by K A Bledsoe
Diarmin’s right eyebrow rose slightly. That may appear to be a consent, but he knew that Lenore had said that because the patrol would never let a citizen go on a rescue mission, much less a teen.
“We are wasting time. Gotta go,” said Lenore and she was down the ladder before they could respond. Her voice yelled back up. “Love you kids. Let’s go Diarmin!”
Diarmin gave each of them a quick hug.
“See you two soon,” he said and then descended to ready himself for what was sure to be a vicious fight.
***
As the shuttle headed for the patrol ship, Quinn figured the fastest course back to the asteroid base while muttering angrily under his breath.
I could have gone with them. I could have helped. I know enough to not be in the way.
But even as he thought that, he knew he couldn’t be a good backup. He didn’t know weapons and would be a liability. He set his jaw. Maybe it would be better for him to find another place. His mother wouldn’t teach him weaponry. She was too worried about keeping him safe to let him do anything interesting. Maybe it was time for him to start learning from someone else.
“Quinn?”
He started at Allison’s soft voice. He had forgotten she was there and the look she gave him made him feel a little guilty at his selfishness.
“What is it, Alli?”
“Well, I don’t know. I got some funny readings and I’m not sure what they mean. Should we ask Mom and Dad?”
“You know the rules. Level Five Alert means listening only, no communication. And they are docking with the ship now so we don’t want to distract them. Show me the readings.”
As she swiveled the screen to show Quinn and pointed out her analyses, he got a sinking feeling in his gut.
“Are you sure that’s accurate, Alli?”
“Yes. Verified three times.”
“Then if that means what I think it means, they are in very serious trouble.”
Chapter Thirty-three
After the boom of the syncing docking ports and during the hiss of pressurization, Diarmin turned to his wife, both of them drawing their weapons.
“How do you want to do this?” he asked.
“Let them decide on how we retaliate.”
Diarmin nodded, knowing that it all depended on the thieves’ first shot. The light turned green so Diarmin hit the panel to open the hatch and ducked back into the shuttle so only his blaster faced the opening.
Immediately after the doors split open, blue fire came cracking through. Stun beams instead of kill shots which meant they would stun the men if possible. Lenore’s face took on a grim determination as she pulled a stun grenade from her ammo belt. She nodded to Diarmin and he lay down covering fire as she bent low to get a quick look. It only took a second then she armed the device and lobbed it through the hatch. They both covered their ears and squeezed their eyes shut against the detonation of the grenade. The rain of fire ceased and then both were through the hatches.
Both fake patrolmen were on the ground, one unconscious and the other moaning weakly. Diarmin disarmed the unconscious one while Lenore quickly handcuffed the other and hauled him to his feet. Diarmin picked up the other and tossed him over his shoulder and nodded to Lenore to lead the way toward the cells.
Two corridors later, Diarmin regretted his burden as he was sure the man was drooling down his back, but the brig was straight ahead. There were two standard cells, side by side, a clear wall between them and force fields in the front. One was occupied by Kurla and the other stood open.
“Put him in there,” Lenore told Diarmin with a jerk of her head. “I’ll switch this one out with the hostage.”
Diarmin slowly eased his burden to the bed as Lenore paused in front of the cell.
“Code please,” she said, poking her prisoner behind the ear with her blaster. He mumbled some numbers, and Lenore punched them in, deactivating the force field.
“Oh, thank the Gods of Clarity. I am rescued.” She rushed over to Lenore to embrace her enthusiastically. “I thought these horrible men were going to kill me. Thank you so much, Captain.”
Lenore had to release the cuffed man in order to push Kurla away.
She still wasn’t quick enough.
Diarmin pulled his own blaster as he realized that Kurla had Lenore’s own weapon aimed at the spot between her eyes.
“I really didn’t think I would be seeing you two again,” said Kurla. “You both struck me as mercenaries willing to cut and run as soon as the cargo was taken. Ah ah ah,” she said, apparently noting Lenore tensing for a reaction. “No trying to resist, I won’t hesitate for a point-blank shot. And you over there. Put your own gun down before I mess up your wife’s face.”
Diarmin knew he had no choice, especially when his “unconscious” prisoner sat up with a smirk and pulled ear plugs out of his ears. The man grabbed Diarmin’s blaster and held it on him, not as close as Kurla was to Lenore. He taunted Diarmin by waving a personal shield device in front of him.
Diarmin could see the icy calm in Lenore’s eyes despite having her own blaster muzzle held inches in front of her face.
“Binder key, please. No no,” said Kurla as Lenore started to reach. “Just tell me.”
“Left jacket pocket.”
Kurla’s eyes never left Lenore’s as she dug around in said pocket. Diarmin simply stood, wanting a chance at retaliation but his captor was not taking his eyes off him at all.
“Here we go, Renny,” said Kurla. He backed up to her and, still without taking her eyes from Lenore’s, Kurla unlocked his binders.
Kurla was well trained.
“Search them,” said Kurla after that man pulled out his earplugs as well. He didn’t bother with any taunts but Diarmin knew he had had a shield as well.
The blaster point didn’t waver as the man she called Renny found and divested Lenore of her other weapons, the needle gun, holdout blaster and two tiny knives. Strangely, he left her gloves on and Diarmin knew of other devices he hadn’t removed. But now was not the time to think about it as Renny left Lenore’s cell to come search him. There was only one hidden blaster and a knife in his boot, but those were found easily enough. Kurla slowly backed away, blaster still aimed at Lenore’s head, until she was out of the cell. Diarmin tensed in case Lenore had an opportunity while Kurla was still in her reach, but since there were two guys on him, he wasn’t sure what he could do.
This wasn’t good.
Renny had finished searching Diarmin so Kurla activated the force field on Lenore’s cell and then Diarmin’s as the men exited.
“Hob. Go.” Kurla pointed down the hall and the other man nodded and left for some obvious previous plan. Diarmin’s stomach sank as it was most likely to take the shuttle and retrieve the children. He fought down panic and saw Lenore’s throat moving ever so slightly. She was using her subvocals. Maybe she has a plan, some message to the kids. But the panic still kept coming.
Kurla turned to Renny and gave him Lenore’s blaster.
“Watch them.”
Suddenly a loud boom of decompressing atmosphere reverberated through the ship followed by an alarm. Lenore and Diarmin were protected from vacuum behind the force field, but Kurla and Renny had to grab onto something before they were sucked out of what was evidently an opening or hole in the hull. After only a few seconds, however, a clang was heard, and the negative pressure let up. Hob must have closed the breach. Kurla, breathing heavily and looking quite angry, yelled into her wrist unit.
“Report!”
“The shuttle disengaged from the ship, apparently remotely, leaving the hatch open to space. I managed to close it before I was pulled out.”
Kurla turned back to Lenore.
“Somehow they knew. Ah, of course.” She took the weapon back from Renny. “Search the man for a patch behind his ear.” Her smug smile was almost more than Diarmin could take. Renny entered the cell and pulled off the receiver patch and transmitter patch on Diarmin’s throat, then heade
d for Lenore’s cell. As Renny searched her again, Diarmin noticed the anger on her face. He knew she was showing that anger on purpose so as not to tip them off that she had any sort of transmitters.
“She’s clean, no patches.”
The cells were reactivated and Kurla returned the weapon to Renny.
“No worries. We have an alternate plan.” She grinned at Lenore. “And you two fetch the most money anyway. The children are merely a bonus. I’m going to see if the computer has fixed those engines yet.”
Her wrist bleeped and a voice came out.
“The shuttle has returned to their ship and it looks like they are preparing to transwarp.”
Kurla looked annoyed, but Diarmin couldn’t tell if it was because the kids were leaving or because Hob had reported where anyone could hear.
“Acknowledged. Get on those repairs.”
“So. Running away, are they?” Kurla’s head swiveled between her two prisoners. “Typical kids.”
She turned and left.
Well, now what? Standing wasn’t doing him any good, so he walked to the bed and sat, not at all amused when the man’s blaster followed his every move. What could they do behind a force field? Well, a lot but he and Lenore would have to plan. The clear wall between the cells allowed them to see each other, but they couldn’t speak as long as they were being watched. As Lenore also headed for her bed, she looked at him directly for the first time since they had been captured. He couldn’t help but feel a rush of guilt. They’d been played. By a girl barely older than Quinn. Anger and guilt now played equally in both their expressions.
Lenore finally broke the silence. The thick wall made her voice seem like a whisper, but he could easily read her lips. Especially because she echoed his current thoughts.
“At least the kids are safe.”
***
Lenore couldn’t relax. She wanted to pace but wouldn’t give their watcher the satisfaction of knowing how upset she was. It had been nearly two hours since the shuttle had left and the only capitulation Renny had made was to get a chair. He still twitched every time they moved or spoke so they had no chance of divining an answer to get out of this mess. Since their guard’s attention was still sharp, she had to take a chance on a different form of communication. She didn’t know how much Diarmin remembered about the Xa’ti’al hand signals but figured that would be the least chance of the guard figuring out what they were saying.
“Well,” she said aloud. “We have earned the stupidity of the year award.” With her hands she mimed another sentence entirely: Children to base yet?
Diarmin’s eyes widened only slightly and he answered aloud. “Yes, we have. Add gullible to that award and we well deserve it.” His gesture was crude, but she knew what he said. Two hours to base. There soon. Plan?
They continued the idle chatter, to Renny’s obvious annoyance, angling their bodies so he couldn’t see the silent communications.
Lenore: You have any equipment?
None. You?
Gloves, belt, bra.
Diarmin’s eyes lit briefly before he schooled his expression. He knew that “bra” meant her EMP device was still there. It was indeed their best shot, but he asked the one thing she wasn’t sure about.
Force field?
She shrugged. It would render the blaster useless, but she wasn’t sure if it would take out the fields to the cells. The electronics of cells were often shielded against just such an effect or else prisoners would get free when ships were attacked by an electromagnetic pulse, a common weapon of pirates.
Another plan?
She shrugged again. They needed that watcher out of the way. If only they had a distraction.
Kurla entered the brig, that superior smile still on her face. Lenore vowed to herself that she would punch it off later.
“Well, engines are nearly back online.” She turned to Renny. “Help Hob prepare the ship for flight.” He left, taking the blaster with him. Kurla turned back to her prisoners. “Weapons will take slightly longer but will be fixed by the time we reach your ship.”
“Reach our ship?” asked Diarmin. “How will you find it?”
“The same way you found me, I assume. The tracking system should be up and running within minutes. Those devices are very handy.”
“So it was you who planted them,” said Diarmin. Lenore always hated these kinds of conversations, but she knew it was the best way for them to get information.
“Of course. It’s how I got the codes to open the six-alls.”
“Why go after our ship now?” asked Lenore. “You already have the cargo.”
Kurla threw her head back and laughed. Lenore had a feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer at all.
“That cargo was just a lucky score. My real mission was to capture you, Lenore.” Her smile turned malicious and the way she drawled the name told Lenore exactly who had hired this woman. Kurla continued with her gloating. “Thank you for delivering yourselves to me so easily,” said Kurla. “I didn’t think the plan would work but apparently, the chief knows his stuff.”
“You have me. Why go after my ship?”
“For the bonus, of course. The whole family brings quite a hefty sum. Besides, with a few modifications, your ship will suit me just fine. A patrol ship is too easily tracked.”
Footsteps approaching made her turn.
“Renny. I told you—”
“Communications are out,” he said. “Inside the ship as well as external. Hob sent me here to inform you.”
“Damn that Hob. He probably short circuited something when he rebooted the system.” She grimaced, her gloating vanished. “Let’s go help that oaf fix his screw-up.” They both turned to leave but was stopped by someone in the doorway holding a blaster.
“Not so fast, Kurla.”
It was Quinn.
Chapter Thirty-four
Lenore’s heart squeezed which nearly robbed her of breath. Quinn was supposed to be safe at the patrol base. Now he was here and most likely to be captured as well. And where was Allison?
Kurla recovered from her surprise quite quickly. “Hello there. Renny, this is that talented young man I was telling you about.”
The man nodded and Lenore could see Quinn’s eyes narrow.
“I am sorry, what was your name again?” she asked Quinn.
“Why does that matter?”
“We have to know what to call you if you are going to be on my crew,” she said, voice now taking on a tone that Lenore could only describe as silky.
Quinn surprise was evident. “What?”
Kurla shrugged. “I was serious when I suggested you get off the ship with me. We have been looking for a fourth for a while but haven’t found anyone suitable.” She grinned at him. “Until now.”
“You’re crazy,” said Quinn. “I heard what you said about your mission. To capture us.”
“That’s true, but from what I have seen, you are worth more than that part of the bonus. Your talents are wasted with them.” Her hand swept back to indicate Lenore and Diarmin and she unobtrusively took a step forward. “And we can teach you so much more, especially how to handle weapons.” She took another step.
Quinn wasn’t fooled.
“You mean handle like this?” He thumbed off the safety and switched from stun to blast. Lenore knew she hadn’t taught him how to handle a weapon and for the first time, began to worry, not about Quinn’s safety, but about what he was thinking. Quinn took two steps into the room which stopped Kurla’s approach and made her and Renny back up a few steps. “Release them now or I will simply kill you and do it myself.”
“Wow. I believe you. Don’t shoot.” Kurla raised her voice slightly, “I said, ‘don’t shoot.’ That means you too, Hob.”
In the doorway was the third man. Holding a blaster on Quinn.
“Good idea. He might take me out but not before I shoot you,” said Quinn, voice rough.
“I told you he was good,” said Kurla, glancing at Renny. “He
even managed to slip on the ship unnoticed. I assume you are also responsible for our communication failure?”
Quinn nodded. “And overrode the docking alarm and hatches to get on.”
Kurla applauded. “So clever. Better than what they did.” Again, she waved her hand and Lenore fought to keep silent. Clearly they couldn’t have gotten on the way Quinn had since they’d tipped their hand when they fired on the ship. She knew Quinn was smart enough to see this.
“Now, let’s all think this through. Even if you take me out, you will be dropped a second later by Hob and you will fail. But,” she held up a finger. “If you join our crew voluntarily, I will promise you they will not be harmed.”
The tip of Quinn’s blaster wavered slightly, and Lenore’s gut tightened. She could see on his face that he was actually considering it.
“Why would you offer that? Won’t you lose your bonus?”
“The reward was for a live delivery of the woman and the bonus for delivery of the others, dead or alive.”
Lenore actually heard Diarmin’s intake of breath, but it was nothing compared to her own shock and renewed hatred for the Xa’ti’al. That comment showed her that, because of her encounter with Daviss, the Xa no longer wanted her back to rejoin them. Only for revenge.
“So, how would that work then?” asked Quinn. Lenore hoped he had contacted the patrol and now was stalling to give them time to get here.
“We would deliver a body similar to yours with the face destroyed and say that you were killed while attempting a rescue. Come now. We can either fake that, or it will be the truth. Which will it be?” Kurla cocked her head. “We can give you a brand-new identity and you won’t ever have to worry about any further pursuit.”
Lenore hated to see how that comment appealed to her son.
“Wouldn’t those who are offering the reward know the difference? DNA and all that?”
Kurla shook her head. “They know very little about you and the girl. A few blurry photos and general description, that’s all. A side effect of being off the grid your entire life.”
