by Susan Kelley
“Stay low. I don’t think they’ll shoot at you first but putting you down to impede my movement could be their strategy.”
“I hope they didn’t think of that,” Molly muttered as she sank below the lip of their hole.
“It’s what I would do in their position if we were a deadly enemy.”
“Do you think they’re angry about what we did to their comrades?”
“I didn’t notice any brotherhood or closeness between them, but I might not be the best judge of such feelings.” Mak hadn’t noticed much emotions in the giants. Had it been cut out of their brains?
The faint vibrations of the low flying hovers carried through the soil beneath Mak’s boots. The giants increased their altitude as they crossed the stream only two hundred yards away, exposing themselves as clear targets against the blue sky. They spread out to create a half circle similar to what they’d tried to do in the forest. If they’d been smarter or more experienced they would have taken the time to create a full circle around him so they could attack from all sides. Amateurs.
The pistol had limited range and the small amount of explosives he’d tipped each bullet with might throw off the balance enough to ruin his aim. He dared not waste even one shot so he waited until the ones on his right flew within fifty yards. Even for him making such a shot with a pistol presented a challenge. They had even less chance of hitting him when firing from their moving vehicles.
Mak’s first shot exploded against the chest of the man third from the end of the left arc. He flipped back off his hover, but his dead hand brushed across his controls. The driver-less machine took a sharp left and crashed into the rider flanking it. Both machines tumbled to the ground, the giant on the second one leaping free before impact. But his agile escape from the wreck didn’t help him evade the bullet Mak sent to his head.
Two down and five to go, all closing in on them. Mak swung back to his right, Molly moving her arm as needed so the chain didn’t interfere. He shot twice, one kill but the other only knocked off his hover. The vehicles flew forward after losing their riders for only a few feet. The craft settled on the ground, safety features keeping them from operating without a driver.
Bullets thudded into the soft exposed dirt surrounding their foxhole. Mak crouched, forcing Molly down farther beneath the lip. Eleven shots left. He aimed at the center of the line but the bulk of their machines now provided a wall of protection. The small bit of explosives he’d fixed to his ammunition would only bounce off the metal. He managed to shoot one more man approaching from the left before slipping the pistol behind his waistband. Three to go.
Mak took up the first lasso, the stiff vine settling into a wide loop after only two swings. It flipped eagerly over the controls of the hover directly in front of them. He ignored the screaming of the muscles as he jerked the noose tight and to the right. Just enough to throw the machine off course. By now the circle had closed enough that even a light course deviation caused a collusion. He didn’t wait to witness it as he picked up the next lasso and captured a machine on the right side. All down and on foot.
He took Molly’s hand in his and leaped out of the foxhole. When surrounded by an overwhelming enemy the only strategy was to attack. He pulled the gun out of his waistband and shot at the nearest giant to his right and then his left. They went down but he couldn’t tell if their injuries would keep them there.
Molly stepped onto one of the downed hovers first and squatted behind the controls to make room for Mak. She faced him so neither would have to cross their arms. Mak shot at the last giant standing and slapped at the control panel with his other hand. The machine kicked to life, seemingly undamaged by its low altitude crash.
A heavy weight knocked into Mak’s side and then he quickly realized he’d been shot by one of the soft slugs. His lungs couldn’t draw breath but his body kept operating. The hover lifted but a large, thick hand wrapped around Mak’s ankle. He shot the wrist. Blood and bits of bone splattered the floor and Mak’s boots. He kicked the severed hand over the edge as the craft gained height.
Another man leaped toward them. The power of his big legs carried him upward but Mak’s shot to his forehead insured that the message to pull down the hover didn’t reach the giant’s hands from his brain.
Then they were high enough to be out of reach of men on the ground. Mak sped along their side of the stream, bobbing up and down as the guards with Shear took up the pursuit. He had to beat the guards to the forest. Once in there he would use the cover to cut down their numbers again. Hopefully before they brought out the pulse weapon. If the regular guards foolishly challenged him beneath the trees he might capture a gun with real bullets.
A round whacked the ground a few feet in front of them. As Mak had feared and hoped, Shear’s guards used real ammunition. Unless they were terrible marksmen, they attempted to bring down the hovercraft and not kill Mak and Molly. If one of their shots disabled the hovercraft at their current speed the crash might kill them anyway. Something struck the control panel near Mak’s hand. He glanced over his shoulder and saw three of the giant men following them. How were they alive? Their massive size slowed their vehicles but Mak’s carried the weight of two people.
Though it wasted time, Mak zigzagged to ruin the giants’ aim and slanted gradually away from the guards running nearly parallel to them. They scooted across the stream as soon as they noticed, not impeded by the additional weight. The forest grew like a dark wall in front of them but still too far away. Molly held onto his leg with her free hand and braced herself as he drove their vehicle in an irregular series of dips and climbs to throw off the aim of their pursuers. It wasn’t going to be enough.
He wasn’t as skilled a shooter as Vin but Mak’s marksmanship exceeded that of his enemy. And he’d fought running battles from the back of a moving vessel before. The big men gained on them from behind because of his evasive maneuvers, but the most immediate danger came from the guards using real bullets. They didn’t try to dodge as they angled toward Mak and Molly. Mak calculated their flight paths without conscious thought. He shot the one in the middle of the racing line and then another in the back. As he hoped their falls from their crafts disrupted some of their comrades.
Another soft slug struck Mak in the back of his thigh. His entire leg went numb, but he shifted his weight to his other. The short bushes that grew on the outskirts of the forest scraped the bottom of the hover. Slugs pelted the foliage and hit the hover. Molly cried out but Mak dared not check on her. He twisted and fired at the nearest enemy following them.
The hover bucked and dipped before Mak turned back to the front. Sparks snapped from a jagged metal wound on the top of the control panel. A lucky shot had hit the main drive controls. He stuffed the pistol into his waistband and used both hands to guide the hover into a survivable crash.
The machine bounced once and then slid and crunched for another fifteen feet. Mak grabbed Molly’s hand and jerked her to her feet before the craft settled and wheezed its last. The first trees rose only steps away. Mak stumbled to the ground, his leg still tingling and weak.
Hovers hummed and then quieted behind them as the giants dismounted, but Mak and Molly had scampered into the trees by then. Mak made Molly run in front of him, putting his body between her and the guns.
Footsteps pounded behind them. Shear’s behemoths, not giving up on their prey. Mak couldn’t stand against them in hand-to-hand combat, not even if he’d been entirely healthy and not chained to Molly.
Molly ran with her free hand pressing against her right shoulder. Mak remembered her crying out but saw no blood between her fingers. Her steps didn’t falter as she led him toward a stand of tall stalks. Then the ground went soft beneath his feet.
“Step where I do,” Molly said breathlessly over her shoulder. She took a short stride and placed her foot right beside one of the stalks. A short step landed her other foot near another plant.
Mak followed her steps exactly. He could now hear one of the giants breathing from only
a few steps behind him. A slug hit his already bruised shoulder, the pain raising floating black dots in front of his eyes. Shouts and curses almost drowned out the slurping, sucking sounds of the boggy ground as it captured the heavy men following them.
Molly moved at a quick steady walk, her steps uneven as needed to keep them on firm ground. She panted heavily and sweat darkened the back of her shirt. Then they were on more solid ground, running and dodging through the trees. The sounds of the struggling giants fell behind them.
Mak moved up beside Molly and took her hand again. He led her on a course to angle them back toward the hangar. Shear’s men didn’t have the cleverness to expect it. Picking a route covered with a thick carpet of leaf litter, new and old, Mak hoped to slow the tracking. Shear’s men had trained using heat detectors and never learned to follow trace through a forest. All the enhancements in the universe couldn’t make such a skill natural. It had to be taught and then perfected through practice.
The trees thinned as they neared the boundary with the grasslands. Mak caught glimpses of the tall hangar between the thick trunks. He took his time and used the cover of the trees as he worked his way toward the open area. At first he thought he imagined the low frequency sound but then he was sure. A large ship approached. More than one.
“I hear a ship,” Molly whispered when they hunkered down behind a tree near the edge of the forest.
Mak heard nothing moving in the forest behind them except a light rustling of leaves in the breeze. “One big carrier and at least four star cruisers. Shear must have expected trouble if she called for that much help.”
“I don’t see them.” Molly sagged against Mak’s side. “How will we get away from them?”
“We can’t. They use the heat signature scanners to hunt for us. Hopefully our latest victory will make us useful for a while longer.”
“What will she have us do next?”
Mak wanted to do something about the hopelessness in her voice but no great escape plan came to mind. “She’ll use you as a hostage to force me to train her men or at least act as their opponent. Now let me see your shoulder.”
“It’s only a bruise.”
Mak brushed her hand aside when she put it over her injury. She tried to resist by tugging on the shackles linking their wrists as he lifted both hands to her collar. He opened the top two buttons on her shirt and then pushed aside the wide band of her bra-lined undershirt. A large red bruise darkened her shoulder. The discoloration of her skin marked her all the way to the top of her breast. “Damn Shear and her goons.”
Molly pushed his hands away and he let her. There was nothing he could do for her anyway. He couldn’t protect her or help her escape. Not even when the courts had declared the Recon Marines guilty of disobeying a direct order and other treasonous activities had Mak known such helplessness.
The ships approached in a military formation meant to intimidate and forestall any resistance. They executed the maneuver as well as any active military unit might, the massive carrier taking up station directly above the hangar. Their scanners would sweep the facility for life, toxins and weapons. A ship of that size could see Mak and Molly lurking in the woodlands.
The four star cruisers veered off and began search patterns in each quadrant. They looked like the newest models, and their pilots flew with the ease of many flight hours in the cockpit.
One of the cruisers passed over Mak and Molly. She flinched and closed her eyes. “I don’t know if I can run any further, Mak. I’m sorry.”
Mak took her hand. “We’ll wait here for them to come and get us.” The words tasted bitter in his mouth. He’d failed the mission, failed the general and failed the men who’d been tortured by this vile project and died for it. And mostly he’d failed Molly.
The cruiser that had flown over them returned. It came in lower and slower. Mak read the numbers and letter code on the side of the ship. He stood up and pulled Molly up by her hand. He led her out of the forest into the open. The ship flew by, going as slow as such a ship could in heavy atmosphere. It dipped its near wing at them as it passed.
“What was that?” Molly asked.
“That was a real soldier.” Mak wrapped her in his arms as best as he could with their wrists chained. “Pender and Box made it through. They brought help. You’ll be safe now.”
****
Molly stumbled through the next two hours in a daze. Hector, Kory and Andy hugged her, prompting some tears she’d held back for a long while. She told them over and over again how glad she was to see them alive. The pain relief ordered by Hector contributed to her circling thoughts. “Where’s Mak?”
Hector urged her back into her seat in the medical ward. “He’s helping Captain Edow round up the traitors. Now let me have another look at your shoulder and drink this nutrient bottle or I’ll stick a needle in your arm and replace your fluids that way.”
“Yes, doctor.” Molly lifted the bottle to her lips and once she started drinking she couldn’t stop. Her body craved any kind of caloric intake. “Tell me how you survived. Helen told us you were dead.”
Hector sighed. “I still can’t believe she’s behind all this. I’ve known her for years, but as I look back there were long periods of time when I didn’t see her anywhere about.” He put a cool pack on Molly’s aching shoulder before continuing. “We made it through the minefield. The ship Mak stole for us had some kind of command device to deactivate the space mines in our path. Kory did a great job piloting. Mak had warned his men to expect some kind of attack ship lurking out beyond the minefield. Kory flew and Andy directed his evasive maneuvers. I’ve become so used to those boys being nothing but our escorts and assistants, I forgot they’re actually soldiers. Mak has influenced them in a good way. We lost them and flew far enough to call for help. They wanted to head back right away but Captain Edow was nearby. Apparently your father sent him out here in case you ran into trouble.”
“We did run into trouble.” Molly’s thoughts had cleared though she felt like she could sleep for at least an entire day. She gestured at her shoulder. “This was my fault. If I hadn’t stayed behind with some crazy idea of helping Mak, Helen would never have caught him.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. But I do know that the two of you prevented them from escaping.”
“Have you checked Mak’s injuries?” Molly hadn’t seen him since he’d handed her over to Hector’s care. He’d hurried off to report to Captain Dane Edow, a fine officer Molly had met before at military affairs.
“I couldn’t get him to stand still long enough for me to ask him.” Hector laid some neatly folded black clothing on the exam table beside Molly. “The shower is through that door. By the time you’re done, I’ll have a hot meal ready for you. I’m not sure where the captain will berth you, for now sleep in one of the beds here in the infirmary. No arguments. Doctor’s and captain’s orders.”
Molly wanted the shower but her need to know Mak was safe and Helen captured warred with her desire for personal comfort. “I’ll get a shower if you find out what’s going on outside while I do.”
“Mak is fine, Molly. Edow has more than enough men to handle the capture and arrest of Helen and her men.” But Hector headed out the door as she walked to the shower.
Molly dumped her dirty clothing on top of her boots outside the shower door. The feel of hot water, moisturizing soap and shampoos for her hair kept Molly in the shower for longer than she’d planned. The ache in her shoulder finally chased her out. The clean clothing hung loosely on her, a good thing since no bra was included, but it felt good against her skin.
Hector had yet to return so she sat on one of the cots to wait. Her heart wanted to worry about Mak and the other soldiers chasing down Helen and her minions, but her mind insisted the superior numbers of Captain Edow’s soldiers meant they would safely prevail.
They would be weeks sifting through Helen’s laboratory notes and computer records. Molly would insist her father assign Mak as her military guard
for the project. She slid into sleep and dreamed of Mak’s arms around her.
****
Captain Edow knew the business of soldiering. Mak had met the man before when Edow helped the Queen of Giroux and in turn the Recon Marines. The captain had already sent a force of thirty soldiers to secure the hangar and the laboratory beneath it. They’d reported minimal resistance from a half dozen guards and as many scientist types. Two of the giants had been secured in the sick bay. The only remaining problem raced across the plains beneath the circling star cruisers.
“Where do they think to go?” Edow muttered to Mak.
Mak shared the six man transport craft with the captain and his officers. “They’ve shown little knowledge of combat strategy, sir.”
“Do you think they’ll try to fight their way free even though there’s no escape for them?” a lieutenant asked.
Mak noticed the attention of all the officers on him, the usual combination of fascination and suspicion of soldiers when they first met Recon Marines. Only Edow treated Mak like any other soldier. “I didn’t have any real interaction with the guards so I don’t know how loyal they are to Shear. Hired mercenaries aren’t likely to give their lives to serve someone who will never be able to pay them. The big men Shear created with her experiments fight with a blind determination that makes them very dangerous though ineffective against real military forces. I don’t know what they’ll do, but Shear vows they have unswerving loyalty to following orders.”
“So it might all come down to whether or not Shear orders them to resist.” Edow cursed. “This entire project of hers proves she’s a psychopath.”
“It doesn’t matter unless you want to take them alive,” Mak said.
“We have two of them alive but injured in the lab’s sick bay,” Edow said. “I’m not endangering any of my men to capture them but I want to take Shear alive so she can face justice and answer questions. Maybe find out if anyone else is involved.”
“I thought Vin caught them all.” Vin’s vengeful quest had brought about the downfall of more than a dozen military and political figures.