Land of Nod, The Prophet (Land of Nod Trilogy Book 2)

by Gary Hoover

  Jeff ducked into a room on the left side of the hall and tried to find a target. He focused on the source of fire, aimed carefully, and squeezed off two quick shots. The fire from that spot stopped, but Jeff wasn’t sure if he had hit the shooter or just given him or her something to think about.

  The volume of fire coming from both sides was nearly overwhelming. Chunks of wall and other debris broke and fell. The hallway was filled with smoke, and Jeff could no longer see the source of the enemy fire. He could only see their shots flashing through the haze.

  “Help... ” a weak, gurgling voice from the hallway pleaded.

  Jeff realized it was Major Abbell. What can I do for her? Jeff wondered uncomfortably.

  There was a young soldier behind him, huddled in the same room.

  “Do you know how to do any basic first-aid?” Jeff asked him. The young man nodded awkwardly but didn’t seem to know what to do or say beyond that.

  Jeff holstered his weapon, got down on his hands and knees, and peered through the smoke, flying debris, and flashes of energy bolts. He heard a moan, and that helped him spot her. She was on her back and writhing uncomfortably. She seemed to be trying to find the strength and coordination to move, but wasn’t doing much more than clutching and unclutching the light body armor she was wearing.

  Jeff crawled toward her as gunfire from both sides crackled past him. Should I move her? Will I hurt her by moving her? He wondered but then decided it was better to act more and think less.

  Her uniform had a thick collar as part of its armor, and Jeff took a firm hold of that collar. Still on his knees, he leaned his weight back toward the room in which he had taken shelter. He used his left arm and both legs to scoot himself back while dragging her with his right arm.

  “Here, see what you can do,” he said to the other soldier as he pushed her into the room. He stood and redrew his gun.

  The other soldier pulled a kit off his belt and hunched over the woman.

  Jeff realized that the gunfire seemed even more dense than it had been. He looked across the hallway were he saw Baldwin in a doorway, firing in the opposite direction from the enemy.

  “What’s going on?” Jeff asked urgently.

  “More enemy troops just showed up from that direction!”

  We’re surrounded?!

  Chapter 81:

  Jeff tried to fend off a feeling of creeping desperation as he looked for a target amongst the troops that were firing from what used to be Jeff’s rear. He squeezed off a couple of quick shots and then took cover as several shots came back in return.

  He glanced over at the soldier who was frantically working to keep Major Abbell alive, and then he looked over to Nahima and Baldwin who were back-to-back shooting in opposite directions.

  Is this it? Have I let them down? I charged in here like I knew what I was doing, but we’re down to seven people and surrounded by… twenty? More?

  A shot exploded just above Jeff’s head. He winced and then returned fire.

  It’s just a matter of time until they move in and capture or kill us. Jeff tried to squeeze off another shot, but the gun didn’t fire. An orange light flashed, and Jeff pushed a button that released the battery which fell out of the handle and onto the floor. Jeff pulled a fresh battery from his belt and slapped it into the gun.

  What’s our best-case scenario? They don’t kill us but capture us, then what? We’ve openly revolted against a leader who has declared martial law. They’ll kill us and do it quickly. They won’t want us to linger to tell any tales.

  Jeff looked at Baldwin and Nahima. They both fought furiously. Both seemed so focused on what they were doing that they didn’t seem to be taking the time to think things through the way he was.

  Jeff felt worse for them than he did himself. Such a tragedy.

  “How’s she doing?” he asked the soldier, who was still working actively to stabilize Major Abbell.

  “She’s hanging in there… for now.”

  Jeff nodded and took a couple of carefully aimed shots at the sources of enemy fire from the new arrivals to their rear. Then he turned and squeezed two shots at those behind the barrier ahead of them.

  At least neither side seems to be advancing. They probably figure they can outlast us. We’ll run out of ammunition eventually… shooting at shadows.

  Jeff turned back to the rear again and tried to find a target through the dark haze.

  Then he noticed something unusual.

  He could see some of the enemy soldiers drifting into view. His heart leapt at the sight, and he pointed his gun in their direction. As he tried to take aim, he realized they were moving erratically. He could see their backs and sides and they seemed to be firing in the opposite direction.

  What the… ?

  Jeff saw a flurry of fire from somebody farther back in the haze, and the soldiers he could see seemed to be falling.

  Then he caught a glimpse of Blackbuck as he emerged from the haze for a moment then quickly went back.

  Yes!!

  “Blackbuck… It’s Blackbuck,” Jeff shouted to the others, so they wouldn’t inadvertently shoot their ally.

  Chapter 82:

  Jeff leaned out of the doorway and squinted through the haze to see if he could tell what was happening. He saw movement and shots. Each shot illuminated the area enough that he could glimpse the desperate struggle.

  A shot from the other direction brushed past his hair, and he ducked back into his doorway, reminded that Blackbuck’s fight wasn’t the only concern.

  After a few moments of indecision, he charged out of his doorway and towards Blackbuck. When Nahima saw that, she jumped out of her doorway and ran alongside him.

  “Maybe you should stay back,” he shouted. “I don’t know if it’s safe.”

  “Safety’s overrated,” she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. As soon as she had said those words, she was hit in the leg by a shot from behind. She crumbled to the ground.

  Jeff skidded to a stop, scrambled back to where Nahima had fallen, and knelt beside her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, keep going.”

  Jeff holstered his gun and drew his bat to protect them from additional gunfire as he tried to decide what to do. Nahima pulled herself into a nearby doorway where she would be sheltered.

  “See, I’m fine.”

  Jeff nodded and looked back toward Blackbuck. He got back to his feet and charged into the dark.

  He found himself looking into the eyes of a gunman, who seemed too surprised to act at first, but as he began to bring his gun up, Jeff brought his bat down across the man’s arms. The sound of broken bones mixed with screams as Jeff pushed past him.

  Blackbuck’s men seemed to be gaining control, and they were finishing the last of Duanan’s troops as Jeff arrived. While Blackbuck’s troops seemed to be getting the better of it, Jeff could see that several were injured – some badly. He realized that they had fended off the most immediate threat, but they were still weak and probably outnumbered by the troops that had sheltered positions ahead of them.

  Blackbuck nodded at Jeff. “I had a strange feeling that you needed some help.” He raised an eyebrow. “Did you have something to do with that?”

  Jeff shrugged. “Maybe. Not that I know, but–” He shook his head. He had given up trying to understand, and they had more pressing concerns.

  Jeff looked back in the direction of the barrier. “We’ve had a few injuries. We’re down to maybe five healthy people.

  Blackbuck nodded grimly. “You can see what we’ve got here. Not sure if we’ve got the strength to make a final assault.”

  Jeff thought for a bit before speaking. “I’m going back to my position, and I’ll see how we’re doing there. Collect the troops you have left, and we’ll see if we can make a dent.” Jeff could read a concerned and uncertain expression. “Should we consider retreat?” he asked.

  Blackbuck didn’t respond immediately, as he seemed to be thinking it through. “I’m not su
re if we’d be able to. Our vehicles are just as disabled as before. Maybe we could retreat into the city… find someone sympathetic to shelter us. If Duanan’s battered enough… ”

  Jeff ran some of that through his mind. None of their options seemed good. “Anyway… I’m going to retake my position, and we’ll see if we can get any better read,” he said.

  Blackbuck nodded, and Jeff turned to head back up the hall.

  He used his bat to shield himself from the enemy fire as he walked slowly back. The dust and smoke were getting in his eyes and lungs.

  He could see the makeshift barrier of overturned desks and troops firing from behind them. Their fire began to converge on him as he walked, but the bat prevented any from getting through.

  As he approached the room in which he had taken shelter previously, he felt a mixture of anger and frustration. He began to pick up his pace, but rather than turning into the room, he continued toward the barrier. As he got closer, he continued to increase his pace until he was at a full run.

  Chapter 83:

  He was moving very fast when he hit the barrier and felt almost like he was floating. He went up and over the barrier, swinging his bat wildly as he went. He felt his bat contact some of the soldiers and saw others scatter.

  Once he was on solid footing on the other side, he pushed through, ran down the hall, and didn’t look back until he had rounded a corner. When he rounded the corner and looked back, he saw two people had followed him and had their guns raised.

  Jeff lifted his bat over his head and charged full speed at the one closest to him. The man’s eyes widened as Jeff approached, and he stumbled over his own feet, falling backward to the floor.

  Jeff brought the bat down just inches from his head, making thunderous contact with the floor and badly damaging the tiles and underlying floor structure. Jeff snatched the man’s gun and threw it. The other man skidded to a stop as he saw that then turned and ran away in fear.

  Jeff turned back to the direction he had been heading. He could sense his quarry was near.

  He passed several doors and then paused in front of one that was large and ornate. He stared at the door for a few moments. This is it.

  He swung his bat at the door latch. Wood splinters flew, and the metal of the latching mechanism bent and broke.

  He shoved the door open and found himself in an empty reception area. He continued his charge toward the second door, beyond the reception area. He hit that door with his bat and kicked it open then held the bat in front of him as a shield against the gunfire that converged on him. Nearly all of the energy blasts were absorbed by the bat, and those that weren’t were off target. A couple shots hit the door frame and sent more splinters flying.

  Jeff quickly surveyed and saw overturned desks to either side of him. A large, frightening redheaded woman crouched behind the one on the right, and a man crouched behind a desk to his left. Toward the far end of the office, Duanan crouched behind a larger and more ornate desk.

  Without stopping to think or plan, Jeff bounded toward the man to his left. He jumped over the desk and drove his left shoulder into the man’s chest.

  Jeff looked into the man’s eyes and they seemed dazed and glassy. He pulled his weight off the man and watched him slump. He didn’t appear to be completely unconscious, but he seemed hurt, in shock, and not very threatening. Jeff pushed a button on the man’s gun which dropped the battery out of the handle. Jeff tossed the battery over his shoulder.

  Shots continued to come from the others, but Jeff was mostly shielded by the desk. He raised his bat sideways to protect himself from any that made it past the desk as he turned, sat, and tried to think of his next move.

  The woman was facing Jeff directly from behind her desk at the wall opposite to him. Duanan was twenty feet to his left behind the large desk near the rear wall. Jeff realized that if he went directly at either one of them, his unprotected side and back would be exposed to the other.

  He leaned back and put his feet up against the desk. He lined up his shot. Well, let’s see how this goes.

  He used his legs to push against the desk with all his strength. To his surprise there seemed to be almost no resistance as the desk shot away from him as if it had been fired from a cannon. It slid across the wood floor and impacted loudly with the redhead’s desk. Her desk slammed into her and knocked her back. She hit the wall hard and then slumped behind the desk.

  With her out of commission, Jeff turned his attention to Duanan who had paused his firing and was looking in shock at his unconscious colleague.

  As Jeff stood, Duanan turned his attention back to him and squeezed off a couple of shots that Jeff easily absorbed into his bat.

  Jeff paused and took some pleasure in the look of fear in Duanan’s eyes, then charged him. Several of Duanan’s shots flashed as they impacted with the bat, but they were all harmlessly absorbed. When he was within range, Jeff brought the bat down and shattered Duanan’s gun against the desk.

  Jeff reached out with his left hand and grabbed a fistful of shirt and jacket. He lifted Duanan enough to drag him up and over the desk then threw him toward the center of the office.

  Duanan skidded on the floor and ended face down and sprawled. He pushed himself over onto his back and then lifted himself into a seated position.

  Jeff gripped his bat tightly with both hands and raised it over his right shoulder as he walked slowly toward Duanan.

  He stood in front of him, and Duanan raised his arms over his head to shield himself. Jeff could feel all his muscles tensing as he prepared to bring the bat down. Nearly every part of him wanted to bring the bat down with as much force as he could manage.

  Nearly every part.

  There was one tiny part of himself that held him back. But while that part was tiny, it somehow had the strength to match the otherwise overwhelming urge to bring the bat down with all his might.

  The bat didn’t come down.

  Jeff stood there with the bat shaking in his hands and his muscles feeling like wound steel springs.

  “No… please, please… ” Duanan whimpered.

  Jeff felt himself breathing fast and shallow as he gritted his teeth. He struggled to overcome that one small part of himself and bring the bat down on Duanan’s head.

  But he didn’t.

  He dropped his right arm with the bat to his side where it hung limply.

  Then there was a flash and Duanan slumped to the ground.

  Jeff turned and saw Baldwin standing in the doorway, gun drawn, with a blank expression. Baldwin stared at Duanan for several moments then looked Jeff in the eye.

  Neither said anything.

  Chapter 84:

  “Nobody should have to die three times,” Goldwin Bellows said as he stepped over some debris. He turned and looked directly at Jeff. “If it’s any comfort, I think Artimus’ third death, his actual death was less painful than the previous two.”

  Jeff, Goldwin, and Blackbuck were all walking through the now calm but badly damaged compound.

  “Where is Codi now?” Jeff asked.

  Acting Governor Bellows shook his head. “The last thing I heard from her was a cryptic message asking me to forgive her. I understand a little better now than I did then, but I still don’t know exactly what happened or where she went.” He stopped walking and looked at Jeff. “Do you know anything about a locket?”

  Jeff’s heart lurched. “Locket? What did she say about a locket?”

  Goldwin shook his head and began walking again. “Something like, ‘I have it for now, but it’s too dangerous.’ Does that mean anything to you?”

  Jeff didn’t say anything one way or another as they began walking again.

  “I don’t know… there’s something going on with her… it’s not her,” Goldwin said. He nodded to a pair of workers who were busy trying to bring order to the shattered chaos of the governor’s mansion. The workers nodded respectfully and paused in their work for a moment as he passed.

  “I don�
��t know.”

  “What’s next?” Jeff asked.

  Again Goldwin stopped walking. He didn’t speak immediately but seemed to be considering the question thoughtfully. “Well… we need to do what we can to prepare for what seems an inevitable pheerion attack. We’ll have to coordinate with the Doclotnurians.” Goldwin looked at Blackbuck, who nodded in response. “I don’t really have the details worked out, but we’ll have to develop a plan as quickly as possible.”

  He looked Jeff in the eye. “Will you be able to help us?”

  Jeff nodded. “I’ll do everything I’m able. I’m not quite sure what I can do or what I should do.”

  The three continued walking and did so in silence for several moments, until Jeff broke the silence. “I have some notebooks I need to review. I think they’re very important, but I don’t know exactly why yet. I need to review those notes, get a better understanding of what I need to do, then do it.” He paused. “If you can remember any more about what exactly Codi said about that locket, it could be important. And if we can track her down, I think that might be the first step and the best way you can help me do my part.”

  A small black box on Blackbuck’s belt began to beep. Blackbuck pulled the device from his belt and read some text that was scrolling across it.

  “A message from my field commander back home,” he said as he reattached the device to his belt. “We’re at war.”