Barcus began to work. Targets were highlighted in his scope. He held his trigger back, and when a target was acquired, the rifle shot. He consumed his first magazine before he knew it. The process of ejecting, reloading and firing only took seconds. The camp was beginning to react now. The alarm went up. Yelling began. They fell as they emerged from tents, drawing on boots, pulling on pants, shrugging on shirts. Some ran for the horses without a word.
Search, aim, fire, search, aim, fire, over and over until he emptied another magazine. Em called a warning to him as he paused to eject the latest magazine.
“Movement, behind YOU!” Em called out.
Barcus rolled over in time to see a Tracker with a huge knife bearing down on him in the darkness. He brought up the empty AR to block the downward stab. The strike was so hard on the AR that he heard the man’s wrist break. Instantly, he swung the butt of the AR at his assailant’s head, but missed. The man’s momentum landed him heavily on Barcus, knocking the back of his head on the rocks behind him, dazing him for a moment.
The man was driving his left forearm into Barcus’s throat with all of his weight. This was a mistake, because it created a bit of space between them and freed Barcus’s hand from being pinned.
Barcus drove his knife under the man’s ribs with all the fury that had been building. He tore through his heart and lungs and even ribs, from belly to collar bone.
He threw the body off and quickly reloaded his rifle. Several men were now screaming in pain, adding to the chaos below.
Barcus noticed a counter in his HUB, “Remaining: 21/109.”
“Several remain hiding in the barn. They are getting ready to make for the horses as a group. Four remain in the house. They are hiding in the basement. Even the 10mm cannot reach them there,” Par stated.
“Move in. Spook the horses if you can. I will wait for them to move. Do you think we may have missed any other Trackers? They don't sleep in camp with the rest.”
“They must have met up with them as guides,” Em replied.
Par was moving towards the horses when the men began to flood out of the barn, with their crossbows shouldered and aiming in every direction. Barcus started with the last one out. Quickly moving up the double row, he cut them down one by one. They had no idea where he was or what was happening.
The last four got to the horses just as Par arrived. They all fired their crossbows at Par, but they might as well have been tossing tooth picks. Par simply stomped them to jelly.
“Remaining: 4/109.”
“They are all in the house. Ash, move in,” Barcus said.
Less than a minute later, Ash jogged up to the farm house and casually crashed through the front door. Screaming ensued. Barcus didn't bother to watch. He took the time to remove a partial magazine and replace it with a full one.
Par was already beginning to collect bodies, strip them of weapons and gear, and toss them like dolls into a pile inside the barn.
The mercenaries had tried to fight off Ash with fire. But they only managed to burn the farmhouse down with themselves inside it. Even so, Ash retrieved the Plate and placed it inside Par’s Faraday compartment for later conversion.
By dawn, all the weapons and gear were loaded into Par, and the barn was their funeral pyre. None of them had managed to get away.
The swarm of BUGs revealed one more Tracker that had been hiding high in a tree. He had nearly been overlooked. He had been patiently waiting with his crossbow for a shot at Barcus. The 10mm literally tore him from the tree.
Barcus asked Ash to return to Langforest Keep with the horses. They had never spooked, not a single one. Ash could lead them all at once. Barcus wanted the caravan to have as many options as possible.
He would return with Par. She would provide her shadowed protection on the road.
***
Barcus slept in the command chair almost as soon as they got underway. Par woke him as they approached Langforest Keep.
“Em, status?”
“They are packed and away. Someone set the slave quarters on fire on the way out. That caught the stables and several other buildings as well. The Manor might survive, mostly because it is made of stone.”
“How is Ash doing?” Barcus asked.
“I estimate he will catch up to us a few kilometers above the Salterferry Bridge tomorrow.”
“Good. Par, do you think you can get me to the bridge before the caravan?”
“Easily,” Par answered. Before he could reply, they were moving faster.
“Excellent,” Barcus said, as he ripped open a protein bar. He noticed his hand was covered in dried blood. He looked down at his tunic and he was covered in stains.
“I should have brought a change of clothes.”
He ate the bar, wondering what he would do with all these people.
***
He wasn't sure how they would react to Pardosa just yet, so she dropped him off at the southern bridge tower. A cloud of BUGs followed the caravan, so Barcus knew how far away they were.
Par went north to ensure the road around the mountain was passable by the wagons. She already knew there were several fallen trees would need to be moved.
Barcus walked out onto the bridge while he was awaiting the caravan. The gorge was very deep, and the bridge was wide and strong. It was a suspension style bridge, the deck was made up of squared, thick, timbers from impossibly tall, straight trees. The caravan came into view.
He stood in the middle of the bridge.
Po was the first to recognize him, and galloped her horse up to him as fast as she could. She was out of the saddle before the horse came to a full stop, but didn't rush into his arms.
He realized he was disappointed.
“Barcus, are you all right?” She was looking at all the blood.
“Yes. I'm fine. It's not my blood,” He answered.
She moved closer, slowly, as if he might spook like a wild horse.
“How are they?” he asked. They were starting to enter the bridge.
“They are fine for the most part. Some of the sick and wounded may not survive the trip. We have so many on foot.” She looked back at the group.
Barcus turned to face the north end of the bridge. “Par, after you clear the road, I want you to clear the tunnel for them to camp tonight. Unload everything at the tunnel’s mouth and then just wait, deep in the tunnel.”
He turned back to Po and said, “No one will follow us. We will be safe for now.”
“More will come. There will be much to do,” she said.
“Will they leave us alone now, Po?” he asked.
“There are no happy endings, because nothing ends,” she echoed her reply with a sad smile.
***
They reached the unfinished tunnel by midafternoon that day, and made camp early. A giant pile of dried tree-fall was already piled near the entrance for firewood. There was a huge pile of weapons and gear there.
Soon, several fires were built up, and cooking began. After getting into some clean clothes, Barcus helped with the most severely injured people. There were fifteen of them. They had been carried in three large wagons that now had makeshift canvas covers. These were set up as a makeshift hospital in the tunnel. Only five of them could even walk on their own.
“I don't think Kat is going to make it. She has lost so much blood,” Lea said. The woman, Lea, had assumed the role of healer. Po looked at Barcus.
Lea continued, “Volk let them take turns with the lash. They opened her to the bone in several places. She passed out mercifully after the first twenty.”
“Moving her opens the wounds again,” Po said so only Barcus and Lea could hear. “We need to get her back to The Abbey quickly, Barcus.”
Barcus faced the darkness of the tunnel and said, “Par, I want you to come up quietly and back your ramp up as close as you can. Lights off. I want to load ten of these cots directly inside. They should just fit. I will ride with Lea back to Whitehall as fast and smooth as possible.”
<
br /> Po turned to Lea. “Lea we are going to take them tonight. We need you to be brave. We need you to go with them. Don't be afraid,” Po said to her as Barcus walked to the edge the darkness.
A candle flickered with the movement of air. Lea was watching Barcus when suddenly, he was outlined in the soft light of a small room that somehow appeared directly before him. It looked like a rustic cabin inside.
“Come. We should hurry,” Barcus said.
Po and Lea led the least injured to the front where they sat in five of the six seats. Others helped them carry the ten occupied cots in without bumping the patients. They were especially careful when moving Kat. Barcus had retrieved a small first aid kit from the side of the main console. Without a word, he held a small tube to the side of Kat's neck, moving the tube side to side until the light shifted from red to green. The injector made a small sound.
“That will help. But we will need to hurry,” Barcus said. “Get Smith. He will need to help walk us out.” Four other women sat among the cots when the ramp closed. Barcus was in the command seat.
In the end it was Smith, Po, Ulric and Grady that walked through the tunnel saying, “Don't be afraid. Close your eyes. Just for a minute. It is all right. We are safe.”
Most people closed their eyes. Some did not. Deep in the tunnel, Par was so black that as she passed over them silently, they didn't even notice. A few people looked but didn't know what they were seeing. She was a greater darkness. Keeper’s magic. The few that truly saw Par were the ones working just outside the tunnel. They saw her as Par emerged, as it immediately turned and began climbing over the mountain.
Par moved fast after that, even though they could barely feel it inside. The walls remained simple white and the lights dim. Barcus used his HUD to get them there. He called ahead, and Olias had all the hearths lit in the main hall when they arrived after dawn. Par backed right up to the main double doors of the hall as she opened the ramp.
One by one, they moved the cots to the warm room.
Barcus disappeared for a few minutes but was back at Kat's cot doing something out of Lea’s view as another cot was carried out. When the last of the cots was out and the patients settled, Lea went over to Barcus as he was covering Kat's back again with a clean dressing.
Before Lea could say a word, Barcus said, “Lea, this is Olias. He lives here and knows where everything is. If you need something specific, ask him.” Olias nodded to her with respect, something that had never happened to her before.
Barcus continued. “Kat will begin to run a fever soon, and it will continue for a few days. Don't worry though. It will mean she is getting better. Olias, make sure everyone gets water. Kat will wake soon and she will be very thirsty. It is very important that she drinks water.”
“Lord Keeper Barcus, I'm sorry, but she will never awaken. I have seen this before...” Lea tried to explain but was interrupted.
“Don't call me that.” He had not meant to snap at her. She fell to her knees, trembling before he could stop her. Her forehead was on the floor.
“I'm sorry, my Lord.” Her voice shook.
He could not stop himself. He reached down, lifted her up and set her on her feet by her arms. She was light as a feather.
He smiled and said, “Please. Call me Barcus. Just Barcus.”
She was shocked into silence.
Barcus looked over his shoulder. Everyone in the room had stopped and stared at them. Patients and caregivers. Just then they heard a small voice, barely a whisper.
“I'm so thirsty.”
Kat was already awake.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
The Fourth Day
“All data was precisely deleted during this period.”
--Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.
<<<>>>
Barcus woke as Po tried to slide out of bed without disturbing him. He caught her by the braid.
She froze.
She rolled toward him, first rolling the braid around her neck followed by his hand and arm until she was nose to nose with him.
“Good morning, my Lord. May I serve you?” She knew he would not tolerate that sentence to be spoken in the presence of another person. He kissed her.
As if in punctuation, they heard a hammer fall on the anvil in the first tap of a rhythm that would last all day.
“We slept late,” Barcus said
“We were up late.” She had a wicked smile. “The late bath, was an excellent idea though.”
The anvil had a cadence. Ding... ding, ding. Pause. Ding... ding, ding. Pause.
“This is a new smile on you. What is it?” Po asked.
“This place is alive again. The sounds. Those boys will make nails and laugh all day long as they work.” He looked to the window. “They will sharpen tools for people and learn something new from Smith.”
Po added, “They work with full bellies and a good night’s sleep, on a clean bed, in safety. These people have never felt safe before in their entire lives. You have done more for them in the week that they have been here than anyone has done for them in their entire lives. Come with me and I will show you.”
They slid out of bed and dressed quickly.
A dozen people were in the kitchens when they looked in. All six of the cauldrons had fires beneath them. The smell of porridge and fresh breads made his mouth water.
They had finally stopped kneeling and bowing to him whenever he appeared. The slight nod and smile held all the weight and honor possible to convey. He took a bowl and served himself some oatmeal with apples, spices and honey. The oatmeal was spiced in a way he had grown to love. He held out a mug for tea, knowing that even he would get his hand slapped now if tried to pour his own.
He sat with Po at a long, well-scrubbed table, across from Smith, who was looking intently at a scroll that was trying to roll itself up. Barcus set his tea mug down on a corner just as Smith had set his own mug on the other corner.
“What's this?” Barcus asked, looking at a detailed drawing upside down.
“It is the northeastern quadrants arc. We are planning the repairs to the destroyed section. We are dismantling an old barn today that will give us the lumber we need to first stabilize, then rebuild the section.”
“There are enough rooms for everyone for now. They are far better than what we had. But I prefer that everyone have a room above ground. It will keep them healthier.”
“How can I help?” Barcus asked.
Smith would never get used to this question.
“You can arrange to obtain these blocks from the quarry.” Smith pointed to a list of dimensions that were actually block sizes and quantities. Smith still had a hard time believing the things Olias had told him, about Ash and Par mostly.
Just glancing at the list captured it. Em indicated in his HUD that these blocks were in the current inventory at the quarry and whoever made the list had obviously already visited the site.
“These will be used as the new footers here and here,” Smith indicated on the drawing. The automatic scan and render in his HUD revealed the scale was amazingly close for having been drawn freehand. “Once they are set here, we can shore up this corner and save the rest of the roof from collapsing here.” He pointed on the map and then turned to look out and up at the precarious roofline, far above and at the other end of the keep.
“Then we can fix the roof and begin to restore all three floors. Now is the best time, before the spring planting. We are going to be hard pressed this first year.”
“Good morning, My L...” The speaker stopped. “Good morning, Barcus.” She held her own bowl and mug. She was still waiting to be acknowledged before she sat down.
“Good morning, Lea,” Barcus said. Echoes from Po and Smith came at the same time.
“How are things?” Barcus asked, knowing that she was here specifically to deliver her daily report on the status of the infirmary and its patients. She w
as still skittish about eating with men.
Barcus dug into his oatmeal then. It was finally cool enough.
“We still have eleven beds.” He was still not used to the way they referred to patients. “Kat is up and helping me with the others.” Her voice caught. Barcus pretended not to notice. A glance at Po showed her paying additional attention to her breakfast.
“I don't know what to say, Barcus. She...was the worst of them all. The lashings are all closed and nearly healed now. Sixty lashes.” Lea’s tears fell freely again. Barcus did not look away now.
“Lea, you will never see those kinds of wounds here, ever again.” A sob slipped from her. Barcus continued, “How's Ulric?”
Like magic, she laughed. Face wet with tears, her hand went to her mouth finally, to cover a snort. Everyone laughed then, because they all seemed to know about Ulric's hemorrhoid. Both hands covered her face now, as her shoulders rocked, in tears and laughter with them. She produced a handkerchief from somewhere and dried her tears finally and wiped her nose.
“He'll live,” she said through a smile.
She also drew out a small pouch.
She set it on the table and slid it to Barcus.
“I can't take this,” Lea said.
Barcus leaned back from it like it might explode.
“And why would you say that?” Only Po could hear a touch of anger in his voice.
“I do not deserve it. You give me so much already. More than I ever had. Or deserve.”
It was Smith that spoke first. “Lea, there are no slaves here.”
It was Po that picked up the pouch and placed it back in her hand. “You earned it.”
“But I...you already... This has been the first week of my life that I have not known hunger. The first winter week I was never cold. I have clothes and a room and...hope. You need not pay me.”
“Listen to me. You will take this pay, just like everyone else that intends to live and work here. But we expect you to earn it. And you have. Your food and the roof over your head are also part of the deal. Part of your pay.”
Solstice 31: The Solstice 31 Saga, Books 1,2,3 Page 31