"Masks on!" he shouted, then took hold of the wheel on the hatch. It took great effort, even for Dave, but he managed to operate the rusted manual-locking wheel, and pushing up, he broke the seal. The hatch cover opened on its corroded spring-loaded hinge, and Dave emerged into the light of the red dwarf.
He looked quickly about, but saw no enemy on the ground and no aircraft overhead. Between where he stood and the main gate in the east wall were two kilometers of open ground. The only threat he could see were three guard towers. Number two tower, to his left front, was sitting on the north side of the large eastern gate. It was Dave's plan to march everyone out of the compound through that gate, but those armed guard towers presented a problem he seemed to have overlooked.
A burst of hope washed over him when, to his left front, he saw the motor pool, and in the motor pool sat fifteen Lunar Personnel Carriers modified for use on Antyllus. These would be far quicker and far better for the transportation of the wounded and the Bios who were growing tired, not to mention hungry and thirsty.
The vehicles were designed to carry a crew of three and ten passengers. That meant one hundred ninety-five passengers, but Dave planned to overload each vehicle. And there was room for others to ride on top.
As things stood right now, their little force consisted of six hundred and seventy women and men. Among them were two hundred one SUBs, and four hundred sixty-nine Bios. Of the Bios, sixty-two were wounded. The vehicles would carry all the wounded and about two hundred and eighty of the Bios. That left a hundred and twenty-seven Bios most of whom would ride on top or walk. And, of course, all the tireless SUBs who would also walk.
All Dave had to do was get nearly seven hundred people in fifteen vehicles past the all-seeing eyes of Indra in those heavily armed towers, but he had no idea how to manage doing so. He just kept moving forward with what little plan he had…there was nothing else to be done.
As the first of the CDF soldiers came up, he had them remain low and crawl to various positions in the fourteen-centimeter tall, blue and black vegetation that covered the compound. There was no reaction from the towers. There had been no reaction as he had stood there in plain view appraising the situation. Something was not right.
Dave beckoned to the first fourteen, and having no other choice, he started them running for the nearest vehicle. In less than a minute, they were all taking cover behind it. Dave again studied the towers. There was no indication they were even powered.
These towers were controlled by Indra who could just be waiting for the main body to come above ground which would then leave everyone totally exposed. But there was no other course of action. The mercs would soon be entering the chamber below and the killing would resume.
Dave and the fourteen soldiers he brought with him each entered a vehicle. Dave remembered, as he was slipping into the driver's seat, that Indra could prevent them from starting. Dave powered up the vehicle then pushed the button. The vehicle started. He got up, rushed to the door and began to wave his fellow CDF members forward.
The wounded were loaded on the nearest vehicles. Dave constantly surveyed the towers, but there was still no sign of life. His apprehension began to grow. This was just too easy.
Dave was looking out the window toward the south, watching as the last of the rear guard came above ground and sped toward the waiting vehicles.
Dave's transport was full, he closed and sealed all the hatches and pressurized the cabin with freshly purified air. The Bios removed their respirators. A Captain stuck his head forward and announced, "That's it, sir. All that can fit are aboard. The rest are behind us."
"Great! Captain, take this seat, I'm walking. As soon as I get off, move out."
"Sir, look!" the captain pointed to the southwest beyond the reservoir to the edge of the city. Two figures were visible running toward them at great speed. Dave gave them a quick glance, just enough to see identifiers over their heads, but they were too distant to read. Before he could zoom in on them, the captain asked, "Ours or theirs?"
"Ours, they only have one SUB, and he doesn't play outside," Dave replied.
"Well, those aren't ours!" The captain pointed up above the two running figures. Eight V-tols were coming around the side of the city lining up for a strafing run.
"Go, go!" Dave shouted as he turned and ran to the airlock where he leapt from the now moving vehicle.
Over his COMde he shouted, "Engage those aircraft! The two dismounts are friendly. I say again, do not engage the people on foot."
The CDF walking behind and those riding atop the vehicles started firing at the incoming aircraft. The volume of fire was terrific, but the 5.56 mm bullets were doing little damage to the V-tols.
Four of the enemy aircraft dropped down low, a meter off the deck; the other four were above them at sixty meters. This formation would allow them to place both plunging and enfilading fire on the CDF in their vehicles.
"This is why Indra didn't light us up from the tower," Dave bemoaned aloud to no one in particular.
The CDF column was now on the move but far too slow to evade destruction. The eight V-tols were stationary and taking careful aim.
The sound of the cannon and heavy machine gun fire was deafening, each time a muzzle erupted, the concussion could be felt in the chests of everyone, even the SUBs.
○O○
As Kathy and Zolna came around the corner, they saw several SUBs run and join up with a group walking behind a column of Personnel Carriers. Kathy knew this was the remainder of the CDF. If the general was still alive, he'd be here. If he wasn't, the XO or someone else would be in command. She had to get her information delivered.
Perhaps Le'ha was right about her putting the mission before all else, but lives were at stake—both E'meset and human. And if she and the CDF failed, the E'meset would go to war, thousands of them would die, and the entire population of New Roanoke would be forfeit. As Kathy watched the vehicles start to move out, she considered that this exodus of the CDF from New Roanoke made the prospect of success looked quite dim.
"Come on!" she shouted to Zolna and began running with a renewed burst of speed.
"Behind us!" Zolna shouted back. Kathy looked over her shoulder to see eight V-tol aircraft coming from over the top of the city, banking hard and heading for the CDF column.
Kathy and Zolna had just cleared the reservoir when they saw the aircraft move into attack formation.
With the first shots fired, Kathy and Zolna threw themselves down and covered their heads.
"No!" Kathy screamed as she fell to the ground.
The first explosion was quite near and just off to her right. Glancing up, she saw the V-tol that had hovered there was in ruins on the ground, burning like the seventh circle of hell. Beyond, another low hovering V-tol exploded and another dropped from the sky shot full of holes and also burning.
In seconds, six of the eight aircraft were in flames on the ground. The remaining two were backing away firing all their weapons at the north tower by the large gate. It and the other tower to the south had trained their weapons on them and brought them down. The last two did not get much farther back when they too became funeral pyres.
The northern tower at the gate was burning as a result of the heavy punishment inflicted on it by the V-tols. Now there came a series of explosions as the reserve ammo detonated.
"Zolna, you okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Kathy and Zolna got up and started running again. They were but fifty meters from the nearest vehicle when a CDF soldier pointed a weapon at them and commanded "Hit the deck!"
They both dropped, and the soldier and thirty or so more beside him opened fire. They were engaging the first mercs to emerge from the manhole. With the enemy suppressed, the soldier again shouted at them, "Run!"
Kathy and Zolna ran straight into the group of soldiers who herded them behind one of the slow-moving vehicles to protect them from small arms fire. A captain, a SUB, approached, he read their identifiers.
<
br /> "Lieutenant Colonel Selina, we had you figured as KIA, ma'am."
"Where's the general? I have EEI for him."
"He's in number three, ma'am."
"Zolna, stay here! Thanks, Captain." Kathy shot forward.
More mercs had come above ground. She could tell because of the volume of small arms fire. Looking up, Kathy could see they were less than a minute from passing through the gate. Once beyond that gate, they would disappear into the wild blue of the forests of Antyllus. That place, once perceived as certain death, was now their protective haven.
Just as number three cleared the gate, Kathy ran alongside it at the airlock. She reached out and activated it, and as the outer door opened, she jumped in. A few minutes later, Kathy was saluting the general.
"Sir, Lieutenant Colonel Selina reports."
"As you were," the general smiled lightly at her. "It's good to see you. I thought we'd lost you. I suppose you know―our casualties have been quite high."
"Yes, sir, I'd heard. Sir, I have information on the Indigs, the clinic, and—"
"Perhaps you noticed the shooting war we're in the middle of here? We know, Colonel. Right now, all that information only affirms that we are in the right and dying for the right reasons. That information may never make it to Earth, Colonel; there may not be anyone here to send it."
"You got the information from Mitch, Cassie, and Webster I guess. I'm happy to know they made it back."
"Sergeant Webster did not make it, Kathy. I'm sorry. And we believe that Wilmington has your friends, Mitch and Cassie."
Kathy did not possess a heart, but she felt it fall nonetheless. Her eyes searched the floor looking for meaning, looking for hope. The general then handed it to her. "We received the information from Major Mitchel."
Kathy's head jerked up, her eyes ablaze, and her jaw, at first slack, closed and tightened. She leaned into the general and asked, "Where is Mitchel…right now? Sir."
○O○
Richard Wilmington sat alone at his desk staring into his monitor reading the report on the action in the city and the subsequent escape of almost seven hundred CDF members. No one wanted to be in the room with him as he read it. It was, of course, not a surprise to him. He'd watched it all on the bank of monitors in his office, thanks to Indra's sensors.
For all the shortcomings of his mercenary commanders, it was Indra at whom he directed his rage just now.
He turned to sit squarely at his desk. He knew he was being watched. Slowly, he placed both hands before him on his desk top, fingers spread wide. He looked down and simulated taking a deep breath. His jaw was set and his eyes squinting. He simulated another breath.
"Indra?" he spoke slowly with great control.
"Yes, Mr. Wilmington?" Indra responded.
"Indra, I want an explanation."
"Mr. Wilmington," Indra's tone was even and emotionless, as always, but his message was not, "you should know that after Lieutenant Colonel Fisher debriefed Major Mitchel, he left him alone and the major downloaded his report, and his memories, into a computer in the room which I made to look disconnected from me. I have read his report and reviewed his memories.
"Mr. Wilmington, your actions, and those of the IIEA at the clinic, conflict with my directives. You have endangered this colony and its population. Your ongoing project is unscrupulous and iniquitous; I would characterize the project as wicked, and sinful. You, Mr. Wilmington, are an odious individual. Our association is at an end."
"How dare you judge me, you soulless machine. Indra! Indra!"
There was silence. Wilmington tried Ismay only to find that he, too, was now cut off. He opened a COMde call to the orbiting cargo ship Demeter.
"Captain, this is Wilmington. I want you to destroy all orbiting communications satellites, then return to a geosynchronous orbit in proximity to this base so we can have COMde communications."
A pause followed as Wilmington listened. Then he exploded into the device. "Damn you, you Texas sheep herder! Do not presume to question my orders! Do as you are told, you son of a—" He stood and kicked his chair over then screamed at the door, "Leeman!"
One of his ExCon mercenaries entered the room. "Yeah, Mr. Wilmington?"
"Send a team up on the roof and destroy that large antenna. And send my aviation commander in to me—and Leeman, get me an ExCon uniform, a pistol, and some combat boots."
○O○
Dave had moved to the end of the column with the rear guard. If they were attacked, it would come from here as all Wilmington's combat elements were in the city. The CDF had hurt the mercenaries, but they still had the CDF outnumbered. Plus, there were twenty-five hundred or so IIEA personnel at the clinic that Wilmington could call upon as a reserve. Dave needed a real Alamo position and he knew it.
Dave was watching the trail behind them and the skies over them. His eyes were adjusted to the light in the forest and his hearing sensitivity was set on high. He could clearly hear all manner of animals and insects moving about in the forest around him.
His ears picked up a sound behind him coming from the direction of the main body of the column. He spun around, but only had sufficient time to perceive a projectile of unknown type moving directly at him at a high velocity. He had barely begun his reaction to an apparent assault when the object slowed and he recognized Kathy running toward him.
"Ma'am I got the information through to—"
Kathy leapt into his arms and kissed him. If he'd been shot with an AT-88, his amazement could not have been more complete.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed her lips to his. He had known few kisses in his life, but he instantly recognized the passion in this one.
When their lips parted, Dave's eyes searched hers. He knew his eyes were the size of saucers and his jaw was agape.
"I thought you were dead," she whispered.
"If I was, I’m not now," Dave stammered.
She started to kiss him again, then abruptly pulled her head back and looked at him. "If you want me to stop just say so."
"Are you kidding?" Dave grabbed her, and they shared the kiss both had been longing for.
Around them applause broke out and bio team members began to take pictures with their COMdes.
"Oh, come on!" Dave shouted, looking up at them and smiling.
○O○
Kathy and Dave walked hand in hand between vehicles seven and eight. Dave told Kathy what had happened and she related her story.
"It was after I thought you'd been killed, and after several talks with Le'ha that I began to realize—" Kathy paused as her original thought was overpowered by a new one. "Dave, Le'ha loves you, do you know that?"
"No. What, Le'ha? I figured she liked me a great deal after what happened at the fish, but—"
"What a minute," Kathy said, and quickly relived her memory of leaving the fish. "That funny look she gave me as we left the ship. She knew all along. She was pushing me."
"What?" Dave was confused.
"I was so blind on so many levels, Dave. I didn't see you, I didn't see what everyone else saw, and I didn't see what Le'ha was trying to show me."
"And what was she trying to show you?"
"She..." Kathy lowered her voice and looked into Dave's eyes. "That I'm in love with you, Dave."
They stopped. Dave's face was blank at first, and then his lips parted. The right side of his face started to smile first, his eyes began to sparkle and just as he was about to speak, another voice interrupted through a speaker, "Can you love birds take it off the road? I'm driv'n here!" They were blocking number eight's path.
Dave and Kathy, hand in hand, ran off the trail and stood just out of sight behind a huge, furry, cyan-colored leaf.
"Kathy…I've always been shy around women and I've never…I knew it was you, but I thought—"
"Just say it, Major, or I'll pull rank on you."
"Yes, ma'am, I love you, ma'am. Request permission to kiss the colonel."
"Granted."
<
br /> In this kiss, Kathy could now feel his passion, tenderness, and love. It was just as she had always imagined it would be.
Kathy looked into his eyes…her lips but centimeters from his and she said, "I am a nine'ana Hopeerlun E'meset and now you know of my halo vat for you. I wish to find sudamine with my kariecardy Hopeerlun E'meset."
"Wow, you have been spending a lot of time with Le'ha. I'm not sure what you said, but…just as soon as we can be alone..." and he kissed her again.
Chapter 23
Sudamine
Wilmington's Chief of Airborne Operations was a former officer of the French Army, a Commandant, the equivalent of Major, Cerf Delaflote. He'd flown helicopters and V-tols for years. He had been accused of killing prisoners after a small skirmish in the city of Nouméa, the capital of the French territory of New Caledonia in Oceania. He was stripped of his title, chef d'escadron, and his rank. He was on his way to prison in France, but managed an escape. He sought out and joined a mercenary force and ended up just where he wanted to be…as far from France as possible.
He had always been a solitary individual—very matter-of-fact and no nonsense. Of course, he determined what was nonsense, and what was not. That which was of no interest to him was nonsense.
A merc soldier had just informed him that Wilmington demanded to see him. Delaflote detested the man. Wilmington hired everything done. He was brave enough to look real men in the face and scream at them, but he never got his own hands dirty. Being a SUB, he had abilities that would make a single merc worth a platoon of ordinary men. Yet, all he did was sit on his ass and bark.
Cerf knocked on the door and Wilmington, in his annoying Trans-Atlantic accent, called him in. As he entered, Wilmington was pulling on an ExCon uniform. A pistol belt lay on his desk.
"Serf, sit down I have a mission for you."
"The name is Cerf." Delaflote hit the French pronunciation—which sounded like S'air—rather hard. Being a real European, he understood that a 'serf' was an antiquated word used to describe a member of the lowest feudal class, an enslaved laborer.
The Vampires of Antyllus Page 31