Mack 'n' Me: The Wolves of Alpha 9

by C. M. Simpson

  “But I thought...” I began, looking over at Tens.

  He shook his head. “We had to drop the blocker to get everyone back down to the surface to ratify the ruling. The arach were waiting.”

  “I didn’t think they had local capability,” I said, and he nodded.

  “It didn’t occur to any of us, either.”

  “The port happened just before you took the Rennet’s World ship.” Rohan’s words dropped into the momentary silence like a stone.

  Delight’s head snapped around. “They what?”

  The kid gave her an uncertain look, and then continued. “I couldn’t work out how they’d done it, so I went back over the logs.”

  He gave Tens an apologetic glance. “I haven’t had time to let you know, but Cas and I traced the beam to the ship.”

  Delight looked over at Pritchard and the man nodded. “We didn’t get through to the teleportation center until just before you blew the bridge door. I hadn’t thought they’d done anything.”

  Tens shrugged. “My bad.”

  It was as close to an apology as I’d ever heard him make, but at least we knew where the signal had come from...and that it wasn’t likely to happen, again.

  “And the arach?”

  “Their ship is hanging at the edge of the system,” Delight informed me. “We think if we can clear the arach off the world, it’ll go away.”

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  She shrugged. “We can’t catch it. We have ships closing, but if she jumps, we won’t be able to track her.”

  “It’s a queen,” I told her, and she nodded.

  “We know. We’re working on it.”

  ‘Working on it’ meant Odyssey was doing the best they could, probably pulling resources from other situations to try and track the ship once it left...

  Because it was going to leave. With the death of the arach king, and the world too secure to plunder, they would leave. The only problem was how long it would take them to come back.

  “Exactly,” Delight agreed, which brings me to your task.”

  I sat a little straighter, glancing at Mack. We had a task?

  “We have a task,” he confirmed, “but she wouldn’t tell us until you arrived.”

  Huh, so I had been holding up the party.

  Yup.

  I resisted the urge to give him the finger, but he saw the thought cross my mind, anyway.

  Delight, if she noticed the exchange, ignored it.

  “Me, Case and Stepyan are going planetside to take care of the arach holed up in Barangail’s mansion...and any Rennet’s wolves that happen to get in the way.”

  Judging from the sour look on Mack’s face, this was something he’d lost the argument on—and I wondered why Case and Stepyan had been singled out.

  “Assassinating a planet’s governance isn’t something Odyssey condones,” Mack told me, glaring at Delight, “regardless of how badly it needs to be done.”

  Delight’s face gave nothing away, and Pritchard’s was just as blank.

  Case shrugged. “It’s penance. We do this for Odyssey; Mack gets to keep us.”

  That was pretty much how Odyssey worked. The rules only applied if it suited them.

  Delight’s lip curled with scorn, but I ignored her.

  “And the cub?” I asked, instead.

  Before Delight could answer, Mack sighed. “That’s our penance.”

  “For what?” I demanded.

  His lips twitched with amusement. “Apparently ancient tech is something that needs to be reported and shared.”

  “Like hell, it does.”

  Case snickered, and Delight raised her eyebrows. She pursed her lips, and pushed back her chair.

  “Well, regardless of what you think,” she told me, “I need to be able to say you were here on our behalf.”

  “You could say it without having us do your dirty work,” I pointed out.

  She smiled. “Now, now, Cutter. You know that’s not how it works.”

  I did...but that didn’t mean I liked it.

  Delight didn’t care, she headed for the door, Pritchard at her back...as always. Anyone might think we were going to cause them trouble.

  Tens pushed back his chair and followed, casting Rohan a look that told the kid to follow, which was when I realized he was coming, too.

  “What did Rohan do?”

  “Hacked a world’s comms system,” Tens threw back over his shoulder.

  “But Odyssey does that all the time...” I protested.

  Rohan patted me on the back as he passed. “Apparently it’s all right for them to do it.”

  Mack just shook his head. “They have the relevant permissions,” he explained, then added. “We do not.”

  Oh... I exchanged a look with Rohan and saw the same thought reflected in his eyes. Yeah, what...ever...

  31—End Game

  Mack and I hit Barangail’s mansion in the entry hall. Rohan had hacked down the teleport shields, again, and he, Cascade and Tens were somewhere in Barangail’s communications center.

  Delight, Stepyan and Case had ended up somewhere deeper, where the arach were making a last-ditch defense. Who knew what the Rennet’s World wolves were doing, but as long as they didn’t get in the way of us getting the cub, I didn’t care.

  Whatever, right? Even I knew our chances of that were next to none.

  “Get your head in the game.” Mack’s voice rumbled through my head and sent shivers through my chest.

  Still, it pulled me back to the present and my eyes registered the wolves before mind did. My hands were moving and I was firing even as I registered the Rennet’s World patches on the guards’ chests.

  My guess is they were pretty pissed about losing their ride home, but I truly didn’t care. They were all going down...which was about when I registered that Mack hadn’t slapped me with a stim pack...which was unusual.

  “Doc said you’d reached your limit for the week,” Mack told me.

  I had a limit?

  “When it comes to that last kind, you do.”

  Oh. Well, that couldn’t be good. I just hoped I could do it under my own steam. No way known did I want to be caught short just when I needed a boost.

  Mack chuckled. “Way you train?” he asked, shooting one guard between the eyes, and a second four times in the chest.

  On the fourth shot, it’s shielding caved and Mack’s fifth and sixth shot took it in the face.

  I kept in close beside him, taking down the wolves on our right, while he took down those on our left. We cleared the atrium in record time.

  “Cub, Rohan,” Mack snarled, closing on the elevator. “Up or down?”

  A sixth guard appeared from an alcove beside it and Mack’s gun and mine spoke in unison, moving to take out the wolf coming around the other side.

  “Anyone would think you two were made for each other,” Tens commented, and snickered at our united reply.

  “Shut it, Tens.”

  “Down,” came Rohan’s reply, before any of us had a chance to speak, again. “Two floors, bear right to the third junction and then go left to the next junction and then halfway along the next right after that.”

  The map came up in our HUDs as he spoke, and the elevator doors opened.

  “Tell me that was you,” Mack demanded, and Rohan responded.

  “I called the elevator to your location and opened the doors. The wolves are trying to take it back, but I can hold it until you reach the level you need.”

  “Is there another way out?”

  “I’ll find one while you find the cub.”

  “And I’ll hold the center while we beam out the data,” Tens added, referring to the mission they’d been given.

  Apparently, it hadn’t really been operational support for Mack and me... Not that it mattered. I was pretty sure they were taking care of Delight and our assassins, as well—and no-one was complaining.

  “As long as we get the mission done,” Tens added.

>   Mack and I didn’t keep them waiting. We stepped into the elevator as one, pressing back-to-back so we could cover the doors on both sides.

  “Your front, Cutter,” Rohan informed me as the elevator came to a halt.

  I felt Mack pivot as the doors opened.

  “Halls are clear both sides. The guards have been pulled to Delight’s team,” Tens added.

  That didn’t mean we let our guards down. It did mean, we moved at a half jog, though, going right and sliding up to each junction before we checked and crossed it.

  The boys hadn’t led us astray. We saw no-one and heard nothing until after we’d gone left and then right, again. From the sound of rapid fire coming from further down, we weren’t alone.

  “Move your asses,” Tens cut in, and the doors popped open in front of us. “The arach are down and the wolves are pissed.”

  “Rohan’s got the teleport?” Mack asked, as we curled our way around the door, firing in chorus at the wolf guards turning our way.

  “For the moment.” The kid sounded like he was gritting his teeth. “But you’d better be fast cos I’ve only got the one shot.”

  “Get Delight’s team out first,” Mack instructed.

  “She said the cub had to go first.”

  “I’m in charge,” Mack snapped, although I was pretty sure he wasn’t.

  Rohan took it as an order. “Gotcha, boss.”

  Hell, I couldn’t blame the kid. I wouldn’t argue with Mack either.

  “Sure, you would.”

  Thanks, Mack.

  In the few seconds it took for that exchange, we’d killed the other two guards.

  “Door’s locked,” Mack shouted.

  “Busy!” came Rohan’s reply.

  “Dammit! Cutter!”

  I sidled over to the door and Mack stepped around me to put himself between me and the way we’d come in. Much as I hated doing it, I turned my back so I could work on the cub’s cage, wishing I could kill his guards all over, again.

  “Later, Cutter. Just get them out of there.”

  I worked as fast as I could, patching into the lock and letting my head do its thing, which was good. Doing that kept it too busy to contemplate what I was seeing.

  I gave a gasp of relief as the door released.

  “Move it, Cutter,” Mack growled, when I hesitated.

  “Move!” he snapped, when I couldn’t bring myself to take the step I needed to get to where the cub and his she lay curled together.

  It was enough to break my momentary paralysis and covered the distance, laying my blasters to either side so I could lay a hand on each of their shoulders.

  To my relief, neither of them whimpered. Their heads snapped around and though there was fear in their eyes, there was defiance, too...and then relief, so much relief...

  “Cutter,” the cub managed, his voice just short of a moan.

  “She,” the girl added, and released the cub long enough to hold out a hand.

  “Give me a gun.”

  I didn’t argue with her, just handed her the closest blaster.

  “Don’t waste the charge,” I told her. “We still need to get out of here.”

  The pair of them struggled to their feet, and I handed the cub the other blaster not wanting him to be unarmed when his she wasn’t. He took the gun with as solemn nod and went through the handling drill like he’d been born to it.

  “Let’s go,” he ordered, leading the way from the cell.

  “Do you know the way out?” Mack asked, eyebrow raised.

  The cub shook his head. “You have the direction.”

  He tapped the side of his forehead indicating Mack’s HUD. “You lead.”

  I followed, pulling my spare guns. They were smaller, but I doubted either kid was going to give up their blaster.

  “I’ll take the rear.”

  Mack nodded, heading for the door.

  The sound of gunfire was louder, now. I stifled a smile when the cub handed his blaster to his she and took hers. She scowled, but accepted his demand, her head up as she sought the source of the firing.

  I watched as the cub went through the drill to check the weapon she’d held, just as thoroughly as he’d checked his own. He caught my look and flicked his ears, his eyes sliding to the girl, before his ears pricked and his muzzle turned toward the three figures coming down the corridor.

  “Don’t fire!” I shouted, recognizing Stepyan’s lanky form and Delight’s more lethal silhouette. “They’re friends.”

  “Friends,” I repeated, as the She lowered the blaster’s muzzle.

  “They have injured,” the cub observed, and I registered Pritchard supporting Case’s more solid figure.

  “They’re not going to reach you.” Rohan’s words were not what we needed to hear. “You need to get to them in five...”

  “Behind you!” Tens broke in as he spoke.

  I didn’t stop to ask questions, but pivoted to take out the first wolf soldier to come around the nearest corner. I was firing when I registered Mack speaking.

  “Get your She to the assassin. Cutter and I will hold them.”

  Stepyan heard ‘the assassin’ and kept coming back.

  Rohan’s voice rang death-knell final.

  “Four.”

  More figures were coming around the corner, and I felt Mack’s hand on my shoulder as we fired together.

  “Rohan. As soon as they’re close enough get them out of here. You got me?”

  “Three... Two...”

  “Go!” Stepyan’s voice sounded angry, even as he gave the command.

  I felt the air fizz behind me as the teleport took Delight’s group and the cubs out of the complex.

  “We’re gone.”

  “Tens,” Mack rumbled, and I took out another wolf as it charged toward us.

  “We got you.”

  “Get back to the ship.”

  “Already there,” Rohan confirmed, and he didn’t sound happy.

  “Good, now find me some stairs.”

  “Back one and pivot right if you’re reversing. Left if you’re going forward.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Mack pivoted to face the way Delight had appeared from. He hooked a hand through my arm and I heard the bark of his blaster as I followed the tug of his hand. At least I knew he wasn’t going to leave me behind.

  “Not a chance,” he murmured, shooting as he spoke. “I make sure I tidy up after myself.”

  Nice, Mack.

  He chuckled and dragged me right.

  “Where to, Rohan?”

  I turned my head in time to see a panel blow out of the wall ahead of him. “Where’s it go?”

  “Onto the shuttle deck near the overlook.”

  Man, I hoped that meant they’d sent someone to get us.

  I remembered Case being half carried, half dragged, and wondered what the chances were. Mack yanked me through the panel, twisting around so I was running up a very steep and narrow set of stairs in front of him.

  “What the everloving...”

  “My armor’s thicker.”

  Man had a point. Didn’t mean I liked it, but he was making sense.

  “Nice to know I have your approval,” he snarked.

  I refrained from pointing out that his head was thicker, too—and he slapped me on the ass! Man, if I hadn’t had to worry what was ahead of us, I might have shot him then and there.

  He fired three rapid shots down the stairwell behind us.

  “Run faster!”

  I tried, relieved when Rohan opened up another panel ahead of me.

  “Out and straight ahead,” the kid ordered.

  I did as he suggested, resisting the urge to come to a screeching halt when I saw where we were: The Overlook...just as Rohan had promised.

  The shuttle space was empty—and so was the sky, when I twisted around to look up at it. Twenty yards away another door slammed open and two very pissed wolves came out.

  They looked wildly around.

  “Fuc
k.”

  My single comment on the whole situation brought their heads around, but Mack wound an arm around my waist urging me forward...across the shuttle deck toward the dining area set up on the edge of the gorge.

  Oh, boy... I really hoped we weren’t...

  Pushing that thought away, I focused on running. Together, we bounded across the shuttle platform and dropped into the balcony area just beyond it.

  At least the drop gave us cover from the wolves emerging from the doors on the other side of the shuttle pad.

  Mack and I hit the balcony and ran through the open space overlooking the gorge. Doors led into another dining area, currently vacant and strangely familiar.

  For a fleeting moment, I had the feeling I’d been there before.

  Mack caught that thought and snickered. “Don’t you remember?”

  Crap! Well, now he mentioned it...

  “You think Tens will pick us up anytime soon?” I asked, just as a solid thump and a triumphant howl announced the arrival of the first of our pursuers.

  This wasn’t as bad as seeing the elevator doors on the other side of the inside restaurant open...or the fact we’d hit the end of the balcony and had to scramble over the railing so we could drop down to the shuttle pad snugged into the side of the cliff.

  Mack danced back a couple of steps and I backed up with him. He snapped off a shot with his Blazer, but the weapon didn’t even spark.

  “Completely out of charge,” he growled, stuffing it back into its holster. “Those wolves had better get here, soon.”

  I figured he meant this world’s new Hunt Master and his pack, and not the Rennet’s World invaders currently boiling over the edge of the upper platform or through the restaurant.

  We dropped down and started jogging across the shuttle pad toward the platform that ran along its lip. It gave us one hell of a view of the gorge.

  “The Hunt Master will have control, soon.” Delight’s voice was an unwelcome distraction.

  “Not soon enough,” Mack growled, grabbing my hand and starting to run.

  I looked at him suspiciously.

  “You taking me off another cliff?” I asked, and he laughed.

  “Sweetheart, I’ll take you anywhere you want.”

  And somehow, I didn’t think he was being politically correct.