by G J Ogden
“We’re going to need more than pistols to stop Cad Rikkard,” said Hallam, pointing to the weapon in Ruby’s holster. “His armor could probably stop a cannon round, never mind a bullet from that pea-shooter. I don’t suppose you have anything on this ship with a bit more punch?”
“Only my fists,” said Ruby while blowing an orange bubble in Hallam’s face.
Hallam snorted. “You’re welcome to test that boast in the ring once we’re all back at the hideout,” he said before the gum bubble burst, filling his nostrils with an overpowering, fake citrus fruit scent.
Ruby then wrapped her knuckles onto another locker door. “You’re welcome to use what’s in there, if you like,” she said.
Hallam scowled at Ruby as she moved over to the control panel at the aft of the fighter. He then opened the locker and snorted a laugh. Inside was an antique sawed-off double-barreled shotgun, plus a box of twelve-gauge cartridges.
“What the hell are you doing with this beast?” asked Hallam, picking up the hefty weapon. It looked like something designed to fight off a zombie apocalypse or hold up a bank. “Do you have a side-gig as a gangster or something?”
Ruby let out a fake laugh and hit the button to lower the ramp. “It’s useful in close-quarters situations, but I hate having to reload it so often. Feel free to use it if you want.”
Hallam wished he’d had the weapon the last time he was on the planet, when he’d had a reptilian beast snarling in his face. He grabbed a few fistfuls of cartridges, shoving them into his pockets, then loaded the weapon and moved up to Ruby’s side. The ramp was slowly whirring open, allowing the howling wind and icy rain to blow inside.
“You know this is a trap, right?” said Hallam, glancing over at Ruby, who had pulled on a heavy-duty jacket.
“Yeah, I know,” she replied casually.
“Cad Rikkard will be waiting for us inside that complex, probably with half a dozen enforcers,” Hallam added, wondering if this might produce a less aloof reaction from the second member of the Wolf Squadron.
“Yep, probably,” said Ruby, still seemingly unconcerned.
The ramp splatted into the mud and they both began to step down it, weapons raised and eyes keenly surveying the surrounding landscape.
“And you remember me mentioning the killer reptilian monsters, right?” Hallam tried again.
“What are you asking, tanker man?” said Ruby. She attempted to blow another gum bubble, but the rain burst it before it had even grown to the size of a plum.
“My point is, I’m hoping you have a plan,” said Hallam, jumping down into the mud and looking out toward the complex. The hole he’d cut open in Sector A3 in order to escape had been plugged, but the bodies of several CSF heavies and reptilian creatures still littered the ground underneath the complex.
Ruby held up a small satchel. “Just point out where the main ops center is and I’ll show you my idea of a plan,” she said, tossing the strap of the satchel over her head.
Hallam had a pretty good idea what Ruby had in mind, and ordinarily, he would have cautioned against it. However, on this occasion, there was no room for subtlety. They were outgunned and outnumbered, and walking into a trap. They had to even the odds, and if he was correct about what Ruby was planning, it would certainly give them the element of surprise.
“Let’s just make sure Dak isn’t in there before you decide to blow this place to hell,” said Hallam, stepping past one of the dead creatures while covering it with the shotgun, in case it was merely playing possum.
“This place is already in hell,” replied Ruby.
For once, Hallam couldn’t argue with Ruby’s assessment, and so continued to stalk ahead. He was at least grateful to be shielded from the rain by the outpost blocks raised on stilts above him. Hallam them stopped underneath the central section of the complex and looked up at the rusted metal surface of one of the outpost blocks.
“Attach the charges to these points,” said Hallam, pointing to four locations on the underside of the structure. “If we enter the complex through the southeast shutter and make our way toward the command center from the opposite side, we limit the chance of blowing ourselves up too.”
Ruby peered up at the points Hallam had highlighted and set the satchel down in the mud. “How do you know that there are explosive charges in this bag?” she asked while undoing the fastener.
“Just a hunch,” said Hallam, continuing to vigilantly sweep the barrel of the shotgun in wide arcs to make sure nothing was prowling toward them. “From what I’ve heard, gum bubbles aren’t the only thing you like to blow up.”
Ruby snorted then removed an explosive charge from the satchel. “Guilty…” she said, waving the device at Hallam.
Ruby Rivas attached the charges to the points Hallam had indicated, jumping up and locking the devices in place with magnetic clamps. She then returned to the bag and removed a wrist strap, which she slid on over the top of her renegade armor. “Remote detonator,” she said, noticing that Hallam was squinting in the gloom, trying to make out what the device was.
Hallam nodded then went over the hastily-concocted plan in his head, in case they’d missed anything. However, there wasn’t much to review. They were flying by the seat of their pants, as usual. “It’s not much of a plan, but I think we’re all set,” he said to Ruby. “With any luck, Rikkard will just assume we’ve walked blindly into his little trap and not suspect we have an ace up our sleeve.”
“Or a bomb…” said Ruby, tapping the remote detonator. Hallam’s heart fluttered, half-expecting the charges to detonate as she did so.
The two renegades then moved swiftly to the southeast entrance and crept up the ramp toward the shuttered entrance. Hallam saw that the shutter was partially rolled open. It wasn’t by much, and certainly not enough to allow one of the reptilian creatures inside. However, the gap was conveniently wide enough for them both to slide underneath.
“Now we know for sure this is a trap,” Ruby snorted. “They’ve even left the damn door open for us. I’m surprised there isn’t a ‘Welcome’ mat too.”
Hallam should have been surprised at how blatantly the trap had been laid out, but he also knew that Cad Rikkard considered him to be little more than intellectual pond scum. It was insulting, but it might also work to their advantage, Hallam realized.
“Then it’s a good job you’ve prepared a special kind of welcome for them already,” said Hallam, rolling underneath the shutter and sweeping the room with the shotgun. It was empty, but Hallam could see muddy footprints on the deck, some of which had only partially dried. “Judging by these prints, I don’t think Rikkard has been here all that long,” he whispered to Ruby as she also rolled underneath the shutter. “Maybe we’re in with a chance of finding Dak after all.”
Hallam continued in the lead, aiming the double-barreled shotgun along the corridors and around the corners, constantly wary of an ambush, but the complex remained deathly still and quiet. The only sounds he could hear were the soft clomp of his and Ruby’s boots, the shallow and rapid rasp of his own breath, and the rain hammering down on the metal ceiling of the outpost blocks.
“They’re funneling us toward the command center,” said Hallam, trying one of the other connecting doors, but finding it to be sealed up tightly. “Make sure you’re ready…”
“Don’t worry about me, tanker man,” replied Ruby as they reached the door to the command center. It too was open, but the lights inside were out.
Hallam glanced back to Ruby. “Ready?” he whispered. Ruby nodded and Hallam grabbed the edge of the door, heaving it open. They both moved inside, taking cover behind nearby workstations, and immediately, the door slammed shut behind them. Hallam cursed as the lights inside the command center blinked on. Then three armor-clad enforcers sprang up across the opposite side of the command center, aiming rifles toward where Hallam and Ruby had ducked into cover,
“Drop your weapons!” one of the enforcers barked. “And get down on the ground!”
“Not going to happen, assholes!” Ruby cried back before Hallam could respond with a slightly less antagonistic rebuttal. “Give us back our pilot, and no one gets hurt.”
The door directly opposite to the one Hallam and Ruby had entered through then slid open. Hallam’s gut tightened as he saw the figure of Cad Rikkard stride through like a Roman general, followed by a female CSF enforcer, whose posture and gait were far less assured. Hallam could also see Draga Vex lurking in the shadows behind them both, holding a combat shotgun that put Hallam’s shorty to shame.
“Thank you for saving me the effort of hunting you down,” said Cad smoothly. The mercenary then drew his medieval Black Prince sword and aimed the tip of the blade directly at Hallam. “And thank you for bringing your other meddlesome partner too,” he added, adjusting his aim to point the sword at Ruby. “Now I get to torture and kill all three members of Rand’s little Wolf Squadron.”
15
Hallam Knight wasn’t interested in playing Cad Rikkard’s games or pandering to his already over-inflated ego. And while he would never underestimate the mercenary’s abilities or determination, on this occasion, he hoped that Cad’s unshakable confidence in his own superiority would work to Hallam’s advantage. Cad appeared to believe that Hallam and Ruby had walked unwittingly into the mercenary’s trap, like sheep being herded into a pen by a wily old dog. The mercenary’s dirt-level opinion of the Darkspace Renegades wouldn’t allow Cad to even entertain the notion that Hallam had a plan of his own. This, for once, gave Hallam the edge.
“Just give us Dakota, and we’ll be out of your hair, Rikkard,” said Hallam, getting straight to the point. He knew the mercenary would refuse, but he wanted to buy a little time and hopefully learn more about Dakota’s condition and whereabouts. “No one else has to die,” he added.
Cad Rikkard laughed scornfully. “Surely you realize that there’s no version of this situation where any of you leave alive?” replied the mercenary, clearly insulted that Hallam would even suggest such a possibility. “Your only choice is how quickly I end your miserable lives and how much suffering you’re prepared to let your precious Dakota Wulfrun endure.” Cad took another step into the room and lifted his sword, admiring the blade like a fine work of art. “Resist or attempt to run, and Draga will carve your friend up like a roast, slowly and painfully.”
“I have a better idea,” Ruby called out, and Hallam braced himself, fully expecting whatever came out of her mouth to be incendiary. “Why don’t you shove that sword up your ass and waddle out of here with your freak partner before things get ugly?”
Cad’s jaw clenched and he aimed the tip of the sword to where Ruby was hiding. “Just for that, I’ll torture that gum-chewing fool too.” Then Cad met Hallam’s eyes. “I’ll force you to endure her agony as acutely as if it were your own and leave your suffering until the end.” Then Cad sheathed the sword and extended a hand toward the deck of the command center. “So, for once, be smart, renegade. Throw down your weapon, get on your knees before me, and you have my word of honor that your deaths will be swift.”
Hallam laughed out loud, immediately causing Cad’s eyes to narrow and his jaw to tighten like a vise. His word of honor… Hallam repeated in his mind. The sheer arrogance and self-importance of the man was staggering, Hallam thought. The mercenary likened himself to some sort of medieval knight, except the only cause that Cad Rikkard fought for was his own. He had winced at Ruby’s crude insult to Cad earlier, but now he couldn’t contain himself either.
“You know what, Rikkard, I’ve got a much better idea,” said Hallam, glancing over to Ruby, who had her hand poised over the detonator. “How about instead of all that great stuff you said, you just kiss my ass?”
Cad’s face flushed red, and he again reached for his sword, but Ruby had already triggered the detonator before the mercenary’s hand had touched the grip. The command center was shaken by a ripple of focused explosions, which rocked the deck like an earthquake. Sections of the floor collapsed above where Ruby had planted the charges, swallowing up the female CSF enforcer and the three heavies like quicksand.
The blast had also shaken Hallam to the deck, and he pushed himself up, desperately trying to spot Cad through the smoke. Staggering further into the room with the shotgun held ready, he peered through the holes in the deck and saw the mercenary lying in the rubble beneath the complex. He’d landed on top of the female enforcer, the weight of his iridescent black power armor squashing her face into the mud up to her ears. However, although Cad was stunned, Hallam could see that he was still conscious.
“Hallam, hurry!” Ruby called out, rushing ahead of him. The room began to rock and sway as she moved, as if the stilts that were holding up the complex were on the verge of snapping. Hallam followed, weaving a chaotic path through what remained of the command center. He made it to the corridor on the opposite side shortly after Ruby, but then saw a figure blocking their path. Hallam cursed and brandished the shotgun. In the confusion, he’d forgotten about Draga Vex. The mercenary had been blown back along the corridor, but was now getting to her feet. And she looked even more furious than normal.
Ruby reacted quickest, raising her pistol and firing, but the mercenary was alert to the danger and turned her back, huddling into a ball. Ruby continued to fire until her magazine was empty, but Draga’s armor deflected each shot, sending the bullets ricocheting off the walls like pinballs bouncing off bumpers.
“Ruby, get back!” Hallam called, trying to aim the shotgun around her, but Ruby was blocking his aim. Releasing the empty magazine, Ruby quickly slapped in another, but this was all the time Draga needed to pounce. Grabbing a fistful of the renegade’s jacket, Draga twisted her body and flung Ruby into the room to their rear. Hallam saw Ruby rag-doll across the deck and collide with a stack of metal boxes and containers, causing some of them to fall on top of her. She came to rest in a crumpled heap, but Hallam couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead.
Unsure whether the mercenary had seen the sawed-off shotgun, Hallam hid the weapon behind his back, looking to surprise Draga. Satisfied that Ruby was down, at least for moment, the mercenary then turned to face Hallam, eyes burning with rage.
“There’s no escaping this time, renegade,” Draga snarled. “I’m going to make this last as long as I can, or as long as you can hold out.”
Stepping forward, Draga swung at Hallam’s face, but his boxing instincts allowed him to dodge back at the last second. The mercenary’s fist went straight through the wall. Draga tried to pull it clear, but the mangled metal had become caught up in her armor. Seizing his chance, Hallam pulled out the shotgun and aimed it at Draga’s chest. Draga saw the weapon then glared into Hallam’s eyes, giving him a closer look at the mercenary’s unique lightning strike eyeliner than he ever wished to see. However, he had no intention of staring into Draga’s dark eyes any longer than was necessary. He squeezed the trigger of the shotgun at the precise moment the mercenary managed to haul her fist clear of the wall, literally giving her both barrels.
The recoil knocked Hallam off his feet, but the impact of two twelve-gauge shotgun blasts at point-blank range also sent Draga skidding along the corridor. Hallam dragged himself to his feet and saw that the mercenary was still down. Smoke rising from the buckled section of her chest plate that had absorbed the shotgun blast. Hallam moved ahead, sidestepping cautiously past the prone body of Draga Vex. The mercenary’s eyes were closed, revealing dish-shaped black circles that made her look as soulless as she acted.
The sound of boxes tumbling onto the deck then drew Hallam’s attention to the nearby room. Ruby Rivas was now on her knees, hands clasped around her head, blood trickling through her fingers.
“Ruby, are you okay?” said Hallam, dropping down beside her.
“I think so,”
said Ruby, allowing Hallam to help her to her feet. “That merc armor gives them freakish strength.” Then she looked around the room, blinking away blood that was dripping into her eyes. “Where are those sadistic assholes anyway?”
“Cad fell through the deck, but I think he’s alive,” replied Hallam, glancing back along the corridor. “And Draga is down, maybe dead, I don’t know,” he added, watching the mercenary for any signs of movement, but Draga’s body remained motionless. Hallam then quickly scanned the new room they were in. He recognized it as the one where Dakota had held off the Enforcers before she had been captured. Turning back to Ruby, he said, “Where’s Dak? Have you seen her?”
Ruby shook her head gingerly. “I think the fall put me out cold for a moment,” she said as they both moved further into the room, splitting up to search the area more quickly. The complex continued to rock and sway from side to side, as if it were an old, rotten seafront pier on the verge of collapse.
“We need to find her soon, before this whole damn complex falls apart,” said Hallam, moving around a tall stack of crates. Then he saw Dakota, tied to a chair. “She’s here!” he called out, bringing Ruby Rivas running.
Hallam pulled the gag out of Dakota’s mouth, scowling at her swollen, battered eyes and lips. “Dak, it’s Hallam. Can you move?” Hallam cried, trying not to react too strongly to the injuries, but anger was already swelling inside him.
“Hallam?” whispered Dakota, struggling to open her eyes.
“It’s me,” replied Hallam, smoothing the blood-soaked hair from Dakota’s face. “Me and Ruby are going to get you out of here.”
Ruby dropped to her knees beside the chair and worked furiously to free the bindings around Dakota’s wrists and ankles, while also glowering up at her injuries. Pausing briefly from wrestling with the ropes, Ruby removed an injector from her jacket pocket and held it up to Hallam. “Hit her with this,” she said, pressing the stim into Hallam’s hand.