Cole thrust his dagger into the snake’s body, but it was hopeless. Thick layers of skin and muscles protected the serpent from harm. The sound of air being squeezed out of Kobak’s lungs told Cole that his young friend was seconds away from dying. He looked around the floor of the cave for his sword and spotted it propped up against a rock. Cole dove for the sword, picked it up in his right hand, and pivoted on his heel. Without hesitating, Cole brought the blade down on the snake’s neck, cutting its head from its body.
“Hang on!” screamed Cole as he pulled at the snake’s twitching body to rescue Kobak. The instant he could grab the prince’s robe, Cole hauled back and freed him. The young Kurgan stared up at Cole with unblinking eyes. Cole placed a hand on his chest. Kobak wasn’t breathing. Cole laid the prince down, canted his head slightly, and put his mouth over Kobak’s. He exhaled, filling Kobak’s lungs. Cole watched to see if the prince’s chest moved. When it didn’t, he took another deep breath and breathed into Kobak’s mouth.
“Come on, come on,” urged Cole. “You can’t die on me, not now.”
He bent down to once more fill Kobak’s lungs when the young prince let out a pained cry as he fought to breathe on his own.
“Easy does it,” said Cole, helping Kobak to sit up. “Apart from your chest, are you hurt anywhere else?”
“My chest hurts,” gasped Kobak.
Cole carefully ran a hand over the young Kurgan’s chest. “I’ve no doubt you’ve cracked or bruised more than a few of your ribs.”
Kobak looked over at the snake and shuddered. “Is it dead?”
“I would hope so. I chopped its head off.”
“Alan, why do you keep saving my life? Not that long ago our two species were at war.”
Cole pointed a finger at Kobak. “You’re not my enemy, and I have a job to do. Right now that means keeping you alive so we can have peace between us.”
Kobak looked up. “You’re the bravest person I have ever met, Alan Cole.”
Cole helped Kobak to his feet. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
The young prince let out a pained moan and placed a hand on his chest.
“Looks like we’ve found your sore spot,” said Cole, cutting strips of cloth from his robe. He tied them around Kobak’s chest to help ease the pain and keep his ribs stable. “Don’t try anything difficult and you should be okay until we can get you to a doctor.”
Thanks,” said Kobak, feeling the pain decrease.
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s get back to work.”
Kobak took his time as he crawled out of the tangled undergrowth. He gritted his teeth and pulled back on the roots, allowing Cole to pass him his weapons before squirming his way to freedom.
“You okay?” asked Cole, seeing the young heir place a hand over his cracked ribs.
“I’ll be fine in a minute,” replied Kobak.
“Take two,” said Cole running his hand over Kobak’s smooth head.
“My God, what have I done?” said Kobak looking back toward the city. A wall of flames lit the horizon while a thick plume of black smoke drifted up into the night sky, blocking out the stars.
“You didn’t do a thing,” countered Cole, looking into Kobak’s golden-colored eyes. “If anyone is responsible, it is General Kordus and his murderous thugs. They attacked fellow Kurgans to get to you. Remember this, General Kordus and his father are the ones who brought the war to this peaceful part of your empire, not you.”
“But if we hadn’t come here, none of this would have happened.”
“If we hadn’t come here, there’s a good chance you’d be dead by now, and Chancellor Kordus would be the emperor. When we make it out of here, you can make a new law forbidding anyone from ever coming here in the future and then back it up with force.”
Kobak nodded. “I will.”
“Good, now let’s put a little distance between us and the city. Kordus is bound to send out patrols, and the last thing we need to do right now is to bump into one of them.”
“Which way?” asked Kobak.
Cole looked up at the stars and picked a bright one just above the top of the trees. “We’ll navigate using that star and hope we run into some sympathetic people.”
“And if we don’t?”
“Then we run!”
Chapter 25
“Admiral on the bridge,” announced a lieutenant as Killam walked out of the elevator and onto the bridge. Everyone on the bridge respectfully stood at attention.
“As you were,” said Killam, still feeling out of sorts with his new rank as well as being in command of a Joint Task Force of fighting ships and marine transports about to jump deep into Kurgan space. He looked over at the ship’s communications officer and said, “Please ensure this message is transmitted to all the ships in the task force.”
“You’re on, sir,” said the officer.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Rear-Admiral Killam speaking. I wish we would have had more time before departing to prepare ourselves for this mission, but time is not on our side. In a matter of minutes, we will be jumping deeper into Kurgan space than any vessel in the fleet’s history. Our assignment is quite straightforward. We will rescue the heir to the Kurgan throne and any fleet personnel we find with him and bring them all home safely. Should your ship have to drop out of faster-than-light speed, there are a number of Kurgan support vessels along the route we will be traveling who have been secretly dispatched by Admiral Kaar to assist us. Activate your distress beacon, and you will receive aid. Under no circumstances are you permitted to fire on any Kurgan vessel except in self-defense.”
Killam paused and looked around the bridge at the officers and enlisted personnel watching him. He felt the weight of his duties and responsibilities on his shoulders for the first time in years. “People, let’s get to work. Killam, out.”
The bridge became a beehive of activity as the ship prepared itself to jump away from the remainder of the fleet.
“Sir, the marine transport ship Essex and the missile frigates Yantai and Pulaski have all acknowledged your order and are ready to depart,” reported a young lieutenant commander.
“Thank you,” replied Killam. He turned to face the captain of the Ojibway, the destroyer he had designated as his flagship for the mission. “Captain Martin, are you ready?”
Martin grinned. “We’re good to go, Admiral.”
“Very well, have the task force jump away on your order.”
Martin took a seat in her chair. “All ships, this is Captain Martin, we are jumping in five-four-three-two-one.”
In less than a second, all four ships were on their way into the unknown.
Killam placed his hands behind his back and looked over at the timer on the view screen. Their journey was calculated to last seventeen hours and forty-three minutes. A lifetime as far as Killam was concerned. With no accurate intelligence on the Kurgan force that had already jumped to Ki-9A, he prayed that he had made the right choice of which combat vessels to bring with him. Killam cleared his mind. Worrying about things was not going to help him now. They were committed, and that was all there was to it.
Killam turned on his heel and began to pace. While he walked, he let his analytical mind run over every possible scenario they could encounter upon arrival over the moon. If they were going to run into trouble, and his gut told him they were, he wanted to be ready for it.
Chapter 26
The sound of a drone flying overhead made Sheridan, Tarina, and Kitan dive for cover. Although hidden from sight underneath the jungle canopy, it was a case of better safe than dead. They lay still until the UAV flew off deeper into the rain forest.
“That’s a good sign,” observed Sheridan.
“How so?” asked Katin, brushing the dirt off her clothes.
“If they’re still looking, that means Cole and Kobak are still alive and on the run.”
“Yeah, I suppose it does.”
Tarina stood and looked back toward the city. “I hope Wendy�
��s all right. God, how I hated leaving her there.”
Sheridan placed an arm around his wife’s waist and hugged her. “You had to do what you did. Otherwise, you’d probably never have made it out of the arena alive. We’ll get her back. I promise you.”
“I know, but I still feel in my heart that I did the wrong thing.”
“Wherever she is, I bet she understands why you left her behind and forgives you.”
“I hope so.”
“Just wait until Alan finds out Wendy’s not with us. He’s likely to take on the entire Kurgan landing force to get her back—and win.”
“There is that.”
A mother carrying her child in her arms staggered out of the brush and dropped to her knees in front of Katin. She bent down and tried to see if the woman was hurt or just exhausted.
Sheridan brought up his weapons and took post while Tarina also went to see if she could help.
“Are you all right?” asked Katin in old Kurgan.
The woman took a deep breath and muttered, “Karil.” She handed her baby to Katin before falling face-first onto the ground. She let out a long breath, then her body was still on the wet earth.
Tarina reached down and felt for the woman’s pulse. There was none. “She’s dead,” announced Tarina, solemnly.
“Praise the Lord, at least it looks like Karil is healthy and uninjured,” said Katin, checking out the child in her arms.
“This is awful,” said Tarina. “I wonder how many children are being made orphans tonight?”
“One is too many,” said Sheridan. “Ladies, I wish there was time to look after the dead woman’s remains properly, but we have to keep moving away from the city.”
Katin passed Tarina the child, knelt, and said a short Kurgan prayer for the dead over the woman’s body. When she was done, Katin stood and took the child back in her arms. “No offense, but the child is sleeping. When it wakes up, it’s going to be scared and confused. It should at least see one of its own kind.”
“None taken,” replied Tarina. “It’s the right move in my books.”
“If you’re going to carry the child, I’ll take point,” said Sheridan to Katin. “If we come across any more civilians, you can hand off the child to Tarina while you talk with them.”
“Agreed,” replied Katin.
Sheridan turned and looked down the narrow game trail. In the dark, it was near impossible to see. He brought up his rifle and turned on its night sight. The world, bathed in hues of green, became easier to see. Sheridan picked a path and stepped off, leading his friends deeper into the jungle.
Chapter 27
Wendy Sullivan bolted straight up and took in a deep breath. A blinding light shone in her face. She brought up her hand to block the light.
“How are you?” asked someone she couldn’t see. The person spoke English with an odd accent.
“I feel like I’ve been run over by a tank, but aside from that, I guess I’ll live,” she replied, unsure of where she was.
“You broke your left wrist and fractured two ribs when you fell at the arena.”
Wendy looked down at the gel cast on her wrist and the IV in her arm. If I’m in a hospital, whose was it? “Thanks for your help, but I think I should get going.”
“Where are you going to go?”
“To find my friends?”
Wendy’s heart skipped a beat when a Kurgan lieutenant walked out of the light and looked down at her. “And where might your friends be, Major Sullivan?”
“How do you know my name?”
“Please, Major, it wasn’t hard. We have your records on file. All I had to do was run your picture through our database and your entire military record appeared. I see you have been a prisoner of the empire once before.”
Images of brutal and inhuman treatment at the hands of her captors deep inside a Kurgan prison planet filled her with hate. “Yeah, I managed to escape in one piece. Can’t say the same about a couple thousand of your fellow Kurgans, though.”
“That was before my time,” said the young officer. “Now, Major, where are your friends and the heir to the throne hiding?”
Wendy smiled. “You don’t have them yet, do you?”
“No. So far they have eluded our forces, but we shall soon have them in our custody.”
“I doubt that. If you don’t have Prince Kobak by now, you never will. Besides, I have no idea where my colleagues are as I was knocked unconscious at the start of your attack on the arena.”
The lieutenant shook his head. “Unfortunately for you, that’s not the response I was hoping for.”
Wendy looked the officer in the eyes. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“Oh well, there are other ways you can be of help,” said the lieutenant before stepping back so the light could be moved out of the way.
Wendy’s eyes widened the instant she saw a Chosen soldier with a recording device on his shoulder move closer to her cot. Two soldiers grabbed her and forced her onto her back. One man held her arms while the other clutched her legs tightly in his hands.
“No!” yelled Wendy.
The lieutenant stood over her and looked down. “Please feel free to scream, Major.”
Wendy’s heart jackhammered in her chest when she saw a Chosen medic holding a steel, serrated saw in his hands.
“Cut off her right leg,” ordered the lieutenant.
Wendy panicked and struggled to break free, but the men were too strong. A cold sweat enveloped her body. She turned her head so she wouldn’t see what was about to happen.
“Any words for your friends before we begin?” taunted the officer.
Wendy spat in the lieutenant’s face. “Yeah, I hope you said goodbye to your parents before you left home because you’re going to die in a few hours.”
“I don’t think so, Major.”
“Don’t go too far. Alan Cole will be along shortly to help you meet your maker.”
The lieutenant’s right eye twitched for a second. “I’ve heard enough out of this Terran whore. Remove her leg.”
Wendy felt the serrated blade touch her skin and began screaming. Her cries of pain could be heard throughout the camp.
Colonel Keel heard the terrified screaming and felt a shudder run down his spine. He harbored nagging doubts about their mission inside the sacred home of their ancestors. Religious edict or not, Keel felt like he was helping to commit a monstrous crime. Like many other officers, he kept his views to himself for fear of retribution once Chancellor Kordus was named Emperor. He turned and looked at the dark jungle. There could be thousands of natives waiting to attack and they’d never know it until it was too late to act. Although electronic sensors and sentries patrolled the tree line, Keel’s instincts warned him to be wary.
He walked back inside the command post and tapped the duty officer on the shoulder. “Captain, what is mortar platoon doing right now?”
“Sir, they’re standing by their tubes waiting for fire missions in support of the rifle companies to be called,” replied the captain.
“I doubt we’re going to get any request for fire from the companies tonight. Order mortar platoon to dispatch as many men as can be spared to act as security for the TOC.”
“Sir?”
“You heard the order, Captain. I want the security around this post beefed up posthaste.”
The captain bowed. “I will give the order right away, sir.”
Chapter 28
Three wraith-like figures emerged from the darkened cave with the dead snake and took cover among the trees. One man broke formation and dropped to one knee to examine the tracks leading into the forest.
“It’s them,” said the man.
“Are you sure?” asked one of his accomplices.
“One Terran and one Kurgan youth exited the cave and carried on down this path,” replied the man. “Who else could it be?”
“Shall I call it in?” asked the third tracker.
“Yes, and let them know we’re less
than an hour behind them,” said the man, checking the footprints.
The radio operator nodded and spoke into his headset mic.
The lead tracker stood up and brushed the dirt from his hand. His stomach began to churn with excitement. Ever since he was a youth and went hunting with his father, the soldier had always enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and the prospect of a good kill at the end of it.
“Corporal, headquarters says that we’re to carry on and send regular status updates, so the lead forces behind us can support us should we need their help,” said the radio operator.
“We’re not going to need anyone’s help,” said the corporal. “The snake back in the cave must have hurt the prince as his footprints are closer together and show he’s favoring his right side. We’ll have his head and that of the Terran within the hour, and all the honor and glory that goes along with it.”
“We can’t possibly lose,” said the second tracker. “Three Chosen soldiers against a boy and a Terran. It’s not even remotely fair.”
“Screw fair,” said the corporal. “I want to watch the look of horror on the Terran’s face when we chop off the traitor’s head right before his eyes and then gut him for the animals to feast upon.”
With that, the corporal took the lead and led his comrades in pursuit.
“How are you doing?” Cole asked Kobak.
“I wish my chest didn’t hurt so much,” replied the prince. “I’m having a hard time breathing.”
“I was once told that pain is just a way for your body to let you know that you’re still alive.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Not really. I was told that during Marine basic training by a thirty-year-old drill sergeant who could outrun and outclimb all of us snot nosed recruits.”
“Then why did you say it?”
“I don’t know. I guess I was just trying to take your mind off the pain.”
“You’re an odd man, Alan.”
“You have no idea.”
They carried on for a couple more minutes until they stumbled over the body of an elderly Kurgan man laying sprawled out on the trail.
Crimson Fire (The Kurgan War Book 8) Page 12