Cold Revenge

by Jaleta Clegg

  "They hit each other," Wade said. "Minor damage."

  We didn’t mess around with an orbit or even braking. We hit the atmosphere at an angle and dropped quickly, aiming for the tiny patch that was clear of ruins. Air screamed past the ship as we flipped it tail first.

  "Wade, tell me when we hit fifty meters," I said.

  The stabilizers shook, the whole ship rattled. The ground was coming close very fast.

  "Fifty!" Wade shouted.

  I hit the reverse thrusters. The ship bucked and shook. The ground was still getting close very fast. Jerimon reached past me and opened the fuel feed line all the way. The thrusters roared. The ship slowed.

  We hit hard, but the ship was basically intact. Jerimon and I shut the engines down in record time.

  "We’ve got to move," I said.

  "Deke and I will stay here," Wade said. "You need someone to keep them out of the ship."

  I shook my head. "You’re too much of a target."

  "Dace is right," Tayvis said. "They won’t hesitate to just blow the whole ship up, so unless you can fly it back through that," he pointed at the viewscreen which showed the scan of at least five ships heading our way, "you’d better come. We’ll help carry Deke. No one stays behind."

  "You think our chances are better out there?" Wade asked.

  "You knew we had almost no chance, Wade," I said. "Why did you come?"

  "Because I didn’t want to be stuck on Ophir the rest of my life."

  "Then grab whatever you can, we’ve only got a few minutes."

  We scrambled for equipment and headed out the hatch.

  "You could have just sold me the ship," I said to Wade as we hurried into the looming mass of roofless walls.

  "And miss out on all this fun?"

  "Down here," Jerimon shouted, waving at us from the top of a mound not far off.

  Tayvis was right behind Jerimon, herding Flash and Doggo in front of him. Wade hurried ahead of me. Deke was on his back and grinning hugely.

  "I thought I was through with adventure," he said to me.

  "I wish I were," I muttered as I scrambled up behind them.

  Jerimon had found a tunnel that twisted and ducked under the rubble. We hurried into it. There was still light, filtering down from broken spots in the walls and cracks overhead. Tayvis waited for me, the two of us brought up the rear.

  "You’re crazy, you know that?" he said. "Seven of us with three handlights and a few dozen cans of chili for equipment. How are we going to find the Phoenix?"

  "Like you said, we head south to the other landing field and look for it."

  "If it were any one but you, I’d think it was hopeless." He rubbed my spiky purple hair. "For luck," he said and laughed as I tried to smack him. But not very hard.

  We had only gone a few hundred yards when we heard ships landing behind us. Daylight on Xqtl was fading fast. Jerimon walked slower, looking more carefully through the gaps we passed. Flash tottered along, Doggo held his arm to keep him from falling on the rough ground. Wade kept going, but he was moving slower.

  "I think I found a place we can hide for the night," Jerimon said.

  "We should keep moving," I objected.

  "Nothing moves at night here," Jerimon said. "Trust me."

  He led us down a narrow twisting passage between two towering walls of pieced stone. It wasn’t far. The passage opened into a circular room with a low roof that was still mostly there. Five more passages led away into the fast falling night. A low wind moaned across the stones.

  We gathered in the space. Jerimon set up a single handlamp, pointing it at the roof. The reflected light wasn’t very bright but it was enough. We found lumps of stone to sit on. Wade got Deke settled near the handlight.

  "Chili anyone?" Tayvis asked.

  It was not cozy, it was cold and drafty and the moaning wind made us all jumpy. There were only four blankets from the ship. We sat close and tried to sleep. It didn’t take long to understand why Jerimon said no one moved at night. The wind howled and sounded like lost souls wailing in the ruins. There was no moon. It was so dark you couldn’t have seen where you were going. The cold was biting. Xqtl was a haunted world.

  I found myself between Jerimon and Tayvis and mostly warm. Doggo had Flash and Deke on either side of him. Wade sat on the other side of Deke. It was going to be a long, cold night. But it had been a very long day already. I fell asleep, using Tayvis as a pillow.

  The wind died down around dawn. The silence woke me. I crawled out, careful to not disturb the others.

  Early light spilled down the tunnels. I needed a bit of privacy. I picked the closest one. It came out on top of a low rise. I stood next to a piece of shattered wall and looked around. The whole landscape, as far as I could see, was covered with the dusty brown walls. They ran into each other, interlocking until I was dizzy trying to sort them out. It was a giant maze, a world of crumbling stone walls and nothing else.

  Not nothing else. I saw green not far away, a tent glowing with a soft light. I found a corner behind a block of stone and took care of personal things. The tent was still glowing when I climbed back up the rise. I smelled something cooking that was a lot more appetizing than chili. I could just slip over there and raid that camp and come back, I thought. There were researchers on the planet, innocent people who would be happy to help me.

  There were also bloodthirsty thugs on the planet who would make me hurt an awful lot before they killed me. I was torn, I should stay, I should get someone to come with me but they were all still sleeping. The smell of breakfast finally decided me. I’d scout it out and come back for help.

  I slipped along a wall that looked like a single stretch of stone. I came to a dead end. I smelled sausage on the other side of the wall. I hooked my fingers in the stone and pulled myself up as quietly as I could. The top of the wall was broad, smooth and polished. I lay down on my belly and peered at the camp.

  I saw three tents and five people. Two were cooking over a portable stove. Another two were bent over a table, looking at a large sheet of paper. The fifth was shaving.

  I scooted closer to the edge, drawn by the smell of eggs and pancakes mixed with the sausage. I couldn’t have stayed back without help.

  Someone shoved me from behind, sending me tumbling off the wall and rolling down a slope of broken stone to the camp. I ended up on my back, staring into a sky of pale blue. The sun was just breaking over the far horizon.

  Two men I hadn’t noticed bent over me. They had big nasty guns. One of them kicked me while the other one hauled me to my feet.

  "Walk," he ordered and shoved me with the gun.

  I went into the camp. They stopped me near the stove and searched me for weapons. As if I could have concealed any in that outfit, I thought as they patted me down. I sniffed longingly at the food.

  The main tent door opened and a man walked out. He was slender and held himself elegantly. His outfit was immaculate. He breathed deeply, looking immensely satisfied with himself. I felt my heart drop, I knew him. Ricard Blake was a very rich, very eccentric man that I’d last seen on Dadilan where he was chasing the rumored Fountain of Youth. He saw me and came over, puzzled and frowning at the sight of me.

  "We found her up there," one of the men with the guns said, waving at the hill behind us.

  "Are you lost, my dear?" Ricard Blake asked.

  The guard shoved me.

  "There’s no need for that, Guy," Ricard chided him. "She’s our guest."

  The guard named Guy laughed and shoved me again. "She’s the one they’re so upset over, Ricard. She’s no guest."

  "You are in my camp, you will treat my guests with courtesy," Ricard said sharply.

  "Yes, Hom Blake," Guy said. He waited until Ricard turned away to shove me again.

  "Sit and eat with me," Ricard invited me. I could tell he didn’t recognize me. "Go call in or whatever it is you do," Ricard told Guy. "You may escort her away after she’s eaten. Unless of course, I decide she might be
able to help me."

  I didn’t wait for him to invite me again. I might get a good meal before they killed me. I took a chair at the table. They slid a plate in front of me, one steaming with eggs and pancakes and sausages and even fresh fruit. I wanted to dive in headfirst. I remembered my manners and smiled pleasantly at Ricard. Maybe I could talk him into helping me. Maybe I’d learn to stay out of trouble. I had a better chance of getting invited to the Emperor’s palace for an intimate dinner.

  Ricard carefully spread a thick napkin in his lap before he nibbled daintily at his food. I took it as a signal that I could eat. I tried not to gobble.

  "You do remind me of someone," Ricard said. "What was your name?"

  It was a question I wanted to avoid. I didn’t see any way I could now. Lying wouldn’t get me anywhere. "Dace. We met before. On Dadilan. Did you ever find the fountain of youth?"

  "Well, bless my soul." Ricard leaned closer towards me. "It is you, the young woman who was so good with maps. Do you still work for the Patrol?"

  I wanted to strangle him. I heard the grunts behind me and knew my life was going to be that much shorter and more painful. I kept my bright smile pasted on my face. "I never worked for them."

  "Then what are you doing here?"

  I ate another sausage. "Looking for something I lost." I was, my ship and my friends.

  "Then that makes two of us. Have you ever heard of the Philosophy Stone? It’s supposed to be able to cure any disease." His eyes glowed with zeal. He may have been older, his hair a distinguished white, but he had more energy than I did. "My research indicates it may have been here, on Xqtl. It was some sort of medical unit that resembled a large flat stone. The technology for it must have been incredibly advanced." He proceeded to tell me about the planet and the fabled stone in great detail. I tried to keep my eyes from glazing over while I stuffed food in. As long as they kept my plate full, I was determined to keep eating.

  "If you want to make it to the Temple of Ashram, you should be leaving," Guy said, interrupting a detailed description of a rock wall.

  Ricard frowned at Guy then jumped to his feet. "Please, excuse me. I’ve been meaning to look at the murals in the Temple of Ashram and they must be viewed in just the right light. If I hurry, I might make it there in time. It’s been a pleasure seeing you again." He took my hand and kissed it.

  My mouth was full. I didn’t have a chance to try and stop him. I stood, Guy shoved me back into the chair. He kept his heavy hand clamped on my shoulder while Ricard rushed around the camp gathering equipment. He took his leave much too soon, bustling away with three of his men.

  "And now the fun starts," Guy said when Ricard was out of sight over the hill.

  "Touch her and you’ll be minus a few body parts," Tayvis said behind us.

  Guy was stupid. He shoved my chair to one side and spun quickly, his gun lifting as he moved. My chair toppled over, I scrambled under the table. Tayvis caught Guy under the chin and sent him sprawling backwards into the stove.

  Jerimon and Wade fought the two other guards. I found a very large pan and smacked Guy over the head with it. His eyes crossed and he passed out. I climbed out from under the table.

  "Thanks," I said to Tayvis. "Have a sausage."

  I slipped behind the man strangling Wade and clobbered him with the pan. He toppled over. Wade leaned over, coughing and gasping. I was going to hit the third man but Jerimon already had him down. He hit the third man across the back of the neck and the man went limp.

  "What did you think you were doing?" Jerimon demanded, glaring at me.

  "Finding something other than chili to eat." If I let myself think of how much trouble I’d almost been in, I would start shaking and screaming and running. "Very good sausage, still hot," I added.

  Tayvis had a plateful of food and was eating, licking syrup off his fingers while he watched us. "Tie them up, Jerimon. We’ll take their guns and anything else useful we can find. Who’s camp is this?"

  "Remember Ricard Blake?" I picked up one of the nasty guns and checked the charge. It glowed bright green.

  "Who?" Tayvis asked.

  "He was on Dadilan, looking for the fountain of youth. He hired Dysun Farr to smuggle him in." I tucked the gun in the waist band of my ruffled skirt and picked up another.

  Wade helped himself to breakfast. Jerimon rifled through crates, looking for rope. Tayvis ate another sausage, watching me.

  "He might help us if we asked," I said, then thought better of it. "On second thought, I don’t want his help. He makes me tired just listening to him." The second gun was fully charged. I looked around for any others.

  We all heard the ship screaming overhead. Its engine was shot, it poured out black smoke. I looked up, shading my eyes with my empty hand. The ship came in low, streaking to the southwest. Two more ships came after it, shooting as they went. I watched the smoke trail fade behind them.

  "That was the Phoenix. They shot her down." I ran for the nearest broken wall.

  Tayvis caught my arm. "Let’s get the others and we can track it down."

  I slowed. It was futile, me rushing off by myself to chase down my ship. I hoped it hadn’t crashed. I hadn’t heard an explosion, but it might have come down a hundred miles away.

  "Give me one," Tayvis said, reaching for a gun. I handed it to him. He checked the charge, just like I had. "We’ll get them back. You want more sausage? You’ll have to hurry before Wade eats them all."

  I shook my head.

  "This way." Tayvis took my hand and pulled me back towards the hill I’d climbed over.

  Wade and Jerimon joined us. Wade had a pot full of breakfast. Jerimon carried a sack that rattled. The three guards were nowhere in sight.

  "I rolled them down a hole after I tied them up," Jerimon said. "Hopefully no one will miss them until after dark, if then. I got a few useful things here." He hefted the sack.

  "Then what are we waiting for?" Tayvis said. "We’ve got a real chance now."

  "Did I miss something?" Wade asked.

  "Probably," Jerimon said.

  We scrambled up the hill and found the others. Doggo took one look at the guns and the food and grinned.

  "Hot bam," he said through a mouthful of pancake.

  Tayvis pulled me aside while we were packing up what few things we had.

  "That was stupid, Dace."

  "I just went outside for a minute. I saw the tents and thought I’d better check it out. I didn’t intend to end up in their camp."

  "Be more careful." His face was hard, his jaw set in a grim line.

  "Or what? You’ll shoot me?"

  "You seem to be doing a good job of that all by yourself."

  "It got us a better breakfast than chili, and guns and equipment." I couldn’t look at his face anymore. "It was stupid, yes. You don’t have to tell me, Tayvis."

  "Don’t get yourself shot," he said.

  "Let’s go," Jerimon said from the far side of the room.

  "Not if I can help it," I said. "Don’t you get shot this time."

  "Not if I can help it," he echoed. He kissed me quickly. "I’d hate to lose you."

  "You won’t, Tayvis. Not ever."

  "Then let’s go find your ship."

  We hurried after the others.

  Chapter 44

  The world was a nightmare of flashing red lights and smoke. It tilted strangely. Jasyn coughed on the acrid smoke. Her arm ached. She looked up and saw it tangled in webbing. She fumbled with the latch, breaking a nail before she popped it free. She lay on the sloping floor and concentrated on breathing for a moment.

  The alarms finally shut up. The lights stayed red. She closed her eyes, waiting for pain she was sure would come.

  "Jasyn?"

  Someone was calling her name. Someone very familiar. Her eyes flew open in sudden panic. She sat up, ignoring the ache in her arm.

  "Trevyn?"

  Clark was beside her. She reached for him, holding him tight.

  "Anything hurt?"r />
  "My arm, but it’s nothing serious."

  He checked it anyway. "Not broken."

  "What about the others?"

  "I haven’t checked yet. The ship isn’t going to lift again without a new engine. That last burst got the tubes."

  She laughed. "Dace is going to be furious." Her laugh sounded strained, half hysterical.

  "Ginni?" Habim’s voice came from somewhere in the back of the ship, frightened and lost.

  Jasyn and Clark stood, leaning on each other across the tilted floor. Habim was huddled next to the galley. Jasyn knelt beside him while Clark went into the cabin.

  "Anything hurt, Habim?" she asked.

  "Where’s Ginni?" He clutched her hand like a small child.

  "Clark’s looking for her."

  "What happened?"

  "They shot us down, Habim."

  "I can’t fix it," he said, his hands starting to whirl. "It’s too big. It’s too scary. There’s smoke down there."

  She caught his hands, huge hands she cradled in her own. "Habim, look at me. You don’t have to fix it right now. We need to find Ginni and the others and go somewhere safe for a while. Can you help?"

  "Somewhere safe?"

  "We have to hide, until the others come to help."

  He nodded, his hands relaxed in hers. She let go and used the wall to get back to her feet. She heard Clark talking with someone in the cabin. She tried to remember where everyone had been. She heard groaning from the engine room. She stumbled down the steps.

  Kelly and Marik had been that way, trying to keep the ship running as long as possible.

  The engine room was thick with smoke. Red lights glowed through it. She felt her way along the wall, avoiding the hot engine.

  "Kelly?"

  "Back here," he answered. "I think my leg’s broken. Marik isn’t answering me."

  "Marik?" There was no answer.

  She opened a bin and felt around for the handlight she knew should have been in there. Dace was fanatic about keeping them handy. She shifted cables and tools until she felt the smooth barrel of a handlight. She pressed the button and light stabbed out.