Blood Thirsty (Tri System's Edge Series Book 2)

by Ron Schrader

  “What’ll ya do with him?” Zeke asked as he watched the men lift Jarek high enough to throw him onto the tailgate of the truck.

  “Not your concern,” one of the men replied.

  Jarek suddenly felt himself being pushed further into the truck bed, then the tailgate slammed shut.

  The surface was hard and cold, and while Jarek still didn’t know exactly what was going on, he was pretty sure his plan had just gone south. At the risk of being discovered, he decided to open his eyes enough to see if he was alone.

  Lying on his back, he could see the cover over the truck bed, and as he lifted his head to look around, he saw a few crates, but no other people. He also realized that he hadn’t been restrained, which had to mean they believed the drug’s effects would last long enough for them to do whatever they were going to do with him. He didn’t sit up but lay still and pondered his options: either stay along for the ride or get out the first chance he had. A decision needed to be made, and he needed to make it fast.

  Jarek figured they were taking him to the compound he’d seen earlier, which couldn’t be more than ten kilometers away, so this would be a short ride. He also noticed that evening was approaching, which meant it would be dark soon. That gave him the clear advantage.

  Knowing what the general was capable of, that he’d been able to effectively restrain Kalla for a short time, Jarek decided to take his chances with a plan that didn’t involve being held prisoner, and because there was no official plan B, he’d have to figure things out on the fly.

  The engine of the truck fired up, and after a rough and bumpy start, the vehicle began to lurch forward. Jarek slid to the back and sat up just enough to peek out over the gate. He watched as the saloon faded into the distance, and once satisfied the truck had gone far enough to conceal his escape, he decided it was time to leave.

  Latched by a single metal pin that he pulled out with ease, the gate dropped open. Jarek jumped out and rolled into some sparse brush on the side of the dirt road, staying low to avoid being seen.

  He turned his attention first to the truck, making sure his escape had gone unnoticed, and watched the truck moving down the road as if nothing had happened. Then he turned back toward the saloon. Even if someone had stayed outside to watch the truck leave, he figured the distance was great enough to conceal his escape.

  After a few more minutes of waiting and watching, just to be sure he was in the clear, Jarek saw nothing to indicate anyone had seen him escape. Alone and safe, he sat down in the sand and leaned up against a boulder to relax. He knew that when the truck stopped, and the soldiers found him missing, they would start an immediate search. But his plan was to stay out of sight until dark, when the advantage would be his.

  Jarek stretched out and relaxed, enjoying the array of colors in the sky as the sun began to set. While he waited, he worked out his plan, deciding that as soon as it was dark, he’d sneak onto the base. From there, he wasn’t sure how the plan would go, but it was a start.

  The original plan might have been easier and less risky, but he liked the idea of moving things along at a faster pace, even if it meant the sting of a few bullets in the process.

  Watching from the cover of the brush, he paid close attention to the truck as it approached the entrance of the base. The gate opened, the truck rolled through, and the gate closed. He continued to watch, wondering how long it would take for them to discover he was gone. It only took a few minutes before a siren began to blare. The gate opened again and several soldiers began scrambling about in a frenzy.

  Jarek started to laugh, knowing he’d had the upper hand the entire time, and they weren’t going to find him. He continued watching as a small group of soldiers ran along the outside perimeter, while another group jogged down the road in his direction, knowing their search would result in nothing. After a good twenty minutes, the soldiers finally turned and headed back toward the gate, which promptly opened long enough for them to enter, then shut behind them once they were all inside.

  With their search now over, Jarek took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. The sun had already made its way behind the large mountain range on the left side of the road, and that meant it was almost time for him to get to work. Jarek waited until he felt it was dark enough for him to walk the road unseen, then jumped to his feet and headed toward the base. Once certain that he was in the clear, Jarek started at a fast pace toward the compound, and he reached the gate within a couple minutes. He moved off the road and made his way toward one side of the gate, where a wire fence ran along the perimeter. He assumed the fence probably surrounded the entire compound, and he crouched down in the darkness so he could figure out what to do next.

  From his concealed vantage point, he could see a guard tower on each side of the gate, but the soldiers on duty didn’t seem to be paying much attention to anything outside the base. Either they assumed their escaped prisoner wouldn’t be an issue, or they simply weren’t accustomed to seeing much action. Whatever the reason, it was sloppy and would make this all the easier for him.

  With daylight almost completely gone now, Jarek used the darkness to move around undetected. He followed the fence line away from the front gate until he came to a section that looked to be completely hidden from the view of the watchtowers, and, coincidentally, shielded by a wall of pallets stacked nearly three meters high just inside the fence’s perimeter.

  He effortlessly jumped and grabbed hold of the top bar of the fence. With a quick jerk of his arms, he launched his body up and over the top with ease, clearing three rows of razor wire that extended above the bar, then landed gracefully on his feet inside the compound in a crouched position. He remained crouched long enough to make sure no one had detected him, then stood and peered around a stack of pallets.

  For the next several minutes, Jarek observed that only one building on the base was heavily guarded. A dozen or more infantry were posted outside its perimeter, and it had its own set of watchtowers above a very solid-looking gate. A compound within a compound. The structure of the building itself appeared to be built into the side of the mountain, leaving its front entrance as its only vulnerable point. It looked like the only building on the base worth investigating, but Jarek decided he’d have to figure out a way to get past the guards.

  He looked around the base and watched as soldiers went about their business. Then it occurred to him that if he were to find a soldier about his size, he might be able to procure a uniform. But after closer inspection he quickly realized this idea wouldn’t work. The soldiers on this base were far more groomed than he’d ever been, which meant that unless he wanted to cut his long hair, he’d probably stand out too much. This just keeps getting better, he thought, as he ran a hand over the top of his head and through his thick strands of matted hair.

  His attempt to devise a new plan was suddenly interrupted by a noise outside the fence. He turned in its direction, expecting to see soldiers with guns, but to his surprise, it wasn’t soldiers who’d found him.

  “Need some help?” Kalla said in a low tone, as she and Davis approached the fence.

  “Thought I was about to finally have some fun,” Jarek said with a scowl, mildly disappointed they weren’t soldiers for him to rough up. “How did you two find me?”

  “Let’s just call it women’s intuition,” Kalla replied with a sly smile. “Mind if we join you?” she asked just before jumping over the fence with ease.

  Davis was still standing on the other side of the fence with a look of uncertainty.

  “Come on, Davis, don’t think about it too hard, just jump,” Kalla coached.

  “Still getting used to all of this,” Davis replied as he approached the fence. “Just jump,” he repeated in a mocking tone. Closing his eyes, he crouched down and followed the advice, opening his eyes the moment his feet left the ground. Seconds later, the three huddled together behind the stack of pallets, staying low and out of sight.

  “So . . .” Kalla began, turning toward Jarek, e
yebrows raised and a half smile on her face that said she was mocking him. “The plan didn’t work out too well, I guess,” she finished.

  Jarek folded his arms and flashed an ornery grin. “Nope,” he replied.

  “Any sign of Quinn?” she asked.

  “No, but I think something’s going on in that building over there,” he said, pointing toward the mountain. “If he’s here, I bet he’s in there. Not sure how we get in without alerting the entire base though . . . and probably getting shot,” he added.

  “Simple. We create a distraction,” Davis said matter-of-factly. He turned to face Jarek and continued. “You and I go have some fun, draw out as many soldiers as we can, and Kalla can go do some sneaking around. I just really don’t want to get shot, so let’s not do that, please.”

  “How are we supposed to not get shot when we’re drawing the attention of an army?” Jarek argued.

  “Well, we keep our distance?” Davis said with a shrug. “Maybe get them to chase us outside the base where we’ll have plenty of room to stay out of firing range?”

  “You do know that bullets can go pretty far, right? Besides, who cares if a few bullets hit us? Big deal.”

  “Yeah, I don’t like that idea. Really don’t want to get shot,” Davis replied.

  “You’re scared of a few little bullets?” Jarek mocked.

  “Boys, boys,” Kalla interrupted, “bullets aren’t the problem here.” She waited until they were both looking at her, then continued. “Won’t that put both of you on Quinn’s radar,” Kalla objected. “I mean, what if he’s here, waiting for us? Isn’t that enough reason to try to do this a bit less conspicuously?”

  “That’s not what bothers me,” Jarek said. He pointed again toward the building. “It seems like the bulk of the security is focused on that. A big, guarded wall, surrounding a small structure that’s right up against the mountain. Seems like a lot of resources would be needed to build something inside a mountain. Makes me think something big is going on inside.

  “Doesn’t even look like a building, though,” Kalla said. “I can see a short roof, but not much else. How do we even know there’s anything inside the mountain at all?”

  “But that’s just it,” Jarek continued. “None of the buildings on this base look big enough for much of anything to be going on. So why guard the side of a mountain like that? I’m betting there’s a lot more we can’t see.”

  Davis said, “You might be right. I’ve heard rumors about secret bases on a few different planets. Never gave it much thought, but that might be one of them. Question is, why? Seems like a lot of trouble to me.”

  “If there’s something in the mountain, I have to admit, I’m impressed,” Kalla said, “but I don’t see how this changes anything. So, what’s the plan? Go with a distraction or something a bit less noisy?”

  “Not sure what else we can do,” Davis said, “so I say we go with the distraction. Jarek, you and I go pick a fight with some of the soldiers, draw enough attention to get the whole base on alert, then Kalla should be in the clear.” He looked at Kalla. “Think you can figure out a way in?”

  “If they all go after you, I don’t see why not,” she replied.

  Jarek grinned. “Sounds like fun.” But the grin quickly faded into a look of concern. “What about those turret guns, though? I’m betting they could do some serious damage—even to us. And we still don’t really know much about what you’re capable of,” he said, making eye contact with Davis.

  Davis sighed. “You’re right,” he admitted. “I just feel this urge, this need to find him. It’s almost like . . .”

  “A hunger,” Kalla interrupted. “Your emotions are heightened, on overdrive, like everything else in your body. I still struggle with mine sometimes, too.” Kalla put her hand on Davis’ shoulder. “Just close your eyes and try to control your breathing. That can help.”

  In the brief silence that followed, Jarek collected his thoughts. He had his own grudge against the general, having been the victim of a painful firing squad and attempted assassination not long ago, but he’d also had more time to rein in his emotions—many years, in fact—so he was able to suppress his feelings much better than his companions. “What’s the endgame here?” he asked.

  “Huh?” Kalla said. “Endgame? Really?”

  Jarek could see the confusion on his companions’ faces. “I get that we all want him dead. I’m with you on that, but we need to slow this whole thing down.” He paused to choose his next words carefully. “This isn’t just about the general anymore. Something else—something bigger is going on here. Or that’s what it looks like anyway.”

  “What do you mean?” Davis fidgeted. “Aren’t we here to get Quinn?”

  “Initially, yes. But things have changed. I didn’t find out a lot on my way in, but Zeke—the guy that brought me here—made it sound like they’re trying to ramp up this army, but then he tries to drug me and take me prisoner, instead of letting me enlist. Didn’t make much sense.”

  Davis shook his head. “Maybe he caught on somehow that . . .”

  “No,” Jarek interrupted, “call it a gut feeling, but this base is too far out in the middle of nowhere, and too heavily guarded, to just be a training camp. I don’t know what’s going on, or what they’re hiding in that mountain, but we need to be careful. I’m fine with the idea of taking out the general if we find him along the way, but if he needs a mountain to hide whatever it is he’s scheming, we need to at least think this through. Maybe there’s something else we need to prevent.”

  “So what then?” Davis asked. “Sit around and wait till morning trying to figure something else out?”

  Jarek didn’t immediately answer, but instead turned to look at the wall by the mountain. “I just don’t think we should rush into this,” he said.

  C

  HAPTER 8

  Murphy could feel the throbbing of a headache when he finally came to. He started to reach his hands upward, to hold his head and attempt to relieve the pain, but the restraints around his wrists prevented that.

  “Oh good, you’re awake,” a voice said.

  He felt groggy from being knocked unconscious, and his sight was blurry still, but that didn’t prevent him from recognizing the voice. “What now, General?” Murphy asked politely. “Do I get to spend time in the brig for breaking into your private quarters?”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it, Sergeant,” the general said with enthusiasm.

  Murphy didn’t like the upbeat tone. It was far too pleasant, and gave him an unsettled feeling. Squinting his eyes to restore his vision as best he could, Murphy surveyed the room to find it wasn’t just him and Quinn. Lined up in a row next to him, Murphy could see the remaining members of his team: Drake, Willis, and Newton. They were strapped down to tables, as well, and appeared to be unconscious. “What?” He paused, trying to make sense of what was seeing. “What are you doing to them?” he finally blurted out. “Guys?” he yelled.

  The general let out a laugh. “Oh, don’t worry, they can’t hear you. They’re, shall we say, resting right now.”

  “What’s going on here?” Murphy demanded.

  “Now, now, no need to be rude,” the general said. He walked over to one of the unconscious soldiers and placed his hand on the metal bed rail. “We’re actually helping them.” He smiled as he looked back at Murphy. “We’re going to make them better soldiers. Or at least I hope we are.” The general chuckled as if this were all a big joke.

  Despite the restraints, Murphy strained to raise his head and looked over at his team—his friends—and a nauseated feeling began to grow inside of him. They all appeared asleep, but Drake, who was nearest to him, seemed to be experiencing minor uncontrollable spasms across his entire body. If not for the restraints, Murphy knew his friend would probably have wiggled onto the floor by now.

  The other two men were further away, making it harder to tell for sure if they were having the same spasms, so he could only assume that was the case.

>   “Fascinating creatures, aren’t they,” the general said. “The ones you encountered earlier, I mean.”

  “What are you doing to my men?” Murphy yelled.

  The general continued as though Murphy hadn’t spoken a word. “It seems that a bite, or even just a scratch from them, is toxic to us. It causes our DNA to mutate, and ultimately changes a man into . . .”

  “One of them,” Murphy said softly.

  “Yes, that’s right,” the general said, smiling.

  “Then Bennett’s . . .”

  “Yes, it was unfortunate, but he was beyond help. The change took place soon after you all returned from the mission, but my team was able to extract what we needed from him. It was a painful procedure, and he, or the monster he’d become, screamed quite ferociously. But when they finished, you’ll be happy to know he was put out of his misery.”

  Murphy had known all along that Bennett wasn’t going to make it, but hearing the general’s words made it real, and his eyes watered. “What now, then? You turn us all into those things because I broke into your room?”

  The general let out a laugh. “Of course not. I hope to tame the beast, in a manner of speaking. Breaking into my quarters just bumped you and your men to the front of the list. After all, we need volunteers to help us perfect this process. Our success rate isn’t yet ideal, but I believe this recent discovery just might be the piece of the puzzle we’ve been miss . . .” He stopped himself and looked away. “Just know that you and your men are contributing to a very good cause.”

  “You’re just going to kill us all, then?” Murphy hoped to reach whatever tiny piece of humanity Quinn possessed, though he knew his attempt would be in vain.

  The general faced Murphy with a serious expression. “It’s unfortunate, but if that’s what it takes, then yes. Failure is one of the necessary steps on the path to success. Don’t you agree?”

  Murphy shook his head. “Do you even hear yourself? You’re insane! We’re talking about real people here, with lives and families! And these men are some pretty skilled soldiers, too. This is murder and it’s a waste of lives!”