff’s attention. He walked purposefully toward it and was there in several long strides.
He pushed the door open and found himself in a dimly lit, musty-smelling room. He saw someone sitting in a corner, bound and blindfolded but very attentively listening to try to determine what was going on.
“Baldwin!” Jeff shouted and headed for him, slipping his bat into the loop on his belt and pulling a knife from a leather pouch.
“Jeff?” He heard Baldwin’s wavering voice ask.
“Yep, it’s me.” He pulled Baldwin’s blindfold off and began cutting the thick tape that bound his feet and legs.
Baldwin began sobbing, and Jeff felt his own emotions welling up. He didn’t say anything but briefly put a hand gently on Baldwin’s head before going back to the tape.
“We don’t have much time,” Jeff said, not mentioning that he had crash landed the jump-scoot, and even if it was still operable, it was likely surrounded by felears. He worked furiously to cut through the thick layers of tape, and soon Baldwin was free.
Jeff grabbed his arm and lifted him to a standing position. Baldwin nearly fell at first but concentrated and was able to straighten his wobbly legs.
“Come on, we’ve got to get out of here,” Jeff whispered urgently.
“I don’t think my legs work,” Baldwin said with a nervous laugh. He wiped the tears from his face and did his best to move forward as the circulation returned to his legs
.
Jeff handed Baldwin his gun and pulled the bat from his belt for himself. “Just shoot like crazy at any felears you see. Let’s see if we can keep them off balance enough to get past them.”
“I know you can do it... Raja,” Baldwin said.
Jeff smiled and flushed. He wished he had Baldwin’s confidence.
He wasn’t sure if he should try for the jump-scoot or just head for the nearest wall. As he thought about the things that the wall was keeping out, he decided to take his chances with the jump-scoot. Jeff walked quickly toward the exterior door. He heard a sound and jumped, raising his bat instinctively. It was a groan from a wounded felear. Jeff breathed a sigh, relieved to see that he wasn’t a threat and also somewhat relieved that the felear wasn’t dead. He arrived at the door with Baldwin close behind, still a little shaky but gaining coordination with each step. Jeff put his hand on the door and pushed it open slowly. His stomach turned as he saw six or seven felears headed straight for them.
Jeff looked at Baldwin and saw an expression of absolute, stark terror.
“We can’t do it,” Baldwin said.
“Don’t talk like that. We’re going to charge right at them. We’re going to knock them off balance, and we’re not going to stop until we’re out of here.” Jeff wished he felt half as confident as he sounded. “Just shoot at everything that moves.”
Jeff pushed the door open the rest of the way and started toward the felears at a run before Baldwin had any time to object. Baldwin fired a shot, and one of the felears fell. Then the felears opened fire. Jeff swung his bat wildly. He could feel some of the shots impacting his bat but none hitting his body. Wow! This is actually working! They can’t hit me! he thought.
Then he felt an intense pain in his shoulder. It felt like an electric shock combined with a burn. A strong odor hit his nose, and he realized it was the smell of his own singed flesh and clothing. He glanced at Baldwin who was firing frantically and seemed unharmed.
