The Sting of the Bee

by K E Lanning

  With the hair raised on his back, Sparky leapt between Sergei and Lowry.

  Sergei yelled, “Get back, you mutt.”

  Sparky rushed him with a growl. He locked his teeth onto one of Sergei’s legs. With a scream, Sergei lost his grip on Lowry’s ankle. Swearing in Russian, he kicked the dog off with his boot.

  Lowry righted herself and wrapped her arms around Hadeel’s neck, fighting to stay on as the horse bounded sideways. Buck jumped in front of them, but the mare had had enough. With her ears pinned back, she forged ahead, slamming him to the ground with her passing shoulder.

  The mare slid on the metal floor of the ship’s hold, careening out of control across the deck. They headed for a patch of light—the open cargo doors. Lowry cringed as robo-lift moved a crate out, directly in front of them. The horse barreled toward the robo-lift as it beeped and scurried out of their way.

  With crates piled to the ceiling, the only clear path was where the robo-lift was maneuvering. Hadeel’s ears pricked forward and she headed straight for it.

  The deckhands shouted for them to stop. One pointed at her.

  Lowry glanced at him. Yep, it’s that crazy bitch again.

  Hadeel cleanly jumped the robo-lift and crate. Lowry slipped to the side as they landed, but pulled herself back into place as the horse raced out of hold of the ship. She squinted against the blinding sun as they thundered across the planks of the dock. Lowry felt rather than saw the mare leave the dock and find solid ground.

  The mare raced away from the dock. She flew across gray limestone gravel and between monolithic boulders littering the ground—geologic leftovers from the massive ice sheets as they melted away. Her white coat sparkled in the sunlight and the reverberation of the mare’s hooves echoed off the stark fjord cliffs. A dry, cold wind sucked the moisture out of Lowry’s mouth. What a homecoming.

  Hadeel stumbled over the rocks. To their left, the shimmering domed buildings of the mining town beckoned, and Lowry tried to twist the mare’s neck toward them, but to no avail. The mare galloped toward the mountains in the distance. Lowry’s eyes watered from the icy wind whipping her face.

  Lowry finger’s cramped as they gripped the mare’s mane and her legs ached with the strain of clinging to her back. The chill penetrated her thin clothes, and she leaned over Hadeel’s withers, clasping her arms around the warm muscles of the mare’s neck.

  Hadeel ran deep into one of the valleys near the port. Rocky walls towered above them, narrowing as they traveled farther into the gorge. At last, the horse broke into a trot, and then skidded to a halt, nearly hurling Lowry off.

  The steep valley walls corralled the horse and she pawed the ground, trembling with fatigue. One hand at a time, Lowry stretched her cramped fingers. If she dismounted, Hadeel might take off again, leaving her far from the ship. Panting, Sparky caught up with them, and then collapsed on the ground.

  Lowry heard shouts in the distance and looked back in panic, afraid to see Sergei and Buck chasing her. But it was John and Ginnie, hovering over the plain in a small hovercar, waving their arms. Crying with relief, she waved and slipped off the mare’s back. She knelt and patted Sparky’s head. Saved by a dog and a bottle of Antarctic spring water.

  CHAPTER 8

  John jumped off of the hover and ran to Lowry. “What happened?”

  “When I got to your cabin, Buck and Sergei were inside, stealing the video. I snatched it from them and ran like hell.” Lowry swayed and he reached out to steady her. With a smile, she held up the disc to show him. “And I have it!”

  John stared at Lowry’s tangled hair and dirty shirt. She could have been killed. He wrapped his arm around her. “Jesus! Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m fine! Tired, but okay.”

  They stepped back from each other, and John cleared his throat, self-conscious at his overt show of emotion. Ginnie stood beside Hadeel, petting the exhausted mare. “She was gorgeous jumping that robo-lift.”

  Lowry chuckled. “You saw the whole thing?”

  John shrugged. “Ginnie and I had just gotten to our crate when we saw you riding bareback on a half-crazed horse with Buck and Sergei running after you. We grabbed a hover and followed you.”

  Lowry touched his arm. “Thank you, my friend.”

  Ginnie knelt and petted Sparky. “Poor Sparky looks exhausted.”

  Pricking her ears, Hadeel looked toward the city. With a puzzled look, Ginnie said, “Dad, what’s that sound?”

  A strange whirring noise echoed in the valley, and a great dust cloud rose from the direction of the port.

  “Ginnie, can you hold Hadeel’s mane?” While Ginnie held the mare, Lowry yanked off her belt, improvising a halter to hold the mare still.

  The cloud billowed like a storm skimming across the land. John shaded his eyes from the sun and his heart beat in staccato. Four hoverbikes raced across the wasteland of glacial till, like horsemen from hell.

  John had a bad feeling in his gut. These weren’t tourists out on a joy ride, but thugs wanting to kill them. And they were sitting ducks, with no weapons to protect themselves, and no one else aboard the ship knew, or cared, that they had left.

  Terrified, Hadeel reared, lifting Lowry off the ground.

  “Whoa!” She pulled on the makeshift halter.

  Ginnie held her ears as the deafening roar of the engines reverberated off the rock walls. Riders wearing black jackets and helmets drove into the small valley. They slowed to a stop in front of them, killing the engines. A hush dropped over the canyon as the dust enveloped the four riders, hiding them for an instant.

  A breeze lifted the dust like a curtain on a stage. A man strolled toward them with an air of confidence and boyish charm. John recognized him as the head of ANT: Lorenzo Durant, the mastermind of the Land Rush scam.

  Sparky trotted over to Lowry’s side and sat, carefully watching Durant as he approached.

  John had only briefly glanced at Durant during the meeting he had videoed. Now he studied the man. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with short dirty blond hair, but his eyes had the icy luster of steel. John swallowed hard; he was in for a fight with this one.

  Durant held out both of his hands to greet Lowry. With a charming smile and smooth European accent, he said, “Lowry! I do hope you’ll forgive my being so familiar.” Durant laughed. “I’ve heard so much about you, that I feel I’ve known you for years!”

  Sparky growled.

  Sergei called out, “Watch that dog—he’s a biter.”

  Lowry said, “Yeah, he has a taste for Russian jerky.”

  John glanced at Lowry and bit his lip to keep from smiling at the disdain on her face. She wasn’t taking Durant’s hook. She knew exactly who he was and why he was there.

  Lowry crossed her arms at his approach. “Durant—”

  He held up his hand. “Please, call me Lorenzo.”

  She continued flatly. “Durant, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t like you, or what you are doing on Antarctica, and I’ll do everything in my power to stop you.”

  His smile hardened. “How charmingly honest.”

  Durant pivoted to John and Ginnie. “I believe it’s John, isn’t it?” His smile broadened as he turned to Ginnie. “And who is this lovely young woman?”

  John stepped between Durant and his daughter, and then nodded. “Yes, we had a brief encounter earlier. John Barrous, and this is my daughter.”

  Durant bowed slightly. “That ‘encounter’ is precisely why I’m here.” He turned on his heel and began pacing in front of them. “We have a bit of a situation. I believe you have something that might prove awkward for me if it got farther than our little circle.” He stopped and held out his hand. “I want it, now, if you don’t mind?”

  Sergei lifted a rifle from a scabbard on his hoverbike. Ginnie jumped behind John. Durant waved Sergei off. “No need for that, just yet. I’m sure these people are intelligent enough to understand it’s in their best interest to hand ov
er the video.”

  John tilted his head. “And how, may I ask, is it in our best interest?”

  Like a carny running a crooked game, Durant smiled, lifting his index finger into the air. “I checked your background, John, and with the depth of your knowledge of science and art, you are a man I could use. You see, I want to create a cultural utopia in Antarctica.”

  John’s eyebrow twitched. What was this guy selling?

  Durant faced John and held out his hand. “I would offer you an opportunity of a lifetime. I can help you win your land and satisfy your need for art and literature. I need someone to fill that void on my team.”

  He paused, staring at John. “The Land Rush is only the beginning. The vote will soon be coming to Antarctica, and I plan to be the first elected president.”

  “A rather lofty goal,” Lowry sneered, “for a two-bit hustler.”

  Durant’s lips thinned as the cloak of charm disappeared. He stepped toward John and in a cold voice, snapped, “Just give me the video.”

  Silence filled the valley as the adversaries faced each other, waiting for a break point.

  A voice with a hint of a Scottish brogue echoed through the valley. “Heard you were back in town, Lowry girl.”

  They snapped their heads up in unison. Heavily armed men ringed the valley walls, rifles aimed at the gang.

  Laughing, Lowry waved. “Uncle Nick!”

  Durant’s men edged backwards toward the bikes, with their rifles pointing at the men above them. Nick gestured with his rifle. “Maybe these men should move on back to the ship, so we can have a visit?”

  Durant’s scowl broke into a laugh. He made a slight bow toward to John and Lowry. “You may have won this battle, but you won’t win the war.” They returned to the hoverbikes and mounted, then Durant circled back toward them. “And trust me, I will win.” He sped off, and Hadeel skittered sideways from the pebbles and dust sprayed over them.

  Lowry stroked Hadeel’s neck, calming her. She turned to John. “Lucky for us that Uncle Nick was at his retreat. He must have seen the ship in port, and then me and good old Hadeel, racing away from it like mad.”

  Nick and a few others descended into the valley. He gave Lowry a bear hug, then stepped back with a grin, tugging a strand of her hair. “It’s good to see you, girl.” He gestured with his thumb at the retreating hoverbikes. “Too bad Durant arranged your welcome-home party.”

  Lowry nodded. “I’ve got a lot to tell you.” She turned and gestured to John and Ginnie. “Uncle Nick, this is John Barrous and his daughter, Ginnie. I met them on the ship.”

  John stepped toward Nick. Tall and lanky, his penetrating green eyes scrutinized John as they shook hands. The roughness of Nick’s hands spoke of an outdoorsman, and John inwardly winced at the strength of his grip. He was exactly the type of man John had hoped to find in this wilderness.

  John returned the frank look with a smile. “Pleasure to meet you, sir. And thank you for arriving just in time.”

  Nick shook his head with a grimace. “Believe me, it’s my pleasure to be able to poke Mr. Durant. That scoundrel shouldn’t be allowed on Antarctica.” He cocked his head toward the hillside. “It may not be safe to go back to the ship just yet. Let’s go to my place.”

  Lowry looked back at the mare. “What am I going to do with Hadeel?”

  “Armando can lead her back to the ship using the hovercar.” He glanced at John. “As long as John doesn’t mind if he borrows it? Then I’ll take you back to the ship in my vehicle.”

  “Armando is welcome to the hover. We appropriated it ourselves—the crew is probably wondering where it is.”

  Panting, Sparky hobbled over to Nick. He knelt and ruffled the fur on Sparky’s head, and asked Lowry, “Is he okay?”

  “He’s just tired. Two of Durant’s men attacked me on the ship which is why I jumped on Hadeel.” Lowry dropped to her knees and hugged him. “Sparky bit one of them and probably saved my life.”

  Nick patted the dog’s head. “Good boy. Thank you for saving my Lowry.” He pulled a canteen from his knapsack and poured water into his hand. He offered Sparky a drink and the dog lapped up the water. Nick stood. “Come on, Sparky. You can go a little more, can’t you, boy?”

  Sparky stood and wagged his tail.

  The group climbed the narrow path out of the valley and reached the ridge line. Nick pointed toward the port where Destiny was docked. “I watched her cruise in last night.”

  Nick led them along a narrow path, edged with tufted grasses and lingering snow. They rounded the next curve and before them was a small door set directly into the side of the hill.

  Nick stopped in front of the door. “We’re here.” He turned and waved to the rest of the escort. “Thanks, boys, and watch yourselves.”

  With a big smile, Nick opened the door. “Welcome to my hideaway from the mining camp.”

  Like elves, John, Lowry, and Ginnie stooped through the doorway and entered the side of the hill. Lights brightened as they moved inside.

  John and Ginnie gasped at the wondrous sight in front of them.

  Nick had created a sanctuary inside of a mountain cave, with exotic, natural formations of stalactites and stalagmites. They walked farther in, and the lights automatically turned on in front of their steps, leading them deeper into the cavern. Ginnie oohed at the sight of delicate columns formed by calcium carbonate deposited over millions of years. Opalescent nodules dotted the ceiling, shimmering as they moved through the room.

  Nick slipped around them, gesturing for them to follow him into the living area. Sunlight streamed through large windows set in the exterior rock wall with a line of vents along the top. He pointed to the windows. “I blasted away the rock and put in glass windows and ventilation ducts.” With a smile, Nick tilted his head to the panorama below. “You can see the entire valley from here. I had a front-row seat to the showdown with Durant. And luckily, a few of my buddies were nearby.”

  John stepped up to the bank of glass. “Lucky for us.” Shaking his head, he said, “This place is incredible! I assume this is now a dead cave? You don’t appear to have any moisture seeping through the walls. Do you think the warming is going to change that?”

  “I certainly hope not, but I’ll admit it is something I worry about. I cross my fingers that it will stay dry, at least for my lifetime.” With a grin, he winked. “But, I do have running water.” He motioned for them to follow him. “I don’t have many guests. Let me give you the grand tour.”

  The incredible cave formations continued into the kitchen. In the corner of the room, a dripping sound drew their attention to a bowl carved out of the rock, brimming with water. “Without the spring, I couldn’t live here.” He waved his hand to the wall. “On the back side of this wall is the bathroom with basic facilities, including a crude shower.”

  In a small alcove next to the kitchen, John pointed to a light fixture emitting a glorious luminescence. “What is this light?”

  “Natural light, my boy, during the summers, I use fiber optics to pipe in the sun.”

  They moved into the bedroom, and delicate white minerals hung from the ceiling. “Here, I added fiber optic lights between the crystals, making a chandelier of the entire ceiling.”

  After the tour, they returned to the large living room, and sat in a circle of chairs.

  Nick gazed at Lowry. “A lot has happened since you left Antarctica. That lovely gentleman you were having the conversation with is determined to be Antarctica’s first president.”

  Lowry grimaced. “Yeah, that’s what his majesty told us.”

  With a furrowed brow, John asked Nick, “We know he’s a shyster, but what do we know about his background?”

  Nick leaned forward in his chair with a scowl. “He’s one of the vultures who sprung up in Europe after the years of post-Melt depression. He’s smart and has powerful friends in key positions—especially in Moscow.” He spread his hands. “Some say he’s bribed half the politicians in the U.S. and Europe
and blackmailed the other half! He’s made millions, selling stock in this ANT company, which is supposed to set up the transport system. He has hooks into the UN, but they voted down the land grants he wanted by a narrow margin. The man has balls!”

  John asked, “But why Antarctica? It’s just a wilderness.”

  With a nod, Nick replied, “That is a good question. I’m not sure if it’s the natural resources or a power play. Regardless, it’s a land ripe for dominating.”

  Lowry said, “I’ve done a little research on him, but his family’s names shifted with the wind, so his early life is pretty murky. But all evidence shows him growing up in the Ukraine, with his family always on the move. Not surprising, as there were rumors they headed a trafficking cartel—drugs, slaves, even illegal VR paraphernalia.”

  John blinked. “I hate to ask, but what’s VR paraphernalia?”

  “Virtual Reality suits and headgear, but the illegal part is the ‘quality’ of software they peddled—sex and violence, as addicting to some people as drugs.”

  Shrugging, Lowry continued. “The family had a few scrapes with the authorities, but deep connections to the Russian mafia and backdoor relations with the Kremlin. Anytime they crossed the line too far, they spread enough bribes to keep out of jail.

  “As far as his early life, I doubt he was ever hungry; money never seemed to be an issue. When Interpol got serious, the family scattered, and the trail went dark. Around twenty-five years old, he re-emerged as a new man, literally creating Lorenzo Durant, a man of money and power, or a monster, depending on your point of view.”

  Lowry leaned forward. “But, we may have the ticket to his downfall.” She cocked her head toward John. “John infiltrated their Land Rush scam, posing as a dupe—”

  John grinned. “I was a natural.”