by Nate Johnson
It had changed all of them, she realized. All except Nick. He seemed like a large mountain. Solid, strong, always in control.
She smiled to herself as she glanced at him, snoring softly. Like it was a Sunday nap in his mother’s parlor. The man could sleep through an apocalypse. Nothing ever seemed to faze him. He’d returned with her to their blanket and laid down without saying a word. His mind obviously caught up with his discussions with Grundal.
She had wanted to talk. To discuss the day’s events. But he’d grunted, turned on his side, and was asleep within seconds.
Leaving her alone to worry about the day to come.
As she lay there, her hands folded behind her head, staring up at a star that blinked between two leaves, she thought about how close she had come to losing him. How he’d placed himself between her and danger. Taking the blow of the Scraggs pulse weapon.
She shivered as she remembered Nick being thrown through the air to land with a sickening thump on the hard road. Even now, her heart raced thinking about it. The sick sound eating at her soul.
Of all the day’s terrible things she had witnessed. The dead children, the burning city. It had been the sight of Nick laying on that road, possible dead that had burned itself into her memory.
Never again, she thought. She never wanted to go through that again. The thought of losing him was not acceptable. Not like that.
Silently, she swore to herself that she would not allow it to happen. Then smiled at the obvious ridiculousness of her thoughts. Since when could she ever control what Nick Barns did.
Sighing, she turned onto her side and scrunched back next to him. He mumbled something in his sleep, turned over, then wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in tight.
Yes, she thought as a feeling of safety and security washed through her. This was where she belonged. This was what she needed.
Amanda lay there, thinking about the day. But the last thought before sleep found her was of the man holding her, and how she had grown to love him.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nick pushed the branch aside and scanned the distant field.
Nothing. The Scragg ships were holding their distance. Two over the city, two more sweeping the fields to the west.
“Hold up,” he said as he raised a hand to stop the Eundai behind him. They were close enough, now they just needed to wait until things got a little darker.
Although, with the clear sky and enough stars to fill a good sized basket, he wondered why they even bothered about waiting.
Jed, the farmer, worked his way up the line of Eundai to stand next to Nick, giving him a quick nod. Jed would lead the harvesters while Nick led the security detail.
But with four rifles and a dozen swords, it wasn’t like they could do much good against starships.
As he waited, he thought about the last three days hiding in the forest. Three days of pure boredom. Sitting on their butts waiting for the Scraggs to leave.
He’d built two lean-tos, one for the two Docs and one for Amanda and himself. He smiled thinking about her sleeping in his arms each night. Nights he would not soon forget.
It had taken every bit of self-control not to try and seduce her. A couple of times, Amanda may have hinted that she wouldn’t mind if he did, but the differences between them was still there. And the fact that they were surrounded by a couple of thousand aliens and two stuck-up Professors made it difficult.
So instead. Hugging her to him was about as far as things could go.
Of course, after this little trip to the fields. Amanda might not be willing to be near him. He smiled remembering how pissed she had been when he told her she couldn’t come.
He’d never seen her so angry. Calling him a sexist troglodyte, comparing him to Grundal and his outdated ideas of gender role models.
Shaking his head, he had tried to explain that leaving her behind was the only way to guarantee that the Empire got the true picture of what happened. That if anything happened to him, he needed someone who could fill them in on the truth.
Her eyes had jumped into almost pure flame mode. She had insisted that if he was going to do something dangerous. She should be there to stop him from being an idiot.
So, being the smart person that he was. He left without her knowing. Got away before she could force herself onto the team.
Probably not a smooth move now that he thought about it. She was going to be even more pissed when he got back.
Kneeling by the forest edge, he examined the hundred yards of grassland that separated the forest from the field. No danger that he could see.
Glancing into the distance, he watched the ships. Why wouldn’t they leave? he wondered. They’d gotten their damn drugs. Why stick around.
“It is time,” Jed said as he came up to him from behind.
Nick nodded and waved his three riflemen out. Two on the far side. He and another on this side.
Jed signaled for his team to follow him. Forty big males scurried across the open spot into the far field. Nick tried to keep an eye on them and on the distant ships at the same time.
The males ducked into the field, spread blankets on the ground and immediately began pulling the root crops up by their stalk and tossing them onto the blanket.
Nick held his breath. It shouldn’t take long, but five thousand Eundai ate a lot. Each male had been instructed to get about fifty pounds and then get the hell out of there.
Turning, he glanced at the nearest ship hovering over a distant field. Had it moved? He wondered, as he stared at the ship.
Yes, it had shifted and was coming their way.
“Hurry,” he yelled to the Eundai in the field as he brought the rifle up to his shoulder. Although it would be a completely useless gesture, he realized.
Males started to work their way out of the fields like hoboes rushing to catch a train. Bundled blankets full of roots hanging over their back.
“Hurry, let’s go,” Nick called again to encourage them.
The ship was racing towards them now. They weren’t going to make it he realized. No way.
“NOW! Move it,” he called to the field hands as he fired his rifle. He might not be able to do any damage, but perhaps he could draw the ship’s attention away from the Eundai in the field.
The rifle’s blue laser bounced off the ship harmlessly.
Glancing behind him, he saw Jed helping the last Eundai up from where he had tripped. The two of them had almost a hundred yards of open space in front of them.
Gritting his teeth, Nick fired again, aiming for the very pointy end of the ship. Maybe he could hit a sensor, overwhelm it. Anything to pull them away from their intended target.
Jed and the other farmer bent over as they raced across the open patch, their backs sagging under the weight of their take.
Nick fired again.
This time, the ship did shift. Yes! it had worked.
The ship spun on its axis and came for him. A long blue streak of light burning into the ground. Marching directly for him.
Nick held his ground, continuing to fire. Staring down the long barrel of his rifle.
Slowly, the death ray advanced towards him. He continued to hold his ground, waiting, calculating, timing, then, at the last moment, he jumped to the side and rolled away from the burning path.
Springing up, he continued to fire as the ship passed overhead before twisting around to make another run at him.
“Come on,” Jed yelled from the forest edge, waving for him to abandon the field and seek the shelter of the forest. Nick didn’t need to be told twice.
He glanced to make sure his fellow riflemen were running for safety and took off after them. His legs pumping, his heart pounding. He ducked and swerved, refusing to give the Scraggs an easy shot.
The hairs on the back of his neck began to rise as he fought a sickening feeling deep in his gut that they were about to unleash one of those pulse blasts. Those controlled lightning bolts that fried a person’s world.
&
nbsp; Pushing the fear away, he ran towards Jed and the beckoning forest. Refusing to look back. Refusing to do anything that might make it easier for them.
The Eundai farmer continued to wave him on. Yelling, pointing back over Nick’s shoulder.
Nick ignored him and focused on making the forest. Everything depended upon outrunning a starship.
His arms pumping. His legs pounding into the soft ground. At last, he reached the edge and jumped through the bushes and into the dark safety of the forest. Sliding to a halt, he bent over at the waist and tried to catch his breath.
“Remarkable,” Jed the farmer said pointing back towards the fields.
“What?” Nick asked, hands on his knees.
“They broke off a minute ago. I think to investigate the other side.”
“What? Why didn’t you say so,” Nick asked as glanced back at the fields and the departing ships while he tried to calm his racing heart.
“I tried to,” Jed said, “but you refused to hear me. Is this a common trait among humans? The inability to hear while you run?”
Nick stared at him for a long moment and could have sworn he saw a small smile on that silly lizard snout of his.
“Come on,” Nick said patting him on the shoulder. “We’ve got people to feed.”
Jed nodded, and the long train of harvesters began their journey to their temporary home.
The adrenaline from the run had calmed down. Leaving Nick with a warm, happy feeling. He was proud of himself. They had snatched two thousand pounds of food from underneath the Scraggs care. When paired with the meat the hunters had brought in, it would feed the Eundai for two or three days.
Then he stepped into their temporary campground and saw the look on Amanda’s face. Any sense of wellbeing left him immediately.
She wanted to skin him alive and then crucify him before she fed the remaining parts to the birds.
Standing next to a cooking fire, she stood before him, hands on hips, staring at him, refusing to let him pass until he dealt with her.
“Amanda, Listen ...” he began.
“Don’t you Amanda me,” she said through gritted teeth. “You left before we were finished discussing things. I leave you for a minute to deal with Everst, and when I get back, you were gone. We weren’t done discussing things.”
“Listen ...”
“No, you listen,” she said with fire dancing around her eyes. “It’s bad enough that you sneak away. But you left without saying goodbye. What if something happened to you?”
“Nothing happened,” he started to answer, silently thanking the stars above that nothing had or she’d have really been upset.
“Nothing?” she said with a shake of her head. “Nothing? Really? All the farmers have been talking about is how you stood in the middle of an open field and shot at the ships with that puny rifle of yours. Stood there, daring the ship to come after you instead of them.”
Nick swallowed hard, he hadn’t expected anyone to tell her about that. Not this quickly.
“Listen ...” Nick began.
“You keep saying listen,” Amanda interrupted. “When are you going to listen? You are too important to be risking yourself like that.”
Nick frowned, “I’m not important,” he said with a deep furrow in his brow. “Grundal has things under control, and Imperial Navy Machinist Mates are a dime a dozen. Believe me.”
“You’re important to me,” Amanda said with a menacing stare that could have shamed a Valerian she-bear. “And don’t you forget it,” she added, poking him in the chest with her finger. “I won’t have you getting yourself killed. Not now. Not after all we’ve been through. Do you understand?”
Nick gulped as he slowly nodded his head. What could he say? Sorry seemed so inadequate.
Amanda stared up at him for a long moment then grabbed his arm and marched him to their lean-to.
“Sit,” she ordered. “I’ll get you some dinner.”
And with that, her anger at him seemed to disappear. But not before he caught one last strange look in her eye. A look that could either mean she cared about him or wanted to string him up from the nearest tree. He wasn’t too sure which.
.o0o.
Six days in the forest and Amanda had had enough. The place smelled like moldy bread. Hell, she probably didn’t smell any better. She’d have given two years off her life for a bath. Maybe three.
The Eundai were becoming sullen. The Docs were fighting about some silly thing dealing with the Eundai word for wood. Nick was off gathering a team for another raid on the fields.
It was enough to drive a woman up a wall. If they had walls. But no. Not now. Now it was living in the open. Sharing every waking moment with five thousand others. The hard ground, no bathing, no soap.
They were just existing. Nothing more.
To top it off. She was positive Nick wasn’t going to take her with him on this night’s harvesting adventure.
The thought sent a cold chill through her. How could he ignore her like this? How could he dismiss her as if she didn’t matter?
Sure, deep down in her gut, she knew he was doing it to protect her. He might spout off silly excuses about informing the Empire. But she knew the truth. He didn’t want her in harm’s way. And while a part of her soul loved him for it. Loved that protective side of him. Another part was upset that he wouldn’t let her help.
This whole man woman role thing was getting out of hand. Granted. They were living a primitive lifestyle. That didn’t mean he had to revert to some type of caveman.
Sighing, she decided to find him and talk to him again. He had to understand that any danger they might face was nothing compared to the fear that coursed through her bones when he was off risking himself while she sat alone, here, hiding in the forest, waiting for him to return.
It took her several minutes to find him. He and Grundal were off to the side, their heads bent slightly, talking to each other with some earnest.
Because it was Grundal, she decided to wait until they were finished before cornering Nick.
As she stood there, patiently waiting, she silently observed him. His green sarong tied low across his hips. The way he used his hands to express himself. The soft smile at a comment of Grundal’s.
He was comfortable in his own skin, she realized. Comfortable with who he was and the situation he found himself in. He knew this was Grundal’s responsibility, protecting the Eundai, but he was there to help. To do whatever was necessary to be of service.
Nick’s a good man, she realized. An honest, hardworking, good man. The kind of guy that would step in front of a charging Valerian moose to protect someone else. The kind of guy who just wanted to do what was right.
As she waited, a young boy ran through the crowd of Eundai to Grundal’s side. Panting heavily, he tried to pass his message. Grundal reached out and gently touched the boy’s shoulder, calming him.
“The Scraggs,” the boy said through quick breaths. “Gone, they are gone.”
Grundal’s eyebrows shot up as those around him mumbled. “Are you sure?” he asked.
The boy nodded vigorously. “All four ships left, they gathered over the city, then rose into the air to disappear.”
Amanda felt her heart jump. Was it over? Had they survived? She noticed Nick looking off into the distance. Probably already planning the next step.
The news flew through the camp like a wildfire on pure oxygen.
Immediately, Eundai began gathering their few remaining possessions. Tearing down temporary tents made of blankets. Folding the cloth under their arms and making sure the family was together before starting for home.
They were going home, she thought with a smile. They had done it. Nick, and Grundal, and the others had kept them alive.
Smiling at him, she watched Nick approach, a silly grin on his face.
Her heart fluttered, a soft smile crossing her lips. Yes, she had it bad, and the thought pleased her. There were worse things in this galaxy than falling in lov
e with Nick Barns.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The strong scent of burnt wood and a strange sweet smell bit at the back of Nick’s throat as he followed Grundal back into the city.
He quickly glanced up into the sky. Still unable to completely believe the Scraggs had left. Deep down, he expected them to return and try to kill them all.
Pulling his eyes away from the sky, he inspected the city. The complete devastation washed over him. Burying him in a sea of despair.
Nothing remained but chard wood and black ash. The vibrant, bustling city had been turned into a flat ocean of destruction.
Every home was gone, every wooden bowl and wooden spoon was gone. A lifetime of security and protection gone like the wisps of smoke still rising from glowing embers.
The only thing remaining was the stone throne building in the center of the plaza and the stout stone walls that surrounded the city. Everything else was no more.
His stomach turned over at the loss. How would the Eundai ever rebuild? How could anyone crawl out of such a tragedy?
Amanda stepped up next to him, silently taking his hand in hers as she looked out over the horrific scene. The two of them stood there, unable to fully comprehend what they were seeing, as Eundai silently trekked through the North Gate and into the city. Their eyes darting from destroyed home to destroyed home. Looking around for any sign of what used to be.
Nick’s heart went out to them.
Across the city, another group of Eundai were entering from the South Gate. Just as stunned, just as lost.
Nick sighed and slowly shook his head as the anger at the Scraggs continued to build inside of him. Someday, somehow, he would make them pay for this.
Glancing over at Grundal, he saw that the Eundai leader was thinking the very same thing.
“Come on,” Nick said, holding Amanda’s hand and pulling her deeper into the city. There was something he had to know.
She followed with him, rushing to keep up.
He wove through the debris sill laid out in city streets.
“There,” he said, his heart relaxing a little for the first time since stepping into the city.