Amanda stared daggers at Ryan. He paused for effect, then relented.
“Okay,” he said, as he sat next to Amanda. “I’ll hear what you have to say. But that’s all I’m promising.”
“You know,” said Rupert, “you’re not exactly in the driver’s seat. We can obtain those microchips at any time. But that amulet. It means something. What does it mean?”
“We don’t know,” said Ryan. Only the Altarrans know that.”
Rupert looked at Amanda. “Miss Williamson, is that your story as well? Because it’s not a very believable one.”
“It’s true,” said Amanda. “They wouldn’t tell us. They said it’s a gift to them from their gods.”
“A gift from their gods?” Rupert said, laughing. “So now we’re in that territory, are we? Well, I’m afraid that doesn’t bode well for you, unless their gods come and save you. But I’ll give you another opportunity. What can you tell me about their fleet?”
Ryan jumped in. “They’re a lot more powerful than you think. There are thousands of them. And they’re headed to Earth.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” said Rupert. “At least not in my lifetime. You see, you’re not the only ones watching the distant stars. I’m talking more about their capabilities and their status. I know you can give me more than that.”
“You think we’d tell you that?” said Ryan.
“Well, it is the only reason you’re alive, and it would make our jobs so much easier. Of course, if we come to realize you have nothing for us, then we’ll just have to take our chances against them. And you, my friend, will no longer be needed.”
“You’ll kill us anyway if we tell you.”
“Wait,” said Amanda. “They may not if we join them. I mean their group. I’m sure they could use us, with our knowledge.”
“The fairer and wiser sex, indeed,” said Rupert.
“As if you’d trust us,” said Ryan.
“Trust . . . is overrated, my friend. But over time, it can be earned. Beginning with the information I ask.”
Just then the door opened and one of the guards entered. “I’m sorry to interrupt, sir” said the guard, “but Agent Barkley is online for you. He wants to know whether to send another ship with a second team.”
“Tell him . . . tell him I’ll be right there.”
Rupert turned to Evans. “Watch them. Closely.”
He began to leave the room. Then he turned around. “Oh, and in case either of you have delusions of grandeur, I have guards stationed in our corridors.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Amanda. “We’re not going anywhere.”
“As I said, trust,” said Rupert, looking directly at Ryan, “needs to be earned.” With that, he turned and left.
Ryan looked at Amanda as Rupert left the room. He wasn’t sure where she was headed with her plan. They were both trapped here, but at least they were together. He wondered what was going through her mind.
Evans approached. “So,” he said to Amanda, “our little girl wants to come over to the dark side.”
Amanda smiled at him. “Maybe I do,” she said. “But if I do, it’ll be with Rupert, not a bottom feeder like you.”
Evans grabbed her shirt and lifted her off the chair. “We’ll see about that,” he said, pushing her toward the wall.
Ryan jumped up to grab him, but Evans quickly turned and gave him a roundhouse kick that knocked him to the ground. It felt like a train had hit him. Evans approached him, grinning. Ryan inched back along the floor, looking up at his attacker. He’d never be able to get up with his handcuffs on. Then he saw his opportunity. “So,” he said. “How does it feel, Evans?”
Evans looked down at him and laughed. “How does what feel?”
“This,” said Amanda pounding her handcuffed fists up into his groin from behind. At the same time, Ryan jumped up and charged him, knocking him over Amanda’s kneeling body.
Ryan slammed the center of his handcuffs into Evans’s face as Evans tried to reach for his laser pistol. Amanda grabbed it just in time.
Evans, dazed, slid back against the wall.
Amanda stood pointing the pistol at him, her hands bound together by the handcuffs.
“You don’t have the guts,” he said.
“Neither do you,” she said, as she shot him in the stomach twice.
Evans screamed in horror, rolling violently on the floor. His hands turned red as he held them to his midsection.
She approached him and looked down. “Your boss said never to leave wounded enemies,” she said. Without hesitating, she aimed the pistol and shot him in the head. Evans’s lifeless body fell back as a pool of blood formed next to him. His arms were grotesquely spread out like a fallen eagle. She spit on him for good measure. “That’s for my great-great-grandfather,” she said.
Ryan put his hands on her shoulder. “Remind me never to get on your bad side,” he said.
“Your last three years were on my bad side,” she said. Then she smiled.
“Let’s get those keys off him,” said Ryan. “We need to get out of here.”
They quickly grabbed the keys and unlocked each other’s cuffs. As they took the pulse rifle and concussion grenades out of Evans’s holster, Ryan wondered something. “By the way,” he said, “what would you have done if Rupert was never called out of the room?”
“My original plan,” she said, “was to tell Rupert I’d only talk to Evans. But when Rupert left, I just reversed it.”
Ryan shook his head and laughed. “All I can say is it’s a good thing they handcuffed us from the front. Some agents.”
“I know why,” she said. “Look on the table.”
Ryan looked and saw an oversized graphics tablet.
“They wanted us to draw schematics,” she said. “I knew that as soon as I saw how they cuffed your father. But now we have a bigger problem. How do we get past those guards?”
“Leave that to me,” he said. He realized he was starting to sound like his father. “You take the laser pistol, since you seem to like it so much. I’ll take the grenades and the rifle. We’ll need to make like you’re still cuffed and I’m leading you from behind. They won’t see me at first. Are you ready for this?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Let’s go then.”
They unlocked the door and swung it open slowly. Amanda walked ahead of Ryan.
“Put your hands behind you,” he said.
“But we were cuffed in the front.”
“Well then let’s hope they don’t notice the difference.”
“I don’t see anyone,” she said.
“They’re there—you can bank on it.”
They proceeded up the corridor toward the brig, where Ryan’s father and the others were held. Ryan could hear voices ahead.
“They’re up ahead there,” he said. “Keep your pistol ready behind your back. I’m right behind you.”
“Hey, why am I in front?” she said.
“You’re less of a threat.”
“Hey!” she said.
“Sorry, I’m just trying to think like them.”
Just then, two guards emerged from the brig. They spotted Amanda.
“Who’s leading you?” they asked. “Where’s Cadet Thompson?”
“Right here,” said Ryan, as he jumped out with the pulse rifle and fired, killing the guard on the left. Amanda was quick to the draw and shot the other guard, who fell back.
Ryan and Amanda rushed forward. “Grab their keys and unlock the cell,” he said. “I’ll watch the door.”
Ryan opened the brig door as Amanda snatched the keys from one of the dead guards.
“What the hell happened?” said the admiral from inside the cell.
“We’ll explain later,” said Amanda, as she slid the cell doors open. “Rupert’s still alive though.”
Ryan watched with one eye on the door, as his father and the five special ops officers exited the cell and ran to the dead guards to grab their weapons.
�
�Hawthorne,” said the admiral. “Take the rest of the team and find out if the Altarrans are still alive. If they are, get them out safely.”
“With pleasure, Admiral,” said Hawthorne.
“Sir,” said Ryan. “I’m not sure if anyone’s in it, but there’s a secondary brig. I heard the guards talking when they took us into Rupert’s office. Something about it being easier to guard.”
“Well I’m sure this ship’s designed like ours,” said the admiral. “There’ll be another brig down the corridor on the right, with an armory just past it. Hawthorne, try and get into it and grab as many weapons as you can. See if they have any explosives. I’ll get a message to the carrier to send reinforcements. I’ll bet anything this ship is docked on the island. We’ll meet just outside in thirty minutes.”
“Got it, sir.”
“And Hawthorne,” said the admiral.
“Yes, sir?”
“Shoot first. If they’re still alive after you shoot them, then you can ask questions.”
Hawthorne smiled. “You don’t have to tell me that, sir. Payback’s a bitch.”
Ryan kept an eye on the corridor while Hawthorne and the other four special ops soldiers headed off to find the Altarrans. He hoped they were still alive.
“What’s the plan, sir?” he asked his father.
“We’ve got to get to the bridge. They’re going to know soon enough that we’re on the loose. I need to get to their communications console and call the carrier. Do you have any idea how many guys they have with them?”
“All I know,” said Ryan, “is that they only have the one team. I can’t imagine they have more than eighteen men with them. And we’ve killed three of them already, including Evans.”
“Good work, son. Let’s move out.”
“You can thank Amanda. She may have a new career as a mercenary.”
Amanda elbowed him as they took off with the admiral down the corridor toward the bridge. Just as they turned the corner, they saw two more guards coming their way. They all opened fire, catching the guards by surprise and killing both of them.
Ryan kept alert as they continued on. His father was right. This was the same ship design. When they arrived at the bridge, the admiral said, “I’m gonna open those bridge doors. As soon as I do, I’m opening fire. You and Amanda toss in the concussion grenades. Ready?”
Ryan handed Amanda a grenade. They both had their hands on the pins. “Ready, sir.”
“Now as soon as that door opens, toss them.” The admiral moved in front of the door. The motion sensors immediately opened the double doors. He hit the floor and opened fire.
Ryan and Amanda tossed the grenades and took refuge behind the bulkhead. There was a muffled explosion. “Let’s move inside,” said the admiral.
They entered the bridge. Three of the bridge crew were out cold. Ryan and Amanda combed the corners looking for any others. There didn’t appear to be anyone around.
“Bridge is clear, sir,” said Ryan.
“Keep me covered just in case,” said his father.
The admiral went directly to the com unit and started sending his message to the carrier ten miles off the island. “Amanda, you cover the bridge doors,” he said.
Ryan kept on the lookout and Amanda guarded the doors while the admiral finished sending his message. After a few tense minutes, there was a loud beep, indicating that they’d received a response. “That’s it,” said the admiral. “We’ll have two transports with a hundred troops in thirty minutes. Let’s get back to the rendezvous point.”
The three of them bolted out from the bridge and headed to the main exit. As they turned the last corner, Ryan was startled by a voice from behind them.
“Drop your weapons, my friends, and slowly turn around.”
Ryan froze in his tracks, as did his father and Amanda. It was Rupert’s voice. He must have been waiting on the other side of the corridor.
“Do as he says,” said Ryan’s father. “No sudden moves.”
Slowly, Ryan, Amanda, and the admiral placed their weapons on the ground in front of them and stood. They turned around. Rupert was there with four of his men, all pointing weapons at them.
“You’re done, Rupert,” said the admiral. “Two transports will be here within fifteen minutes. You can kill us, but you’re done. Of course if we’re alive, you might be executed less painfully.”
“And so the fly tries to negotiate with the spider,” said Rupert. “You have no communication facilities, admiral.”
“I used your bridge.”
Rupert looked concerned. He glanced quickly at one of his soldiers. “Go check the bridge,” he said.
As the soldier ran off, Rupert began laughing.
“I’m glad you find it funny,” said the admiral. “So do I.”
“I find it amusing,” said Rupert, “that you’re all in such a precarious position and yet you’re so defiant, as if you’ve won a great victory. You see, even if what you say is true, you won’t live to see your supposed retribution. And if my last act is to rid the planet of a dangerous species and its traitorous allies, then so be it.”
Now Ryan was trying to avoid laughing. Because he couldn’t believe his eyes. He began to move to his left, toward the wall. He could tell that Amanda and his father had the same idea, as they began moving toward the other wall.
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” said Rupert. “I’m not going to shoot you just yet. I’m waiting for a report from one of my agents first. You see, I want you to be the last to see your ape friends. One big happy family. You won’t have to wait long, I assure you. It’ll only be a matter of minutes.”
“You’re wrong,” said Ryan. “It’ll be more like seconds.”
Just then the weapon fire came like a hurricane from behind Rupert and his guards. They didn’t stand a chance. Ryan watched as they fell to the floor dead. Behind them came Granthaxe, Kyron, and Hawthorne.
Ryan and Amanda ran forward to greet them when Ryan spotted Rupert’s other guard to his left coming up the corridor from the bridge. The guard had his weapon pointed right at them. Without a weapon, Ryan could do nothing other than tackle Amanda to the ground. He braced himself when the guard suddenly stopped. The man was still pointing his weapon, but seemed frozen in place, as if he were trying to decide whether to shoot them. Then he fell forward and dropped to the floor.
Ryan couldn’t believe it. At the far end of the corridor, behind the fallen body, was the Sentinelese chief, with three of the admiral’s soldiers walking with him. The chief was holding some sort of blowgun. Ryan turned to Amanda. “Talk about a silent killer,” he said.
Slowly, everyone gathered together, like warriors after a hard-fought battle—the Altarrans, the admiral, Ryan and Amanda, the chief, and the special ops agents.
“Where’s the queen?” said Amanda.
“She’s already off the ship,” said Hawthorne. “She sent the chief in with a few of our men. Seemed to think we could use some help.”
“Damn if she wasn’t right,” said Ryan. He bowed his head to the chief, who bowed back.
“She’ll be wanting this,” said the admiral, as he pulled the amulet out of Rupert’s pocket. He stood and looked down at Rupert’s body. “They don’t let you bring amulets into hell.”
“Sir,” said Hawthorne. “That’s all of them. We’ve killed all their crew. We also found the tribe. They were scattered in the trees. I have to say, sir, Rupert’s men wouldn’t have stood a chance against them.”
“I tend to agree,” said Thompson. “Good job, all of you. Now what do you say we get outside and wait for the reinforcements?”
“I second that,” said Ryan. “They can clean up this mess. I think we’ve done enough for one day.”
“For a lifetime,” said his father.
Ryan and Amanda joined the admiral and the ragtag group of Altarrans, special ops forces, and one brave chief as they made their way to the exit ramp. Ryan never thought he’d be so happy to be setting foot on North Sent
inel Island again, home to the most isolated, dangerous, and mysterious tribe on Earth. But luckily, they were also the queen’s loyal subjects. And besides, this time he’d be arriving with the one and only goddess of fire.
Chapter 54
Going Home
Ryan stood back to watch the Altarran queen saying her goodbyes to the Sentinelese tribe. The transport ships had landed just outside the village. Everyone except for Ryan, his father, Amanda, and the queen were already on the transport.
The Sentinelese chief bowed to Amanda and handed her a feather from his headband. Then he straightened and walked away.
“The feather is an invitation,” said the queen. “You are welcome here anytime. There was one more thing he said, though I thought it peculiar.”
“What was that?” said Amanda.
“The chief told me that he takes back what he said earlier to Kyron. His words were, ‘Never mind getting better guards. These ones are good enough.’”
Ryan laughed. “Tell the chief he’s not so bad either,” he said. He turned to Amanda. “Looks like we have a nice vacation spot if we ever want to get away.”
“Who said I’d bring you?” she said. Then she smiled at him.
The admiral approached them. “Queen Darthaxe,” he said. “On behalf of our people, I want to personally apologize for what you and your comrades have gone through. I hope we can look forward to better times ahead.”
“Indeed we shall, Admiral,” said the queen. “There is much we can learn from one another. Especially those foreign to us. The wondrous cave of rock is such an example.”
“Yes,” said Ryan, “I’d love to learn how you were able to teach the Sentinelese to build that. I mean, it’s not something we’d even have the technology to do.”
“Oh, but you misunderstand,” said the queen. “It was they who taught us.”
Ryan was dumbfounded. He could tell his father and Amanda were equally surprised.
“They taught you?” said the admiral.
“As I have said, Admiral,” said the queen, “there is much to learn from those who are foreign to us.”
Hawthorne came running up to let them know it was time to go. Ryan, his father, Amanda, and the queen said their final goodbyes to the Sentinelese people and followed Hawthorne to the transport. They had a three-hour flight to UEDF Headquarters ahead of them.
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