by Ron Schrader
Kalla hesitated, looking back at Jarek, who was shaking his head with a scowl.
“Here’s the coordinates to my base,” the general insisted, placing a folded piece of paper in Kalla’s hand. “Along with my offer for the weapons, of course.”
“I guess we can deliver,” Kalla replied as she unfolded and looked at the paper. The exceptionally large offer written on the paper was hard to resist, but she still felt uneasy about the whole thing. “Are you sure we can’t just do this now?” she asked one last time. “Between all of us here, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to move all of these crates onto your ship,” she suggested.
“I understand,” replied the general. “If you’re not interested, we’ll just be on our way, then.” He turned and headed down the ramp. “It was a pleasure to meet you both,” he said as he walked back toward his own ship with his men.
Kalla turned back to Jarek, still not sure what to do. “It’s a big offer,” she said. “And it’s the only one we’ve got. I think we should take it.” She stood there hesitating, still uneasy as she waited for Jarek to respond.
Jarek shook his head in uncertainty. “I don’t know . . . you’re call.” He folded his arms. “You sure you can’t find another buyer?”
Kalla shook her head, turned, and ran outside her ship. “Wait,” she called out, with almost no time to spare. “We’ll meet you there!” she yelled.
“Be there in three days at sun up!” the general yelled back just before walking onto his ship.
Kalla stood and watched as the general’s cruiser lifted off and disappeared into the sky before finally walking back onto her own ship to discuss things with Jarek. “This is huge payday,” she said, trying more to convince herself that she’d made the right call. “I’ll have enough—” She paused and looked at Jarek. “We’ll have enough for a better ship, a nice home somewhere, and everything we’ll ever need. No limits.”
“I don’t trust him,” was all Jarek said as he turned and walked toward the control panel and closed the cargo bay doors.
The hydraulics of the door began their work as Kalla walked up to Jarek. “I don’t trust him either, but we can do this. And what could he do to hurt us anyway?” she said, attempting to make eye contact and put him at ease, ignoring Jarek’s concerns, along with the voice in her own head telling her this was just too good to be true.
~
Three days later, Kalla and Jarek were waiting outside her ship at the coordinates the general had given her, in the middle of a desert somewhere on Asherah. With the sun beginning to peer up from the horizon, Kalla paced, anxious for the transaction to take place and be done.
Several minutes later, a large transport vessel appeared from behind a row of sand dunes near where her ship rested. Then, the same ship she’d seen just a few days earlier flew in close, landing about ten meters from where she and Jarek stood. As the engines slowly died down, a large side door opened, followed by a massive number of armed soldiers. Jarek turned back toward Kalla’s ship to find that three other large ships had landed strategically off in the distance, soldiers having now surrounded them.
“This was a bad idea,” Jarek said quietly under his breath.
“I think you’re right,” she responded, having heard him clear as day, but they had nowhere to go. “I’m sorry for getting you into this.” She could see the anger building up in Jarek’s face, and as her own anger began to surface, her mind and body began preparing for a fight.
With soldiers now closing in on all sides, the voice of the general began to echo from a loud speaker attached to one of the ships.
Kalla scanned the crowd of men, searching for him, but came up empty.
“I appreciate you coming today,” said the general. “However, I’m going to have to alter our deal. I observed your little scuffle the other night when we met, and I’m much more interested in you.” He spoke calmly and precisely, as though he expected everyone to obey his every command. “You’ll be coming with me, voluntarily or not,” he concluded.
“Not if I can help it!” Jarek yelled as he charged the group of soldiers behind them, but a spray of high-caliber gunfire began piercing his flesh with an intensity he’d never before experienced, forcing him to the ground before he reached a single soldier.
“Jarek!” Kalla screamed, staring in disbelief at his lifeless body. Releasing her rage, she sprung toward the soldiers in front of her, who began their own rain of gunfire. Only the projectiles that began piercing Kalla’s skin were not bullets but tranquilizer darts.
Believing Jarek was dead, her lust for revenge sent an adrenaline rush through her system like she’d never experienced before, counteracting the small amount of drugs flowing inside her.
Kalla reached the first row of soldiers and, growling in fury, began her attack. The first soldier within reach met her clenched fist and was killed on impact, flying back toward the soldiers behind him. Twenty more soldiers met the same fate before another wave of darts finally reached her.
Although she fought like an animal, the continuous wave of darts hitting her from all sides soon took their toll. Her vision became increasingly blurry, followed by rapidly fading motor skills. Moments later, she fell to the ground, having been hit with more darts than could be counted, though she’d still managed to take down over two dozen soldiers before finally succumbing to the effects of the tranquilizers.
~
Anna awoke in a gasp from the intense flood of memories she’d just had. As she focused her eyes, she could see Dr. Carter standing next to her with a very distraught look on his face.
“Anna?” he spoke with a mildly shaken voice, staring at her while his hands fidgeted frantically with the IV rack.
But she knew the truth now. The entire time she’d been here, she hadn’t been dreaming. She’d been reliving memories—experiences she’d actually had. She remembered the crash landing on Paradise and the loss of her crew. She remembered her first encounter with the Vie and how Jarek had saved her life. She remembered Reav helping her fix her ship and how difficult it was for Jarek to leave his home. Most of all, she remembered her meeting with the general and how he’d killed the man she loved.
Staring up at Dr. Carter now, her mind was clear, free of the drugs her body had finally built up a tolerance to. With her memories now fully restored and a rage growing inside of her, she looked up at the doctor, who just stood there in a panicked daze, as though he didn’t know what to do. “No,” she replied, “my name is Kalla.”
Chapter 17
Davis rounded the corner of a large mountain ridge, bringing the mining facility and the general’s base ship in view. His new friends sat alert and ready to return fire should the need arise. As they drew near, Davis steered the AGV closer to the tree line, hoping to avoid detection as long as possible.
Approaching the ship, Davis couldn’t contain the anxious feeling inside of him. He knew the girl being held by the general was their only chance; he’d been there when she was captured. But he couldn’t ignore the fact that she might not care about his intentions now and that she might just kill him regardless. Without any other options, though, he continued on, hoping for the outcome he was after.
About thirty meters from the mining facility, he remembered a small clearing in the trees that just might get them close enough to the mine without any detection at all. He headed straight for the clearing and guided the AGV down to the earth, landing quietly and killing the engine.
The three men stepped out of the vehicle as Davis began to speak. “It’s going to be a bit of a walk, but we need to get to the general’s ship.”
“No,” Tuck insisted. “We need to free the slaves.”
“We will,” Davis said calmly, “but we need to find the girl first. She can help us.”
“What good is sum girl gonna do us?” Tuck insisted.
“Please,” Davis replied. “You’ll have to trust me on this. She’s no ordinary girl.”
The two natives just shook th
eir heads and followed as Davis led the way.
With very little chitchat, the three men moved as fast as they could through the thick brush and wilderness that stood between them and the general’s ship, all the while Davis wondering how they would possibly be able to get inside. His access had certainly been revoked by now, so he would have to find another way to get past the security locks, but with at least an hour of walking to go before they reached their destination, Davis started devising a plan in his mind.
Just over an hour later, the three finally reached the outer perimeter of the ship, staying low in the trees, while Davis surveyed the layout, taking mental notes on where all the guards were stationed outside. After several minutes, Tuck and Dal appeared to be growing impatient. Davis noticed that only one guard was present near the rear of the ship and could probably be taken down with little effort. He motioned his new friends to follow him as he forged the way through the thick brush that kept them concealed from view.
Once they reached the lone guard, Davis pointed to Tuck and Dal, motioning them to stay put. He then snuck out to the edge of the opening and waited until the guard wasn’t looking in his direction. As soon as the guard turned his head, Davis jumped from the safety of the trees and made a mad dash toward the guard. By the time the guard turned his head in Davis’s direction it was too late. With full force, Davis struck his abdomen and slammed him flat on his back, knocking the wind out of the unlucky target.
Afraid he might still sound the alarm if left to regain his senses, Davis reluctantly pulled the filter mask from his face and knocked the guard unconscious but replaced the mask to avoid killing him.
Davis motioned for Tuck and Dal to follow him while he dragged the unconscious guard toward one of the ships’ rear entrances. Davis quickly searched the guard, rummaging through his pockets, looking for the access key that would at least get them onto the ship.
Stripping the guard of anything else useful, including his weapons, Davis stood and led the way toward the entrance, using the stolen access key to enter the airlock. The doors rapidly shut behind them as the venting system quickly replaced the air in the chamber. Once complete, the doors leading inside the ship automatically opened and the men stepped into the ship.
“Wish my lungs were as versatile as yours,” Davis said jealously as he removed the filter mask.
Dal just shrugged his shoulders.
Now on board, Davis knew they’d have to move fast in order to reach their destination without getting caught. With cameras positioned throughout the ship, it would only be a matter of time before their presence was discovered. Their only chance, he believed, was to find the girl, and fast.
Having spent plenty of time on the general’s ship as an officer, Davis led the way, heading straight for a locker room where they could change into uniforms and hopefully conceal their identities long enough to complete their mission. They moved down the main hallway several meters before reaching a doorway that led to another smaller hallway.
“In here,” said Davis, holding the door to let his friends through, then entering himself and shutting the door behind him. “Just go straight,” he said, directing them down the short hallway. “It’s the door at the very end.”
Reaching the locker room door first, Tuck tried to handle. “Its locked,” he said, moving aside as Davis approached.
Davis pulled the stolen keycard from his pocket, unlocked and opened the door, then quickly entered the room, followed by his companions.
Just inside the door was a rack of clean uniforms the men quickly began rummaging through, looking for sizes that would fit them. Davis’ only concern with this disguise was that all of them, himself now included, were in need of a shave. And both of his friends were in desperate need of a haircut, something that might give them away. But as luck would have it, Davis noticed a pile of hats off to one corner of the room.
“Here,” he said as he threw a hat to the two men across the room. “Slick your hair back as best you can and hide it in the hat.”
The two men complied, doing their best to conceal their long civilian hair.
“It’ll do,” Davis said after a quick inspection. “Let’s move,” he said, leading the way out the door and into the hallway.
Still hurrying, the three men made their way to the main hallway and headed toward the laboratory, where Davis was pretty sure they would find the girl.
As they reached the door, he had a flashback from the day he’d first seen her on Asherah. General Quinn had told several key officers, Davis being one of them at the time, about the importance of taking this girl alive. But none of them expected the events to unfold like they did, watching one girl take out that many trained soldiers. He remembered hearing one of the soldiers say they’d pulled over a hundred tranquilizer darts from her when they brought her on board the general’s ship, enough to easily kill twenty men. Though Davis didn’t know it was an ambush at first, it wouldn’t have mattered. He’d been taking orders from the general long enough to know there was nothing he could have done to change things that day. He laughed to himself as he thought about all the wasted time he’d spent working for the general, following orders for the promise of a big payday. But that was all gone now, and he knew that even getting out of this mess alive was looking bleak.
Reaching the door to the lab, Davis looked around to make sure they were clear. “It’s doubtful this will work,” he said, about to swipe the guard’s keycard to gain access to the lab.
Dal quickly grabbed his hand before he could make the attempt. “And if it don’t work? What if she ain’t even here? Then what?” he asked with noticeable concern in his voice. “Won’t that just send all the guards runnin’ our way?”
“Look,” argued Davis, “I know she’s here. Whether or not she’ll be willing to help us is still up in the air, but she’s in here. I was a high-ranking officer, and although my old boss didn’t spill too much information, I do know he’s been keeping her alive. I just hope this key card gets us in.
“Then move!” Tuck blurted out as he aimed his rifle toward the access pad on the door. The other two jumped out of the way just as Tuck fired several short bursts at the door. “Try it now,” he said with a big grin on his face.
Davis reached down and lifted the latch, opening the door to the lab. He smiled as the door swung open, but the smile disappeared when he saw Dr. Carter sitting on the floor about two meters away from the door, holding his blood-covered gut, staring up at the three intruders.
“Oh, man!” said Tuck as he stared at Carter. “I wasn’t trying to kill no one!”
Focused on the wound, the Davis failed to see Carter’s arm raise up to the counter behind him until it was too late. Dr. Carter slammed his hand against a button that immediately set off a loud alarm, echoing throughout the ship, red lights flashing outside the doorway.
Davis quickly looked across the room to find the girl he’d only seen once before strapped quite securely to a table, struggling to break free from the thick metal restraints that held her tightly in place.
“How do I release her?” Davis said as he rushed toward Carter, sliding to his knees for a face-to-face with the doctor.
“Wh-why sh-should I tell you?” Carter questioned. “I’m d-dead, s-so what does it matter?”
Staring at Carter’s pale face, Davis knew the doctor didn’t have much time. “We don’t know each other well,” Davis said softly, “but I know you don’t like the general. I’ve seen it in your eyes, the way you’ve looked at him before. You can’t possibly want him to get away with this.”
Carter coughed, blood splattering across his hand.
Believing what he was about to say was true, Davis continued. “I know you’re not the same kind of man the general is. Please, help me stop him so more innocent people don’t have to die!”
“She’s d-dangerous,” he said, struggling to even talk. “She m-might just kill us all,” he stuttered, spitting more blood as he spoke.
“It’s a chan
ce I have to take!” Davis pleaded. “We’re all dead for sure without her.”
Carter nodded in agreement. “S-see the cont-trol pad n-next to the t-table? The c-code is six, f-four, eight, one, eight, n-nine, t-two, thr—” Before finishing the last number, his eyes closed and his breathing stopped as his limp body slid down to its final resting place.
“I think I got it all,” Davis said. With no time to waste, he ran over to the control pad and began punching numbers in. “You two, guard the door!” he called out as he finished typing, about to press the Enter key.
Kalla had stopped her struggle to get free and was now looking up at Davis.
“I’m letting you out, okay?” he said with some hesitation as he pressed the enter key.
She only stared, lying there calmly and quietly.
The metal restraints began to slowly slide open while Davis turned away briefly in search of her clothes, knowing the medical gown she wore wouldn’t be suitable for their escape. But just as he was about to move toward a locker across from the table where she lay, Davis was jerked backward by two small arms that suddenly wrapped around his neck, holding him in a tight headlock he could not free himself from.
“W-wait!” he barely managed to say through the tight grip that was slowly crushing his neck. “I’m trying to help you!” Davis suddenly began gasping for air just as she released her viselike grip.
Kalla jumped across the room to the locker, grabbed the handle, and ripped the door from its hinges, removing all of her belongings.
Tuck and Dal, still standing guard by the door, had their sights on Kalla now.
“Not so sure ’bout this plan.” Dal commented just before noise outside the doorway grabbed their attention. Holes in the doorway suddenly began to appear from the gunfire outside. Standing on either side of the door, the two returned fire, helping to create a large growing hole in the door as bullets passed through it again and again.