by Saxon Andrew
Harvey stared at Andy and Andy said, “What, Harvey?”
“Even their infants will be killed if we do that?”
“Are you willing to go down and try to take them from their parents?”
Melody looked at Andy and said, “Get Olivia.”
Andy looked at her, “Why?”
“Just get her here now.”
Mark stood up, “I know where she lives. I’ll go get her.” Melody stood up and went to bring some plates of food to the table. Andy followed her into the kitchen, “What are you thinking?”
“I’m not sure but there must be a way to not kill the babies.”
Andy sighed, “I just don’t see any way to prevent it, Melody.”
“At this point, I have to agree but I want to make sure.”
Andy helped her carry the food out and thirty minutes later Olivia arrived. She saw the men sitting around the table and quickly said, “I’m sorry, I was ready for bed and had to get dressed.”
Melody smiled and pointed to a chair next to her, “You made great time on such short notice. Come and sit down.” Olivia sat down and Melody handed her a sandwich, “Here, I hope you like it.”
Olivia took a bite and smiled, “This is really good.”
Melody laughed and said, “Olivia, what do the Destroyers do when an attack warning is issued?”
“Every one that’s trained on how to fire a rifle rushes to the walls.”
Maxius quickly asked, “Both walls?”
Olivia looked at him, “No, the wall on the coast. They release their slaves and also bring them as well.”
Melody nodded and said, “Do they do anything else?”
“The parents of young babies take them to the care center before they go to the wall.”
Andy said, “Care Center?”
“Yes. It’s located near the back wall in the center of the city. Slaves are there to take care of them until the attack is over.”
“Who watches the slaves?”
“Destroyers who are too old to man the walls. Why do you ask?”
“We want to see if we can avoid killing the babies when we attack the city.”
Olivia stared at Melody for a very long moment and said, “The Destroyers won’t hesitate to kill their own children if they think an enemy has taken the center. Their cannons can reach it from the coastal wall.”
“Thank you, Olivia. You’ve been a big help.”
“You’re going to place a lot of your warriors in danger if you try to take the center.”
“You let us worry about that.”
“I can take you there. It’s not easily seen because it’s in the middle of a huge group of buildings.”
Melody stared at Olivia and then looked at Andy. He blew out a breath and shook his head, “We’ll let you know what we’re going to do.”
Olivia stood up and walked toward the door. She stopped and turned around, “Saving the infants is worth doing. I should have thought of this but I’ve not been thinking clearly. You won’t find it easily unless you know where you’re going. If you plan to save them, I should be there showing you the way.” She turned and walked out the door.
Harvey shook his head, “That is one special girl!”
Melody nodded and looked at Andy. She rubbed her stomach and Andy knew he had no choice but to make the effort. He also realized that if the effort was going to be made, Olivia would have to go in with the first wave of attackers. He started shaking his head and Melody said, “I’ll tell Ophelia and Zeck at the proper time.”
“Thank you, I was just dreading having to do it.”
“I suspect they probably know about it by now.”
“Do you think Olivia would tell them?”
“You’ve seen her, does she look like she avoids any issues?” Andy shook his head. I’ll go by in the morning to discuss it with them…if they don’t show up here first.”
• • •
Tyler straightened up in the saddle and searched the tree line. Tipper was nervous and for good reason. There was a T-Rex in the forest that had been following them for the last two hours. This one was probably an old Rex that was wiser than the younger carnivores. This one knew the danger Tyler represented but it had continued stalking him. Tyler was in the mood for a good fight. His pain had slowly given way to anger. He should have seen all the clues but had not even considered the thought that Mindy would want anyone else but him. He was the reason she passed her Master’s tests at such a young age. And what he had attributed to curiosity was actually flirting.
She always insisted she was a people watcher and enjoyed looking at people when they were out in groups. He blew out a slow breath and shook his head. How incredibly stupid can a person be? He should have seen it from her lack of affection and a million other subtle clues. His heart must have blinded him. He remembered Harvey once saying in a class that to suspect someone you love of treachery was actually worse than catching them. If you can’t trust someone, you shouldn’t be with them. But he did trust her and never thought she was unfaithful. He was wrong. He lowered his head and saw a tree top move inside the forest. Ahhh, you made a mistake. He moved Tipper even with the disturbance and waited in the clearing for the Rex to make his move.
Now he was going to have to deal with seeing her with other men. How was he going to do that; especially Gordon. He was talented, there was no doubt about that. But he was also a conceited jerk. He made sure all of his uniforms had the Wing Commander sewn into the sleeves. He also ruled his wing with a tight fist. If anyone made a suggestion, it was refused. Only his ideas had merit. With the way his luck was going, he’d be assigned to Gordon’s Wing. Now wouldn’t that be just the Raptor’s Claw.
Suddenly, Tyler whipped his bow off his shoulder, pulled an arrow, and fired it in one smooth motion. The T-Rex’s head had stuck slightly out of the trees and the arrow hit next to the huge carnivore’s eye and embedded in a tree. The Rex saw the arrow and pulled its head quickly back into the forest. Tyler waited and listened. He thought, “Let’s see just how smart you are.” Tyler knew the giant had a brain that was tiny and the beast operated primarily on instinct. But sometimes the Rexes would do things that were incredibly smart. He put his hand on Tipper’s back and felt the muscles were relaxed. The hunt was over. He looked to the south and saw several trees were slightly swaying more than the gentle breeze would have caused.
Tyler smiled. He didn’t want to kill the giant. Carnivores were needed to keep the plant eaters population down. This Rex had lived a long time due to its learning from experience. He looked at the forest again and smiled. This experience hurt…a lot…but he would learn from it and keep his eyes open if there was ever another person he gave his affection to. Like the Rex, he was better prepared to handle the future. He was actually lucky that he had found out who Mindy really was before her actions really caused him pain. He’d have to thank Olivia for that. It was his interest in her that prompted him to ask Mindy about where he stood.
Tipper snorted and Tyler saw her looking up. He looked up but didn’t see anything. He pulled out his head cover and pulled it over his head. A glider was circling in from high altitude. He looked closely and saw it was Rory. Oh boy. Tyler wondered if Rory knew about his sister breaking up with him. Well, technically, he had suggested they stop seeing each other. Tyler shook his head, she would make him look like the bad guy. Mindy had manipulated him and once again he hadn’t seen it. Oh well.
Rory landed and Tyler walked Tipper up to him, “Hi Rory, what’s going on?”
“Andy has requested that you join him at your earliest convenience.”
“Has something bad happened?”
“No, he wants to discuss the coming attack with you.”
“I’ll head back now.”
“That would be good.”
Tyler turned Tipper and Rory said, “I understand Mindy and you are no longer together.”
Tyler stopped and looked at Rory, “That’s true.”
“She wa
nts to see others, doesn’t she?” Tyler nodded. “Do you think the two of you might get together later after she determines she walked away from the best one?”
Tyler blew out a breath, “Rory, I doubt it. She told me that I’d never amount to much and she needed someone who was going places. She was rather brutal with her assessment.”
Rory shook his head and smiled, “Well, it’s your business and I’ll stay out of it. She’s incredibly self-absorbed and I’ve told her countless times that would bite her on the butt one day. It looks like today is the day.”
“Why is that?”
“Andy has chosen you to command the attack on the forest wall.”
Tyler was shocked and started shaking his head, “Rory, I’m too young. The Fliers won’t listen to me.”
Rory shook his head, “Tyler, my sister sees much more in herself than is actually there. You don’t see half of what is in you. They’ll follow you and I know you’ll do an excellent job. Now go and meet with Andy. We need you to win a war.”
Tyler stuck out his hand, “Thank you for your confidence in me, Rory.”
“You’ve earned it, Tyler. That’s why you were chosen to go and save Olivia. We all felt that if anyone could do it, it would be you. Now get moving.” Tyler smiled and turned Tipper south. The Cursor exploded forward and Tyler wondered if what Rory had said was true. He thought about it all the way back to the Community.
• • •
Mindy and Gordon were sitting next to the river and Rory shook his head. Mindy looked up as Rory walked toward the bridge and smiled, “Hi Roar, how’s it going?”
Rory shook his head, “I’ve got so much to do and not enough time to do it.”
Mindy laughed, “Like what?”
“Well. I’ve got to notify all the fliers that any of them that wish to volunteer to take part in the initial attack on the Destroyer City should report to the storage facility and sign up. They’ll meet with their new Group Commander tomorrow morning.”
Gordon tilted his head, “You’re not going to lead the attack?”
Rory patted his stomach, “No, I’m too heavy to land in a tree. I’ll break every branch on the way down to the ground.”
“Who is going to command the attack?”
Rory looked up and put his hand on his chin and squinted at the sky, “Uhhh, Tyler Foster has been promoted to Group Commander and has been given a seat on the Leadership Council. He’s just accepted the position and is discussing the plans with the other members of the Council.” Rory winked at Mindy and said, “See ya, Sis.”
Mindy’s eyes were wide open. She looked at Gordon, “Could this possibly be true?”
“I think he’s just messing with you. If he’s not, it won’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“What flier is going to volunteer to follow a seventeen year old into battle? When they don’t get any volunteers, they’ll choose someone else.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I wouldn’t follow him. I’m reasonably certain no one in their right mind would either.”
Mindy’s eyes narrowed and Gordon said, “Come with me. We’ll go look at the volunteer roster and you’ll see I’m right.”
Gordon took Mindy’s hand and they walked up the slope toward the storage facility. There was a huge crowd walking away from the facility and Gordon stopped a flier, “What’s going on, Greg?”
Greg shook his head and Gordon and Mindy could see he was angry, “They’ve just closed out the volunteer list. They only accepted the first four thousand names.” Greg slammed his fist into his palm, “I didn’t get word about it until a few minutes ago. This just isn’t fair.”
Mindy looked at Greg and said, “Did you know Tyler has been selected to command the attack.”
Greg started shaking his head and Gordon looked at Mindy with an ‘I told you so’ look. Greg said, “That’s what makes this whole thing so asinine. I’m going to appeal to Maximus. Tyler is perfect for this venture and, darn it, I want to go and fight with him.” Greg looked at Gordon, “By the way, how did you know about this before the rest of us.”
Gordon’s eyes narrowed and Greg said, “You must have been told first.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Every flier in your wing has volunteered and they’re all in the top one hundred names. Maybe you can order one of them not to go and I can take his place.”
Greg looked at Mindy, “I would have thought your name would have been in the top ten. Has Tyler already accepted you?”
Mindy blew out a breath, “No, not yet.”
“I suspect that if your name isn’t already on the list, he won’t break the rules to include you. He’s like that. You can trust him to do the right thing. Excuse me, I need to find Maxius.”
Mindy looked at Gordon, “It appears most of the fliers don’t agree with your assessment of Tyler.”
“I can’t understand this. What is going to happen to my wing?” Gordon looked and saw Maxius walking out of the main gate. Gordon turned and ran toward him. Mindy followed and arrived with hundreds of others surrounding Maxius. Maxius raised his hands and yelled, “The list is final. We’re going to need every flier we have in this conflict and if we don’t find enough in the first group, we’ll open the list again.”
Greg yelled, “But I just heard about the list a few minutes ago!” Many others echoed his comment.
Maxius held up his hands and the group grew silent. Maxius looked around and said, “Did not all of you know we are going to war? Have not all of you learned that you should stay close to the Council to hear what our plans are going to be. Those on the list did exactly that and that’s why they’re on the list and you’re not. You can only blame yourselves and that’s all I have to say about this.”
The group began dispersing and Gordon walked up to Maxius, “Sir, all of the fliers in my wing have volunteered for the attack.” Maxius stared at Gordon and then slowly nodded. “When will they be replaced?”
Maxius looked at Mindy and then turned back to Gordon, “I’d prefer to discuss this in private.”
“I don’t mind if she hears, Maxius.”
“All of your fliers stayed close to the cave to see if there was a possibility of volunteering for an assignment. Harvey questioned them several days ago and managed to finally get one of them to answer him truthfully.”
“About what.”
“Your fliers despise you and all of them want to be away from your command. It was my suggestion that you be promoted to Wing Commander and I hate to admit that I was wrong; you’re not ready. You’re so full of yourself that you alienated those that reported to you. If you can find enough fliers to agree to join your wing, you’ll keep your rank. If you don’t find enough within a week, you’ll lose your rank and will be assigned to a wing.”
“But Sir…”
“There is no but, Gordon. You’re not ready to lead yet. Perhaps in the future you will be.”
Maxius walked off and Mindy lowered her head. She had made a terrible mistake. She looked at Gordon, who was panic stricken. “I’ve got to go and find a new wing.” Gordon ran away and Mindy sat down on the ground. Rory was right. Her pride and arrogance had bit her on the butt. She looked up and shook her head. Maybe it wasn’t too late to get him back. She stood up and went looking for Tyler.
Chapter Nine
Tyler sat on the platform next to the cliff wall and waited while the volunteers arrived for their first meeting. He saw many of the fliers were thirty years old…or older. He didn’t want to put the Group Leader’s Pterodactyl on his sleeve but Andy had insisted. Andy was made the leader of the Community while still a teenager and he insisted that one of the things that helped him getting the Community to accept him was wearing the uniform of the Community’s Leader. Tyler thought about what he was going to say and he knew this first meeting was the most important. He thought about it all night and was still at a loss on what he was going to say. Finally, the time to start arrived and he l
ooked out at the brave warriors sitting on the ground in front of him. Oh well, might as well be honest. He stood up and every warrior jumped up to their feet. Tyler was surprised at the speed they moved and he smiled.
“I’ve been sitting here wondering what I was going to say to you. Honestly, this is a new experience for me and I want all of you to know that I am open to any suggestion you might want to offer to make our mission successful. Take a seat.”
The Warriors sat down on the sand and Tyler sat down on the edge of the platform. “First of all, I want to make it clear that I am not an expert at landing in trees. One landing does not an expert make.” The Warriors all started looking at each other and Tyler continued, “However, by the time we go to attack the Destroyer City, all of us will be experts, or we won’t be going. We’re going to have to land safely in a forest that is much denser than anything you’ve seen around our community. The tops of the trees overlap each other and you’re going to have to, more or less, crash into the top of your chosen tree. That forest is also inhabited by a huge number of giant carnivores that will know when you arrive. They won’t be able to see you, but they will smell you and try to track you down. I had to dodge a T-Rex multiple times and I couldn’t kill him without alerting the Destroyers who patrol the wall around their city. You will also be faced with that quandary if you undertake this coming mission. I know you and you’ll succeed at remaining hidden. Only fifteen hundred of you are going to go so many of you will be eliminated during our training. I am hoping that every one of you is successful in learning what has to be done. But only the best will go on the mission.”
Tyler paused and said, “What we’re being asked to do isn’t impossible, but it’s pretty close to it. The outcome of this conflict will be determined by how good a job we do carrying our responsibilities. I will work all of you to the breaking point and I want you to know that I won’t be asking anything of you that I won’t be doing myself. When we leave here, everyone who goes will know their responsibility and demonstrate they can carry it out.” Tyler stood up and said, “Keep your seats.” He walked to the edge of the platform and pointed behind the gathered Warriors. “Please notice that there are a hundred circles painted on the ground. Before we attempt to land in a tree, we’re going to learn to land in one of those circles with a retracted glider.” The gathering started murmuring and Tyler said, “I will demonstrate what you’re going to have to do to advance to the next phase of training. You’ll have one week to master this phase.”