I wished I could see everyone in the dark. Some names were familiar, like Trent and Ian who had guarded the bar, and Web, the husky guy I’d met earlier with Reed, but others weren’t. Our group would be on Markus’ ship and the rest would stay on Max’s.
“I’ll take first shift out here for us.” Edgar called to our group. “Web, how ’bout you take first shift for you guys?”
“Yep,” said Web. “Sure thing.”
“I’m happy to go with Reed’s group too,” a voice called from the dark.
“Thanks, Connor,” said Edgar. “But I think we’ve got it worked out.” Connor had been the one who’d questioned Edgar at the meeting. Strange that he’d care about being in my group.
“Let’s go,” said Reed, pulling on my arm. “I’m famished and tired, in that order.”
I’d never been so happy to see Markus’ ship, though it was hardly visible, not just because of the darkness, but because he’d made a great cover of leaves and branches to keep it hidden from the air. He had his flaws, but Markus was smart when it counted. I barely made it on board before Lucy ran up and slobbered all over me. She went down the line and made sure she greeted everyone in an equally messy way. I hoped everyone was fine with dog saliva. Alec and Markus had taken down a meat monster while they were waiting for us, and they all dug in. I could hardly choke down a bite.
Alec handed me some water. “At least drink this.”
“Thanks.” With the ocean of tears I’d cried, I’m sure I was dehydrated.
Web stood guard outside, while those inside ate and shared stories about the Resistance and how it had changed since they’d arrived on Caelia.
“I swear Kale used to be a live-and-let-live kind of guy,” Trent said. “It wasn’t until we got to Caelia that he started sounding a little loco.”
Kale had been loco well before coming to Caelia, but I kept my mouth shut and sipped my water. He probably hoped that one day his name would be used as a swear word. The scent of the meat was became too tempting and I asked for some. Reed passed it to me, and I picked a piece off a bone and popped it into my mouth. “Do we know exactly what we’re up against with Kale? Like how many men he has behind him?” I asked.
“Hard to say for sure,” said Trent. “He has at least four hard-core soldiers, along with one guy who pilots for him. They’re the same crew that busted out your dad.” He frowned. “It’s hard to tell how many more supporters he has here in Callie City though.”
Reed couldn’t stop petting Lucy and gushing over how cute she was, which didn’t seem to bother Lucy in the least. Alec beamed like a proud papa.
“I just love this dog,” she said. “Hope you don’t mind, but while you were undercover at the Consulate, I used to sneak her food when James tied her up outside the bar.”
Alec laughed. “I’m just glad she was so well taken care of by everyone.”
After scarfing down all her scraps, Lucy laid her head in Reed’s lap. Reed sat with her back against the ship wall, her head tipped back and eyes heavy. Alec scooted closer so she could lean against him.
Poor Markus, I thought. I didn’t know if he’d realized Becca was on the other ship.
After a while, James ordered a shift change, and Trent went out to relieve Web. My head was barely staying upright and a deep heaviness weighed on my bones. Even Markus looked tired. “Anyone else feeling the need for some shut-eye?” he asked.
“Great idea,” James said. “Everyone should get some rest until we switch out again.” He looked at me pointedly. “Especially you.”
Markus stretched and lay on the floor using his arm as a pillow. “Tora, you can take the sleep chamber in my room. I’ll be fine out here.”
I was too tired to protest.
James helped me up and we walked to Markus’ room. I yawned. “What about you?” I asked. “You need rest too.”
James pulled back the cover so I could climb in. “Not in the cards for me right now. I’ll check on you in a bit.” He leaned over and pulled the cover up to my chin. “Get some sleep,” he said and kissed me lightly.
I fought, but my limbs felt like leaden weights.
My eyes closed and my mind drifted.
Dad was walking toward me with a stack of burning notebooks.
Crashing and shouts woke me and, in my sleep-induced haze, I momentarily forgot where I was. The room was dark, and I felt for the light panel with one hand while reaching for my gun with the other. The lights buzzed on.
The door opened, and James pushed Reed and Lucy inside. “You stay here until I get back. Don’t open the door for anyone.” He turned the light panel back off and secured the door before I could even ask what was happening.
“What’s going on?” I asked Reed.
“We don’t know. There were laser blasts outside the ship.”
Kale attacking at night seemed unlikely, but he wasn’t the most predictable guy in the world.
I turned to Reed. “Do you have a gun?” I whispered.
“Of course,” she said. “I might not love guns, but they’re part of the job description here.
I hit the light panel again. “Then why the hell are we in here?”
Reed’s face was pale. “I’m not gonna lie. I’m scared to death. But even I’ll admit that staying here is a waste of two guns.” She powered up her weapon. “If you’re in, I’m in.”
I powered up my own gun as we opened the door. Lucy tried to follow us, but I stopped her. “Sorry, girl. Stay here and we’ll be back.”
We walked to the main area of the ship where everyone had been eating not long before. It was deserted. They must all be outside. I pushed the hatch door open and booked it to the nearest tree. Reed followed close behind. We could hardly see anything under the heavy cloud cover. That is, until a laser blast flashed through the trees just up ahead by Max’s ship.
“We need to get closer,” I whispered to Reed. I took a breath and raced from one tree to another until we were near where I’d seen the blast. My heart thudded in my chest. Where was everyone? Someone ran up behind me and I stifled a scream.
“Do you listen to anything I say?” James asked in a low voice.
“Only when it’s not sexist. Are you kidding me with the whole ‘saving the women and dog’ thing?”
“That’s not what I was doing,” James said. “With everything you just went through with your dad, I didn’t think you needed more trauma.”
“My whole life has been a trauma. It’s unavoidable. Now let’s go.”
Max’s voice crackled through James’ com device, though he was barely audible. “Over here, behind my ship.” Max mumbled another word that I didn’t catch.
“Say that again,” James said, holding the com up to his ear so he could hear better.
He waved his arm and several figures joined us. “Two by two, get behind the ship. Go.” He grabbed my sleeve. “You’re sticking with me.”
Markus, Trent, and Web went first, followed by James and me. Alec and Reed brought up the rear. A laser blast shot past my head, and I dove and rolled behind a tree.
“Who is it?” I asked when James rushed to my side. “Is it Kale? What did Max say?”
“Kale’s probably behind this, but I don’t think that’s who’s shooting at us. We have to get to Max fast. I think he’s hurt.”
Max had gone out of his way to help us and I wanted to return the favor. “Why do you think that? What did Max say?” Another round of lasers flashed through the night.
“Just one word,” said James. “Mutiny.”
Chapter SEVENTEEN
ADRENALINE PUMPED THROUGH ME AS WE RACED TOWARD Max’s ship. He hadn’t had time to camouflage it, so at least it was visible in the dark—the hull gleamed. We were close to the ship when another laser flashed nearby. Alec yelled and stumbled. James fired in the direction of the last blast and a male voice screamed in agony.
“You okay, Alec?” James called.
“Sí. I’ve been better, but I should make it,” he sa
id. “Don’t think I can walk, though.”
Reed bent over him. “Keep going,” she said. “I’ll watch over Alec.”
“I’ll help her drag him behind a tree,” Web said. “I’ll be right back.”
The rest of us sprinted the last hundred yards and rounded the back of Max’s ship. He sat on the ground, half-leaning against the hull. James shrugged off his pack as he leaned down to get a better look. I got to my knees and held Max’s hand. His eyes were half-closed and blood ran down his neck toward the ground.
Markus let out a low whistle. “Oh wow, that doesn’t look good.”
“Talk to me, Max,” James said and grabbed a vial from the bag. “Markus, turn the light on your com and hold it over us so I can see.”
Trent stood guard while James worked on Max. His voice came out garbled and weak. The only word I understood was “pain.”
“I’m going to give you something for the pain and to help stem the bleeding,” James said. He administered the first vial around the gaping wound on Max’s neck. It looked like the blue withdrawal med vial, but was red. I remembered the pain tabs we’d had in our medical kit in the bunker. Max must have needed something stronger that would give more immediate relief. The e-stitching tool I’d seen James use before was on top of the pack.
“Can’t you just use that thing the way you did on Kale’s leg?” I asked.
James shook his head but didn’t say anything. He dug into his bag and pulled out a different colored vial along with a small device that had a wide, flat disk on top. “Hang in there,” he said as he powered up the device and pressed the disk directly against the gash. “This will feel really hot, but will cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding.”
Max whimpered despite the pain medication. I squeezed his hand. “It’s okay. We’re right here with you. You’re going to be fine.”
James administered the second vial near the major artery on the uninjured side of Max’s neck. “This helps your blood cells to replenish faster. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
Web ran back. “Alec is stable, but he could use some of your medical mojo when you’re finished here.” He finally took a good look at Max. “Oh god, Max, you look like crap. We need you, man, so do whatever the doc here says.”
I shifted and the stench of blood filled my nostrils. My stomach churned and bile rose in my throat. Maybe there was only so much blood that someone could take in a day. I turned my head to avoid gagging in Max’s face. After several deep breaths, I regained control of myself.
“Markus and Tora, stay here,” James ordered. “Web, take Trent, and go see what kind of shape that guy who shot Alec is in.”
Web checked his gun. “And if he’s not in bad shape, should I make him that way?”
“No. We need info on who’s behind this. Make him talk first.”
“And after?” Web asked. His hulking frame made me glad I wasn’t the one he was going after.
James didn’t hesitate. “They betrayed us and tried to kill our men. End him.”
James probably thought I’d considered that cruel, but it was hard to disagree, when I was sitting with a guy missing half his throat.
“Then find the others from Max’s ship. There was more than one person firing lasers out there.” James sat back on his heels and studied his com device, while Web and Trent took off.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Waiting. Timing the med in his system. I need to give it a few minutes.”
Max mumbled again. “Thirsty.”
I knew how thirsty he must be but doubted the water would even make it past the hole in his neck. “Should I try to find him some?” I asked.
“Not yet. Max, I’m gonna get you water as soon as I can. We just need to get this fixed up first.”
Several lasers flashed near where I’d almost been hit earlier. Brief shouts, followed by silence. I stared at the com, hoping to hear a familiar voice.
James pressed a small cylindrical device into Max’s neck and pushed a button. It looked like a med vial, but bigger.
“Ow,” Max said, though his voice sounded a little clearer.
James pulled it back and examined the numbers that flashed across it. “I just got a sample of blood. Red cell count is low, but rising. Another minute and we’ll try to close this up.”
No word from the men and even James looked anxious as he watched his silent com device. The sound of lasers would be better than the quiet—it would mean at least some of our guys were still alive.
Trent and Web returned, breathless. “I think we got ’em all,” Web said as he gasped for air.
“Yeah,” said Trent. “That first guy, the one you shot, James, he was already a goner when we got there. One of Kale’s cronies.”
“The main traitor was Connor.” Web holstered his gun. Connor. The one who’d tried to switch to my group. “He said it’s a crime to destroy weapons that powerful. It took a little persuasion, but he let it spill that Kale ordered them to take out all of us except James and Tora.”
Why would Kale want me spared? He knew James could fire the guns and was more than fine with killing me before.
James just shook his head as he picked up the electronic stitching device. “Okay, Max, we’re gonna give this a shot.” He moved the device along Max’s wound while Max gritted his teeth and grunted in pain.
I didn’t want to ask. I did anyway. “Is Connor dead?”
Web shrugged. “He is now. It was just the two of them. Sounds like the plan was for Kale to return with his pilot and the rest of his men at the light break to retrieve you two ‘prisoners’.”
The last thing I ever wanted to be was Kale’s prisoner again. I’d rather face another meat monster.
James finished the stitching and set the device down. “Where are the others from Max’s ship?”
Trent looked down. “I didn’t see them.”
Max squeezed my hand and took a deep breath. “Edgar is dead. He’s inside.” He took another breath. “They went for him first, probably because he was the strongest fighter.” He looked down at the ground. “There’s blood everywhere.”
I hadn’t known Edgar long, but I’d miss him, so I couldn’t imagine how the others must be feeling.
“I’m so sorry, Max. Hey, you’re talking!” Hearing him able to speak gave me hope. “How do you feel?”
Max swallowed. “Lucky.”
James took another scan of Max’s blood. “Counts are still rising. The bleeding must have mostly stopped. Take it easy for the next few hours though—you don’t want this to tear open again.”
“Got it. Thanks, James. I’m fine if you want to check on Alec now.” Max looked up at Web. “No word about Becca, Tyler, Ian, or Bez?”
Web shook his head. “No sign of them. It’s too dark to see much but we’ll check later when the light hits.”
I helped Max to his feet. He was a little unsteady and leaned on me so hard that I stumbled. Markus ran over and slung Max’s other arm around his neck.
“Tora, can I talk to you a sec?” James asked.
Web stepped in and took Max’s arm while I met James by the side of the ship. “What’s up?”
He looked serious. “I want you, Markus, and Web to take Max back to Markus’ ship. I’ll take Trent to check out Alec. Stay on guard and don’t let your gun out of your sight.”
“Okay.” I touched his arm. “What you did with Max there was impressive.”
James shook his head. “Honestly, I didn’t think it would work. I thought he was done. I’m serious about not letting him move around too much. He’s not in the clear yet.”
James gripped my hand. “I’ll meet you back at the ship once I have Alec fixed up. Be careful.”
I nodded. “You too. Don’t take too long.” I went back over to Markus. “Let’s get Max back to your ship. He needs to rest.”
The sky was tinged with gray light as we made our way back. Even with the traitors eliminated, there was an uneasiness in the air. It was co
mpletely silent aside from our breathing. The lasers must have frightened away any animals in the area. I walked in front of Markus and Web, who supported Max, helping him to walk. My gun was powered up and pointed into the murky space ahead.
Clouds still covered most of the sky, but it grew lighter as the sun pushed up toward the horizon. I could just make out the shape of the ship in the distance beneath its giant leaf cover. As we reached our destination, I froze. I signaled Markus to stop.
The outline of a figure stood just outside the hatch door. My gun hummed reassuringly in my hand. I crept around the side of the ship. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot,” I said in my best no-nonsense voice.
“Go ahead. I’m so tired of this. I don’t even know who’s on what side anymore,” a girl answered.
“Are you Becca?” I asked and stepped closer. I noticed the blood dripping down her arm.
She nodded. “That’s about all I do know. Well that, and that Connor is a freakin’ burner.”
I lowered my gun. “He’s dead if that helps you feel any better.”
She sniffed. “It does, thanks. Can I hide out in here with you?”
I turned behind me and called out to Markus and the others. “It’s okay. Becca is alive.”
They approached the ship, and Web gave Becca a big hug while Markus opened the hatch door. “Where’s Tyler?” Web asked.
Becca shook her head and stifled a sob. “Ty’s dead. He jumped in front of Connor’s laser when he was aiming for me.” She turned her bloodied arm toward Web. “Thanks to Ty the laser just skimmed my arm. I fired back and got Connor in the leg, but Ty was already gone. Edgar’s gone too. Don’t know what happened to Ian and Bez.”
“Tyler was a good guy,” Web said. He put his arm around Becca. “If it helps, your hitting Connor made it easier for us to get him. He couldn’t run very far, and we closed in.”
Markus settled Max into one of the passenger chairs inside the ship. I’d considered putting him on the sleep pad but thought it might be better for his neck if he stayed upright. I found him a bottle of Caelia Pure.
He started to chug it, and I had to pull it away. “Easy now,” I warned. “You don’t want to put any additional strain on your throat. There’s plenty of water.”
Strange Skies Page 15