by Dale Furse
‘I can’t take any of us out,’ Kale said, dropping his wrist. ‘It won’t work.’
‘What do you mean, it won’t work?’ Mekie wanted to know.
Sam kept his arms around Mekie and stared at him.
‘They must have some sort of shield over the house,’ said Kale.
‘The only ones I know who can whip up a shield, are Grarls,’ Sam said.
‘He’s right,’ Mekie said. ‘That is the work of Grarls.’
Sam frowned. Grarls meant the blue cape could belong to Varlor after all. If so, they were in more trouble than he had realised.
Mekie lifted her head and sniffed. ‘I hate Grarls,’ she said as she turned to a wall and lifted the front of her dress.
‘Mekie!’ Kale said. ‘There’s a bathroom to your right.’
She ignored him and kept doing whatever she was doing.
Sam’s curiosity got the better of him and he stepped forward.
Crying out in excitement, Mekie dropped her dress and spun around. She held up her small communicator. ‘They didn’t find this.’ She started punching buttons. ‘Nell will know what to do.’
Sam snatched the item from Mekie’s hand, and growled, ‘No.’
‘Why not? Give it back.’
Holding the communicator high above his head, Sam said. ‘Don’t you see? That’s just what they want us to do. Cedec and whoever he’s working with want Nell here.’
‘That’s stupid,’ Mekie said. ‘They didn’t find my twai and anyway, why would they want Nell here? They didn’t even know we were coming here.’
‘I am not so certain of that,’ Kale said. ‘When Cedec suggested calling somebody to help with the translation, I am positive he had meant Nell.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ Sam said. ‘There’s something downright evil in this house.’
‘That’s stupid too. It’s just an old, creepy Wintar house. There’s probably lots of them all over Gramlax. Anyway, even if you’re right,’ Mekie said. ‘No one can stop Nell. Not even Grarls, and don’t forget, Deesc would probably come with her.’
‘We don’t know that,’ Kale said.
‘Don’t be silly. Did you not see the way he looked at Nell? He’s in love with her.’
‘Yeah, well,’ Sam said. ‘Nell has loads of blokes coming on to her, but she’s never been interested in anything but flirting. She’s always telling me she’s waiting for Mr Right.’
‘Hmmm. I have a strong premonition, Deesc is Mr Right.’
‘We’ll see how she gets along with him training her first before we marry her off, all right?’
‘I think we should not gossip about Nell,’ Kale said. ‘Especially now. I would like to go home.’
‘You’re right, mate.’ Sam began pacing the room. They had to escape. He had to get the box and its contents. But how?
By the time the skylight darkened with approaching nightfall, they still hadn’t come up with a solution.
‘I’m hungry,’ Sam said. ‘I hope they’re going to feed us.’
Mekie looked like she was about to bite his head off, but she didn’t say anything.
Kale nodded and looked glum.
Not long after, a goon (or Cedec) opened a small door at the bottom of the bedroom door and pushed a tray of food into the room. For prison food, it wasn’t that bad, although Sam hoped it wasn’t poisoned.
Later that night and with still no answer to their problem, Sam finally said, ‘We’d better get some sleep. Maybe one of us will come up with something during the night.’
They sorted out the sleeping arrangements. Sam said, ‘We should share a bed, Mek, so Kale can have the other one.’
‘Kale’s smaller than me. Why don’t you share with him?’
‘I only seep with women.’
‘Well, I’m one woman you won’t be sleeping with.’
‘It’s all right,’ Kale said. ‘I’ll sleep on the bench. I like hard surfaces.’
‘Thanks, Kale,’ Mekie said. ‘At least you’re a gentleman.’
‘Fine.’ Sam collapsed on the bed and stared at the skylight, unable to sleep. His mind tossed and turned and stomped on every suggestion he proposed. Giving up, he fell into a fitful sleep. Waking early, Sam smiled. His subconscious mind had the answer all along. He jumped out of bed and exclaimed, ‘I’ve got it. We need some sort of diversion.’
Mekie and Kale were already awake and sitting on the bench. Mekie said, ‘That’s your idea?’
Sam rattled his sleepy brain into gear. His fellow prisoners wore sceptical frowns. Okay, he thought, Melt and his mates were the only ones who knew they were here so they had to be the one’s to create the diversion. He beamed at Mekie. ‘Mekie. Try to contact Melt with your mind and tell him what’s going on.’
‘I can’t do that,’ she said. ‘I can only sense feelings, remember? Not thoughts. I’m a Phib not a Wexkian.’
‘I think Sam could be right,’ said Kale. ‘Phibs do have a limited capacity. Perhaps if you tried to sense the Krolls’ feelings?’
‘Exactly. Come on Mek, at least try. You can start by sensing Melt. He must be wondering why we’re taking so long by now anyway. Maybe he’ll feel you when you do and send out a telepathic link for you.’
‘Oh, both of you are being silly today. I have to be touching him to even try.’
‘Listen to me,’ Sam said. ‘I love you, Mek, but I’m getting really pissed off with you and you arguing. Just bloody humour us and do it.’
‘Fine,’ she humphed, and stood up. Moving to the skylight, she looked up and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, they popped back open. ‘I can’t.’
‘You didn’t try very hard,’ Sam said. ‘Do it again and this time, put more bloody effort into it.’
She gaped at him, tears glistening in her eyes. ‘I hate you, Sam Frederick.’
Sam flinched but kept quiet. Mekie turned her face to the skylight and closed her eyes again. About five minutes later, she opened her eyes, and said to Kale, ‘He’s close.’
‘Good,’ said Kale. ‘Try to push your thoughts into him.’
‘This could work,’ Sam said.
She snubbed him and resumed her former stance, but instead of closing her eyes, she narrowed them at the sky and made a face as taut as tensioned fence wire.
Sam never took his eyes off her. He didn’t want to miss the sign that told him she had done it. She fisted her hands so tightly, her arms trembled. Was she trying too hard? He didn’t know if he should tell her to relax or if he should just wait silently. He didn’t even know if she’d acknowledge anything he said so he kept his mouth shut. They were all silent as the excruciating minutes passed. Sam’s body ached. He tried to relax his jaw, arms and legs without making a twitch. He didn’t want to move a muscle in case he interrupted Mekie’s concentration. Melt was their only hope.
After Sam didn’t know how long, Mekie’s shoulders lowered and her fists loosened.
‘I can talk to Melt,’ she said, beaming at Sam.
He let out a breath, loosening his jaw line as he did. ‘I knew you could do it, Mek. Now, like I said, we need some sort of diversion before we can scream for the guards. What do you reckon, Kale?’
Kale’s expression was thoughtful. Moving beside Mekie, he gazed up at the skylight. ‘I don’t think the guards would come if we called them. We need them to think we are escaping. What if Melt broke the glass to the sky and threw down a rope?’
‘Hmm, he would have to make a racket to have the guards come running,’ Sam said.
‘Hurry up,’ Mekie said, glaring at Sam. ‘Melt wants to know what he should do.’
‘Okay,’ Sam said. ‘Tell him we need the glass smashed and a rope long enough to reach us and tell him to make the loudest noises he can as he does it.’
Mekie resumed her previous stance, staring up the shaft.
‘We have to move out of the way,’ she said.
Sam and Kale kept Mekie behind them as they all huddled in the corner.
A
rock, nearly as big in diameter as the shaft, shattered the glass like a bomb. The rock shot down and embedded in the floor. ‘Melt had to have help to do that,’ Sam said.
‘Of course he did, silly,’ Mekie said, still smiling at her achievement.
A rope soon followed the rock’s path.
Running footsteps coursed up the stairs outside their room. By the sounds, Sam guessed they were four or five of the same goons that locked them in there.
‘Quick,’ he hissed, pulling Mekie away from the wall. ‘Get hold of the rope and look like you’re about to climb up but keep your eyes on the door. If they have weapons, duck behind the rock.’
Without an argument, she wrapped her hands around the rope high above her head.
As soon as she was in place, Sam shot her a grin. She was the best. He wondered why it had taken him so long to see that.
The footfalls grew louder and more distinguishable as they neared the room.
Sam smiled. He whispered to Kale, ‘Ready, mate? Go for the back of their knees.’
The door flew open. As soon two goons passed them, Sam and Kale sprung out of the corner and smashed into the back of the last two goon’s knees. The goons cried out but they kept standing. Some well placed kicks and the thugs’ bodies soon collapsed to the floor.
Excitement filled Sam’s chest and he glanced at Mekie. The two other goons held long knives tapering to a menacing point in their hands. Shit. ‘Be careful, Kale,’ Sam blurted, turning on the last two goons.
Kale jumped and kicked the knife out of the closest attacker’s hand. Mekie grabbed up the knife and took an attacking stance.
The other one lunged forward. Sam dropped to his knees and as the goon dipped past, Sam punched out at its soft spot behind its knees with all his strength. It howled. Sam pushed his body forward and tackled the alien’s ankles. The force was enough to tip the thug off balance. The knife clinked across the floor. Before it could regain its feet, Sam fell on it, bombarding the solid-muscled back with punches.
He needed to get to its legs. His knuckles smashed against the goon’s steel shell time after time. With each thrust pain exploded in Sam’s hands. The dazed goon struggled. That was short-lived. It bucked, nearly dislodging Sam from its back. Mekie fell to her knees and pushed the goon’s face into the floor. Ignoring the pain in his knuckles, Sam continued throwing more jabs with as much speed as he could muster. He moved lower with each punch. His wet knuckles finally found soft flesh and he roared in delight. A rush of adrenaline surged through his body. He kept punching the back of the goon’s knees.
‘Sam!’
It was Mekie’s voice, but it sounded far away. Fingernails dug into Sam’s shoulders, pulling him back.
‘Sam,’ Kale yelled. ‘Stop. It’s over.’
As Sam’s brain cleared, pain in his shoulders made him blink. He sat back panting as Mekie checked the goon.
‘Shit,’ he croaked, looking at the blood all over his victim. He rubbed his face with his aching hands. Was it dead? A cold sweat covered Sam’s face as nauseousness washed over him.
Mekie looked at him. She smiled. ‘It’s not his blood. It’s yours.’ She scrambled over to him on her knees and gently held his hands out by their palms. ‘You’ve broken the skin on every knuckle. Probably every bone too.’
He gazed down. The skin on each joint had split from the bone. There was no pain, only numbness. ‘They’re going to hurt like hell in a minute,’ he said, but the smile he was about to give her stopped forming abruptly. He nodded to his victim. ‘It’s not breathing.’
Mekie scooted over to it and checked. ‘I think he’s dead,’ she said. It gurgled a groan. ‘Maybe his tongue is obstructing his windpipe.’ Her hand was in its mouth before she had finished the sentence. ‘It isn’t,’ she said withdrawing her hand. Her fingers were covered in black goo.
‘What’s that?’ Sam said.
‘Blood,’ said Kale, moving closer and inspecting the goon’s injuries. He covered the back of its knees with his hands. ‘His reproductive organs have burst and the contents have entered the blood stream. Every vein and artery is collapsing. He is close to death.’
“Why?’ Sam said, looking at the other three goons. They were groaning but they weren’t gurgling.
‘The seminal fluid is poison to any except their females.’ Kale moved to another fallen goon.
‘If you knew all that, why didn’t you attack there in the first place?’ Mekie trembled as she gazed down at the now dead goon.
Kale said, ‘I didn’t know their precise anatomy.’ He slid over the floor and checked the last goon’s injuries.
‘It doesn’t matter now,’ Sam said. He wished he hadn’t killed his attacker, but he consoled himself with the thought that it was either it or them. ‘Will the others be all right?’ he asked Kale.
‘Yes. They’re alive and with medical aid they will heal,’ said Kale.
Sam helped Mekie to her feet. He brushed her hair away from her face and hugged her.
‘Oh, Sam,’ she whispered, as she clung to him. ‘I was so scared.’
‘You did just fine,’ he said. He looked to where Kale had been. He wasn’t there. His eyes scanned the room and found Kale sitting with his back to the wall. ‘You okay, mate?’
‘I am well,’ Kale said. Pushing against the wall, he stood up. One of his legs seemed to drag.
‘What’s wrong with your leg?’
Kale shrugged. ‘My opponent had another knife.’
‘Let me see.’
With no obvious wounds on the front of the Corl’s legs, Sam moved around behind Kale. Brown-red blood soaked his pants leg from a rip at the thigh to his calf. Opening up the rip for a better look, he said, ‘Ouch. The back of your thigh’s been sliced open. It’ll need stitches.’ Sam couldn’t believe he hadn’t even noticed Kale’s injury. He gazed at the floor. Smudged blood everywhere – black goo from the dead goon, dark red from him and brown from Kale.
Mekie hurried to Sam’s side. ‘Someone’s coming,’ she whispered.
Carrot Top stormed into the room. Sam lunged behind him. He gave one knee two quick kicks and Cedec’s butler teetered to his side. Sam kicked the other knee out from underneath him. Carrot Top wailed in pain and fell face first onto the floor.
‘Quick, Mek. Tell Melt to wait at the front door.’
Mekie’s eyes glazed over for a second. ‘He’s already there.’
Sam shook his bloodied hands, and asked Kale, ‘You right to walk?’
Kale nodded. ‘I think so.’ He tried to take a step but his injured leg collapsed under him. He had to use the wall to save himself.
Sam leapt to his side and put his arm up under the Corl’s shoulder and around his back. He checked the room. ‘The rope.’ But as he said the words, the rope disappeared back up the shaft. Those Krolls think of everything. ‘Let’s go.’ He waited for Mekie to exit first. She walked up to the groaning butler, kicked him in the back of the knee once and walked out of the room. That’s my girl.
Once outside, Sam, with Kale, took the lead. He turned to Mekie, and smiled. ‘Lock the door, gorgeous.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MEKIE LOCKED CEDEC’S GOONS IN THE ROOM AND they made their way for the front room where Sam figured the box would be. Mekie was close on their heels as they went down the stairs. Halfway down, not only did the pain in Sam’s knuckles make itself known, but he gasped as agony filled his hands and arms, radiating out over his entire body. He grunted with the strain of holding Kale up. His head ached with each throb of his wounds. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly.
‘Are you all right,’ Kale said.
Sam took another quick breath, and said, ‘I’m fine. Keep moving.’
Entering the foyer, he indicated with a finger over his mouth for Kale and Mekie to be quiet. They nodded. Sam kept his back against the wall and half dragged Kale with him as he crept to the doorjamb. Voices floated out. Sam inhaled a deep breath before he stuck his head into the entrance as far a
s his nose and back again.
‘They’re engrossed in something,’ he whispered. ‘Mekie, call Melt inside.’
Again, her eyes glassed over for a few seconds.
A bang and, almost at the same time, the door splintered, leaving only the frame and some broken bits of timber still attached. Melt pushed his way through.
Cedec’s voice shouted, ‘Staff!’
Sam grinned. He won’t be hearing from them for awhile.
A deeper voice snapped, ‘You go.’
A pause with no movement from within the room.
Sam’s grin widened. Neither occupant seemed in a hurry to find out what was going on. He propped Kale up against the wall and waved his hand for Mekie to stay there. He stepped into the adjoining room.
The second voice belonged to a Corl. A blue Corl.
‘Varlor,’ Kale and Mekie gasped in unison behind Sam.
‘No one ever listens to me,’ Sam muttered. He raised his voice. ‘I’ll have my box now.’ Sam raised his eyebrows, as if he expected them to comply. They glared at him. He should have known they wouldn’t make it easy. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to engage in hand to hand combat. He kept his hands at his sides, palms facing forward. He didn’t want them to think he wasn’t up to fighting them.
‘Do you think you can take it from us?’ Varlor said. ‘You and Kale appear quite ill.’
Sam felt more than saw Melt move behind him. ‘Probably not,’ Sam said to Varlor, and stepped to the side, indicating with a crooked index finger Mekie and Kale should do the same. ‘But maybe Melt might have more luck.’
Melt moved forward. Three Krolls Sam had never seen before floated after him.
A tiny laugh escaped Sam’s mouth. Saved by the cavalry again.
‘Perhaps you have had Sam’s parent’s possessions in your safe keeping for long enough, Cedec,’ Melt said aloud.
Varlor flipped his robe over his shoulders, exposing a blowpipe holstered on his belt. ‘This is of no concern to you, Kroll,’ he said. ‘Take your friends and leave peacefully.’
‘I apologise if I made my statement sound like you had a choice, Varlor. There isn’t one. Sam, get what you came for and Varlor, don’t touch that pipe.’