by Cindy Borgne
Beacon continued, “I will tell you more when we get out of here, so let’s get moving.”
“Wait,” Kayla said. “I want to make a deal with you for our release.”
“You?”
“Yes, I was an assistant diplomat. I have high connections at Vallar.”
Beacon and Kodet glanced at each other.
“Sir, we have to get out of here,” Kodet said.
“What do you want in exchange for our release?” Kayla asked.
“There’s nothing you can give me that I can’t take in time.”
“You’ll never get the mine.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“How about a percentage of the profits from the platinum?” she suggested.
Beacon chuckled sarcastically. “Nice try, but I don’t think so.” He motioned to Kodet.
Kodet stepped toward us holding a pair of shackles.
Kayla struggled. “He can barely move.”
“Hold it. Those will only slow us down,” Beacon said. “Put handcuffs on her and you . . . .” He turned a heavy-set lieutenant with muscular arms. “Carry the boy.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kodet and two others grabbed Kayla, wrestling her into the cuffs.
She looked like she wanted to slap them. “You’ve got to do something. Ian might be dying – thanks to your drugs. You have to get him to a doctor. Where’s Dr. Holman?”
“Thanks to Vallar we can’t get to a medical facility. We have to go back into the tunnel.”
“Why?” she asked. “That part of the station is destroyed.”
“No, there’s another way out. Now move!”
Without Kayla’s calming touch, images of scouters circling in the orange sky tore through my mind. The big man hoisted me up over his shoulder. He jogged and with every bump my back burned with pain.
Chapter 28
The lieutenant lowered me up against the freezing wall as the others entered the tunnel. More suits and helmets were in piles on the ground. Breathing the cold air made me feel like I was being frozen from the inside out. I curled into a shivering ball.
Nate stood motionless by an officer, wearing an envirosuit and waiting to obey the next command.
“Nate, i-i-it’s me.” If only I could’ve had the sense to not let him come with me that terrible day. “Try to r-r-remember.”
“Quiet!” snapped the officer.
Clare came down the tunnel, also in an envirosuit, with an officer by her side. An image of a pistol flashed in my mind.
She ran over and touched my forehead.
Again, the pistol image flashed. She had to have it on her somewhere. If she tried something in this group of officers, they’d kill her. Yet, if there was any hope of me getting out of here, she would have to do something. Letting her go through with it was wrong, but the alternatives were worse. She stared with determination in her wrinkled face that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Even if Clare helped, the odds of escape were slim.
“Clare?” I squeezed her arm and hoped she could see the concern in my eyes.
“Ian, stop being emotional.”
She had said that often over the years, and was so good at hiding her feelings.
“It has to be this way.” Her eyes behind the visor held a hint of compassion. She leaned by my ear and whispered, “Try to stall.”
My eyes widened, and I quickly looked down. Had she gotten word to Vallar about our position? She rummaged through her medical bag. I had to be ready to help.
“I need more pain medicine.”
“I’m getting it.”
“I know, but do you have anything stronger? Such as Virotone.”
“Virotone?” she asked. “What do you know about that?”
“Do you have any?”
“Yes, Virotone works fast and wears off in anywhere from one to three hours, depending.”
“On what?”
“On the patient’s condition and in your case it’s not going to last long. It’s also dangerous.”
“I don’t care.” Bret had been willing to take his chances and so would I. “Give it to me.”
“Very well.” Clare loaded two injectors. “It will be a half dose.”
Beacon crawled out of the pipe and marched over. “What are you doing?”
Clare gave Beacon a glare as cold as the tunnel air. “Look what you’ve done!”
Beacon raised his fist, threatening to strike her.
She flinched and backed away with her hands up. “I’m trying to help. He needs medication to control the fever or he could have a seizure.”
He thought a moment and put his hand down. “Hurry up.”
Clare gave me two injections. One was her usual dose of painkillers and the other a small dose of Virotone. I could almost hear Sonny protesting as she pressed the injector into my arm.
It’s a high powered stimulant. Under orders, I gave it to some wounded troopers. Half of them had heart attacks.
Kodet and Kayla emerged from the tube. She tried to rush over to me, but Kodet yanked her back and tightened his grip on her arm. He handed her over to another officer while he and Beacon put on the discarded envirosuits.
When the last officer finished suiting up, there were none left.
“This way,” Beacon ordered.
The officer picked me up and hoisted me back over his shoulder. They took us to the area where the tunnel divided into two passages. I tried to have a vision of what Clare planned to do, but the continual bouncing and pain made concentrating impossible.
The lieutenant set me back down hard on the ground. We were at the other end by a large airlock with rust around the edges. I hunched over shivering and tucked my arms between my knees and chest. Kayla trembled and breathed steam into her hands.
Two other men, also in envirosuits, stood near a couple more suits, helmets and oxygen packs.
“Sir,” said a petty officer, bringing a plastic crate over to Beacon. “We found all this climbing equipment.
Beacon looked over the spools of cables, assorted hooks and harnesses. “Has there been any word from my flagship?”
“No, not much of a signal down here.”
A distant explosion sent vibrations through the walls. Bits of rock fell from the roof. Everyone cringed, except Nate.
“Take her cuffs off and get them into the suits,” Beacon ordered.
“Sir, I think I got a signal,” said a petty officer.
Beacon hurried over to him by the door. Kodet yanked Kayla around and pulled off the cuffs. An officer flung the suit at me. Clare had said to stall, so I let it drop in and took a quick peek down the tunnel, hoping to see Vallar troops.
While Beacon wasn’t looking, Mitch knelt by me. “Why you?”
The two others looked up from my legs.
“He uses me to spy because I’m psychic.”
Their faces went blank with confusion. Then their eyes hardened. They knew the reason had to be big for Beacon to risk his life.
Beacon spun around. “I said move!”
They grabbed my legs and went about stuffing them into the suit. I made them do all the work by staying limp. Kayla picked up on what I was doing. She stopped and folded her arms.
“I’ll take you both out unconscious if I have to.”
Kayla and I glanced at each other. I shrugged. We had no choice.”
“That’s a good boy.” Beacon grinned with a half sneer.
At first my fingers didn’t want to move, but by the time I was done, more strength had returned. I sealed the helmet, checked the gauges on my wrist and turned up the thermostat on the envirosuit. Virotone was a miracle drug, and the extra oxygen helped. However, when I rested my hand over my heart I could feel it pounding through the thick material.
I wobbled, so I would still appear weak. Kayla reached out to help me, but Beacon yanked her away.
Mitch and another officer scrambled to pry the door open and pushed hard to slide it open. Metal screeched from grit caught in th
e door’s track. Wind gusted as the tunnel depressurized sending the remaining air out into the bright sunlight. The tunnel let out into a narrow canyon surrounded by steep walls, except for one indented slope about a hundred and fifty meters from us.
“I should’ve known.” Beacon looked up the canyon walls. “We’ve found other tunnels like these coming out in between hills or into canyons. All made by cowards trying to escape.” He huffed.
Kayla’s gloved hands balled into fists. “You may not have noticed, but . . . . ”
The anger flowing from her made all of my muscles tense. She’d bring Beacon’s rage on her. “Kayla, don’t . . . .”
“Silence! The prisoners are not to speak unless they are asked a direct question.” Beacon’s voice blasted out of control over the helmet speaker. “Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.” I only said it to stop him from hurting Kayla.
He adjusted his wrist controls. His mouth moved behind the visor as he spoke most likely to someone who could get a ship over here to pick us up.
“The canyon is too narrow and winding for a ship to land, so we’re going to climb up and meet my flagship at the top. Get that climbing gear and bring it over to that slope.”
The petty officers brought all the equipment. As we walked away from the tunnel, I fought back the anxiety stirring in my stomach. When is Clare going to do something? The slope turned out to be at about a sixty degree angle. Glare from the sun blocked the top. Clare observed everything quietly.
I took one last look back at the tunnel. An officer shoved me forward. We stopped by the bottom of the slope.
“I want an officer tied to Ian, Kayla, Nate and Dr. Holman,” Beacon ordered. “And make it quick.”
While they readied the climbing gear, I tried again to see what Clare was going to do. An image of us near the top of the slope came to me.
Kodet shook me, breaking the vision.
Mitch stepped over. “Sir, I’ll take him.”
“I don’t think so.” Kodet pulled a cable around my waist and tightened a clamp. “You’re coming with me and you better pay attention.”
A few Marc scouters circled above the canyon. Beacon with several officers at his side started up first. Next went Kayla, Nate and Clare, tethered to officers. I stared hard toward the tunnel, straining to see if Bret and Vallar troops were coming. Please help us, Bret, please.
Kodet started up and yanked the line. “Move.”
Dust slid beneath feet as everyone climbed. As I stepped up, the ground below appeared to weave. I made Kodet pull me every inch.
“Move faster or I’m going to kick your ass!” Kodet shouted.
I ignored him. There was nothing worse he could do to me.
Frustrated, Kodet let out the slack and passed Nate and Kayla. He ended up about fifteen meters above me. Flashes of light came from the north. I hoped Bret and Rachel were still in the air. I worried about Sonny, not having had a vision of him for awhile.
“Sir.” Kodet tugged on the cable jerking me forward. “Ian’s ignoring my orders.”
A few Vallar aerojets flew into the area and engaged the Marc scouters. Laser blasts flew back and forth between the jets. Yes!
“Get up to the ledge.” Beacon’s voice shook. “We’ll help you pull him up.”
Fear was something I’d never thought I’d hear in that bastard’s voice. You put yourself in danger coming after me. Vallar is going to crush you!
The gap between Kodet and I continued to grow. I hoped the Vallar aerojets meant more help would be coming. Even if Kayla and I escaped, we couldn’t let Nate go with them.
Damp skin stuck to my clothes inside the envirosuit. Kodet let more slack out of the cable in his hurry to reach the top. Both Kayla and Clare had passed Nate. An officer stayed by Nate who went so slow, I ended up across from him. Beacon was almost at the top.
If we boarded his flagship, we’d never be free. Holding the cable with one hand, I attempted to loosen the cable around my waist with the other. The rusty metal clamp wouldn’t budge. Maybe Clare waited for more help from Vallar before she fired, but she also said the medication would wear off fast. I couldn’t wait any longer.
I scrambled over to the officer by Nate and kicked him. The officer slid down about ten meters. I grabbed Nate by the ankles and pulled. Nate dropped down on the slope oblivious to me. I climbed up Nate’s back and grabbed his shoulders.
“Damn you.” Beacon looked down at us. “Get up here!”
I reached for Nate’s hands and tried to pry them off a rock.
“Nate!” Beacon yelled. “Push Ian off and get up here.”
Nate swung his arms and pushed me while Kodet pulled on the cable.
Kayla kicked at the officer next to her. “Don’t give up, Ian.”
I hooked my feet around some grooves and grabbed a piece of jagged rock. A Marc scouter careened through the canyon out of control.
“Get him up here now!” Beacon yelled.
My hands and feet slipped as they pulled on the cable. The jet crashed about two hundred feet from the cliff, creating a huge flow of dust. Vibrations went through the side of the slope.
Four of the petty officers climbed down.
“What are you doing?” Beacon yelled. “Get back here!”
The four hurried down and out of view. I couldn’t tell if Mitch was one of them. The lieutenant below clambered up toward me. Nate continued to climb up, and I went after him. What is Clare waiting for?
“Maybe I won’t kill you,” Beacon said in a grinding tone. “But I’m going to make you wish I had if you don’t get up here.”
I slipped down below Nate’s feet. Jets above fired on each other. Kodet reached the top and pulled hard on the cable.
“No!” I scrambled to find something to hang onto.
A bright red light flashed above me. Tension went out of the cable and it slid down the cliff. Clare held a laser pistol with a tracking light in her hand. She had cut the cable, and the red tracking dot landed right on Kodet’s head.
“What the hell?” Beacon bellowed. “Holman!”
“Ian, get back in the tunnel!” Clare sent a bolt of burning red light at Kodet.
Kodet flinched, but not in time. The blast struck him in the shoulder. He jolted backwards, screamed through his teeth and collapsed. The tracking dot moved as Clare aimed for the cable attached to Kayla. She fired and cut the cable in half. Kayla kicked the officer next to her and scrambled down the slope.
Clare fired at Beacon, but he ducked back unharmed. She fired at four more men who fumbled for their weapons. Screams of pain blasted over the radio. Three of them were hit and tumbled down the slope.
The remaining officers aimed their rifles at Clare. She crouched down and continued to fire. “Ian! The tunnel!” The blasts struck her everywhere. She screamed and gasped.
“Clare!” I screamed.
The pistol fell out of her hand and tumbled down. I reached out, but missed it by a meter. Clare collapsed with smoke rising from her body. My throat tightened, I gritted my teeth and I fought back the tears. A flow of dust blocked my view.
“Help me!” Kodet’s voice cracked and trembled with pain. “Losing pressure.”
A Marc midrange appeared over the canyon and hovered out of view. More jets from both sides circled above. The midrange tried to strike down the Vallar aerojets, but they were too quick for the bigger vessel.
“Kayla where are you?” I called, but she didn’t answer, perhaps to stay hidden.
“Don’t let them escape!” Beacon shouted.
“Sir, we’re running out of time.”
I grabbed Nate by the legs again, but the officer below snatched me by the ankles. Nate reached for a small ledge. I pulled with all my weight, causing my friend to slip down past me. The officer reached out to grab Nate, but I kicked the officer in the helmet. Nate rolled several feet below us.
“In coming!” Beacon shouted.
I looked up wanting to see the Phantom. Instead, a Valla
r midrange joined the vessels circling around. It fired a few blasts at the ground near Beacon’s position. Laser blasts went up at the jet as the Marc midrange returned fire, but the shots went wide of the Vallar midrange.
For the first time, I had hope of escape and kicked at the officer’s helmet again. He teetered, his foot slipped and he toppled over dragging me down with him. As I slid, I struggled to break free of the firm grip and reached out to grab a jagged piece of rock. I slipped and bumped into the officer. The sudden jolt caused him to lose his grip.
I jerked away and hurried down. He tried to come after me, but fell and landed on a jagged outcropping.
“I’ve got a leak!” he screamed. “Someone get over here.”
I half slid down and ended up in a pile of rocks at the bottom with the cable still around me.
I staggered to my feet, dragging the cable. It didn’t take me long to find Kayla. She was right there struggling with the huge officer who had carried me. He shoved her to the ground. Rage sent me charging. I lunged and kicked him in the back of the knee.
The officer staggered. Kayla kicked him in the groin. He fell backwards to the ground. She picked up a small boulder and dropped it on the officer’s helmet. The visor cracked. The big man screamed briefly, gasped and lost consciousness.
More jets, both from Vallar and Marscorp circled above the canyon, firing on each other.
“Do something!” Beacon yelled.
“There’s no time. Vallar’s closing on this position. You have to go, sir.”
“Ian! You’re going to pay for this.” Beacon screamed like a madman. “If you think you’re free, you’re insane. You’re not even close!”
Kayla grabbed the man’s rifle, aimed at a rock, but nothing happened. “It’s out of power.” She let it drop.
“He’s got a knife.” I pulled it out of his belt and tucked it in the inside pocket of my suit. “Nate?” I spotted him lying on the ground a few meters from us.
“We have to be quiet,” Kayla said.
She was right. Any Marc within range could hear us. The ground shifted from dizziness. The medicine was wearing off. We found Nate squirming, swinging his arms and moaning. He tried to get up, but couldn’t move his right leg and fell back down.