by Angela Timms
Rennon was already in the back of the wagon taking a look at the equipment. He called out. “I think he may be telling the truth. As far as I can tell this equipment is all set on auto run, it doesn’t need any input to keep it going.”
Nathan smiled and his eyes brightened up a bit. “Yes, they check it when they give me the delivery and they said I was doing a good job.” He looked a little sheepish. “Well not that that matters to you, probably quite the opposite. Who are you? Are you a rival company or something?”
Kyla smiled and moved the knife off of his throat, keeping it within his line of sight. “I wouldn’t like a nasty accident. Now, you are going to be…”. She didn’t finish her sentence as Nathan made a lunge for her and instinct took over, she cut his throat in a smooth movement and he fell back into his chair, holding his throat and choking as his blood flowed down his shirt and his eyes went blank.
Kyla wiped her knife on his shirt. “Damn it, I thought he was cooperating.”
Rennon stuck his head out of the wagon. “He was but he wasn’t altogether telling the truth. I found these in his wardrobe.” Rennon pulled out a Follower Priest’s cassock. “It seems old Nathan there is living a double life. I’d check his wrist if I were you.”
Kyla undid his cuff and pulled his sleeve up. Strapped to his arm was a control panel with a stunner attached. “Good job I got him then, that is a contact stunner, if he’d touched me things would have been very different. So what do we do now?”
Kel was checking under the wagon and Rennon was franticly typing on the keypad. “It’s rigged to blow, there’s a failsafe attached to the life signs scanner. If I can just override it, it would be very useful to have this equipment, we could learn a lot. Otherwise be ready to run, fast. There you go and five seconds to go, the man’s a genius.” He stepped out of the wagon and beamed a smile at Kyla. “Now we have ourselves a transmitter and hopefully some interesting information on the hard drive and if we are lucky and I analyze this” he held up a Medicine Bottle “we might just have something here. I say that we use the hoist on the Hopper to take this whole wagon back to the Argo, we can dismantle it there. We’ll lose matey boy along the way but I don’t know what to do about the horse.”
Kyla went over to the black horse which was quietly eating grass. He looked up when she approached, one ear forwards, curious. “Are there any facilities for keeping animals on the ship? We seem to come to these low tech planets often enough.”
Rennon laughed. “You want to keep him don’t you? Well we have room in the cargo hold and we hit dirt side enough times to pick up hay and feed. It all depends on how he takes to space travel.”
Kel wandered over. “Why not, if he kicks the hell out of the Hopper on the way up we’ll know he’s not going to be a good crew member but you can clear up the mess. What’s this, little girl wanted a pony?”
Kyla smiled. “No, not really, part way practical as we’ve got to make this man disappear and I’m not sure where the horse would go if we set him loose. I do like him and having our own low tech transport would make sense. If we’re taking the wagon with us why not make the most of it. Let’s face it if we come to other towns like this and have to stay a while we can’t stay in the Saloons.”
Kel looked quizzical. “What do you mean?”
Kyla smiled. “Because if they are putting something in the food and water that means that we can’t eat or drink in any place that we stop. So having our own wagon means we don’t have to.”
Kel smiled broadly. “Alright, the horse can stay but you can get him into the Hopper. Get that horse and we’ll hook him up. Rennon give me a hand getting the body inside and packing his things up.”
They picked the prone body up and put it inside the wagon, picked up the sign and packed that inside as well. Kyla had managed to get the horse and was holding it in front of the shafts. She stood at his head, holding both of the reins to keep him steady. The men then pushed the carriage forward until Kyla was able to run the harness onto it and once hooked on Rennon jumped up and took the reins.
Kel leapt up beside him. “Take the wagon there, onto the stony ground. When we’re on solid ground we can pick it up from there.”
Rennon returned to the Hopper, jumped on board, and started the pref light. As he brought the cloaked hopper down, Kyla calmed the rather stunned horse. The Hopper uncloaked and she led the calm horse up the ramp into the crew hold of the Hopper and tied him to one of the bars at the end. He seemed curious rather than afraid but stamped a little as the ramp raised behind him. She stroked his nose and he calmed down. They took off and hovered and Rennon let down the clamps, hovered over the wagon and clasped it securely with them. To be sure Kel took some chains and strapped the wagon to the clamps. He had to climb up the wagon and the clamp and around the side of the Hopper.
Kel climbed down and while Kyla and Rennon flew the cloaked hopper and its cargo off back to the Argo he removed all sign of what had happened while leaving the wagon tracks heading off until they disappeared onto stony ground.
14
Kel had begun to pace the clearing. He had gone through it all in his mind over and over, he’d been trying to plan what was going to happen next but somehow he couldn’t focus. Then it had started to rain. It had been a real torrential downpour and he had nothing with him to build a makeshift shelter. All he had was his cotton duster coat and what little shelter the trees provided. He had watched the storm clouds come over from the East, slowly rolling across the open plain towards him and then it arrived. The rain was at least warm but by the time he saw a slight disturbance in the clouds above and realised the others were back he was soaked to the skin. His buckskins hung heavy on him, clinging and very uncomfortable.
Rennon flew through the storm, it effected the electrics in the Hopper slightly but not enough to make a real difference. The rain lashed against the front screen making it hard to see but he was patient, bided his time and waited until he was absolutely certain both by what he saw and what the readouts were saying. Then he glided the Hopper down and landed it smoothly in the clearing. He scanned immediately on landing even though the scanners had been doing their job all the way down and when they landed he knew exactly where Kel was and was able to drop the ramp so that Kel could run inside out of the rain.
Kel stood in the Hopper bay, dripping on the floor. Kyla threw him a towel and he began drying himself off. She smiled. “I wouldn’t worry too much about drying off here, we’ve got to get those horses back pretty soon and we’ll be riding through that storm to get there. So, what are we going to do? Do we ride into town, drop the horses off and leave or are we planning to stay?”
Kel grunted and dried his hair. “I’d say we should take a better look around that town and if we disappear now they might start asking questions when Nathan disappears as well. Why don’t we go back to town, get rooms and see what we can find out. With Nathan gone there is going to be a gap in the supply. Shall we find out what happens next?” He took his coat off and shook it.
Kyla took a step back. “I’d like to take a better look around the town too. The Followers obviously have a foothold but if we can break it now it is going to be a lot easier than when they get more established.”
Rennon looked thoughtful. “OK, well we could give it a look. We do have to take the horses back. So what is the story going to be this time? We didn’t have to introduce ourselves much last time and if we are staying the night we’ll have to be more specific.”
Kel raised an eyebrow. Rennon smiled wryly. “Well, for one thing I would expect they have very definite views on couples who are not married sharing rooms.”
Kel coughed.
Rennon smiled at him. “Well I had to say it. There’s no point us getting into the Saloon and then there is a problem. We’ve got to get our stories straight. Are you going in there as husband and wife again or Kyla would you like me to step in this time.” He gave Kel a very knowing smile, his eyes glinting with mischief.
Kel
growled. “Well it worked well last time.” He looked at the floor. “I noticed that the woman in the shop wore a wedding ring so that is traditional here too.”
Kyla looked from one to another. “I have no jewelry.”
Kel’s expression went blank. He reached around his neck and pulled a small buckskin pouch that had been hanging down inside his shirt. He opened the pouch and tipped out two gold bands, one slightly larger than the other. Kel looked at them and clasped them in his fist. He looked at her, his eyes had a lost look. He slipped the larger ring on his finger, it was a perfect fit, and took the other one. “Give me your hand.”
She held out her left hand and he slipped the ring onto her finger. He wrapped his hand around hers and she looked up at him. He coughed. “She would understand.” He smiled and Kyla relaxed. “So, shall we be husband and wife again?”
Kyla grinned. “Why not?”
He put an arm around her. “So, Rennon are you going to be her brother or mine?”
Rennon smiled wickedly. “I’ll be hers, then I can get at you disapprovingly if you treat her badly.”
Kel grinned. “I won’t .”
Rennon winked at him. “You’d better not or you will have me to answer to. Come on then bro in law, let’s get this ship locked down, get mounted up and back into town. The sooner we get that ride over the better. Where are the horses?”
Kel turned to go. “I tethered them just behind those trees. They seemed alright about the ship leaving so they should be alright now.”
The horses were waiting quietly, eating what they could reach of the grass. Kel untied his and leapt into the saddle. The other two followed.
Rennon took point, Kyla beside him and Kel rode behind as they faced the storm. The rain had not let up, it was now getting colder and they were all soaked to the skin by the time they got to the town. They rode straight to the Livery Stable and rode in through the doors.
The owner was waiting for them and he took the horses from them and began drying them off and rubbing them down. “I’d get yourself to the Saloon and dried off if I were you. You don’t want to get sick.”
Kyla smiled at him. “Thank you, we will. They are good horses.”
He patted the one he was drying off on the back. “I know they are, glad you were pleased with them.”
Kyla stepped forward again and stroked the horse’s nose. “The Saloon is alright then?”
He rubbed the horse down with a dry cloth. “The Saloon is just fine, basic but it is kept well and you will get clean sheets. But, be careful if you are staying in town any length of time. You will probably have already realised that your lady can’t drink in the public bar. It is frowned on for you to be in the Saloon anyway. If you want a drink then your husband will have to take it up to the room for you. If you would like to buy horses to travel on your way I do have three for sale, not these three, I raised these myself but I have three that are fairly quiet and would do you well. For now, have a good night.”
Kyla rubbed the horse between his ears and turned and left, the other two went with her.
When they got to the Saloon Rennon went in first. Kel stayed behind him with Kyla close to him. The room was much more crowded now and they had to push their way to the bar. The barman moved to serve them when it was their turn.
He put two glasses on the bar. “Same as before?”
Rennon nodded. “And a room for me and one for my sister and brother in law.”
The barman smiled at Kyla who looked nervous. “My wife takes pride in her rooms, I’m sure you will be comfortable. If you would like your husband to take you upstairs now you may find that more acceptable. It can be very rowdy here at night and a woman in the bar may cause more trouble than any of us would want. Your husband is welcome to buy a bottle so that he can accompany you.” He was looking at Rennon and Kel. Rennon reached into his pocket. “What do I owe you for a bottle and a night’s board? We may want to stay longer but we’re not sure at the moment.”
The barman was watching a group up the end of the bar. “Five silver would cover it. Rooms six and seven. I would show you to your rooms but I think I’d better keep an eye on what is going on here.”
Rennon smiled. “We’ll be just fine. I think we’ll make our way upstairs now.”
The barman put an open bottle and two glasses on the table and palmed a third to Rennon who raised his eyebrow. “Thank you.”
The barman nodded and wandered off up the bar to where the farm hands were getting very loud as Rennon backed away from the bar. His space was rapidly filled by other customers and he took Kyla’s arm and escorted her to the stairs. They went up straight away without looking back and turned right at the top of the stairs. When they realised they had gone the wrong way they came back and tried left. That was more successful and they found the rooms.
Rennon sat in a chair next to a small table beside the large bed. The room was indeed very clean and scrubbed until the wood was worn. Kel sat on the bed and Kyla was looking out of the window. Rennon pulled a scanner out of his pocket and scanned the room under the cover of his coat. He looked up. “All clear, no bugs.”
Kel smiled. “That is good to hear. So we can talk.”
Rennon poured three glasses of the whisky. Kyla wandered back to the table and sat on the other chair. She took a glass, the other two took theirs and they clinked their glasses together in silence.
Kel went to the window. “It all looks pretty peaceful out there. There are far less people about now though. It will be dusk soon.” He leant against the window frame and looked the other way down the street. “All seems pretty quiet. People are going off to their homes and the shops are shutting. The store is shut now and the Livery Stable is closing its doors.”
There was a knock on the door. Kel stepped over and opened the door carefully, his gun drawn and kept just out of sight. Rennon shifted Kyla’s glass off the table and put it on the window sill out of sight. As the door swung back it revealed a tiny, slimly built woman. Her hair was tightly pulled back in a bun under her crisp white bonnet. Her apron was starched stiff and pristinely white. She carried a pile of freshly laundered and neatly folded towels.
She waited on the threshold for Kel to invite her in and then she put the towels down on the bed. “Good evening gentleman and lady. Here are some clean towels for you. If there is anything you need, just let me know. I am Martha, you met my husband in the bar. Have you been provided with all that you need? I trust my husband has seen to your needs.”
Rennon stood up. “Thank you, he did.”
Martha smiled knowingly. “But I would say he didn’t tell you it all. He forgets, please forgive the oversight if there is one. He tries not to think about it you see. He sort of blots it out of his memory. This is going to sound very unusual but we have a strict lock up policy. We lock up at dusk and we do not open up again until dawn. We would also suggest that you keep your windows closed and locked. It should be a cool night after the rain so you won’t get too stifling hot. Whatever you do, do not go out at night. We will lock you out and there are some strange folk about the village at the moment.”
Kel’s interest had been piqued. “What sort of strange folk?”
Martha looked nervous. “They are the sort who would kill you if they catch you outside. Look after your wife as a few women have gone missing in the village. Two or three people a month have disappeared. We lock up our doors at night now. It is very bad for business as you can imagine. Be careful and good night.”
Kyla walked over to the woman and took her arms in her hands. “Thank you for the warning. Was it always like this?”
Martha looked down at her hands, she seemed to become awkward. She was clasping one hand with the other and then she folded her arms and looked straight at Kyla. “It started about a year ago. But thankfully help came and our town is a lot safer now. We have a lot to thank the priests for. There is still some trouble at night but nothing like it was. It started after a young boy from this village awoke the
creatures.”
Kyla saw how nervous she was. “Did the boy
survive?” Martha smiled. “I think so.”
Kyla smiled at her but there was intensity in his expression. “Haven’t you seen him to know if he is alright? Surely this is a small town and everyone seems to know the others and be fairly friendly.”
Martha’s brow furrowed. “You know, now you come to mention it I haven’t seen the boy lately. His family arrived in the town a few months before the troubles happened. My sister has a boy at the school but she didn’t mention that he knew this child. I suppose his parents must have moved on. But, that is odd, as we have the Saloon we usually get to hear most suppose we had downstairs as I have the evening meals to start cooking.”
Kyla relaxed a little. “Can we have food up
here?” Martha smiled. “Of course dear.”
Kel was standing by the window looking out into the street. He grunted and sat down at the table. Rennon was watching the woman intently. She noticed and he smiled. She smiled back and looked away shyly.
Martha turned and left the room. Kyla closed the door behind her and leant against it, listening to make sure that she had gone back downstairs. When she was fairly sure, which was difficult as the sound of conversation from downstairs was quite loud, she opened the door and took a look out into the corridor, and it was empty. She closed the door, locked it and turned to the others.
gossip. Very odd. Then with the disappearances I enough to think about. I had better be getting
Kel tipped his chair back and put his feet on the table. “Well, it doesn’t take a genius to work out what has happened here. Cunning though, very cunning. But what do we do about it?”