“Uh huh … thank you, Rogna.”
Now that her enhancement shield was again on her arm, Boomer’s confidence had restored. In fact, she thought, this challenge could be fun. She watched the spinning rings, got the timing down pat on when they were all aligned—the exact time to clear the rings and land on the rock squares. From what she’d seen, it was a two-minute cycle. Catch it just right and she should be able to cruise through this obstacle course all the way to its end. A new cycle was coming up and she poised herself to leap.
* * *
The black-clad Tahli warrior, Commander Jarial Shakrim, watched from his hidden position within a rocky cleft at the top ridge of the valley. The young Sahhrain had enjoyed watching the girl traverse the first obstacle. And she’d accomplished it without the aid of an enhancement shield! She was very talented—but then again he already knew that.
The girl dove through the first ring—tucked into a forward spin—and used distortion waves from her enhancement shield to halt forward progression. She landed on one foot, without so much as a waver. Now she is just showing off! The same obstacle had taken him hours, nearly killing him. The girl, Boomer, was again on the move. She dove—this time not stopping on the next spire’s square but using it as a stepping stone to cartwheel right through the next ring, and … oh my … she landed—a one-handed handstand—holding perfectly still a moment, then back-flipping into the next open ring. She’d made it safely to the other side, as if she’d practiced the feat a thousand times before. The others clapped their hands and cheered; Boomer smiled back and bowed. Go ahead … enjoy your brief moment of accomplishment. In the end, you’ll find the reward you seek, the Nordwon, was already claimed—by me—two weeks ago.
Jarial peered out from his hidden perch to the pathway below, where the two Blues males, and the pixyish-looking female, were standing. Their days were numbered. The taller of the two males—he’d noticed him before, back on the battlefield of Capital City—was well-trained, but no match for his own, far-superior, Kahill Callan training. He debated killing the three of them right then, while Boomer progressed through the obstacles. He smiled at the thought of her finding them, all missing their respective heads. Father … Lord Zintar Shakrim, certainly would approve. But no, they were helping her out, which meant they were helping him too. Jarial had journeyed to the other won sites, and attempted to retrieve the Lortwon on the planet where it was hidden. He had failed to complete the obstacle course miserably. It had almost cost him his life, so now he would wait for this Kahill Callan master to retrieve the effigy from that course — and then he would take it from her.
He watched Boomer, now balancing on a long, razor-sharp section of the final obstacle, and shook his head—feeling a mixture of admiration and jealousy … and hatred. Was she really the one … the one described in the ancient tablets? Of course, she was. Letting her live was a dangerous proposition. Every moment she lived, their opportunity to get close to the gateway into Dasticon’s realm was jeopardized. Their Sahhrain legacy … very existence … could be eradicated. He should kill the human now. He could blame it on the obstacle course. But Jarial never lied to his father. And the truth was, he couldn’t deprive his father of doing the one thing he desired most—avenging his brother’s death.
Renewed cheering from below brought him back to the here and now. He needed to return to his small ship—parked nearby—before it was spotted by these young Tahli warriors. Jarial took another glance at Boomer.
Chapter 29
Rushing to get things done, aware that his team was waiting on him, Jason promised them he’d only be a quick second. He took the incoming communiqué in his ready room.
“Hey … I’m just on my way out, Nan. Can this wait—” but his words were cut short. As he lowered himself into his seat he saw his son’s five-year-old face staring back at him—his little forehead furrowed with concern. “Well, well, little man. I didn’t expect to see you up and about this time of day.” Jason figured it was early there, about six o’clock in the morning in Colorado.
“I smelled pancakes cooking,” the little boy said.
“That’ll do it.”
“Daddy … Mommy says soon I’m gonna be big enough to visit you in space.”
Jason’s son, Michael, now five, was perched on his mother’s lap. Squirming around, like most other five-year-olds who’d just consumed copious amounts of syrupy sugar.
“Well, kiddo, we’ll have to see about that. Going into space is really a big boy thing to do. Why don’t you go play and let Mommy and me talk about it?”
“Okay, Daddy … bye.” He jumped down off Nan’s knee, and three seconds later Jason heard the back porch door squeak open then slam shut. A dog barked in the distance, and suddenly Jason yearned for those simpler times.
“That’s all he’s been talking about lately. He wants to be like you. He wants to be a fleet captain someday.”
“And I’d like to be more like him—a kid running around the back yard. I miss him. I need to make more time …”
“Don’t start making promises, Jason. Talk to me about Boomer. I’m worried sick and I haven’t heard from you. She is alive, isn’t she?”
“I’ll know more after we speak with survivors of the massacre. Prince Aqeel is taking us to a hidden city—Loma City—on Harpaign.”
“So we still don’t know for sure?” Nan asked, frustration showing on her face.
“How can I? But I’m going to get answers sometime today … I promise.”
His words didn’t seem to mollify her anxiety. “Change of subject,” she said. “You’re in trouble, Jason. I don’t know whom you pissed off over the years, but you’ve got the U.S. admiralty seeking to bring you to justice. Something about stealing technology.”
“Well, they do have part of it right. It was carried out by an executive officer with the same name—Reynolds. Only they have the wrong Reynolds. It was Brian. At least, it looks that way. Not sure what he’s up to. And I don’t have time to dig into any of that right now. Of far more importance, we have first-hand sightings the Sahhrain have amassed a massive fleet of warships that would give the U.S. fleet more than a run for their money. The Alliance is in jeopardy and, for some inconceivable reason, I can’t get anyone on Liberty Station to take the matter seriously.”
“I heard about it. Admiral Stark brought that up to a joint committee but it’s evident he doesn’t believe you. I’ve been getting information secondhand. I’m not in those circles anymore, but I have had discussions with several close contacts that are still involved there. Watch your back, Jason. There’s politics going on and certain people want your head on a platter. There were even rumblings about sending Star Watch assets to apprehend you.”
“Let them. My priority right now is to find Boomer and bring her home. From what the prince tells us, Boomer may be on some kind of quest … to find a bunch of little statues.”
“That sounds crazy, in light of everything that’s going on,” Nan said, befuddled.
“Apparently, whoever acquires all four statues has the means to bring Rom Dasticon into our realm.”
“Not him again! Didn’t we deal with all that nonsense years ago?”
“I thought so, too. Look, I need to go. I promise I’ll give you an update just as soon as I learn more. Okay?”
“One more question?”
“Honestly, I have to go …”
“Have you heard from Dira?”
“Not for a few days … she’s busy. I’m busy …”
Nan nodded. “Get back to me about Boomer … okay?”
Jason nodded and cut the connection. He sat there for a moment, suddenly unable to move. Why’d she have to bring Dira up? Why now? It had taken all his willpower to keep her from his thoughts lately. Now she was all he could think about—her pretty face—her violet skin and those amazing eyes. He forced himself not to think of her body, her …
“Hey, we going to do this or not?” Billy asked from the open hatch.
&n
bsp; Jason got to his feet. “Let’s go.”
“Dad?”
Jason turned to see Mollie coming out of the kitchenette.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m late, Mollie … we’re still tracking down leads to find Boomer.”
“Then I’m going with you.”
“Not this time … it’s too—”
She cut him off, “Dangerous?”
Jason just stared at her.
“I need to tell you something. I was there, wherever she is … was. She was falling. Falling to her death. It was real. Not a dream.”
“What are you saying? That she … died?”
“No. Somehow she was saved, or she saved herself.”
“Where was this?” Jason asked.
“At first, I thought it was back at the arena—at Capital City. I thought maybe I was somehow reliving her past experience, during an obstacle course, or something. But I knew what I was seeing, or experiencing, was happening right now, in that very instant. She was traversing a dangerous obstacle course and she almost died.”
“How fast can you get dressed?”
* * *
Leaving the Parcical in orbit around Harpaign, Jason, Billy, Rizzo, Ricket, Mollie, and Prince Aqeel phase-shifted down to the surface of the planet. Since Aqeel did not know the specific coordinates, and even the Parcical’s advanced sensors couldn’t locate the hidden city, they decided to get in as close as possible, based on Aqeel’s input, then hoof it in the rest of the way from there.
In a white flash, the team of six suddenly appeared on the rocky surface. Rizzo released his hold on Prince Aqeel, the only one not wearing a combat suit. Jason took in the beautiful, albeit harsh, landscape. As far as the eye could see, a jagged, orangey-red, rocky terrain spanned off to the horizon. Deep crevices—some more like valleys—would make traversing the large area nearly impossible.
“I don’t know. We may need to bring down a shuttle,” Jason said, turning three hundred and sixty degrees around, shaking his head. “It all looks the same … be hard not to get lost here.”
“And this heat. The prince will cook without a suit on,” Billy added.
“No need,” Aqeel said. “First of all, I’m used to the climate here, and second, I know exactly where we are. I recognize the rock formations over in that direction,” he said, pointing. “If you could phase-shift us—is that the right terminology?—over to that plateau in the distance, we’ll be closer.”
Rizzo put a hand on Aqeel’s arm. Jason gave Ricket a nod—prompting him to set the distant drop location—then went ahead and phase-shifted the group. They flashed again.
Aqeel staggered. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.”
Ricket said, “Captain, although rather faint, my internal sensors are picking up readings of nearby life forms.” He pointed to the nearest deep crevice.
“He is correct, Captain,” Prince Aqeel said. “But as mentioned before, you cannot approach the city wearing a combat suit, or carrying weapons other than enhancement shields.”
“How long a walk is it?” Rizzo asked.
“From here … about two hours.”
Jason removed his day pack and deactivated his battle suit. He was already properly attired in a Shadick. The others, following his example, also wore Shadicks beneath their battle suits. Pulling enhancement shields from their packs, they affixed them to their forearms, except for Ricket and Mollie, still untrained in their use.
“Lead the way, Prince. It’s only getting hotter, the longer we stand around on this rock,” Jason said.
* * *
The six descended into a nearby cleft where the temperature immediately dipped down to an almost tolerable level. They climbed down a steep section of rock facing, using what weren’t exactly steps, but more like chiseled out, worn, foot holds. Strategically cut into the rock, they were useful but also imperceptible, unless specifically looked for. As they progressed along a narrow pathway, Jason studied Prince Aahil Aqeel ahead. There was no way he could have gotten them this close without first knowing the coordinates. He just didn’t want to share them with the crew. A secret city remains secret only so long as others don’t know how to find it.
“Captain.”
Jason turned and waited for Ricket to catch up.
“I thought you would want to know, we are being watched … more like shadowed.”
Without making any sudden movement, Jason scanned the narrow canyon they were walking through. “How many?”
“Not definitive, Captain. The readings are faint, almost imperceptible. I don’t have specifics.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Jason said.
“They know me, of course. So I don’t expect there to be any trouble,” Prince Aqeel said.
Jason had a feeling that they were being watched for the last few miles. Ricket’s words only confirmed it. But there was something else not right. The problem was, he couldn’t quite put his finger on what. He glanced over to Mollie, whose eyes were locked on to something ahead, off to the left, on the other side of the gorge.
Chapter 30
“What is it?” Jason asked.
“I thought I saw something … up there in the rocks. Like a reflection,” Mollie said. “I may only have imagined it, though.”
Jason looked to Ricket, who seemed to be lost in thought. Jason knew he was checking his internal sensors.
“We are approaching Loma City. The abundance of Glist there will affect your ability to scan the area—”
They were the last words Prince Aahil Aqeel would ever speak. His head was vaporized in a flash as multiple streams of violet distortion waves caught him mid-step. His headless body remained standing for several moments before folding to the ground, like a lifeless rag doll.
“Get down!” Jason yelled, his hand instinctively moving to his SuitPac device, concealed within the folds of his Shadick. His fingers found the two inset tabs and he squeezed. Nothing happened.
The entire team dove to the ground, with the exception of Rizzo and Mollie. Together, they crouched low and scurried in behind a large, nearby rock.
Jason discovered his NanoCom was also down. Attempting to hail Billy, at the rear of the group, was futile. Shit! Realization of their dire predicament dawned on him with stark clarity. Not only were their internal comms down, they were virtually defenseless without functioning combat suits. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt this vulnerable. Why on earth did I let Mollie join the team?
“Ricket!”
“I am right here, Captain,” Ricket replied.
Jason found him huddled nearby, cowering on the ground close to Aqeel’s headless body. “How many?” he asked.
“Between five and ten … I cannot be more accur—”
“Where are they?” Jason interrupted.
“There and there,” Ricket said, pointing in the same location Mollie had pointed to earlier, as well as toward another position, directly in front of them.
“Remove the enhancement shield from the prince’s arm. Throw it over to Mollie …”
Ricket looked back at him quizzically. Jason wasn’t sure why—perhaps because he hadn’t suggested Ricket put it on his arm. Tentatively, Ricket crawled closer to the body, unstrapped the shield, and back-crawled a bit. Turning, he found Mollie peering around from a large rock twenty paces back, and tossed her the enhancement shield. It landed ten feet short of the target, in the middle of the path.
Startled, Jason saw Mollie dart out from her hiding place, snatch up the enhancement shield, and dive back for cover.
A new blaze of violet distortion waves filled the air above their heads. Plumes of rock and dust erupted from the nearby cliffs down onto the path.
Furious, Jason yelled, “That was incredibly stupid! No more of that shit, you hear me, Mollie?”
She didn’t answer.
“Jesus … we’re sitting ducks here, Cap!” Billy yelled out behind him.
For several years Jason h
ad religiously practiced Kahill Callan. He attended Boomer’s classes and, under her tutelage, had become fairly adept using an enhancement shield. The same went for Billy and Rizzo. But later demands on his time made Jason’s visits to the gym less and less frequent. Perhaps, though, it’s like riding a bike. Truth was, they had little choice. Either take the offensive and make a charge, or just sit there, waiting to get picked off—one by one.
“Rizzo. Keep her safe. We’re making a run for it!”
“Where the hell to?” Billy yelled back.
“Forward—that way—anywhere but here. Now! Go! Go! Go!”
Three strides forward, Jason took a glancing blow to his right shoulder of white-hot energy. Immediately, he felt his skin blistering, could smell his own scorched flesh. Raising his enhancement shield, he fired off a continuous burst of distortion waves—relieved the use of the weapon had come back so easily.
After fifty yards’ advancement, the enemy group—those ahead on their same path—came into view. The gorge was wider there, allowing them to assume positions higher up on the cliffs. Perfect for an ambush. The Sahhrain were situated at various points, taking cover behind rock outcroppings. What I would give for a multi-gun right now, Jason thought. He gestured for those behind him to keep to the right—hug the cliff walls. A series of bright bursts came from behind, and a Sahhrain warrior in the cliffs tumbled forward, his metallic breastplate briefly catching the light. His red cape tangled around him as he descended down the steep rough terrain to disappear into the gorge below.
“Stupid fucking costumes … can you imagine having to wear that shit?” Billy asked, suddenly appearing at Jason’s side.
“That your shot?” Jason asked.
“Rizzo’s.”
“Impressive. How many more do you count?” Jason asked.
“Four more up ahead, just around the path. And at least three on the other side of the gorge. Although I’ve no idea how they got over there.”
Boomer (Star Watch Book 3) Page 17