"Maybe," he mumbled.
"No maybes…I know."
"Let’s find Jan and then a way out of here."
"Right here," Jan’s voice called from Chloe’s left. "Come through the shelving. I have found a way out."
"Jan!" Chloe exclaimed.
Parker maneuvered his way between the framework. Once through and safe, he waved Chloe to follow.
As she reached the other side, she pulled her trailing leg through the framework and placed it on what she thought was solid ground. Unfortunately, she pushed her knee against the edge of a low-hanging shelf and fell sprawling across the ground.
"You okay?" Jan said, pulling on Chloe’s upper arm to raise her to his feet.
"One second," she said, rubbing her hands along the floor’s red surface. She sniffed her dirty hands. It was chalky with a hint of rustic dirt. "Metalor is on this floor. Only trace amounts, but I have no doubt metalor is around here."
"Does it smell bitter, chalky?" Parker said. "Like the synthamilk they feed to children?"
"Yes," she said, contorting her face in a quizzical fashion.
He inspected her palms. "Rub your hands together."
She did as he said, and as she rubbed the white goo on, her hands became slicker and sudsier. "It’s like soap."
"That is the alkaline substance they mix with the metalor so it doesn’t fuse together."
"It’s called baseline 10 solution and peels the dirt and meteor soil away," Jan said. "But don’t worry, its pH level isn’t high, so it’s fine against your skin. The metalor must be in this laneway."
Parker pulled on Chloe’s arm, bringing her to her feet. "We’ve got to get out of here."
"No." Chloe swung her arm upward to escape his grip. "I’m not leaving without the metalor samples, and we have to stop that man. He could potentially collapse this entire supply room before we could get back with any help."
"He’s regrouping with the rest of his men to capture you," Jan said.
Parker smiled. "Or he left with his tail between his legs."
She shook her head in doubt. "We can’t be sure unless we look for him. Scan this room from top to bottom."
"Which way do you think the metalor is?" Jan said as she pointed down each side of the laneway. "You said you could read the samples."
"I’m a little out of sorts," Chloe replied. "I will try."
She closed her eyes. Thinking about it touching her hands, she reached out with her mind, trying to find the right picture or emotion to tell her where to go. However, she was coming up blank. It was either the stress of the firefight or the simple fact she wasn’t good enough yet with the metalor to tell anything from it.
She growled in frustration and opened her eyes. "I can’t read it. All I get is a blank—"
Ping! The ricochet of the bullet zipped across Parker’s shoulder, sending him down the laneway away from the direction of the bullet. Jan, who was already facing the shot, raised her revolver and fired four shots toward where she thought the bullet streak had come from. She slipped to the left, fired one more shot, and ducked behind a spindle of wiring.
"Watch the flank," Jan said. "There might be another one."
Parker scanned the area behind him. Jan’s assumption had been incorrect. Either only one person remained or they were all attacking from the same location, but no one flanked them. It didn’t matter because the long bare corridor trapped them; there were no escape points. The attackers had all the advantages, and there was a good chance he was about to die.
He thought about escaping through the shelving, but the barrels along the floor and the shelving created a virtual wall they had no hope of slipping through. Jan was only meters away from the hovercar frame, but the spindle she had stooped behind was far enough away from the edge to stop any hope that she might be able to slip past.
On top of that, the perpetrators were obviously longtime workers within the supply cavern. They had caught up to them without much effort and seemed to know where to head them off.
From his position, Parker peered around the corner of the barrel at Jan. He signaled, pointing his index finger while sticking up his thumb, followed by a wiggling back and forth of his hand. Then he moved his fingertips and his thumb to form a circle, the signal he had a full clip. She returned his signal for pistol but raised only her index finger, telling him she only had one bullet left.
"Jinx," he muttered. "You got anything, Chloe?" He waited for a moment, but she didn’t reply.
Ping! He winced as the bullet flew over his head. He turned to find Chloe rubbing the outside of the barrels.
"What is it?" he said, grabbing her shoulder and turning her toward him. "Chloe."
"Metalor." Her eyes glazed over as she looked into the empty space in front of her. But he knew that look. She was having a vision. She was watching the images flood her mind. "All these barrels are metalor, and I know where each of them came from. Find me a map."
"Forget the metalor and the map," he said, insistently. "We’ve a Jupiter-sized problem down the laneway."
She nodded. "Don’t worry. He is going to make his move. He’s becoming impatient. Tell Jan to be ready to strike."
"Okay," he said, and turned back toward Jan. She was still looking back toward him, waiting for orders or any sign of hope. He signaled his command to her, pointing toward her, then putting his hand to his eyes. He wanted her to pay attention.
"She’s ready," he said. "Tell me when he’s ready."
"His partner is badly injured but hasn’t left the area where the two men had died. This man is the last of them," she said. "I can feel it all…this cavern is incredible."
"Come on Chloe," he said, forcing the words sharply from his mouth. "Tell me when."
"Now," she muttered. To his surprise and horror, she stood and took a step away from him.
He had never been so terrified in his life. The friend he had sworn to protect had just stepped out from behind cover into the sights of a murderous kidnapper. He scrambled to his feet and pulled on her jacket, trying to bring her to the ground. But she swiped her hand across his arm, and he didn’t get any leverage.
Bang!
The gunshot was far too close to have come from the leader of the attackers. He whipped his head around as the man dropped motionless on the floor. To Parker’s left, Jan was standing with her legs apart, extending her pistol. She had aimed with precision and saved their lives.
He stood, a little shaky in the knees but otherwise with his nerves under control.
"That is that," Chloe said.
His nostrils flared. "What were you doing?"
"We had to kill him. What choice did I have?" she replied. "Would you rather you had stood? He would have shot you without hesitation. He wanted me, so I couldn’t be harmed."
Parker didn’t speak for a moment. He was trying to temper the anger in his mind, but his anxiety overcame him. "He could have shot you for us killing his men. You couldn’t be sure of his motives."
"He’s greedy, and I sensed his concern for me," she said. "I got that from our conversation with him before you rudely interrupted us."
"Oh, all the…" he responded, the vein on his temple beginning to inflate. "You were held hostage."
"I can assure you. I had everything perfectly under control."
"Is this conversation really happening? I can’t believe ‘under control’ is five guys with guns pointed at Jan’s head."
"I don’t have to listen to your shouts or frustration with me. They would’ve done nothing to any of us if you hadn’t come barging in, firing your pistol," she said, starting down the lane, moving away from the dead man. "Let’s get out of here before their friends have a chance to follow us."
Jan stepped between them. "What about the metalor samples?"
"We don’t need them anymore," Chloe said. "I have all the information I will need from here. Let’s find a map and a skimmer, and I’ll take us to the megacruiser."
She stalked away toward the exit
.
"What has gotten into her?" Parker said, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands. "That isn’t the same person we knew a month ago."
"She has gone through a lot." Jan put her hand on his shoulder to caution him. "And she is particularly cutthroat about finding the metalor cache."
"Don’t defend her. We saved her life, and she scolds us for it."
"Let’s see where she leads us before we get all upset. She might have a reason."
"I have to get back to Sarah. Wait a few hours before doing anything more. I know a safe place where you can go."
"She might not listen."
He turned to Jan and grabbed her by the arm. "Slow her down. I’m not sure how much more I can help. I can’t risk exposing that you are on Mars. Sarah will become suspicious."
"We need you."
"The Alliance needs me, too."
Chapter 28
"I must admit that I was surprised when you invited me to your apartment for dinner," Thomas Cross said as he sat down in the domed balcony of Gwen Arwell’s apartment. "Your view of the colony is more complete than mine."
"The chancellorship is a powerful position," she replied, almost retching with each word she spoke. She had hated this man even before he threatened her life. His jealousy of her position went against everything the MSA represented. The MSA was about making life better for the Martian people, and he wanted to rule them. But he was head of the military, and she needed him, so she swallowed her disdain, brushed her hair over her shoulder, and smiled back at him. "I should’ve invited you sooner to discuss the future of the MSA. Your actions earlier concerned me, but you have behaved since then."
"You have been doing a rather adequate job since the untimely death of your father. I would’ve taken over myself if the population didn’t love the Princess as much as they do."
"Thomas, you don’t hide the contempt in your words very well," she said, crossing her arms and squaring her shoulders toward him. "You must admit that the Princess has let you do what you want with your military. I am still apprehensive about letting you run around behind my back."
"You are far too lenient," he replied, hardening his jaw. "If I was in your place, I would’ve disposed of Logan after his failure."
"I did dispose of him."
"I guess we have varying meanings of the word dispose."
"Logan is not a threat to me. I need the best possible people in position. He’ll work hard to regain his honor and placement atop our ranks. If he makes another mistake, I’ll deal with him. I can guarantee that." She set the muscles in her jaw. "Let’s get down to the real business. The Aethpisian fleet has returned from Lunara. Are you planning a counterstrike on Lunara or on the Aethpisians forces in orbit?"
"Neither. Our space units have been devastated. We only have enough to mount a defense of our territory above Zephyria and Trivium Port. The enemy doesn’t know it, but they’re sitting in a prime position to take the last remaining hold in Aethpis colony. I’ve been pulling out personnel and warships from the area in case of a strike. We can cut our losses in half."
"You are willing to give up that area?" she exclaimed. "We must stay in Aethpis to gather counterintelligence about their population. If they ever gain full control, the Aethpisian crater will be impenetrable."
"We can’t stop an attack in the next two weeks. By moving our troops, they’ll pause and think about what we are planning. It also allows time to finish the four cruisers in the spacedocks and get them into the battle zone. We can then attack there. I can handle my military, Ms. Arwell."
"Chancellor Arwell," she said. "Don’t forget that."
"My apologies," he replied with an insincere salute.
"Dinner should be ready shortly," she said. "Differences aside, we still should come to an agreement on a number of issues." She stepped back into the apartment. "Are you ready to eat now?"
"Yes." He turned toward the domed window and gazed across the Martian surface.
She walked into the kitchen and returned with two bowls her aides had prepared. She stopped short of the table when she saw Cross had a small gun pointed at her.
"Where did you have that hidden?"
Cross turned up his boot heel.
"And you think you can get away with murdering me?"
"It won’t matter. I can spin a story about you having a heart attack." He dangled a vial of poison in his hand.
She bolted for the kitchen but a shot rang out, stopping her in her tracks.
She looked over to see Cross hunched over on the floor. He was dying.
"Planning to kill Gwen and me, were you," Samantha said from the side. "Bauer will think again about what he has done when he finds out that his little potion has claimed the life of his last remaining ally." She laughed. "That was your assurance that I wouldn’t kill you. You were clumsy and stupid to think that Gwen and I weren’t one step ahead of you. She is the chancellor’s daughter, and he chose me to be his top liaison. You should have known better than to stalk us. You could have been a valuable asset, but we had to show the rest of the MSA our power, and you are our showpiece. As you said, Gwen was lenient when she let Logan live after his failures, but he never resorted to treason. Goodbye, Mr. Cross. Have a fantastic fate in the afterlife."
He flailed with the last of his energy, trying to strike Samantha. She blocked the blow easily. His head fell to the side, and suddenly he was lifeless.
"I’m sorry," Samantha said to the lifeless face in front of her. "Only because you were a valuable asset wasted because of a lust for power."
"Where did you come from?"
"You remember how you spied on me when I was with Dakota Lars? I did the same thing with you and Cross."
"You don’t trust me?"
"I don’t trust him, and I knew you would need my help. It was just damn lucky he wanted to savor his kill and didn’t kill you straight off."
"Thanks," Gwen said. She noticed for the first time that her hands were shaking. "I guess I shouldn’t have tried to reason with him.
"Reasoning with a madman isn’t something I would have advised." Samantha moved over to the holophone and inputted an access code. A moment later, Hans Bauer’s face appeared on the screen.
"Surprise," Samantha said with a smile. "Your friend Mr. Cross had a small accident in the chancellor’s quarters a moment ago. I think you should send a coroner over to clean up the mess. Looks like a heart attack."
"Heart attack?" he stammered.
"I trust that you’ll be supporting the lady from this point forward. After all, she is securing your safety. We wouldn’t want you to have a similar accident as Mr. Cross."
"He is dead?" Bauer replied. "I don’t understand."
"I found the vial destined for the lady. Don’t play dumb, I know all about your little plan."
Bauer rubbed his forehead hard and deep. "How did you find out? He threatened me into helping him."
"You’re not the only genius in this conversation, Dr. Bauer," Samantha said sharply. "I spared you this time, but any further insubordination and you will be terminated. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Vice Chancellor." Bauer swallowed and wiped the sweat from his upper lip with the cuff of his shirt.
"Tell Dr. Lars that I’ll be watching her as well. No one is safe in your department anymore. You wanted to play this way, and now you have gotten it. Have Dr. Lars lead the team to clean up Cross’s mess. I trust she can be discreet."
"I can vouch for her loyalty. She’ll be over right away. Anything else?"
"That will be all for now." She pressed the release button, and the holophone snapped off. "Go to your office," she said to Gwen. "I don’t trust anyone but Dakota over there."
"Should we even trust her?"
"Yes. At least, she won’t kill you."
"We just killed the head of the military. Are they going to be loyal to us?"
"I have already taken care of the military. Cross was our only problem remaining, so our housekeepin
g is in order, Gwen. Our only obstacle left is the Alliance. The solar system will be ours soon."
Gwen smirked and felt a surge of anger within her. "My father will have his revenge. The cowards will die."
Chapter 29
Archeron Fossae, where the most brutal assortment of humans that still occupied free space on Mars, or anywhere else in the solar system, was assembled, went unrecognized by the major colonies. The colony, one of the oldest, sat in a long narrow depression near the equator. It was home to the revolutionists and outcasts who could not be disciplined under any government system. They were leftovers from the old world and the old way of life, incapable of finding their place in a civilized society.
After Shannon told Seth about the colony, he was apprehensive and a little terrified of what lay ahead. Survival in the colony consisted of bringing protection, keeping your head down, and hoping no one took notice of you. If Eamonn weren’t in such dire peril, he would’ve called the entire operation off, although his orders would have done little to stop Shannon.
The hovercar shook in the sky above the colony. Shannon fought the wind as she hunted along the surface for a spot to land. A collection of hovercars through the dust storm indicated a landing platform. She steered toward the hexagonal flats. "They’ll want us to pay a parking charge to guarantee our hovercar won’t be stolen or damaged."
"I suppose they are the ones doing the stealing and the damaging," Seth said. "Nice racket they have going."
"Are you going to be okay?"
He turned his attention away from the shaking exterior in front of him and toward Shannon. "How much for the parking charge?"
"We’ll negotiate," Shannon said. "Their first offer is always overpriced, so remain calm. They always up the stakes to newcomers. I’ve been to enough of these places to know how to lower it."
"But what about the informant? How is that going to go down?"
"I told you everything I know," Shannon stressed. "We are meeting a man by the name of Odell Garrett. He is an operative for the Aethpisians and an officer in the MSA. He has been with us since the start."
Lunara: The Original Trilogy Page 53