“This is where we are. The falls. There is a trail there.” He pointed with the knife to the west. “And this here game trail going up into the mountains to the valley above. We can't get up there with horses.”
“I'd say they went high then,” the gunny said nodding. The sheriff looked at him. “To keep from being seen and followed easily. This area is heavily wooded.”
“Yes. The western trail peters around here then dead ends in the swamp.”
“Okay, you can check that. We'll check the game trail,” Valenko said with a nod. “We're on foot. If you get to the swamp and haven't found anything, let us know and come back. We'll meet here tomorrow.”
“Right.”
“I'm on channel two twenty.”
“Good to know,” the sheriff said standing. He hesitantly held out his hand. Valenko took it, being careful to keep his claws clear of the man's gloves. His massive paw engulfed the sheriff's. “If you find her, take care of her,” the sheriff said.
“Of course sir,” Valenko rumbled. “We'll do our best. We've trained in hostage rescue. I'll treat her like one of my own cubs.”
“Good. If anyone can get her out its you then.” He whistled to his group. “Head em up, let’s move em out boys. Daylight's a wastin'.”
“You take the high road I'll take the low road,” someone sing songed as they left.
“Ah shut up,” another muttered loudly.
“Why did you want to split up? Cover more ground?” Schultz asks.
“No. I don't trust amateurs. Since he's related to the latest victim I don't want him around. I'm not sure he can keep a clear head. I'm not sure what the hell he'll do. Go charge the guns and get killed for all I know. No, it's best to keep them clear.” He grimaced turning to the trail. “I'm pretty sure you're right. What we're after is up there,” the bear said, pointing to a ridge line above. “I got a brief thermal pulse from up there. Enough for a couple bodies moving up the trail.”
“You didn't mention that before.”
“I don't tell everyone everything I know right off. Besides, I wasn't sure.”
“Could be natives, or animals.”
“Yeah, but I don't think so.”
Valenko led them up the hill over the next four hours. They started to look for a safe place to camp as night got closer, Valenko wasn't happy about the prospects though so they pushed on. They crossed a trail and sniffed, paused at the scent of death. They followed the smell until they found the body of a boy. He'd been stripped. Scavengers had been working over his body. The air was ripe with what passed as local flies and parasites. Hurranna waved her hand across her face to shoo them away.
Jethro silently pointed out the tracks. They backtracked the trail. “They've been up and down this area so often they've created a trail,” Valenko observed. “Typical laziness. I wonder why they brought the kid. Sheriff didn't mention him.”
“Maybe he didn't know. He's not that fresh. You're right though, they should have policed the dead. Sloppy.”
“They thought a predator would do the job for them,” Schultz said getting a lock of hair and making sure he documented the body. The face was gone, torn off by scavengers. The soft tissue was always the first thing to go.
“What the hell did they want a boy for? He's just a kid!” Hurranna growled.
“Best we don't know. But we're going to find out,” the bear snarled softly. “That I'll promise you kid.” He looked down at the body briefly and then back up to where he suspected the pirates were. “We need to scout them then, either find shelter to hunker down and call in support or... We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
...*...*...*...*...
They get within sight of the ridge line a few hours later. They could see an overhang of rock sheltering some sort of cave. The slope going up was steep, almost sixty degrees. It was peppered with trees, but the area around the cave had been recently cleared of growth.
“Firing lane,” Schultz said softly, understanding what he was seeing.
“Yeah. We need to pull back. Circle around,” Valenko breathed looking for cover. He suddenly felt an itching sensation. The fur on the back of his neck was rising.
“Think they know we're here?” Asazi asked looking around as she removed the safety and cocked her weapon. Behind her and to her left Chirby danced in place being torn apart by a hail of needler rounds. It would be the last time the Veraxin ever shucked his armor.
“Yeah I'd say so!” Miles snarled hunkering down behind a fallen log. “Eat this you mother frackers!” he snarled, raising his rifle over his head and ripping loose with is assault rifle.
Asazi hunkered behind a boulder, feeling it being chipped away by the rounds hitting the other side. She winced as rounds tore through the air above her. The rounds that had torn apart Chirby had been a heavy needler. These were from an assault rifle similar to their own. That meant at least two alert shooters with more to follow.
“Keep your heads down. They can't have a lot of ammo,” Valenko snarled.
Suddenly heat and bright blinding purple and white light flared as a plasma round cut down the opened fire lane to slam into a trunk behind them. Jethro turned away from the heat and light and then back to see the tree on fire. It's trunk torn almost in half. It groaned and then fell, crashing to the ground behind them. He was still seeing after images from the corona of that flare.
“You were saying?” Asazi snarled.
“Keep at em!” Schultz barked, firing over his head.
“Easy for you to say, you're behind a rock!” Miles growled. Rounds peppered his position, tearing through the fallen tree, spraying splinters in all directions. Needler rounds stitched into the exposed top and side, chewing into it. They cut through the soft rotten wood and into the marine. The first rounds kicked him up and back in a rear sprawl. He was okay, the body armor's crystal matrix absorbed the impact of the hyper velocity rounds. However his neck and throat weren't so protected. A round found it's mark, tearing through his exposed throat, up under his chin and into his brain to bounce off the inside of his helmet. The remains of his head splashed out the open face as his dead body fell and rolled down the hillside.
“Bastards!” Asazi screamed, spitting goo. She shook, and then fired, screaming and snarling.
“I've got one,” Hurranna growled, climbing a tree. She climbed along the limbs until she got a good view and then fired. A body in the cave toppled back.
“Eleven left,” she yowled, then dropped as the plasma gun tore the branch she was on out from under her. She fell with a screaming snarl.
“Damn it!” Sergei snarled. He fired over his head, then switched to a grenade round.
“Ox did you call it in?” Valenko bellowed.
“Yes sir.”
“Good.”
“Why's he yelling?” Jethro asked over the team HUD.
“Cause I want them to know back up is on the way,” Valenko replied.
“Plasma gun has a twenty second delay boss,” Sergei growled. “Another shot right about...”
This time the plasma tore through the air above the backside of the bear tearing his ruck apart. He snarled, back on fire and tried to roll to put the sudden burning skin and fur out.
“Freeze!” Sergei snarled as needler rounds tore down the hillside near the bear. One caught Valenko's exposed tricep. His limb jerked. He bellowed in pain again then rolled back onto his stomach.
Jethro and Schultz looked back and kicked dirt down the hill to the exposed bear. “Giving me a decent burial is a bit early,” the bear said, voice muffled by a mouthful of dirt. His torn and burned flesh trembled a little.
“We're not. Hold still,” Schultz said. The bear flinched as rocks and dirt hit his burning back. After a moment the searing sensation faded. His implants began to kick in, numbing the pain.
“Jethro flank them. You know what to do,” he snarled.
Sergei looked over to the panther as he began shucking his gear. “Crap.” He turned back and fired ano
ther grenade. It slapped off the top of the rock overhang and went in. It exploded and they could hear muffled screams. Dust flew out in a cloud, momentarily blinding the plasma gunner. He grinned lifting himself up a little. “That got the bastards!”
Needler rounds slammed into his right shoulder and bicep. He grunted as he went down rolling down the hill on his stomach. “Fuck me that hurt.”
“Serves you right,” Schultz snarled. “I taught you better than that,” the gunny snarled, shaking his head. “Cover fire on three.”
“Ox get a sitrep out.”
“I have a micro UAV out,” Ox replied. Valenko closed his eyes to see the live feed. Ox danced the little flying robot from tree to tree up the flanking slope.
“Jethro catch that?” the bear asked.
“Yeah,” the panther breathed as he winced as a man leaned out and shot the UAV. “And that,” he growled.
“Got him,” Letanga snarled over the link. There was a shot and Jethro chanced a peek to see the man was gone. “He's dead. Go,” Letanga said.
“If you’re going to do it, do it,” Schultz said, nodding to the others. He looked back to Ox and the greyhound. The greyhound medic was hanging back with Ox, trying to get to the injured. Ox had one giant hand on his chest, holding him back.
“Not now doc, wait until the shooting stops. We'll need you then. Until then we'll just have to cope.”
“He's right doc,” Valenko snarled. “Stay. That's an order.”
...*...*...*...*...
Jethro made his way around the flank trying to be careful and conserve his cloak. It was at least half a click up a steep slope, he couldn't afford to be burned out at the top. He couldn't risk letting leaves and debris fall, giving away his position either.
Despite knowing his teammates were under fire, he had to force himself to go slow and steady, taking his time and get to where he could do some good. He could see the infrared signatures of his prey with his implants. They were clustered around the front face, focusing on keeping the team pinned or sniping them one by one.
He got to where he was sure any further movement would expose him to someone covering this flank and then took a deep breath, eyes slitting. After a moment he faded. Time to go to work.
...*...*...*...*...
In the cave the men were looking back and forth, trying to get a clear shot. “I think I got the bear,” the plasma gunner said. He brushed rock debris off his back and shoulders, then ducked his head to get crap out of his hair. “I'm pretty sure I did. We need to leave. If they've got backup coming...”
“No one's going anywhere. That's what they want. All our food and ammo is up here,” the shuttle pilot snarled. “They want us out in the field, exposed. We've even got a bargaining chip.” He jerked a thumb to the back of the cave where soft whimpering could be faintly heard around the bend.
“Yeah, but this ain't no local hunters. Them is serious,” one burly guy said, spitting rock and broken teeth. “We're down to seven, one of which is wounded. They get another grenade up here we're all dead meat.”
“No, their grenadier took a hit. He's down slope, out of range. I'm telling you we can win this. Just sit tight,” the shuttle jock said. He was the officer and they damn well would follow orders.
He looked over the berm. Rounds were peppering the boulders and rocky lip in front of them. A few were chewing into the overhanging rock above them, raining debris down onto them. He ducked and then brushed it off.
“See? Can't hit shit!” he yelled. He turned back with a laugh just as Jethro's claws tore through the right flank's exposed throat.
The man grabbed his gushing throat and fell over just as Jethro rolled into the pit. “What is it?” he screamed trying to figure out what was going on.
“He take a round!” the men screamed.
Jethro flicked blood off his right hand and then reached out for the plasma gun. One rip and he tore it out of the gunners hands and off the tripod. He threw it over his shoulder and down the hill.
The gun rolled down hitting a rock. The plasma bottle ruptured and it exploded lighting the hillside up once more. The marines in their positions ducked at the ball of flame and heat and then peeked when it burned off. “What the hell was that?” Hurranna said, peeking through the broken branches and burning underbrush.
“Seems like Jethro got up there,” Asazi said with a grin. They could see the blurry infrared signatures turning away, hear panicked shots, none coming their way.
“Move Marines!” Valenko snarled already past them. The wounded bear tore up the landscape on all fours.
“Man on a mission. You heard him!” Schultz followed.
...*...*...*...*...
Jethro slammed one man to the ground hard then spun a kick into another who was frantically trying to find him. He'd taken two out so far. He had to buy time for the team to react. Every moment the pirates were focused on him meant the team was covering ground, climbing the hill to back him up.
His claws ripped through the man's exposed abdomen. The big male went down trying to hold his guts in. That made three. Another fired a pump action shot gun into the air. Some of the buck shot caught Jethro in the arm and shoulder spinning him off balance. He went down on the wounded arm. The pain kicked but adrenalin soared higher.
His cloak failed as he gasped. “What the fuck is it!” a man jabbered. His eyes were wide, gun at his feet.
“It's dead that's what it is,” the needler gunner snarled, tossing his empty rifle and pulling a pistol out of the front of his pants. He looked up as a shadow fell over him. He screamed as bear paws reached down and pulled him up. The bear tore through the man’s throat and then tossed him aside and roared.
Jethro blocked out the scent of human vomit, blood, and urine as he rolled to his feet. The guy with the hunter's shot gun tried to turn on the bear. The panther lashed out with a kick, hitting the guy in the groin. He felt claws sinking into the tender flesh there. His victim doubled over just as the gun went off into the ground.
The pellets ricocheted off the hard rock back at him and Jethro. The man shrieked, holding his face, arm, and crotch. Jethro winced but turned on the shuttle pilot.
“Officer!” ee snarled to Valenko just as he was about to swipe. The bear checked his swing enough to just tear the needler out of the guys hands. A second swipe was more controlled, a back handed one that sent the man sprawling.
Jethro snarled at the last man standing. He gibbered backing away. Hurranna dropped onto him from above and pounded him with the butt of her rifle. “Now stay down!” she snarled. The man whimpered and obeyed.
“Damn,” Jethro said shaking his head. He turned, feeling the buckshot. He was hit all over.
“Yeah,” the bear said sitting back. His lips curled in a snarl. The pilot looked up to see the bear standing over him. One look on the smoldering grizzly bear's face and the shuttle pilot fainted. “Well, that works. Make sure he's out and not playing possum.” Valenko said with a snort.
...*...*...*...*...
“Medic!” Sergei called from down the hill.
“Oh you're all right you big pussy. You’re not bleeding,” Asazi snarled.
“Collar bone's busted,” Sergei panted. “That and I've got splinters in some private places.”
“Yeah well, triage. You’re on your own 'til the bear gets help,” Asazi said giving the body of Chirby and then the body of Miles a look. “Count your blessings your're still in once piece.”
Sergei followed her gaze and sobered. “Yeah,” he breathed, instantly sober. The greyhound passed him without a glance. He paused at each fallen warrior, shook his head and then kept climbing. “Damn he's fast for a little guy.”
“He's a greyhound, what'd you expect?”
Letanga climbed out of the tree and gave Sergei a helping hand. The Liger groaned as he rolled onto his back.
Chapter 25
“This gets better and better,” Schultz said, examining the quivering, bound shuttle pilot. His fingers pushed
the man's head to one side to expose the crude universal jack embedded into his right temple. He turned to see Hurranna leading a battered and disheveled girl out from the back of the cave. Now that the area was secure they were moving into post combat chores. It felt good to see the girl still alive. The look of her, and her terrified expression made him look away however.
“Look what I found back there,” Hurranna said. The girl was larger than the lynx but held onto her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. She looked at the burned bear and squealed a little, eyes wide in fright, burying her face in the lynx's fur to get away from the sight.
“We're friends kid. We're the marines. We were sent to rescue you,” Jethro sighed sitting on a rock as he tried to spray biofoam into the pellet wounds he could reach himself. His implants were holding off the pain and controlling the bleeding but he didn't want to shake anything loose when they moved out.
“He's right,” the bear growled. The battered filthy girl was shaking like a leaf. He winced as he tried to roll his singed shoulder. “Even if we're a bit tore up at the moment,” he said, carefully modulating his voice and trying to keep as much anger and pain out of it as possible. The kid had been through enough. The fact that the greyhound medic was slathering burn cream on his burned back, picking dirt and debris out didn't help though.
“I think she's had a rough time,” Hurranna said softly.
Asazi came over the rocky outcrop and half slid half fell. She knocked a shower of dirt and gravel ahead of her. The others flinched, weapons raised to her. She paused and then raised her hands. “Easy easy. All friends remember?”
“Next time say something. We're kind of jumpy remember?” Jethro snarled ears flat, eyes slitted. She gave him a look taking in the wounds and then nodded quietly. They had all trained for post combat jitters but this was the first time she or any of them had experienced them for real. Or at least some of them anyway, she thought to herself, looking at Valenko and the gunny.
Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale) Page 40