The Last Foxhole (The Forgotten War Saga Book 1)

by Justin Alexander

  She saw Talius turn to one of the honour guards next to him and she saw the laser rifle in his hands. The low hum as the weapon charged, was the only warning she needed, she reacted as her old teacher had drilled her, all those hours when her limbs burnt, and her lungs were filled with fire. Those times he had kept pushing her, so that her muscles would remember, they would be able to act on their own. She was a coiled spring, which is what he had repeated to her and once unleashed her body would react instinctively.

  She struck out, her heeled boot catching Andre’s exposed foot, he yelled and realised his grip only slightly, it was all she needed, she swung her elbow back, yet he was too quick for that, he caught her arm and smiled at her.

  She knew she didn’t have time, she reached between her legs to where she had been taught to hide the weapon, in a place on her inner thigh, where most are too embarrassed or inept to find it, before Andre could react she had drawn her pistol.

  She glanced at Claudius, who was lunging towards them, he caught her gaze and in that instance she told him everything he needed. He shifted his balance and spun next to her.

  By now Talius had his weapon up and ready, he smirked and she felt her own bile rising.

  “I had wanted this to go more quietly my lady,” he purred, as the other eight honour guards began to fan out, she saw out of the corner of her eye, the commissioner waddle off into the shadows.

  “I knew I was right to have a bad feeling about you.” Claudius spat as he readied his own blade.

  Behind her Andre, shifted his weight and edged closer, his hand drifting lightly over the curve of her hip. “You have some skill my lady, however I would suggest that you move behind me now.” His tone playful and yet forceful at the same time.

  She craned her neck slightly and favoured him with a sly grin, “This is coming from a man who just a few seconds ago had a blade against my neck.”

  He fixed his gaze on her and his eyes sparkled. “You know I would not have really hurt you my lady, I was simply playing my hand. You cannot blame a man for attempting to free himself from this hell.”

  Talius interjected, “This is fun, watching you two flirt, however I am afraid I have something of a time limit myself, the people I work for want you all dead, so that is how it will have to be.”

  Claudius took a step forward, his teeth bared and his lips drawn in fury. “You would betray everything, all those that you serve and for what, credits?”

  Talius chuckled and nodded. “Not just credits old man, but more money than I could even dream of spending in a hundred lifetimes.” The weapon continued its rhythmic purring, providing its own menacing soundtrack to the standoff. “Whoever wants you all dead has very deep pockets indeed.”

  “Well I don’t know about you two,” Andre retorted as he slid next to Kiera, his beaming smile back, “But I have more than enough people that would want me dead, but I’m not sure even they have the kind of money your smart, young friend here is talking about.”

  Talius shifted the weapon to Andre, “I wouldn’t move anymore, if I was you.”

  “I know who is behind this, did they tell you of the storm Talius, did they tell you what they intend to see unleashed into this universe?” Claudius queried

  Talius shook his head, yet Kiera could see the colour had drained slightly from his face. “I don’t want to know, what they intend to do.” That acerbic smirk returned and she realised how changed he was from the boy she had thought she knew. “I will be able to buy my freedom.”

  “You’re a fool Talius, you always were,” Kiera replied mournfully, “However I never thought you would end up so lost.”

  “What do you know of me my lady, you have spent so long safe within your cocoon, you have no idea what is really going on anymore do you, what our land has become, what this universe has become. The poverty, the deprivation simply minutes from your luxurious room. How children crawl through piles of rubbish like rats seeking out some scraps of food, this is the Realm that we live in and I see nothing worth saving there.”

  As Talius spoke, she could see the honour guard preparing to strike, three had moved around to flank Claudius while the remaining five approached her.

  Andre placed his hand on her arm, gently yet with a forceful edge, “I hope you know how to use that my lady.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” she chided him.

  “I am more worried about myself, I don’t really feel like getting shot in the back.”

  “I won’t miss,” was her reply, the gun seemed heavy in her hand, yet it also felt familiar, her finger slid over the trigger as her muscles and tendons tensed.

  She could see Talius’s eyes shift and her body reacted before her brain could. She brought her own gun up and squeezed the trigger gently as she had been drilled. She watched as the laser rifle bucked in his hands, the beam of superheated light tore towards her.

  The world around her shrank and time itself seemed to slow to little more than a trickle, she could see her own bullet, tearing through the air, she caught sight of the slight twitch as Talius shifted his own weight and she fired again. Talius was able to dodge her first shot yet as he leapt, he found himself in the path of the next three. It was almost a look of surprise that she saw on his young face, as if he didn’t realize how this could be happening and then the white hot projectiles struck his armour; sending his body back into the wall. A thick smear of claret marked his impact point.

  Her body was going to dive, yet she felt powerful hands on her. Andre grabbed her and threw her back into the relative safety of the cell. As she landed heavily she saw why, where she was going to land, one of the honour guards had struck out and his steel blade sparked as it hit the concrete floor.

  Andre glanced back briefly at the lady Snowfell and couldn’t help but grin. She had a lot of heart and skill, he glanced over at Claudius, the old warrior had already slain one of his assailants the shuddering body at his feet, and the other two guards were cautiously circling him.

  He turned his attention back to the five who were approaching and attempting to encircle him, they were wearing some kind of intricately engraved, ceremonial chainmail that made each of them look like they should be guarding some kind of children’s attraction. Yet the way they moved, told him all he needed to know, he had been around enough killers to know the stare. These men were dangerous, his combat implant, the one thing his former employers had forgotten to take from him, reacted instantly, scanning each of the attackers. Displayed before his eyes, he saw each of them flash and saw their individual weapons, drawn away and magnetized. Four of them carried standard, blades and swords, yet the fourth bore a poisoned cutlass and pistol.

  He smirked as his implant activated neural receptors all over his body, combat drugs flooded his system and he felt that familiar twitch. Once more he could taste the bitter adrenaline in his gullet. Around him the real world fell away and he was once again death incarnate.

  His memory recalled all those he had slain, their cold, still faces turned once again towards him and their dead eyes fixed. They sat in silent judgement as they always did, waiting for more to be added to their ranks.

  He struck out without thinking, his body moving as it had been trained, he went for the most dangerous opponent, the one with the pistol, he gracefully dodged several sword strikes as he cartwheeled, past the four guards and came face to face with his target.

  Andre didn’t have time to even register the look of dismay on the soldier’s visage as he tried to bring his pistol to bear. Andre grabbed the weapon and hoisted the assailants hand up and struck out with the sharpened plastic weapon. The blade slit the attacker’s throat and cut both his carotid arteries. Steaming blood exploded from it like a fountain, Andre felt the warm liquid spray over him and saw the life literally drain from the unnamed guard’s eyes.

  He should have felt, disgusted or at least stirred, yet he felt nothing, this is what he had been taught to do, perhaps it was what he was destined to do, it was certainly the only t
hing in his life that he had ever been good at; so he pushed on, there would be plenty of time to think, and question later. He grabbed the weapons from the dying man’s hands and dove backwards.

  He rolled and came up on his knee in a perfect firing position, his implant guided his hand as he saw targets drift over each of the four remaining attackers. Processors judged the weight of the weapon and converted that into the number of bullets remaining. He saw the troops set themselves for an attack, the steel of their swords glinting.

  His arm arched without prompting to the first target and he depressed the trigger four times. Then he was up and striding forward the implant shifted the weapon to the second guard and again he fired four times. Before he had realised it he had fired again and the third attacker was felled. By the time he was about to turn the pistol onto the final assailant, the man was already upon him, Andre dropped the now useless gun to the ground.

  “You’ll fucking die,” The guard spat, visceral hatred heavy within his voice.

  Andre didn’t speak, he had no need to. He watched the guard strike, the blade flying swiftly and cleanly; the man was well trained and drilled in combat, yet there was a great difference between combat and actual face to face fighting and murder.

  Andre struck out with his own dagger and was able in one single fluid motion to force his way past his assailant. Before the attacker could even turn round, Andre had buried the dagger up to its hilt in the back of the man’s head, severing his spinal cord. The soldier’s limp crumpled body fell to the cold ground.

  He turned and glanced over at Claudius who was just tearing his two serrated blades from the chest of the final guard, the shriek of steel upon steel, set his teeth on edge.

  “Not bad for an old man.” He laughed and then he heard the gunshots.

  He spun round just in time to watch Talius stumbling back, bullets tearing into his armour, bloody froth bubbled from his open mouth, yet he was still able to raise the laser rifle, then the final round came and bore into his forehead.

  Kiera slowly lowered the still smoking pistol and stared in stillness as Talius’s body slumped unceremoniously to the ground. The instance the bullet had ripped its way into his skull and then blew out the back of his head; replayed for her on a constant and haunting loop.

  She felt her gorge rise and she shifted her weight and vomited heavily.

  “Kiera,” Claudius exclaimed as he came over to her.

  “I’m fine,” She managed to splutter as she spat out the last of the bile from her mouth.

  “You did well,” He whispered as he moved his gloved hand through her hair and once again she was a little girl and he was her teacher. “I know it is difficult, the sickness will pass.”

  “The nightmares wont, they will start tonight.” Andre interjected, his tone both sombre and haunted, “My advice is not to try and fight them.”

  Claudius shot him a dangerous look, “That’s enough!”

  Andre turned to him and shrugged, “I’m just trying to help old man, you can try and shield the lady from this but, you can’t and if I recognise that look in your eye, you know that I’m right. You have the dreams as well don’t you, what do your spirits do, do they question you, haunt you, try and hurt you.”

  Kiera stepped forward and wiped her mouth with some of the train of her dress, and then tore the rest loose. “That’s enough!” she commanded, a lesson she had learnt from her mother.

  Andre favoured her with a smirk and a mock bow, “Of course my lady whatever you command.”

  “Do not mock her prisoner,” Claudius spat as he strode forward, his blades danced within his hands.

  Kiera, reached out and took his arm in her hands, “There has been enough killing for today.”

  Claudius fixed his eyes upon her and for perhaps the first time in her life she saw sadness reflected there. “I knew I should have made you stay,” He murmured, “You will always be my responsibility.”

  Andre who was now, going through the possession of the newly deceased guards, spoke, “This is touching and all, but we don’t have time.” He glanced over at them both, “I hope that you have another way out of here my friend.”

  Before any of them could speak, Hawkling emerged from the gloom where he had been cowering, “I think that I may be able to help.”

  Andre laughed, “Well it’s nice to see that you made it fat man I was getting a bit worried there.”

  “You have a way off this planet, that wasn’t on the plans?” Claudius enquired.

  Before the rotund, commissioner could answer, Kiera said, “We have a perfectly good ship waiting for us in the hangar.”

  For a second no one spoke, then it was Andre who shifted back from his looting. “Your ship won’t be safe now my lady, just look around,” he indicated to the bodies, “These troops were your honour guard, if they can be bought off, then you can’t trust anything that you don’t control or people you can trust.”

  Claudius pivoted to face her, “He is right, the ship isn’t safe and neither is the palace, whoever these people are that want us dead. They had enough resources and connections, this is not a simple threat and until I know what is going on we will have to keep moving.”

  “Welcome to the life of a fugitive.” Andre said as he continued his grisly task of stripping the dead.

  Kiera was frozen for a moment, this day had been bad enough, yet she had thought that once it was over she would be able to return to the comfort and protection of her home. To her simple life within the palace and now she was being told that everything she had known was being torn away from her. “What about my mother, will she be safe and my father?”

  Claudius visible winced as she mentioned her father, she knew the reputation of the Baron, probably better than anyone, yet what he had done, or did, he was still her father and that would never change. “I’m sure they will be safe, I will contact them when we are safely away from this place.”

  At that moment, several men rounded the corner and ran down the corridor. Andre was on his feet in seconds the now reloaded pistol, and blade held tightly.

  “Don’t worry they are with me,” Claudius declared.

  “Really like these guys were with you,” Andre muttered pointing to the still warm cadavers.

  “No, they are my men, they can be trusted.” Claudius retorted aggressively.

  The three men dressed as flight crew, marched over to Claudius and each got down on one knee, “Knight Marshall,” they spoke in unison.

  “Enough of that,” Claudius replied, suddenly flustered.

  Kiera found herself chuckling as she looked at this warrior, she had known all her life, suddenly so uncomfortable with his position.

  As the three newcomers, stood back up, Claudius directed them to secure the top of the hallway and then turned back to Hawkling.

  “So you have another way out of here Commissioner?”

  Kiera felt her skin crawl, as the corpulent man flashed an insidious smile, “Oh I have a way out of here, something that no one else knows about, however there is a catch.”

  Andre was on his feet in a second and bore down on Hawkling, before Kiera could step in, he had the pistol against the commissioner’s head.

  “I think maybe you might want to reconsider, your situation here my little friend, I’m not sure about my older friend over there, but I wouldn’t have any problem, blowing your brains out and maybe making it on my own.”

  Hawkling shifted uncomfortably, sweat poured down his reddened face. “You could certainly try, however with my plan you will be able to escape this prison, without alerting anyone, maybe buying you some extra time, before whoever is after you realizes that they have failed to kill you all.”

  “He has a point,” Kiera said as she eased towards the commissioner. “So perhaps killing him isn’t the best idea right now.”

  Andre peered at her, “Perhaps my lady you have a point.” He removed the gun slowly.

  Hawkling sighed and visibly shook, Andre slapped him on the
back, “Looks like your part of the team now fat man.”

  “So how do we get out of here Commissioner?” Claudius asked.

  Hawkling grinned, “They built in a failsafe, in case the prison was ever compromised, underneath the facility are three thermonuclear weapons, enough to vaporize this whole planet. However of course there needed to be an escape route,” he paused, “Well for me, so they built a hidden shuttle that can only be accessed by me and from my chambers.”

  “That’s pretty clever, I’m sure you didn’t pass that on to any of the men and woman that worked for you?” Kiera enquired pointedly, her disdain barely concealed.

  Hawkling glared at her, his small eyes cut into her, “That is not your concern my lady, the only thing that should matter to you is that I can get you out of here and perhaps you’ll be able to keep that pretty mouth attached.” Was all he was able to say before, Andre’s fist thrust into his cheek, blood and wads of saliva erupted from his mouth along with several teeth.

  Before Kiera could react, Andre had the squirming commission by the hair and dragged him down onto the ground, “now I thought I told you before to keep a civil tongue in your mouth, or am I going to have to rip it out.”

  Hawkling simply coughed up a mouthful of crimson fluid onto the ground.

  “That’s enough!” Claudius asserted.

  “Fine,” Andre released his grip and let the commissioner wilt to the floor, his hands cradling his damaged jaw. “It’s just someone has to teach our little friend here some manners.”

  “You think it is polite to knock a man’s teeth out?” Kiera asked.

  “Sometimes it is a necessary evil, my lady.” She was struck again, by his timbre and demeanour, if you didn’t know anything about this killer, you would think him some kind, of gentleman knight, perhaps a hired hand at one of the courts. Yet she knew what he really was, she knew that he was a murderer, you could see it in his eyes.