by Dennis Young
Fire from the west stopped for a moment. She rose and dashed south, her leg trailing blood. Her back was raw from the branch hit, her left shoulder bleeding. She followed Tooley.
More heavy fire, and Tooley dropped. Talice caught up with him, crawling to his side.
“I’m good, Captain, glancing blow. Damn, where’s your HCS?”
Talice didn’t answer as she took aim on a glint of metal fifty yards away. She pulled the trigger twice. A scream, and a figure went down. A shot from the southwest and another figure fell.
“Ollie, stay put, cover us. Briggs, where are you?”
“Coming up from the north now. Got three on the run.”
“Take them out! We can’t fight in the dark, we don’t know how many more Jance has.”
“Hua, we’re on it. The tunnel is empty. I parked the drone.” Briggs was puffing as he ran, his voice bouncing with each step.
Fire from deeper within the forest told Talice Briggs and Dosu had found their marks.
“Get the 10mm drone down to cover you! We’ll follow! C’mon, Tooley. Ollie, swing left!”
They rose to a crouch. Fire from their right took Tooley down again. Talice dropped beside him, crawled behind a tree, and sighted toward smoke. She fired three times, changed her magazine, and waited.
“Talk to me, Tooley!”
A grunt.
Fuck! “If you’re hit, click twice.”
Two clicks. Talice inched toward him, watching all the while. He was still conscious when she reached him. “Talk to me.”
“… Leg… side.”
She untoggled his helmet and stripped away his chest armor, seeing a graze along his ribcage. Then the leg pieces, and blood welled beneath her hand. She reached into his front pouch and pulled out pain-jel and coag patches. Spread the jel. Slapped on the patch. Reached into his pouch again and found his adrenalin hypo-spray.
“I need you, so I’m gonna give you this. If we live through the next hour, you’ll be fine. Otherwise, it won’t matter.”
She rolled him on his back and hit his sternum with the hypo-spray.
Tooley nearly came off the ground. “Holy shit!”
Talice laughed. “Good man. Lie still, give yourself a few minutes.” She listened around, hearing only silence. She clicked the comm button. “Briggs, status.”
“Three bad guys dead, one escaped. Dosu hit, but not bad. We’re nominal. Holed up, defensive spot.”
“Is the one that got away Jance?”
“No idea. Captain, this was a setup all the way!”
Don’t I know it. Fucking Jance! Why the hell did I think she’d play by any rules? Talice shook herself from the black thoughts. “Where is the ATV? Tooley needs evac.”
“Check your Headup, about two kilometers south of your location.”
Talice gave her visor a glance. A red dot pulsed, then steadied. “Got it. Stay safe, that has to be the last of them. I’m still trying to reach Mac.”
“Copy. Sundown in one hour.”
Talice thought for a minute before continuing. Too far for Tooley. We’ve got to find cover. She hit the comm button again. “Ollie, rendezvous with us, then we’ll make it back for the boulders.”
“Captain, I have movement about a hundred meters north of your location. Closing slowly on your position.” Ollie’s voice was barely a whisper.
Fuck. That’s gotta be Jance. Talice licked her bone-dry lips. “Copy, I’m going to draw her off. Once I’m out of sight, get over here with Tooley.”
“I’m shadowing the movement, just in case.”
Talice lifted her visor. “Ollie’s on the way. You two sit tight. If anything happens to me, Briggs is in charge.”
She started to rise, when Tooley reached for her arm. “If it’s Jance, don’t trust her. Take the shot, Captain.”
Talice nodded tightly. “You don’t have to tell me twice. Stay safe.”
She rose to a crouch and moved back the way she’d come.
* * *
Talice paced herself carefully, taking cover behind trees or brush, listening for the rustle of her pursuer. Without her HCS, there was no way Jance, or anyone, could track her. Gotta be the rabbit. Hide when I have to, run when I can. Gotta keep her close, but not too close.
Sundown was closing. The forest was growing dark, and Talice knew she had to get Jance in position of her trap.
If I can find it! Fuck, am I lost? I thought I knew the way back!
She paused, crouched behind a group of young pines, watching between them. Checked her compass and nodded, knowing she was on track.
She was shaking again, from the cooling air, from the effort, from the knowledge she might die here in the dark, and never be found. She dug into her pocket and brought out the BOOST pouch. I can do this now, or hope I have a chance later. Fuck it.
She extracted a vial, uncapped the needle, and took a breath. Then stuck it in the side of her neck, grimacing. Pushed the plunger. A hot rush filled her, and she trembled. With fumbling fingers, she put the empty back into the pouch and stuffed the whole thing back in her pocket.
She shook with the injection. She gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering. Finally, with a clearing mind, she listened again.
Sounds from the north. She gripped Bělinka’s carbine tighter and waited for a target.
Not enough light to see a reflection. Dammit, Jance probably planned it this way. When the fuck am I going to figure this woman out?
“Hey, Talice!”
Fuck! Talice took aim at where the voice came from. Waited. Waited some more.
“Hey, Talice!”
Fuck you, Jance! You think I’m stupid enough to answer?
“Hey, Talice!”
This is fucking creepy. What the hell…
“Surprise!”
A shout from the side, and the trees around turned into splinters with pulse rifle fire. Talice ducked, rolled, ran in a crouch, dropped and rolled again, and snapped off three shots.
She rose and ran, ducking between trees and brush, heading in the direction she hoped was her trap. Gunfire chewed the forest behind her, rounds ricocheting off rocks, stinging her arms with shrapnel. She tripped, fell, rolled again, sighted behind her, emptied her magazine. Rose and ran, slapping in another ten rounds of AP.
Gunfire caught her, sizzling across her left shoulder, ripping through her right hip. She cried and went down in a heap, losing her gun. She crawled back to it, rose on one knee, pressed the Full Auto button, and fired the entire magazine again.
A scream. Got you, bitch!
Talice didn’t hesitate. She knew she was hurt and didn’t dare close. She limped away, finally spying her lifeline, taut between the tree and her HCS above.
She swung around the tree, crouched against the pain, panting and waiting. She dug into her pocket, pulled out the BOOST pouch again, and hit her neck with the last charge. She nearly screamed, bit her lip until it bled, then waited as the meds were absorbed. She was buzzing inside. Squeezed her eyes shut. Fucking heart is gonna explode, I just know it!
She watched, seeing nothing, hearing nothing. It was nearly dark. At last she heard footsteps on the underbrush, but saw no one. The footsteps paused. Started again. Pause once more.
Movement, and she caught a glimpse of a kneeling figure, twenty meters away. Facing the trap. Got one shot at this. Showtime.
Talice yanked the rope. The HCS suit dropped, hovered upright as though standing. She’d set the lift belt controls to do just that. Gunfire erupted from the brush, riddling the HCS. Talice aimed and snapped off three shots just behind the muzzle flash.
A scream. Talice fired again, lower, three more shots. Then the rest. Slapped in a fresh cartridge pack. Waited. Waited. Waited.
No one moved from the brush. Talice rose, keeping the tree as cover. Waited and watched some more.
A figure staggered into sight, arm bleeding, pulse rifle dangling, blood running from beneath shattered leg armor.
There was barely enough light
to see. Talice moved slowly from behind the tree. “Stop right there, Jance.”
Jance halted, coughed, blood running down her chin. “You cheated. Trap.”
Talice laughed, then snarled. “Yeah, like you and your fucking army. Really just like the contract says, right?”
“Hell, Talice, that was just to make it interesting. And you shot the hell out of them, didn’t you? Well, they really weren’t good mercs anyway.” Jance nodded to Talice’s wounds. “You didn’t come out so bad.”
“Drop the gun.”
Jance tugged at her braid of red hair. It slid from her head and landed softly beside her. Her head was nearly bald.
“Is that a… wig?”
Jance chuckled with effort. “Yeah. When all your hair falls out, a girl’s gotta do something to stay pretty, right?”
“Jance… what happened to you???”
Another painful laugh. “Aw, fuck, Talice, you know. Fucking Crius worms. Just like you. Happened last time we were there, two years ago.”
When we were saving the sex-slaves? And you used Babs as bait to nearly kill me? Damn, you Jance! Talice shook her head, not knowing what to say.
Jance coughed bloody spittle. “Didn’t have the best doctor, I guess.”
It hit Talice like a thunderbolt. “That’s why you took Babs!” And Babs never told me!
Jance shrugged, leaned to her left, breathing heavily.
“Jance… dammit Jance! If you’d just gone to the Marines! Dammit!”
“With my record? Sure. That’s gonna happen in your dreams.” Jance trembled. “You were the golden girl. Not me. I was just a dumb Grunt.”
“We were all dumb Grunts! Together!” Talice steeled herself. Can’t let her kill me now. Stay focused. Dammit!!!
“I… I can help.” Talice shook with the words. “Just… let me.”
“Oh, you can help, alright. Just one more thing to do.”
Jance raised the barrel of her pulse rifle. Talice screamed. Fired. Fired again. Emptied the magazine.
Jance went down in a spray of blood. Talice ripped out the empty clip, fumbled with a full one, drove it home with the heel of her hand. Waited. Smoke curled from Bělinka’s carbine. Even the stock beneath the barrel was warm.
Talice shuffled to where Jance lay, holding her breath against the pain in her hip and the possibility Jance would somehow rise and kill her where she stood. Kicked the pulse rifle out of arm’s-reach. Kept her gun pointed at Jance.
Jance wasn’t moving. Jance wasn’t breathing.
Talice had shot true.
She stood over Jance’s body, the BOOST meds still clawing at her system, almost forcing her to run. Climb a tree. Do a million pushups. Something. Anything but stand still.
She was buzzing, but she was numb. She raged inside. Dammit, Jance. Fuck! Just fuck!!! Dammit, fucking dammit!!!
She went to her knees hard, ignoring the pain. Accepting it. Embracing it. Reveling in it.
Reached down her pants leg.
Ripped off the Cemlac-12Ultra patch she’d put on only hours ago.
Knew the other was spent.
Didn’t care.
Threw the patch weakly into the brush.
Then sat down beside the body of Jance Sukano and cried her eyes out.
* * *
The voices in Talice’s headset went unanswered for more than two hours. In the dark, it took Ollie and Tooley that long to find her. They carried her into the boulder-cum-bulwark, cleaned and dressed her wounds, then started an emergency hemopac. Talice was in bad shape. There was little they could do but keep her warm, and watch for predators and bad guys.
Briggs and Dosu arrived in the ATV before midnight. They’d tracked through the forest, checking for anyone left of Jance’s mercs. None were found alive. They didn’t know what the situation was with Bird One. Hadn’t heard for hours. So they set a guard and hunkered down for the night.
Talice didn’t wake the next morning. She was still breathing, and her wounds were clean and free of infection.
They waited for word from Bird One. By nightfall, they’d still heard nothing.
* * *
“Talice, it’s Mac. You there? Talk to me.”
Talice heard the words, but couldn’t answer. Her mouth simply wouldn’t work. And felt like someone had poured sawdust into it. She had no idea where she was. It came to her that, for whatever reason, she still had her headset on. She waved a limp arm, hoping someone would see.
Scrabbling sounds, and Briggs’s voice. “Mac, we copy! Damned glad to hear from you!”
“We’re on approach. Ship is damaged, still airworthy. Flash your position, and we’ll land close as we can. Status on the team?”
“Talice is hurt, Tooley took a couple of light wounds, and Dosu has a graze.” He paused. “How’s Jian?”
“Recovering. Jamal says he’ll be fine, but may need a new lung.”
“Yeah, well, the Marines will be happy to do that for him.”
“Let me talk to Talice.”
A pause. “She’s out cold. Couple of bad wounds, and I think it’s something else. If you know what I mean.”
“Okay, understood. We’re entering orbit, so give us a couple of hours. I’ll get back to you then.”
Briggs moved to where Talice could see him without turning her head. “You heard?”
Talice nodded weakly.
“We’re gonna get you home, Captain.”
Talice finally got her mouth to function. Barely. “Get… get Jance’s body,” she whispered.
Briggs turned and barked a command at Tooley and Ollie. Then looked at Talice again. “Why her? Why not the others?”
Talice flopped a hand over Briggs’s meaty arm and squeezed. “Medical. Babs will know.” She cleared her throat. Obviously, that was all her vocal cords were going to allow for a while.
“Hua, Captain. Rest. We’ll be on the way home soon.”
Talice smiled. Or at least in her mind she smiled. Then the world faded mostly away.
* * *
Talice felt herself lifted and carried gently along. Then stopped. Bird One descended, the thrusters sounding like the wind, flattening everything beneath them, raising dust and grit and deadfall. Then quiet. She was moved again.
Up the ramp and into the ship. Mac’s voice was full Drill Instructor loud. Something about the infirmary. Something about Tooley and Dosu in their quarters, and Jamal would see to them. Something about… Talice couldn’t tell. The engines roared, even before the ramp was up and locked. The ship rose, hard. Everyone braced themselves. Talice clung to the stretcher edges with all her might. Which wasn’t much.
Fucking Abie. Showing off again. This time, Talice managed a real grin. The ship leveled, and the ride smoothed out.
Mac’s face was above her, studying her wounds, opening her eyes, making sure she was alive. Then sat back. “Guess you’re gonna live after all. Where’s your damn patch?”
“Threw it… away.”
Mac turned and said something to Jamal. Then looked at Talice once more. “What’s your safe combination? We need a patch for you.”
Talice said nothing.
Mac’s dark face darkened further. “This is no time to be a tough guy, Princess.”
“Just get me home alive. I need to see Babs.”
“You need to heal. And to do that, you need your patches.” Mac drew closer. “What’s this about Jance’s body, anyway?”
“Need to see Babs. Gotta talk with her first. Important. Can’t tell you now.”
“You’re gonna die on the way home without your patches, and Babs will never hear what you want to tell her. So it’s the patches or nothing.”
Talice let out a sigh. Curled a finger for Mac to draw closer. Whispered the code into her ear.
Mac drew back. “One patch. That’s all. Okay?”
Talice shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. But whatever you say, Sergeant.”
* * *
The Infirmary at Northland Marine Base…
<
br /> All Talice remembered about the trip back to Base was… nothing. Mac kept her in Bird One’s infirmary under light sedation. A few hours less worry was probably Mac’s thought.
She recalled nothing of the landing. Nothing of the transport to the Base infirmary. Barely anything about the room she was taken too. Couldn’t identify the voices heard. Or what those funny noises were. Or the darkness, like a lid closing over her. Then the world simply went away.
* * *
She began to wake. Her mind felt like someone had thrown a wet blanket over it. She had little real processing power, and even less control. Her limbs trembled. Her voice made strange sounds. She came to realize she wasn’t in a bed, but between Anti-Grav plates. Dressed only in a light bedshirt.
Didn’t I do this? What the hell…
A tone, and she lowered slowly. A bed extended below her. The A-G plates moved aside. Dammit, this is weird. I did this. I know I did…
Pillows rose from the bed, propped her into a semi-seating position. She opened her eyes at a voice.
“Welcome back, Princess.”
Talice smiled. “Mac. Damn. I thought I was dead. Again.”
Mac took Talice’s hand and squeezed it gently. There were no IV needles, no bandages she could see… nothing. She felt… fine. Sleepy, but fine.
“We’re at the Base infirmary?”
Mac nodded.
“Babs. I need to talk to Babs.”
“She’s on the way. I buzzed her as soon as you started waking.”
The door opened, as on cue. Babs and Doctor Idowu entered and approached.
“Okay, Marine, drop and give me twenty.” Babs smiled a huge smile. Doctor Idowu stood at the foot of the bed, his face calm and reassuring.
“What’s… going on? Babs, what the hell?”
Babs unbuttoned the top of Talice’s bedshirt. Put an old-fashioned stethoscope to her chest and listened for a minute. Then looped the device back around her neck. “Okay, your heart’s beating, so I guess we can talk.” She took a breath. “You’ve been in medical stasis.”
“… What? Why?”
“So the doctors could kill your damn bugs, Princess.” Mac squeezed her hand again.
