Galaxy Spies

by Philip R Benge

Chapter Six

  Journey into the Wilderness

  There was a cold wind blowing as Ray Connors and Colonel Michaels went with Lieutenant Bragg and Jean Summers to the waiting truck that was already half full with the men and women. They were huddled together at the far end of it for warmth, for the temperature was dropping fast. The only other things that were in the truck was a large pile of sacks that contained the few possessions that the slaves had been allowed to bring with them from their home world. Michaels immediately took charge.

  “You two, quickly get into the truck here, you will find some more of your fellow workers there who have also been given this glorious opportunity of serving their masters.” He snapped these words out arrogantly, his face sneering as he looked at the cargo of humanity that was already on board the truck, trying to keep the pity for these people from showing in his eyes. When Lieutenant Charles Bragg looked at him as he didn`t understand just what had been said, it being in the Lyren language, Michaels pushed him towards the back of the truck and appeared to strike him to make him get him to board the vehicle.

  Ray turned to look at him and wondered how he had become the part so quickly and so perfectly, for Ray had seen such officials on his last visit to Lyre. After Jean and Lieutenant Bragg had boarded the truck, Ray Connors and Colonel Michaels walked to the drivers cab and spoke with the driver.

  “I suppose you know where we are going driver?” Michaels asked condescendingly.

  The driver was an elderly man dressed in the uniform of the army of Lyre, and he looked round slowly at them and smiled.

  “That is very good my friend, if you ever want a new job then you would do fine in the state police of Lyre.” He whispered, smiling across at the two men before carrying on. “Yes Lieutenant, I have been there on a previous occasion.” He answered in a much louder voice.

  “Then as soon as we get into our vehicle you may proceed.” Michaels ordered.

  Ray Connors and Colonel Michaels then walked back along the length of the truck and got into the back of the waiting staff car. It was Ray who introduced the two of them to the driver.

  “I am Ray and this handsome man next to me is Colonel Michaels, how are you my friend?”

  “You address me as Strauss, Lieutenant, when you deign to speak to me at all Ray, and when you have both digested the contents of the envelope that Jonas gave to you, you should get into your part even when we are alone, for there are many alert eyes and ears on Lyre.”

  “Understood Strauss, and for the first and probably last time for a while, thank you for assisting us on this dangerous mission.” Ray replied.

  “It is my pleasure to come to the aid of an earthman, for your planet will hopefully help restore sanity to my own one.” The driver said politely before turning his attention to the truck ahead which had already began to pull away, his true thoughts though he kept to himself.

  The temperature inside of the staff car was chilly, as the thermostat in the vehicle wasn`t working properly, but it was still warmer than outside where the cold wind was beginning to gather strength. Ray and Colonel Michaels ignored the chill of the day and turned their attention to the items contained within the envelope. Inside were their identity papers, a map of the area through which they would travel, and a résumé about their adopted characters to save them from having to think of a past quickly, and in doing so tripping themselves up in the process. When they were satisfied that they could remember their respective résumés, Ray took out an old cigarette lighter that he always carried and carefully set fire to the papers. Ray was playing the part of a Lieutenant Arno Adler while Colonel Michaels was Lieutenant Leopold Bayer, Ray was thankful that the names were comparatively easy to remember.

  The relatively empty area around the spaceport soon gave way to the large ploughed fields that had been sown with a crop of some sort of winter wheat; it stretched for miles in all directions. These were followed by fields of green cabbages and parsnips. They now began to pass through an area where the farms were broken up by the numerous small villages that lined this road up to the mountains of Lyre. They were full of Lyren women passing the time away as they caught up on all of the latest gossip, their servants stood patiently waiting in the gutters that ran alongside the pavements. Some carried produce bought by their mistresses from one of the small but smart shops that lined the main thoroughfare, others were obviously still waiting for their mistresses to commence todays shopping from one of the many stores. Their small convoy was soon through these obvious sign of ‘civilisation’ and passing through yet more farming country, Ray knew that the factories of Lyre were all located to the south of the space port, only snow, mountains and farms waited ahead of them, along with a few more small villages. The first flakes of snow were beginning to fall already and Ray and Colonel Michaels were quietened by a steadily deepening sense of gloom that permeated their minds, in tune with the darkening morning skies. A mist had begun to form hiding the fields that were only two hundred yards away, this didn`t bode well for it meant that the temperature was dropping even further, and there was the distinct possibility that they would see much more snow falling from the heavily laden clouds within a short time.

  Twenty feet ahead of them in the truck that they were following Jean and Lieutenant Bragg were feeling the cold much more so than their two friends following on behind them, and not only because of the weather. Their fellow travellers obviously distrusted them, and the two friends kept a careful watch on those nearest to them in case they should take it into their heads to take things to a more violent level. This was the first time that Jean and Lieutenant Bragg had spent any time alone together, but instead of getting to know each other a little better they could only sit and shiver in the corner of the truck. Even their furs could not protect them from the cold weather of Lyre that penetrated through the canvas sides of the truck so easily. Jean decided that they needed to do something to take their minds of the cold and suggested that she teach Charles Bragg the Lyren language, as it might come in handy sometime in the future.

  “I hope that we are not still on this planet sometime in the future.” Lieutenant Bragg exclaimed. “But learning the local language might come in handy at that, so let`s start school Mam.” Charles Bragg said smiling across at Jean.

  Jean shivered as an extra cold draft chose this moment to blow through the canvas sides of the truck and swirl about them, but managed to smile at him.

  “I hope that I haven`t dragged us all to the awful planet to just see us standing outside of a fortress and be no nearer to saving my brother.” Jean said anxiously.

  Charles Bragg looked at Jean and smiled. “Well the usual ways of dealing with a fortress are either besieging it….” He began quietly.

  “What all four of us besiege a fortress?” Jean butted in annoyed, for he seemed to be taking things far too lightly.

  “Or, as I was about to say, as there are only four of us, by entering it by stealth which is something the Colonel is quite capable of doing. I am sure that when he sees what we are up against that he will be able to come up with a plan of rescue that will satisfy even your critical ears.” Charles Bragg said in a quiet voice so that their fellow travellers could not catch any part of their whispered conversation.

  “I am sorry Charles; I am just feeling a little down at the moment, it is travelling in this cold weather, for I feel as if the life were draining out of me with each icy blast that comes our way.”

  “I am more used to it than you are Jean, in the corps we train in weather even colder than this, but you must keep your wits about you, for we never know just what is waiting for us along this road.” They were soon to find out what the immediate future held for them.

  Their fellow travellers decided that it was getting too cold for even them, for they picked up some of the sacks that they had been sitting on and pulled out their winter furs. These, some bedding and cooking utensils were the only personal possessions that they had been allowed to bring with them.

 
They had been on the road for three hours and the threatened snow had begun to fall almost an hour before when Strauss, the driver in the vehicle in which Ray and Colonel Michaels were travelling in, butted into their thoughts.

  “I am getting a little tired, it is driving in these conditions that has done it and I`m sure that my friend up ahead is feeling the same, we need to rest up awhile if we are to avoid an accident.”

  “Ok maybe it would be best if we broke our journey to enjoy a short rest now, it will allow you two drivers to rest your eyes and for everyone to stretch their legs, and maybe get some warmth back into their bodies, and we seem to be entering a small town anyway so we may find some shelter here.” Colonel Michaels said and so Strauss signalled the truck in front and then brought their vehicle to a halt amid the snowy verge. Ahead of them, the town was almost empty of people, but the trees along this part of the road did offer some shelter from the icy wind. The map told them that they had arrived at the outskirts of the town of Henin, although town seemed too grand a name for it. It was somewhere in between a large village and a small town, the last of any size that they would pass through on their journey to the frozen Carpathian Mountains.

  Ray and Colonel Michaels stepped out of the vehicle, for both of them needed to stretch their cramped limbs while they took in the view, it was very picturesque but it only served to make Ray feel even colder than he had already felt. Ray saw that the truck in front was slowly emptying of its human cargo, and then he saw Jean and Lieutenant Bragg looking towards him and catching their eyes ensured that they were all right. The slave workers didn`t need guarding, for in the middle of this wilderness, indeed anywhere upon this planet, there was nowhere for them to run and hide. Ray and Colonel Michaels decided to go for a short walk; their walk took them towards a large building set in its own grounds with a six-foot high wall around it, which was mostly hidden from their view by the large shrubs and bushes that had been allowed to grow along its length. Being near to this perimeter wall sheltered them both from the strong cold wind that was blowing from the north and it was along here that they came across a woman. She was very distressed, for she was weeping very loudly and calling out a woman`s name, Isabella, with her was a man who was trying unsuccessfully to calm her and who they assumed to be her husband. He looked up fearfully as they approached the two locals.

  “Please forgive my wife for causing a scene.” The man begged. "She is just a little upset."

  “Why is she so upset, what has happened, can we be of any assistance?” Ray enquired kindly.

  “You know why I am so upset.” She wailed. “Two of your fellow policeman have taken my only daughter into that building to rape her, and she is so very young and still a virgin. If you wanted to have a woman then I would have gladly taken her place.” This was all spoken in the Lyren language, as all slave workers were taught the language to enable them to carry out their orders before they were shipped to Lyre, any who were too simple minded to learn the language were sent to work in the mines where all of the orders were issued by the overseer`s whip. Ray looked across at Colonel Michaels, his eyes asking a question which was answered by a simple nod of Colonel Michaels head. Ray turned to the pair of farm workers, for this area was all farmland.

  “We will try and get your daughter back for you before any harm comes to her, but please try not to bring attention to yourself by crying quite so loudly, it may bring more trouble down upon your heads and also that of your daughter and ours too.” The woman quickly got her crying under control and looked incredulously at Ray, for she had never met such a Lyren state police officer as him.

  “Please Master if you can save her I will do anything that you ask of me.”

  Ray and Colonel Michaels knew that to enter through the gate at the front of the building would necessitate them showing their papers to the guard huddled inside the small guardhouse by the gate. This in turn might bring undue attention upon them later, and so looking about them they saw that they were hidden from prying eyes by the many shrubs around them, and as one decided to scale the wall. First they unbuttoned their heavy overcoats, as these restricted their movements and they left them with the slaves, then they leapt up the side of the wall and pulled themselves up onto the top of the seven foot high wall. This they did very quickly, much to the surprise of the worried couple who wondered why the two state police officers didn`t used the gate to the front of the building. The fall of snow had begun to increase; it was now falling in much larger flakes, and together with the concealment offered by the bushes that they also found on the other side of the wall, their entry into the narrow garden went unseen by any casual watcher. Slipping by the bushes they crossed the ten feet to come to a side door which was the building`s fire exit for the upper two floors. Security it appeared was lax in this part of Lyre, for although it was to be expected to find the door to be easily opened from the inside, to find that they could open it from the outside showed a real lack of discipline. However, the Lyrens were contemptuous of the slave workers, thinking of them as mere beasts of burden to do the bidding of their masters. A steep flight of stairs led up to the upper two storeys, and Colonel Michaels thinking it more likely that the young girl had been taken to the upper floor led Ray up to this floor. A door stood at the top of the stairs, and after listening at it for signs of activity on the other side of it, Colonel Michaels slowly opened the door to show a corridor with doors on both sides of it. Together they both moved away from the door with the same idea, to listen at each of the doors for signs of occupation, but almost immediately they heard the sound of a young girl, weeping, and then they heard her begging for mercy.

  “I have never been with a man before; please let me go back to my parents, I beg of you.”

  The sound of her voice was coming from the door nearest to the stairs that they had just walked up. Having found the room where the drama was unfolding Ray and Colonel Michaels opened the door and walked into the room.

  “We have visitors Karl.” The nearest uniformed thug declared, smiling at them. “Have you come to watch, or to join in my friends?”

  On the floor lying on her side was a young girl whose pretty looks were twisted in fear, her long brown hair was dishevelled, her long legs exposed for them to see, for her plain frock was almost ripped from her body. The girl turned her head, saw two more men in uniforms had entered the room, and was able to mouth the words ‘help me please’ before she fainted. This action caused the second thug to burst out with a high-pitched laugh.

  “Look at the pathetic creature she has fainted at the sight of two more real men.” He declared sadistically.

  Ray and Colonel Michaels had walked further into the room while the two state police thugs laughed over the body of their latest victim, a young girl whom they should have been protecting from the likes of them. Ray was now within reach of the nearest state police officer, and not wanting the noise of a Phaser pistol to sound the alarm to the other officers in the building, he pulled out his favourite knife from beneath his uniform jacket. He pushed it effortlessly between the ribs of the monster, Rays victim looked at him shocked by his action but the blade of the knife had pierced the state policeman`s heart and killed him almost instantly. The second police officer stood stunned for just a moment, not quite realising just what he had seen happen in front of his eyes, this was a mistake when a space marine of Colonel Michaels` quality was moving rapidly towards him. Colonel Michaels had also taken a knife out from under his uniform jacket, and he quickly took care of the second of the two state police officers in much the same way.

  Ray moved across to a washbasin set against the wall and washed his knife first and then his hands, for they were spattered with the dead man`s blood. He then filled a beaker with water and took it back to the body of the young girl who now lay face down on the concrete floor, setting the beaker upon the floor Ray gently turned her body over and then picking up the beaker again he splashed some of the water onto her face and she slowly recovered consciousness. Se
eing the alarm spring once more into her eyes, he spoke softly to her.

  “It`s ok were are not state policemen, we are friends of your parents and we are here to take you back to them so please be quiet, and if you are up to it come with us now.”

  The girl looked over at the dead bodies of the two state police officers and getting to her feet she spat on the bodies.

  “It`s ok I am alright now, thank you both for saving me from those two foul monsters.” The young girl said, her voice still weak but showing some of the gratitude that she felt towards these two strangers.

  Colonel Michaels had just finished washing his hands and now he moved over to the door where he stood for a moment listening out for signs of life outside in the corridor, he then crossed over to the window and stood watching for any sign of life down in the narrow garden.

  “It seems to be quiet out there at the moment so we had better dump these two thugs out of this window, so that we can hide their bodies and delay the authorities from finding out just what has happened to two of their finest. We will then go downstairs with our young friend here, and if the coast is clear, we can dump our other two friends over the other side of the wall. Look in that cupboard behind you Ray to see if there is any rope we can use to help lift the bodies over the wall.”

  Colonel Michaels had said all of this in English so unfortunately the young girl didn`t understand anything that he had said, and she was now beginning to get afraid, but even so she managed to keep control of her growing fears.

  “We should leave now before any more policemen come.” The young girl said, scared that she could still end up in the clutches of the state police, but now as an accessory to two murders.

  At that moment Ray held up a large coil of rope that he had found in a cupboard filled with items of torture that the state police would use to loosen their victims tongues, if they decided not to use the more effective and far more humane ways of obtaining information.

  “Ok Colonel if you will check to see that the coast is still clear we can dispose of the bodies.”

  Ray had said this in the Lyren language and so the young woman was once more back in the loop.

  Colonel Michaels scanned the area outside of the window and then gave the all clear.

  “Ok this one first Ray.” Colonel Michaels said indicating the thug who was nearest to the window.

  “We are lucky Ray for there isn`t a window beneath this one here, the windows on the two upper floors are alternated and there isn`t a window at this end of the building on the ground floor either.”

  The two men lifted the first of the bodies and tipped him head first out of the window, seconds later they heard the soft thud as the dead body hit the snow covered ground.

  “Who dare wins, Ray.” Colonel Michaels quoted an old motto he had found when researching something on the internet.

  Ray smiled up at him as he bent for the second body, it too went through the window to follow the first and once again, from below them, there came the soft thud of this body too hitting the ground. Ray then closed the window, and then after listening at the door once again to ensure that the coast was still clear, the two men escorted the young girl to the door at the top of the stairs. From somewhere else inside the building the sounds of laughter could be heard, but they were now walking quickly down the stairs to the snow-covered garden below. Ray took the young girl, who informed him that her name was Isabella, through the bushes to the perimeter wall where upon he cupped his hands.

  “Isabella put one of your feet into my hands so that I can boost you over the wall, your parents should be waiting for you on the other side of this wall.”

  Excitement mixed with the joy to be away from the terror that she had so recently been a part of showed clearly upon the young girl`s face, she was to be reunited safely with her parents. Isabella stood on her toes as she reached up and kissed Ray on the cheek and said thank you before putting her foot into his hands and shooting up to the top of the wall to then disappear from Ray`s view. Ray then turned to hurry back to Colonel Michaels but he had already arrived dragging one of the bodies across to the wall.

  “You get the other one Ray while I tie a length of this rope around the first one.”

  Ray said ok and rushed off to return moments later with the second body to see that the first body disappearing over the wall. Snow was still falling heavily and they were beginning to feel very cold without their overcoats from the chill of the day, but at least the weather gave them the concealment they needed, and the snow was already covering the signs of their recent activities. It was also much darker, partly because it was getting late and partly because the thick snow clouds were preventing the light of day from penetrating through the dense clouds. This together with the fact that all sane people were huddled about their fires to stay warm kept the two earthmen safe for the moment.

  “Colonel who is it that is helping us on the other side of the wall?” Ray enquired.

  “The young girls parents I expect Ray, but frankly I don`t know, I threw the rope over the wall and it became taught and the body rose up and away. Let`s tie the rope around this body and then we can be away.”

  They finished tying the rope to the body and then threw the rope over the wall and once again it became taught and with Ray and Colonel Michaels, assisting from their side the body quickly reached the top of the wall and then disappeared over it. Colonel Michaels suggested that it was time for them to leave as well and seconds later the two brave friends were standing on the other side of the wall and being introduced to Isabella`s uncle. He had been called over from the fields some one hundred yards away to assist in the disappearance of the two state policemen`s bodies. Isabella had told her parents of her rescuers plans and they had collected her Uncle to assist them.

  Handing the two earthmen their overcoats the father of Isabella told them of his plans to get rid of the two bodies of the state police officers for good.

  “Today I have to burn an old cowshed as it has become infected with a rather nasty bug, so two more nasty bugs won`t make any difference my friends, we will take care of the bodies and any traces that they may leave.”

  The only other sign of their death was the blood on the concrete floor inside of the room where they both had died, but this was room was already blood stained from the torture of so many victims of the violent ways of the planet.

  “Look to the future my friends; we are from a planet called Earth, for we are not Lyren state policemen. Earth has gone to war with Lyre to stop them from enslaving any more planets and to free those planets already occupied by Lyren forces. Be ready to fight for your freedom when the time is right.”

  Isabella`s parents and her Uncle were very excited by this news, and Colonel Michaels repeated his final words again. “Remember only to rise when the time is right, not before for to do so would be to throw your lives away.”

  “My name is Octavius my friends, should you ever come this way again you will always be able to count on my help, and that of my family.” Octavius was a tall powerful man approaching sixty years in age with greying hair and a proud face, he and his family were meant for better things than the kind of life they were forced to lead here on Lyre.

  Isabella came up to the two earthmen and thanked them again and kissed each one on the cheek, but then the two heroes had to leave, and the family looked after the two departing men and determined there and then to begin to fight back against the monsters who ruled on this terrible planet.

  Jean and Charles Bragg had begun to get a little worried as Ray and Colonel Michaels had been missing for quite a while now, and with the snow beginning to fall heavily and settle on the road they had almost decided to go and search for the two men. Then Ray and Colonel Michaels finally returned, much to the relief of both Jean Summers and Charles Bragg. Jean had begun to feel very safe in the company of Charles Bragg, as he was tall and heavily built, and because he didn`t appear to fear anything or anybody. Lieutenant Charles Bragg however hardly noticed
Jean at all, as if he were unaware of her presence except for when she was teaching him a little of the Lyren language. It seemed that her disguise worked very well indeed. In fact Lieutenant Bragg thought her too young in both body and mind and was surprised that a mere girl could have been included on such a dangerous mission as this, little did he realise that it had started out as her mission and the rest of the team were all late comers who had very thankfully come along. Ray and Harry to minimise the risk to her, Colonel Michaels for glory, and he, Lieutenant Charles Bragg, for the chance of some excitement and maybe promotion. Excitement that seemed to be eluding him as he stood looking at his two friends returning, he would be very annoyed when he later found out that he had missed it, their first piece of action on the mission.