Once again, Slone was struck by the sense of disorder. He could not really put his finger on it, but the populace did not seem as tranquil under Petrov rule as they put on. Granted, that rule was only about two months old, yet the occasional damage suggested destruction that is more recent. A convoy of military hovercraft flew over the street when Slone caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up just in time to see the streak of a missile heading for the largest transport in the convoy. Time seemed to slow down now, as it does in times of hyperactivity, and Slone and the others, saw the missile impact the transport. The hovercraft wavered a bit, started to rock from side to side and then pitched over and headed straight towards the building Slone and his group just left.
“Run,” Slone shouted but the others needed no order to do so. They ran in the direction they had been going. Others were running with them in a panic and now the rest of the convoy and its escorts reacted. The transports sped up and the escorts made a beeline in the direction of the missile vapor trail. The drivers of the stricken transport were trying to get it under control and bring it down to street level as the pedestrians tried just as hard to get out of the way. Slone could see the hovercraft was missing one of its four repulsors and there was a fire underneath. The group ran at full speed away from the stricken craft and in the distance, there were now the sounds of combat.
The Decanus turned towards the Slones and said, under his breath, “Resistance.”
That was clear to anyone watching. There was a Balin resistance operating in the city. Good to know for another time, but right now they had to get clear. Slone suggested they split up with the Decanus heading in another direction while the Slones kept going along the road. Decanus Marshal nodded and peeled off at an angle taking a street to the right. The hovercraft was finally down in the street and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when it suddenly exploded with so much force, the buildings on either side of the street began to crumble. There was renewed panic as shrapnel from the blast mixed with rubble from the buildings and projectiles began to fly in all directions. Slone remembered thinking it must have been carrying munitions when the blast wave hit him and Alaya. That was all he remembered, as the sunny day turned to night and then went black.
Chapter 4 – Penllyn Mall
After leaving the Draco, Diana and Tom Gardner, along with their two Romani guards moved along the path Oskar Rand told them to use until they came to a road that took them north of the city. After walking a little over ten kilometers, they entered the city by crossing the river that marks the northern boundary of Penllyn. They entered with a group of civilians coming to the city from the northern suburbs. It was important they take in as much idle conversation as possible. If you really want to know what is going on, you have to listen to the conversation in the shopping areas. Most look quite similar throughout the corporate states. After having spent months on Nova Romae, corporate worlds no longer looked as good as they used to. They now look like constant copies on the same pattern. They lacked the freedom of the freeform architecture in the Nova Romae capital, Roma. Shortly after entering the city, they came to a large plaza, with single story storefronts and sales carts, scattered throughout the square. At the south end of the plaza there was a four-story building covering several city blocks with a sign identifying it as ‘Penllyn Mall’. The group entered the square as it continued to fill with shoppers. They decided to sit in one of the sidewalk cafés and order some breakfast, to break the ice. They found a nice place situated near the center of the plaza, next to a simulation of an old world fountain. Diana had to admit, this was a lovely place. There were plants and the stunted trees they had seen in the jungle along the way. They sat at a round, bistro table for four and soon a waiter came over. He was corpulent with a white shirt and black trousers covered by a full-length black apron that had seen some cleaner days.
“The only strangers we see these days are from Petrov Corp, but you don’t look like you belong to them.”
Diana was careful how she answered and they had made up a cover story coming here. “We’re not with them. We’re freelance traders trapped here by the invasion. Petrov Corp impounded our ship and we have no way off till they return it.”
“I wish we knew when they’ll be finished with all this stuff. It is bad for business.”
Tom looked around. “Seems like a lot of people shopping here.”
The waiter also looked around. “You see customers. I see people window-shopping. The Petrov administrators have confiscated all of our money by locking our credits. We can look but we can’t buy. I doubt you can pay me for what you order here. You will also find your accounts frozen.”
“We brought cash,” No sooner had Diana said that, than the waiter looked around furtively and gave the universal sign for keeping quiet, putting his finger to his closed lips.
“Don’t spread that around, the Pets will take it from you before you know it. They are turning us into a world of paupers to keep us under control. I will get you what I have for breakfast.”
Tom and Diana felt pity for them. They could see that the Romani legionaries were unmoved. They had learned enough about the Romani to know they considered compliance with an enemy to be cowardice. They did pride themselves in protecting the innocent and helping those who resist. The waiter was soon back and served them. They gave him enough silver coins to pay for twice what they ate. He was grateful, and offered to be their guide, until their ship was released. Diana flashed him a big smile and indicated they may take him up on it. They ate their breakfast and kept their ears open. They soon found out that, in general, they considered their CEO, Arthur Balin, a coward for escaping and leaving them leaderless in the face of an invasion. They also talk about how they could fight the invaders but tended to stop their conversation as they saw the Romani group taking an interest. The group discussed separating and meeting back at the café in a given time, but decided against it, given the unstable situation. They spent the next few hours walking around and playing the part of freelancers with their bodyguards. Diana and Tom decided at the outset that the Romani would never actually loosen up enough to pass as merchants, so they decided to let people consider them their bodyguards. That was not unusual for freelancers; they tended to carry cash. Not all free trade transactions were above board.
After a lovely late morning and early afternoon under the bright white star of the Balin home system, the group was finally near the mall. As they decided whether to go into the mall, something caught their eye in the distance well to the south of the mall. As they looked, a military convoy of hovercraft was moving through the city. They looked with interest at the convoy. Suddenly, a missile streaked from the roof of the mall and crossed the city, slamming into the largest transport in the convoy. Diana could see the driver struggling to keep control of the craft as the escorts broke off and followed the missile vapor trail in the direction of the mall. When the escorts arrived, they opened fire on the roof with missiles and Gatling guns. Unfortunately, that much weaponry fired at the roof of a building does not always hit. Some of the shots went wide and started falling into the plaza. One missile hit the fountain and blew shrapnel and stone fragments into the surrounding crowd. These were followed by overshot from the Gatling guns. The crowd ran but many lay bleeding or dead on the lovely stone floor of the plaza. Where the fountain had been, there was water now gushing high into the air. The Romani group was no longer in the plaza. As soon as the shooting started, they ran into the mall while others were running out. Tom and Diana had assessed the structure of the mall in relation to the ordinance used by the hovercraft, and decided that only the top floor would take damage and the building would hold. They pushed past the panicked crowd, entering a large atrium with a four story, central light well surrounded by wraparound balconies running past the storefronts. The light well presented a problem. It extended all the way to the roof and it was covered with large skylights. The hovercrafts were firing towards the roof and some of the s
hots shattered a few of the skylight windows. The group had just taken cover under the lowest balcony when there was a massive explosion coming from the direction of the convoy. The walls of the building shook and all of the skylight glass fell from the roof to the floor below.
“What was that?” Tom asked.
“That damaged hover transport must have been hauling munitions,” Diana responded. The mall was now deserted and she could hear screaming outside. No doubt, escort hovers had landed and Petrov troops would soon be bursting into the mall. “We’re going to have company, let’s move.” Diana signaled for them to follow her upstairs. She remembered seeing the mall connected with a two-story building on its west side. She just hoped there would be a window there to break. They found a stairway; just as half a dozen troops entered the main doors. Diana knew the troops would do a store-by-store search for their target, so they would have some time to look around the third floor and find a way out. The only unknown was the status of air cover. If there were still a hovercraft sitting over the mall, they would be spotted as soon as they crossed to the lower roof. They came out of the staircase on the third floor and hugged the wall to prevent being seen. They moved along as quietly as possible. When they came opposite a sportswear store, one of the Romani signaled for them to halt. He indicated he heard a sound coming from the store. Since the Petrov troops were still on the ground floor, the noise could only be a scared civilian or the shooter.
They entered the store. No matter who it was, they could not leave a loose end behind them who may give away their position. They fanned out to cover as much area, as quickly as possible. It didn’t take long to find a young girl hiding in the corner looking terrified.
Diana held out her hand, “It’s ok, we won’t hurt you. We’re not with Petrov Corp.” She kept her voice low and even to prevent the girl from getting hysterical. It was important they resolve this as quietly as possible. “We have to keep quiet, so the troops down stairs don’t hear us. What’s your name?”
When the girl realized she was not in danger, she calmed down. “My name is Tavia, Tavia MacDougal.”
“Where are your parents? If you’re lost, I doubt the soldiers will hurt a child.”
Her expression went from fear to a clouded, hateful countenance. “The Pets killed my parents, thought they were resistance. If they catch me, they’ll kill me also. I shot down their transport.” To prove this last statement, she indicated the empty shoulder missile launcher standing in the corner.
Diana could see the Romani nodding their heads and smiling at Tavia. “You can’t stay here. Come with us. How old are you?”
Tavia was hesitant, but just then she heard the soldiers crashing through store windows and pushing over shelves in their search for the shooter. She got up and joined the group. “I’m 14. Where are you going?”
“We saw a smaller building next to the mall. We were going to use its roof to get clear of here and head back down to street level,” Diana explained.
“That won’t work. There’s still an escort hover overhead.”
Diana was afraid of that. Then she had an idea. “Do you know a way out of here?”
“There is one stairway that exits to the outside. It is over on the other side of the mall. That is where I was heading when I heard you coming. If the door isn’t guarded, we can get out there and get lost in the street traffic.”
Diana thought for a moment. She was sure the street would be blocked, but it was suicide to take out the soldiers in the mall, since there was still no way out. “Ok, lead on and leave the guards to us. Are you solo or part of an organized resistance?”
“Resistance. I can take you to them, but they don’t trust strangers.”
“I wouldn’t either if I were them. Let’s deal with one problem at a time. Lead on to this staircase.”
They quietly left the store and moved to the other side of the mall. They could hear the soldiers starting to move up the stairs and come out on the second floor. They moved to the staircase and quietly slipped through the door. They took the stairs to the ground floor, and, just as Tavia said, there was no entrance back into the mall. The Romani moved to the front and Diana decided to let them take control of the guard situation. They could not see through the door and they didn’t want to rush out. One of the Romani rapped on the door and stood back, while the rest of the group waited up the stairs a bit. Someone pulled on the door from the outside, but could not open it. The group realized the door was locked. They also knew, from the quick response, there was at least one guard outside. The Romani now went into action with lightning speed. They pulled their short swords and in a flash hit the door and it burst open. There were two guards and they never stood a chance. The Romani thrust out with their swords as the guards reached for their pistols. They were too slow, and the swords entered their necks and severed the carotid arteries along with the trachea in one swift movement. This way they died quietly. The rest came out and quickly closed the door behind them.
Tom said, “We better move fast. When they don’t check in someone will come looking.”
The street was deserted. To Diana’s surprise, the street was not blocked. Since they thought they were dealing with a single shooter, they only guarded the exit door. A quick look confirmed this was the only exit in this part of the mall, so they thought they had it covered. Tavia knew her mall. She led them along the sidewalk a bit to the corner of the mall. She checked quickly if the coast was clear, then she darted across the alley separating the mall from the building they were aiming for. The Romani had sheathed their swords to avoid attracting attention. When they got to the smaller building, Tavia lead them inside. Diana and the others realized the Petrov Hovercraft did not carry enough soldiers to do a complete sweep of the area, since there was no sign they had been here. They were certain their quarry was still in the mall.
Tom asked, “Tavia, where are you leading us?”
“We’re here. Help me move this desk.”
They moved a very heavy desk and Tavia pulled on a ring under the carpet and opened a trap door. She went first and the others dropped down with her, pulling the door shut behind them. Tavia lead them through a dimly lit tunnel system until they came to a heavy door. “You better wait here while I tell them you’re with me. As I said, they are distrustful. The Pets have been trying for a while to infiltrate us.”
Tavia went through the door and suddenly gas filled the corridor. Diana, Tom and the Romani coughed a few times and tried to run back but were rapidly overwhelmed by the gas. They passed out in front of the heavy door. When they came to, Diana noticed they were in a sparsely furnished room. She tried to get up but she was handcuffed to the bedpost. The others were also cuffed and Tom and the Romani did not look happy. Their weapons had been removed, as one would expect. They could sit on the edge of the bed but could not move farther. Shortly their attention turned to the door as it opened and Tavia came in accompanied by a middle-aged man with graying hair. A deep scar on his left cheek was still red from an injury. A large, burly fellow who looked like a guard followed them.
“Release them,” The older man said and the guard came over and took off the cuffs. As soon as the first Romani was free, he jumped up and was about to attack the guard, when Diana signaled him to stop. “Please ask your men to refrain from attacking us, we mean you no harm. My name is Ian MacDougal, Tavia here is my niece. She tells me you and your men saved her from the Pets. Is that true.”
Diana rubbed her wrist where the cuff had been and looked up at Ian, “Truth is she saved us just as much as we saved her. If she hadn’t taken us into the tunnels, we would be dead or prisoners now. You have a brave, but foolish niece. Taking down that transport can only mean reprisals against all of you. By the way, we didn’t appreciate being gassed.”
“The reprisals have already begun and they are swelling the resistance forces with new recruits. The gas was necessary; we had to be sure you weren’t Pets trying to infiltrate us. It was a simple but effective knoc
kout gas. You’ll be none the worse for wear.”
Tavia and Ian sat down on plain metal chairs they pulled from the corner and the others sat on the beds they had so lately occupied. Ian again picked up the conversation. “Now tell me who you are and what corporation you work for.”
Diana decided to go with the prepared cover. “We’re free lance traders stranded here by the invasion. The Petrov Corp, or Pets as you call them, confiscated our ship and cargo. They claim we’ll get them back when the situation here is resolved, but that could take months and we’re burning capital just sitting around. My name is Diana Gardner and this is my husband, Tom. The tall silent types are our bodyguards. Since I no longer feel the wallet in my vest, I will assume you know we carry a lot of cash.”
Ian looked at Diana, then at Tom and then the Romani. He sent Tavia out of the room and she returned in less than a minute with the Romani short swords and every one’s daggers. She laid the weapons down on a small table in the corner and then retook her seat. Diana didn’t say a word, but she could tell the Romani were already calculating the chances of getting to their swords before armed guards came into the room. She could also tell they admired Ian and his niece, since they were unarmed and talking to potential enemies who outnumbered them. For now, the Romani bided their time.
Ian continued, “Nice story, but I doubt it would fool the Pets and it certainly doesn’t fool me. Your verbal inflections suggest a Sinclair Corporation affiliation, but we get many traders from there, so that’s of little help. Your clothing is not a uniform but, your, so called, bodyguards are obviously military by the way they carry themselves and they always look ready to spring on the slightest provocation. So, I’ll ask you again, who you are and what corporation are you affiliated with.”
Nova Romae (The Adventures of Christopher Slone Book 2) Page 8