by Random, Alex
The trees suddenly thinned out and he halted, wondering if he had reached the edge of the forest. But he saw the dark line of more trees just ahead and realised that he had emerged into a wide clearing. There was danger here, he thought instinctively, and halted, having left the cover of the tree line by several yards before his dulled senses warned him he was in the open. He turned to seek cover once more, intending to make a detour around the clearing, but in the instant that he turned the clearing was suddenly brilliant with warning flares.
Alston dived forward in a roll that took him back under cover, and he lay still, gasping for breath, cursing himself for losing his alertness. He watched the flares hovering over the clearing, and their stark light showed him the extent of the open ground. He fancied he had been picked up on scanners probably handled by patrols, and he knew there would be pursuit. But he was too tired and weak to care about making a run for it. He wouldn’t get very far, and if he lay still there was a possibility that he would be by-passed in the darkness.
The flares began to die, and others blossomed in the dark sky. He saw figures moving around out there in the open, and anger filled him, for it seemed that after all his efforts and ordeals of the day, he was doomed to failure. Then bright lights appeared in the sky, stabbing downwards, swooping low, and he saw they were searchlights fitted to the undersides of two police hovercars. He lay still, watching men coming forward, and despite his desperation he made no attempt to flee.
Fresh flares burst overhead, and some of them dropped sputtering into the forest, starting small fires that quickly spread. Alston saw that if he did not move his retreat would be cut off by fire, but he felt paralysed by his failure, and lay mindless, staring at the pendulums that filled the night with blazing light. He was lying in a small depression in front of a broad tree trunk, and suddenly the shadows about him were filled with terrified creatures darting out of the forest to escape the raging fires. Dark figures in the clearing, forming a line that was moving slowly towards the trees, were startled by the sudden movements, and Alston lowered his head and closed his eyes as beams of blinding light struck swiftly like astral swords.
Several small explosions sent thunderous echoes through the night, and in the background a number of harsh voices were yelling unintelligible commands. It was like a nightmare to Alston, and he lay mindless while fury developed around him. Smoke drifted by, carried on the brisk breeze that was fanning the fires into greater conflagrations.
The figures of the policemen came closer, and Alston watched them from his cover. Because he was at ground level he escaped the worst of the smoke that was billowing out of the forest. He did not look around, but the ominous crackling sounds at his back warned him the fires were taking hold, and soon he would be forced to move out. But he intended holding on as long as he could without endangering his life, and he stared through the wreathing smoke and watched the police holding their cordon.
He had no idea what had triggered off all the action, but it started the moment he had emerged from the forest. No doubt he had been picked up on their scanners, and they wouldn’t leave until they were certain of his fate. He crouched lower in his cover and breathed shallowly through his mouth, his imagination making him feel the heat of the fires on his back, although they were not yet that close.
An amplified voice suddenly cut through the crackling of the fires, and Alston started as he heard it, lifting himself slightly to take a look. He couldn’t see any movement, but the voice came clearly to him.
“Alston, if you are hiding in the forest then come on out and surrender. We’ll get you if we have to burn down ten square miles of trees. No murderer has ever escaped justice on this planet, and we mean to make an example of you.”
It was impossible to decide upon the identity of the voice, but it sounded like Graham’s, and Alston gritted his teeth as he considered all that had happened since the previous day. His fortunes had see-sawed from good to bad, and now they were at the lowest ebb. There seemed no way out of this trap, and he knew that if he surrendered he would probably be executed out of hand. But he was innocent of the smuggling charge that had brought him here in the first place, and he was not guilty of murder. He was an obstinate man, and his stubborn attitude was based on desperation and wild hope. While he was alive he could hope! He tightened his lips and began to think of trying to crawl away. If they wanted him they would have to get him the hard way. He didn’t know the meaning of the word surrender.
But the fires were fanned by the breeze, which was bringing the wall of flame nearer to him. Sparks were drifting through the night, creating a nightmarish effect, and the breath he drew into his lungs seemed to be heating up. Smoke did not trouble him so much. There seemed to be an updraft close to the ground which left the first foot off the ground relatively clear, and he breathed shallowly and slowly.
Time went by and the raging fires came closer. The smoke thickened until he could not see to any distance across the clearing, and he realised it was time to leave. If he was going to get out alive then he had to make his attempt now.
He crawled out of the hole and slithered over the ground, trying to keep to the treeline, but the smoke was thicker where the ground inclined, and soon he was gasping for breath, choking for the want of pure atmosphere. He got to his feet and staggered on, moving to the right, intent upon getting clear of the fire. He fancied that the patrols would be watching for him from close in, and the smoke, which was supposed to be driving him out into their arms, was actually helping more than hindering him. It was difficult to breathe, but it cloaked his desperate movements and he gradually drew clear of the fire zone.
When the smoke thinned he dropped flat and crawled again, driving himself on and on, fighting for breath and jerking the sweat out of his eyes. His exhaustion before walking into the ambush had been almost complete, and he had been ready to drop at each step, kept from doing so only by his indomitable will. But now he was pushing himself beyond his limits, and while his blood was heated nothing would stop him.
His jaws ached because he was clenching his teeth so hard. His arms and legs were heavy and leaden, but he dragged himself over the rough forest floor, intent upon outcircling any patrol. When he was clear of the smoke he paused to gulp fresh air, and after some moments his breathing became easier, but it needed a real effort on his part to get moving again afterwards.
He heard voices somewhere nearby, but could not pinpoint the direction, and dropped flat, trying to control his breathing. His limbs twitched uncontrollably, and he was afraid he might be overheard, but there was little he could do about the situation, and at that particular moment he didn’t really care if he escaped or was captured. But silence returned and he forced himself to go on, believing that each yard gained now was an important step on his way to establishing his innocence. He kept that thought in the forefront of his mind as he continued. But he was making slow time, and he realised that as soon as the patrols learned that he had eluded them they would widen their sphere of operations, and then it would be only a matter of time before they caught him.
But when he began to think he was in the clear he blundered into another clearing, and this time a number of dark figures arose quickly about him, hemming him in, brandishing weapons which he could not ignore. Alston stared around dully at them, recognising police uniforms in the starlight coming down through the gap in the trees. His resolution collapsed like a pricked balloon. His legs gave way and he went sprawling helplessly. When a Blinder flashed at him he looked eagerly at it, welcoming the throbbing light that took away his aches and pains and worries. Everything went black and he slipped gratefully into numbed unconsciousness.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Alston was aware of his returning senses a long time before he finally snapped out of the temporary paralysis the Blinder had imposed upon him. But the exhaustion which had gripped him made his recovery that much more difficult, and when he had reached the level of becoming aware of his body he soon discovered that he ache
d in every muscle and was still utterly weary. But outside thoughts began to intrude upon his bemused mind, and slowly he recalled his capture. He opened his eyes slowly, fighting all the time to beat his lethargy. When he looked around he was shocked to find himself back in the room in Frank Anders’s quarters at the Governor’s palace, and he sat up slowly, peering around, unable to believe the evidence of his eyes.
For a long time Alston sat thinking, trying to get some sense out of what had happened. He had been abducted from this very room and abandoned in the forest. There had been police patrols out hunting him, and he had barely escaped them with his life. Then he had walked blindly into another patrol, and instead of being killed he had been returned to the safety of this room.
He began to wonder if it had all been some hideous nightmare! Had he really left the room? He got up slowly and looked in the wardrobe, and his dirty, torn play complex uniform was lying rolled in a tight ball in one corner.
He was dressed in pyjamas, and a bathrobe lay across the foot of the bed. He crossed to the door and tried it, tightening his lips when it refused to open. He was locked in. He stood thinking for a moment, then crossed to the window, and he saw that they were now barred securely.
Alston squinted his eyes against the sunlight streaming in through the window. He shook his head in disbelief and went back to the bed, pulling on the bathrobe and sitting down to try and relax. But no matter how he considered, he could not reach any logical conclusion.
When he heard the door being unlocked he stiffened and looked up expectantly. He got to his feet when Frank Anders entered the room, his face showing his puzzlement, and Anders paused and nodded slowly.
“You gave us a lot of worry, Rex,” Anders said.
“Let’s take it from the beginning and you tell me all about it,” Alston retorted. “I feel as if I’ve just awakened from a nightmare.”
“I expect you do! But you’ve been fortunate, Rex. I managed to intercept the plot that was made to finish you off. You were removed from this very room two nights ago and one of the palace guards was killed in the process. It was intended that the evidence would show you had escaped and killed the guard in doing so. It was unfortunate about the guard and I wish I could have prevented his death, but I hadn’t allowed for it, and you were transported to the jungle and left for the hue and cry. I had decided that you had to be officially dead to gain any advantage, and that’s why I had to play a complicated game, using your life as bait. I very nearly failed, but as it happened, everything went off perfectly well. You are presumed to have died in that jungle fire. I’ll never understand why you didn’t, Rex! I had a few patrols out — men I could really trust — and you stumbled into one of them. A patrol under Graham’s command was passing almost at the moment you appeared, so you had to be put under instantly, and I apologise for the Blinder effects you’ve suffered. However it would have been your life otherwise. Now you are back here in my quarters and Graham doesn’t know you survived.”
“What’s happening then? Why should I be officially dead? What happens now?” The questions boiled up in Alston’s mind. “Am I in trouble with the Authorities? Am I blamed for murdering the guard, and Allie Carpenter?”
“Don’t get excited, Rex. I expect your mind is filled with endless questions. But I think I can now get to work to prove your innocence and Captain Graham’s guilt.”
“His guilt in what?”
“In the plot to get rid of you. I think he had Allie Carpenter murdered so you could be charged with the crime.”
Alston slowly shook his head. “All right, Frank,” he said slowly. “I’ll take your word for everything that’s happened. But tell me just one thing! Why has Graham gone to all this trouble to get rid of me?”
“I think there are two reasons.” Anders was matter of fact, and Alston could not help feeling that this was a drama being enacted for his benefit. “The first one is long-standing. It goes back to the charge of smuggling laid against you. I think Graham was responsible for that, Rex, and now he’s trying to ensure that the truth of it cannot come out. With you dead there will be no need for anyone to reopen the case.”
“And the second reason?” Alston kept his tones steady.
“Carmel! You’ve been seeing her steadily for some months now. Did you know that before she became interested in you she was practically engaged to Graham?”
“I didn’t know it!” Alston shook his head slowly. Now he could begin to understand some of the reasons for what had happened. “But surely Graham wouldn’t go so far as to have innocent people murdered just to get me sent to one of the penal stars!”
“If he arranged for that smuggling charge to be brought against you then he is capable of anything to get what he wants. You stood in his way of promotion, and you were removed very effectively. Now you’re standing in his way with Carmel, and it seems to me that he has gravely overstepped his bounds to get you out of the running.”
“But I told him I wasn’t in love with Carmel! I said she didn’t mean anything to me!” Alston shook his head.
“But she is in love with you, Rex, and she wouldn’t look at Graham while you lived.”
“Have you any proof of this, or are you taking my word for it and assuming I’m telling the truth?” Alston looked into his friend’s eyes.
“I’m acting under orders of the Governor,” Anders said, and smiled when he saw the surprise showing in Alston’s face. “Yes,” he went on. “You’ve got an ally in the Governor. But apart from his interest in you he wants to know what kind of a man he has got as Security Chief of the Constellation. There’s no way of getting to the bottom of your case on the present situation. So the governor has decided to accept you at your word, with reservations, and I am to check everything thoroughly. I’m keeping an open mind, Rex, despite the fact that I’m approaching this business as if I had proof of your innocence. I do not feel you are guilty, having known you for so many years, but I have to keep an open mind.”
“I wouldn’t want you to handle this any other way!” Alston said. “But what happens now, Frank? I’m supposed to be dead! Am I to be kept cooped up here until you get to the bottom of it?”
“The Governor hasn’t decided what to do about you yet! I think he’s hoping I shall get some evidence pretty quickly.”
“Don’t underestimate Graham,” Alston warned. “If he is guilty as we suspect then he’s no fool to have made it this far. I can understand why he wants me out of the way. But does Carmel think I am dead?”
“Yes! I’m sorry, Rex, but we couldn’t take any chances with you. One serious attempt has been made on your life and it almost succeeded. No more than half a dozen specially picked policemen know you are still alive. The Governor and myself are the only others with that knowledge. You’re going to have to make up your mind to the fact that this room will be your prison for a few days at least.”
“Graham may get suspicious if he learns that bars have been placed on this window. How did his agents get in here at me anyway?”
“We permitted them to!” Anders smiled thinly. “It was a calculated risk, Rex! They got you away cleanly, and when they left you in the forest it was with the intention of having the guard here found murdered by us and a search instituted from this end. Then Graham’s agents would have moved in after you and put an end to the whole business by killing you.”
“And he has no reason to suspect that I’m still alive and back here?” Alston didn’t feel happy with the situation.
“He has no reason at all to suspect we snatched you out of the trap. I think we did a good job, and so far there’s been no hint that it didn’t go as planned.”
“I wish you had let me in on what was going to happen,” Alston said. “It was no pleasure trip for me.”
“It went off very well, as it happened. But now I have to get to work. My investigations have to be made under cover now, and that will be difficult. Just lie low in this room and stay away from the window. I don’t think we need worry abou
t the security surrounding you now. These palace guards are a special unit which does not come under Graham’s departments. The fact that one of them was killed by Graham’s police agents has made them all the more keen to bring about Graham’s downfall.”
“It won’t be easy,” Alston said doubtfully. “I wish there was something I could do to help. It will be hell just sitting around in this room.”
“We need you secure! If we get what we’re after then we shall be able to confront Graham with the evidence of his attempts to get rid of you. If there is anything you can do to help later then I’ll let you know. But right now you’re like an ace up the sleeve to me, Rex.”
“All right. I’ll stay here like a good boy, but keep me informed of what’s happening, Frank.”
“I’ll check with you regularly. I have one or two loose ends to try and tie up concerning Allie Carpenter and the two spaceship crew who were witnesses for Graham. Unfortunately Graham is holding them incommunicado at the moment and I can’t get to them without arousing his suspicions. But I’m putting a screen around Graham that he won’t know about until I choose to spring my evidence against him.”
“Good luck! I’ve got a feeling you’ll need it,” Alston said.
Anders nodded and departed. He paused in the doorway to look back at Alston. “I hope I can bring it off, Rex, he said. “It would mean a return to starship duty for you!”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Alston replied.
Left alone, Alston could only sit and go over in his mind what had been said. He felt there was room for some hope, but he feared his good fortune would not hold out long enough for Anders to succeed in what he was doing. Graham was no fool and he must have entrenched himself deeply to protect his past. He had great ambitions, and it seemed that nothing would be permitted to thwart them.