Cold Revenge

by Jaleta Clegg

  She found Kelly, at the far end of the room where the floor sloped the most. He was tangled in pieces of the engine. She picked her way over to him. He had superficial cuts on his face, nothing that looked too bad.

  "Can you stand?" she asked. His leg was twisted. She doubted he could even with Habim’s help.

  He shook his head. "I can’t move."

  "You’re going to have to. We can’t leave you here." She turned and played the light over the wreckage of the engine.

  Black streaks colored most of it. Tubes were split and missing. It was mangled beyond repair.

  She found Marik. He was under the engine. There was no way he could have survived. She knelt beside him to make sure.

  "Sorry, Everett," she whispered. Everett would want blood money for his engineer. More than that, Marik had been a good friend to both of them. She wiped her eyes. She didn’t have time to mourn right now.

  "You have to come, Kelly."

  "What about Marik?"

  "He isn’t going anywhere. I’m sorry, Kelly."

  "We knew it was dangerous, Jasyn. He went the way he wanted to. May his Spirit find peace." Kelly shifted, biting back a moan.

  "Jasyn?" Clark called from the doorway.

  "Down here," she answered. "Kelly’s hurt. Broken leg, he thinks. Marik," she had to stop and clear her throat. "Marik is beyond help."

  He came down the stairs. "Ginni and Fergus are shaken up but nothing serious. Habim will be fine when Ginni’s through talking to him." He bent over Kelly, checking his leg. "We have to move. They’re headed this way."

  "Give me a gun and leave me," Kelly said.

  "Don’t be stupid," Clark answered. He pulled Kelly’s arm around his shoulder. "Ready?" He lifted the other man, supporting his weight.

  Jasyn moved in on his other side. Kelly hopped on his good leg, trying hard not to show how much it hurt to move.

  They made it to the lounge, still eerie with red lights. Habim saw them. He stood away from the wall. He said nothing. He picked up Kelly and headed for the hatch.

  It was open. Ginni tugged Habim through, guiding him. Jasyn could smell the wind, dead and dry and desolate. Clark took her hand. Jasyn looked back at her ship, what was left of it.

  "I hate leaving it," she said. "Not like this."

  They heard the whine of a flitter engine headed their way.

  "We have to move, Jasyn, now."

  She didn’t say anything else. She grabbed the emergency pack from a locker by the hatch. Clark took a second one and followed her out.

  It was early, the sun rose in a sky the color of copper. Shadows made the jumbled landscape even stranger. Walls that connected to each other in a confusing maze ran everywhere. They’d slid along a rise in the ground. The ship came to rest on the far side, tilted at a crazy angle. Ragged tails of smoke still stained the sky.

  "Fergus found something." Clark tugged her hand.

  They picked their way across the rubble behind Habim and Ginni to the waving figure on a far hilltop.

  "How did he get that far so fast?" Jasyn asked, panting as they climbed another hill.

  "It’s not Fergus," Clark said. "Too late to hide, they’ve seen us."

  "Is that good or bad?"

  Stones rattled behind them. Jasyn whirled around. The person behind them was muffled head to toe in camouflaged body armor. The rifle it carried was pointed at the ground, not at them. Jasyn decided that might be a good sign.

  "Jasyn?" the figure asked. It removed the helmet. Blond hair cropped short and gray eyes were slightly familiar. "I don’t think you remember me. Paltronis," she introduced herself. "We’ve got a base not far from here." She looked overhead. "We need to hurry."

  Jasyn looked back. Another of the camouflaged soldiers waited near Ginni and Habim. "They’re on our side, Ginni," she said. "Go with him."

  Ginni still looked doubtful but she tugged Habim into motion behind the soldier. They moved as quickly as they could through the rubble.

  "We picked up Fergus already," Paltronis said. "Anyone else on your ship?"

  "One, but no one can help him now."

  The wind gained strength as the day warmed. Thin rags of clouds drifted across the sky. The wind sobbed through the broken walls echoing the sorrow she felt.

  They followed Paltronis as she picked her way through the tumbled maze. It went on for what felt like hours. They twisted their way across the senseless ruins of an alien race no one had ever seen. Jasyn tripped over blocks of stone, tired and worn from days and weeks of strain. Clark took her hand, helping her stay on her feet. The warmth of his touch was comforting.

  They wound their way into a tunnel. The light faded and died. Paltronis took Jasyn’s hand and tucked it into her belt. Jasyn kept Clark’s hand in her free hand. They picked their way through darkness.

  "Duck," Paltronis warned her. The stocky woman’s hand pushed on the top of her head. Jasyn ducked.

  They passed a low doorway and through a hanging curtain. The warm glow of a handlamp set up on a slab of rock lit the room. She could still hear the mournful howling of the wind, muffled by the stones they hid under. Arched ribs of stone stretched up the walls, like the bones of some alien beast.

  The others were there; Fergus, Ginni, Habim, Kelly, and three soldiers in Patrol camouflage, a dirty orange brown that blended with the stones outside. She stumbled after Clark into the glow of the lamp. Paltronis came after them.

  "Sit," Paltronis said. "We tracked your ship in. There should be backup here in about two days."

  "Our backup should be here in a few hours," Jasyn said. "Forty trading ships with crews ready to fight."

  "They’ll be slaughtered," Paltronis said.

  "So we found out," Jasyn said. "Do you have any kind of signal beacon? Some way we can send a message?"

  Paltronis nodded. "Vey can take you later." She indicated the other woman in camouflage.

  One of the men crouched next to Kelly, examining his leg. He had a portable medkit opened on a slab of stone. The other man opened self heating cans of food.

  "We need to go now," Jasyn said. She was so tired and the food smelled so good, she wanted only to eat and sleep and wake up to find this was just a bad dream. The others had to be warned though.

  "They are searching for you. You’d be spotted immediately," Paltronis said.

  "Then we’ll go tonight."

  "No one travels at night," Paltronis said.

  "Why not?"

  "People disappear on this planet, especially if they’re walking around out there in the dark," Paltronis said. "Make of it what you will. But don’t try it. We’ll leave at dawn." She pushed Jasyn down onto a rock, gently but firmly, and handed her a can. "Eat," she ordered.

  Jasyn gave in, she was too tired and numb. Too much had happened. She stared dumbly at the can in her hand. "How long have you been here?"

  "Three days," Paltronis answered.

  "Where’s Dace?" Jasyn asked. Paltronis worked for Lowell, she had to be almost as omniscient as he was.

  "I don’t know," Paltronis admitted. "I was hoping she’d be with you."

  "Jasyn, eat something," Clark urged. "Then try to sleep. You’re too tired. You’ve been up for a day and a half."

  She had, standing watch in the cockpit, waiting for that moment when the ships cruising past would finally recognize them. She lifted the can and sipped, without tasting it. It was hot. It melted the numbness inside. Tears slid down her cheek.

  "You want anything?" the man with the medkit offered.

  She shook her head and he moved on.

  Ginni watched her, eyes huge and frightened. But Ginni was tough, she’d proven that. Jasyn tried to smile for Ginni. It didn’t work. She was still crying, without even realizing it.

  Habim was asleep, curled up next to Ginni. He had his hands tucked under his cheek. Vey spread a blanket over him and offered one to Ginni.

  Kelly was asleep, his face slack from the pain meds. His leg was wrapped tightly, the white
bandages contrasted with his dark shipsuit. Fergus sat next to him, sipping a can of hot drink. Fergus stared blankly at the ground. He must know about Marik, she thought fuzzily, he must know why Marik wasn’t here.

  She bowed her head, feeling tears drip hot and wet on her clenched fists. Clark draped a blanket around her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her next to him. She leaned into him.

  "Why can’t they just leave us alone?" she whispered through tears.

  She fell asleep still crying, an exhausted sleep that was mercifully dreamless.

  Clark shook her awake what felt like only moments later.

  "It’s almost dawn," he whispered.

  She shivered and huddled closer in the blanket. He snuggled with her, holding her against him. She closed her eyes, listening to the dying wind’s last lament.

  "We’re moving out soon," Paltronis said quietly.

  She pressed a steaming cup in Jasyn’s hand and moved on. Jasyn sipped. The warmth was welcome. Light was just starting to creep into their shelter, a thin gray light that did little to lift her spirits. Not much could have lifted them. She felt as bleak as Xqtl, dead and arid inside.

  Paltronis stood near the entrance and watched them. "One person. We’ll move quickly."

  "I’ll go," Clark said.

  "I have to," Jasyn said. "You don’t know what to say."

  Fergus looked at her. "I can go."

  "It isn’t your fight now, Fergus," she said, "but thank you."

  "You aren’t going without me," Clark said flatly.

  "I wouldn’t want to," Jasyn said.

  Paltronis frowned at them before shrugging. "Vey will go with you. We’ll stay here and watch."

  "What about me?" Ginni asked.

  "You stay here and keep Habim safe," Jasyn said. She looked at Paltronis. "How safe are you here?"

  "Fairly safe," Paltronis answered. "We’ve got a series of boltholes prepared all along this area. We’ve been searching for three days, looking for you."

  Jasyn stood, letting the blanket slide to the stones. "We’ll come back for you, Ginni. I promise. You’re Family now. You and Habim." She went to Ginni and hugged her. Ginni was so small, so fragile looking. "Stay here and stay safe, Ginni. For me."

  Ginni nodded, letting go reluctantly.

  "Let’s go," Jasyn said.

  Clark took her hand as they left, hanging on as if afraid he was going to lose her. She didn’t mind. She welcomed the warmth of his fingers laced in hers.

  Chapter 45

  "Down!" Tayvis pushed my head. I ducked under the stone ledge, he slid in after me. A flitter whined overhead. We stayed smashed in under the rocks while it flew a leisurely search grid over us.

  I didn’t mind too much. I was tired, we’d been moving all morning, climbing rocks and scaling walls and trying to make sense of the endless ruins. We were still moving towards my ship. The smoke trails had faded, but we were headed the right direction. Or so I hoped. The flitters had come out about the same time, flying in gradually widening circles around the wreckage site.

  I put my cheek on the gritty stone and closed my eyes. I was squeezed in as far as I could get. Tayvis was on the outside, blocking the cold wind that mourned through the twisted walls. It was not a pleasant day. It was cold and dry and we kept having to hide.

  Tayvis turned his head. "Flash and Deke can’t do this much longer. We have to find somewhere for them to wait for us."

  "There ought to be some place out here. The problem is going to be finding it." I shifted my hip. The blaster was digging in.

  "I think they’re gone," Tayvis said. He didn’t make any move to leave.

  "Let’s just stay here for a while. Or maybe we could go back to Ricard Blake’s camp and raid it for lunch."

  "Do you ever think about anything besides food?"

  "Not when I’m hungry."

  "Are you two coming out?" Jerimon asked from outside.

  Tayvis rolled out from under the stone. I crawled after him. The last ruffle on my skirt caught on the rock and ripped loose.

  "Deke and Flash are worn out," Wade said.

  "We’re going to have to split up," Jerimon said.

  Tayvis stood back and let them decide what to do. As long as it agreed with what he thought we should do, he wasn’t going to interfere.

  Jerimon looked over at me. "Dace and I will keep looking for the ship. The rest of you can find a place to hide. We’ll meet at sunset, near the tall tower." He pointed to the only piece of building that might possibly have worked as a landmark.

  "No," Tayvis said. "You and Doggo and Wade find us a place to hide. Dace and I will look for the Phoenix."

  "You’re better at finding places than I am," Jerimon said.

  They were going to start arguing. I stepped between them and held up my hands.

  "How about I find the ship myself while the two of you stay here and argue?"

  That got me dirty looks.

  I ignored them. "Doggo? What do you think?" He was still grinning, still as energetic as ever.

  "I come with you, Spacer Chick. Do I get a gun?"

  "You ever shoot one before?" I asked.

  "Nope."

  "Then you only get one if we find a whole lot more of them." I turned to Wade. He sat next to his brother. "What about it, Wade?"

  "I’m slowing you down," Wade said. "Deke and I will find somewhere to lay low."

  Flash dozed next to Wade on his other side, his thin white hair danced in the cold breeze.

  "Flash can help us," Wade said.

  I turned back to Tayvis and Jerimon. "One of you should stay and help Wade. I don’t care which."

  "I’ll stay," Jerimon said after trading glares with Tayvis.

  "We’ll meet at sunset near that tower then." I pulled the gun out of my waistband and handed it to Wade. He took it without a word.

  "I think I saw some tunnels over that way," Jerimon said to Wade. Between them they got Deke and Flash up and moving.

  "Let’s go," I said to Doggo and Tayvis. We headed off in a different direction. We moved faster than before.

  We came to the tower and climbed up. It was nothing but a spiral stair inside, no indication of what it might have been in the past. There were only two windows, both facing north, both on the bottom floor. It wasn’t much taller than the surrounding walls. We came out on top and looked around.

  Walls and tumbled stone were everywhere. One faint twist of black smoke rose lazily into the sky not far away.

  "If we follow that wall there," Tayvis said pointing at a winding strip of stone, "that should take us close."

  "I have a better idea," Doggo said. He slipped over the side of the tower, climbing down like a spider to the top of another wall. "This takes us right there," he said and grinned.

  "And leaves us exposed," Tayvis objected. The distant whine of a flitter sounded over the wind. Doggo’s grin crumbled. "We take the road. Two walls that way."

  Doggo nodded and slipped over the wall. Tayvis and I went back down the inside of the tower.

  The road was a narrow width of stone between two thick walls of fitted blocks. The flitter circled above us. We hurried down the wall, flattening ourselves to the side when the flitter passed overhead. It must have worked. The flitter didn’t stop or hover near us.

  We came to the end of the road. The trail of smoke had been deceptive. It took us another hour of scrambling over stones and flattened walls and hiding from the flitter before we reached the Phoenix. What was left of it anyway.

  It was in mostly one piece. There were long scorch marks along the sides. Half of the engine tube in back was burned away. The hatch door hung open. It looked bad. I bit my lip and knew I had to go inside. I had to know if it was as bad as I suspected.

  The flitter whined overhead again. We ducked under what was left of a tumbled wall.

  "It’s too exposed," Tayvis said. "They’re watching it too closely."

  "I have to go," I said. "I have to see."

 
"Then we’ll provide distraction for you." He hefted his gun.

  Doggo’s grin was strained. He looked scared and very young.

  "Good luck," I said. The flitter was moving away again.

  I slipped out from under the rock and ran, ducking from cover to cover. There wasn’t very much of it. The Phoenix had come in hard and fast and slid quite a ways. It was a miracle the whole bottom hadn’t been torn out. The hatch gaped open, dark and forbidding.

  The flitter was coming back. I ran the last few yards to the hatch and ducked inside. I looked back, unwilling to face what I dreaded. Tayvis shot at the flitter. The beam of his blaster reached up and scorched the side. The flitter took off after him. I heard the two of them yelling and rocks tumbling. I had to use what little time I had.

  The inside of the ship was dark, the lights dead. I opened a bin next to the hatch and pulled out a handlight. The beam was bright and steady. The inside of the ship was tilted. I didn’t find what I half expected. No bodies. No signs of a fight. No blood.

  I picked my way to the cockpit. The seats were empty, safety straps dangling. I ran my fingers over the controls. There was no response. Either the core was dead or someone had shut it down completely. I hoped it was the latter. That would mean Clark was alive and well enough to take that safety measure.

  The flitter was shooting at rocks outside. I heard the explosions. I had to move quickly. I checked the cabins. All of them were empty. I stopped near the cleaner in the lounge and opened a secret compartment tucked underneath. Anyone looking would have found only the plumbing connections for the cleaner. I knew which pipe wasn’t really a pipe.

  My blaster was still there, still fully charged. There were extra power packs as well. I went to tuck them into a pocket and realized I didn’t have any. I was tired of the spacer chick outfit. I could take the extra minute to change.

  I filled the pockets of my shipsuit, complete with captain’s bars and pilot’s comets. I tucked in the extra power packs and the handlight. I grabbed emergency ration bars and filled two more pockets.

  I ducked down to the engine room to take what tools might come in handy. I saw legs sticking out from the engine block and stopped cold. Whoever it was, they were obviously dead. I leaned down, praying to whatever force was listening that it wasn’t Clark. The shipsuit was dark blue.