by Ricky Sides
Soon, he heard the sound of running feet. Evan’s heart beat faster, and for a moment, he wished that he hadn’t climbed the tree. If they spotted him now, there would be no evading the men. But they passed him by. Evan waited another three minutes or so, long past the time when he could no longer hear the men running, and then he started down the tree. He wanted to get down to go to the trail and run back toward the cabin. He figured Jim was just a bit down that trail, and heading in his direction.
Evan was on the next to the last limb in his climb down the tree when disaster struck. He’d just placed his weight on the limb when his right foot slipped and he was thrown off balance. He teetered there for a moment, struggling to regain his balance, but then he fell eight feet to the ground. He landed hard. The force of the impact knocked the breath out of his body, and thus he lay stunned as Jim ran past his position just a few dozen feet away. By the time he could get the breath to yell for Jim, Evan had long since ceased to hear him running down the trail in pursuit of the men.
Evan carefully weighed his options. He had been taught by everyone never to run toward fighting. That would seem to rule out trying to catch Jim. Besides, he knew he’d never be able to catch up with Jim when he was on the run. That left the options of trying to get back to the cabin, or staying put in the area. All of his training had stressed that when he was alone in the woods he should stay put and wait for help to arrive, moving only enough to satisfy the needs of food, water, and shelter, but always staying near the point where he discovered he was lost. Jim had stressed that. Pete had also stressed that, and so had Lieutenant Wilcox.
Food and water would be available at the creek they’d crossed earlier. If he hurried, he could get back there, and set up a quick emergency shelter in the manner that the peacekeepers had taught him before it got too dark to see.
His decision now made, Evan headed out along the trail in the direction of the creek. A shadow passing over the trail in front of him caused Evan to look up. Through the breaks in the forest canopy, he saw a flight of fighters passing by on their way to the northwest. Now he pondered his decision again. The fighters changed things, but Evan had been around the fighters for years. He knew that they often traveled hundreds of miles in an hour. Still, the presence of so many peacekeepers comforted him. Now more than ever, Evan knew he needed to get to a safe camp for the night, and then make his way back to that big field they’d crossed earlier in the day. Once there, he could use his magnifying glass to start a signal fire. He didn’t dare start a signal fire in the deep woods. He knew the limitations of the peacekeeper aircraft well. He should, he’d been flying in the Peacekeeper for years. They needed airspace to affect a rescue. “That big open field will be perfect.” Evan said to himself. He had a plan, and he knew it was a good plan.
For now, the best thing to do was to find a shelter for the night. He needed water. The captors hadn’t bothered to give him any water, and he’d been walking a lot today.
Evan hurried along the trail. He was within sight of the creek, when the area he was in suddenly went dark. Looking up, Evan smiled as he saw the massive battleship Constitution fly past. A few moments later, he saw the familiar silhouette of the Peacekeeper fly past the area. He wondered where everyone was going, and for a moment, he was tempted to head back along the trail in the other direction. But he didn’t.
Tears came into the young man’s eyes as he remembered a promise he’d made his mother. She’d been concerned about him getting lost as he prowled the grounds of their one hundred acre farm, and the adjacent woodlands. Because of her concerns, she had asked Jim to instruct Evan on what he should do in the event that he ever got lost. Evan listened to all of Jim’s advice intently, and promised his mother faithfully that should he ever become lost, he would follow Jim’s instructions. “Mom, I miss you so much. Don’t worry about me. I know what to do. You made sure of that, and so did Jim, Pete, and the lieutenant. I’ll be fine, mom. I just wish I had one more day with…,” Evan stopped talking and wiped his tears away.
He moved toward the creek once more. It was time to keep a promise.
It took him a while to find what he needed, but soon Evan had eaten a large pile of watercress and he had drunk his fill of water.
Next, he turned his attention to an emergency shelter for the night. He found the solution to that problem in a spruce tree situated near the trail, about two hundred yards from the stream. The lower branches of the tree were a uniform ten inches off the ground. As the sun was setting, he piled dead leaves around the edge of the spruce tree limbs to block most of the wind, and then he crawled inside his makeshift shelter. He pulled more leaves into position to block most of the entry hole. The tree would shelter him well for the night. It would even shed a light rain moderately well. Exhausted from the traumas he had endured that day; it wasn’t long before Evan fell asleep.
***
Glenn and Tuck entered the large clearing where an old barn was situated. Outside that barn were a large number of four-wheel drive vehicles belonging to men either selling or buying human flesh. This sale was a well-kept secret. Men who had stumbled upon the premises in the past year had been murdered, or sold into slavery to protect that secret. There were all kinds of buyers among the clientele, but the majority of the buyers were seeking sex slaves. Children were at a premium, and though girls would bring more, the boys weren’t far behind in value.
Glenn stopped beside one of the guards and informed the man that he and Tuck had seen a stranger heading this way on foot. He snickered as he and Tuck walked into the barn, and said, “That will take care of the guy. Did you see the guards swarming to prepare to take that guy on?”
Tuck laughed and said, “The guy’s as good as dead if he turns up here. We may have lost the kid, but you got a new rifle and we have two packs loaded with food.” Then lowering his voice, Tuck said, “I just hope the guards don’t learn we led him here.”
“They better not, or we’re in deep trouble,” Glenn said paling a bit at that thought.
Chapter 7
Jim stood at the edge of the clearing. He watched angrily as the two men he’d trailed to the barn stopped and talked to a guard. “At least they don’t have Evan,” he thought. He assumed that Evan had remembered his training, or heard his shouted instructions and gone to ground near the trail. It was dark now, so finding him tonight wasn’t likely. It would take a fire to draw the attention of the searchers without the presence of his hat.
Jim frowned as the guard alerted more guards and they formed an almost solid line of guns twenty yards wide between him and the man who’d murdered his wife. For a moment, he was tempted to walk straight up to the men and shoot his way through them. Then Patricia’s voice spoke to him through the hat radio saying, “Jim, Pete says it’s time to break radio silence, I’m sorry. He wants to know if you are at the barn.”
“Actually, I’m glad you called. The two men I’ve been following just went into the barn, and they arranged a warm reception for me with about twenty exterior guards. I was just thinking of going in anyway,” Jim stated angrily.
Pete’s voice came to Jim saying, “I heard that, Jim. You sit tight; I’m sending help. I’ll have a dozen ships there in five minutes. We’re already on the way.”
“Then I’ll wait, Pete. Did you pick up…,” Jim faltered at that point.
“Yes, we did, Jim. I don’t have the words to express my sorrow,” Pete responded. “We’re here and heading for the cargo bay to exit with the boys, so you sit tight. Pete out.”
Jim stepped out into the open and walked toward the guards. Some of the guards saw him approaching and prepared their weapons. “I’ll let you live, if you surrender now,” Jim stated calmly.
“You’ll let us live? Mister, we have you outgunned twenty to one,” one of the guards said.
“I’m a peacekeeper,” Jim said. “We’re never outgunned.”
From the sky above, a dozen spotlights activated and lit up the line of guards. Patrol ships, and
even the massive bulk of the Constitution, blocked the view of the stars in the heavens. Around the main ships swarmed the fighters, jockeying for position to target the men on the ground. Then the drones flew down to form a solid wall of metal between the guards and Jim Wilison. When those drones inched forward, the guards dropped their weapons.
“Make sure they don’t leave the area and tell Captain Young I need him to collect these prisoners,” Jim ordered the drones, as the Peacekeeper settled to the ground behind him. Pete and Lieutenant Wilcox ran down the ramp, followed by the entire crew of the ship. Even the cook was there with his rifle. Two of the Constitution’s drones flew to the cargo bay door to protect the ship in the absence of the crew. Two fighters dropped down to hover above the drones to assist if necessary.
Pete stopped beside Jim and handed him his dragon dagger that was the mate to Jim’s dagger. He briefly patted Jim on the shoulder and expressed his regrets.
“Evan must have gone to ground between here and the cabin. Patricia, I’m assuming you tracked me all the way here, and should the need arise, you can direct a search party.”
Patricia nodded her head in acknowledgment. She had indeed tracked him via the hat radio signal.
“It’s time for justice then,” Jim said, and stared at the people near him. “You may not want to go inside,” he said.
“Let’s go, Jim. I agree. It’s time for justice,” Pete said.
“I’m with you,” Tim said.
“Same here,” said Lieutenant Wilcox.
Jim walked boldly to the door he’d seen the men enter earlier. As he walked inside, he saw a motley assortment of people milling about and examining several captives. The Peacekeepers filed in behind Jim with their weapons in their hands. The lieutenant and his men aimed their weapons at several heavily armed guards who froze in position.
From the moment that Jim entered the room, his roving eyes sought out the men that he had been trailing. He saw them trying to edge toward a small door in the back of the barn. “You going somewhere, Tuck?” Jim asked in a loud voice.
Another patron, standing near the back door, opened it in an effort to escape. He rapidly backpedaled away from the door as a drone nudged forward and blocked the exit.
Jim drew both of the dragon daggers and moved fluidly across the floor toward the two men. “You can’t just kill us. We have our rights!” shrieked Tuck.
Jim just kept advancing on the men. Glenn reached for a pistol on his side, but Jim darted toward the man. His left dagger struck hard at the wrist of the marauder, inflicting a terrible cut in the joint.
Tuck jabbed at Jim with a hunting knife he had just acquired from one of the patrons to replace the one he had left at the cabin. Jim parried the attack with his right dagger and the left flicked out and cut the marauder’s left cheek.
Glenn kicked at Jim, attempting the groin kick he’d seen Evan use on Brace, but Jim’s right dagger flicked downward and stabbed the man in the center of the thigh. He immediately pulled the blade free and returned it to the guard position.
“Come on boys, you like to play with knives. Hell, let’s play! Or do you only like to play with pregnant women?” an angry Jim taunted.
Tuck snarled in rage and executed a slashing attack that would have cut across both of Jim’s eyes, had it connected. But Jim’s right blade intercepted the attack easily and his left flicked out and severed a portion of Tuck’s right ear.
Glenn attacked with a knife, causing Jim to wonder when the man had drawn the blade. He realized then that he needed to calm down. He was letting his emotions drive this battle and that could lead to his death. Evan needed him.
Jim calmed down a bit and countered the thrust with a parry of the left dagger. His right dagger flicked out, slicing through the tip of Glenn’s nose.
Tuck swept his blade at Jim’s head again. There wasn’t time for a parry. His right blade was out of position. Jim ducked under the slashing attack, countering with his left dagger. The first two inches of the blade slid into the armpit of his opponent who howled in pain.
Glenn touched his nose in surprise. His hand came away covered in blood and he went berserk. He threw his body toward Jim, intending to take him to the ground where Tuck could easily finish him. But Jim saw him make the move and he darted back away from his opponent. Both daggers flicked out and pierced the man’s eyes blinding him. Jim then stabbed the man in the abdomen with the left dagger, leaving it embedded. Glenn fell to the floor in agony.
Tuck saw that Jim had only one dagger now, and he moved to take advantage of that. As he moved in toward Jim, he saw the peacekeeper toss the dagger up into the air and catch it with his left hand. Jim’s right hand flashed down to his waist and drew Tuck’s dagger. Jim intended to kill the man with the dagger Tuck had used to kill Lacey.
Seeing that Jim was once more armed with two blades, Tuck backed off and circled the peacekeeper. He knew that he was going to die in the barn. Even if he killed this peacekeeper, the others were certain to kill him, but so far, they were staying out of the fight, and he was determined to kill the peacekeeper. He knew that angry men make mistakes. He decided to goad the man, hoping for just such a mistake that would make it possible for him to kill the peacekeeper. “You’re strong now, but you were weak when we took turns raping your wife. She liked it you know. In fact, she begged me for more. I finally had to stab the bitch to shut her up.” The man said. “I have a question for you. Were you too afraid to fight us then? Is that why you pretended to be dead while we ravished your wife? Hell, peacekeeper, your kid had more guts than you did. At least he tried to stop us.”
There were cries of outrage from several of the assembled peacekeepers. Several started toward the man, but Pete stopped them. “Leave it to Jim,” Pete commanded, and the peacekeepers backed off.
Jim stood stock still in the center of the barn. He knew the man was lying to him. Lacey had been fully clothed. But Tuck’s question, which had been intended to goad him into irrational behavior, was one that caused him to feel guilt. Jim surprised Tuck when he responded, “You’re right. I failed Lacey. I was too weak to get up and defend her. I’ll have to face our son and apologize to him for failing his mother. And I’ll have to live with my failure for the rest of my life. But you won’t have to live with your shortcomings.
Then Jim attacked. Although the barn was full of people, when they compared accounts later, no one could recall seeing him make the first move of his attack. One moment, he was standing motionless in the center of the room, and the next, he was a whirling dervish of spinning and swinging blades. It reminded the peacekeeper witnesses of the night when Jim had fought Clarissa and Flavious, only this time he was using blades instead of Sais.
The first thirty seconds of the fight Jim was moving so fast that few people could see the blades contacting Tuck’s body. Instead, they saw the results, as bleeding cuts appeared on the man’s forearms, face, hands, neck, and torso. Then they saw a gaping bloody mess where his nose had been, followed quickly by the disappearance of an ear.
Tuck fought back, but he was clearly no match for the angry peacekeeper bent on administering justice. He stabbed violently toward Jim’s midsection, hoping to impale him on the blade just as he’d done to the man’s wife. However, Jim sidestepped the attack and struck a savage blow to the man’s wrist with his dagger. The blade almost severed the man’s wrist and his knife fell from his nerveless fingers.
Then man fell to his knees, and Jim thrust Tuck’s own knife into his stomach. When the man fell to the floor in agony, Jim would have left him there to suffer, just as Tuck had left Lacey. But it seemed to Jim that he heard Lacey’s voice saying, “No, Jim. Don’t do this. You’re better than they are. I don’t want you to do this.”
Sighing Jim knelt beside the man and plunged the dragon dagger into his heart, ending his suffering. He then turned to Glenn who was still in agony and similarly ended his suffering.
More peacekeepers filed into the barn. They freed the four captives
and escorted them out of the structure. They were taken aboard the Constitution, where Doctor Michael Dean and his nurse Edith Appleton would see to their medical needs. Armed peacekeepers took the patrons of the sale captive. They would join the exterior guards already locked up inside the Constitution. The peacekeepers would decide what to do with the people involved in the enslavement of their fellow man in the coming days. Dealing with those people couldn’t be handled in the normal peacekeeper manner, because they first had to ascertain if they had other captives locked away somewhere in need of rescue.
Chapter 8
Inside the control room of the Peacekeeper, Jim consulted with Patricia and Pol. “Show me the clearing nearest to the location where Evan’s signature disappeared,” Jim requested, though he felt he already knew the answer.
“There is a big open field situated here in relation to that location,” Patricia responded as she pointed to a picture of the area that they’d made during their recognizance earlier in the day.
“I passed through that area while trailing them today,” Jim stated. Making a quick decision, he said, “Alright, I want to go there. Pol, I want one of your drones to go in with an infrared camera and see if you can locate him near this creek,” Jim said, as he pointed to a thin ribbon of water barely visible in the photograph. “I’d appreciate it if you flew that drone. You’re our best drone pilot, and the drone will be in tight quarters at times.”