Don’t get fancy, just aim for the biggest part.
He squeezed the trigger.
Vasily had seen videos of people firing guns, but still wasn’t prepared for the noise, or the recoil. He also didn’t realize he’d set the gun to full auto, so wasn’t expecting what happened next. With an ear-splitting brrrrruuuuupp, half of the cartridge emptied at once, unleashing a hail of bullets as the rifle climbed skyward and pulled left.
Startled, Vasily almost dropped the gun with shock.
He looked up.
Jake no was longer standing.
The door opened to reveal Carla, dressed in a robe over black leather boots. Heinrich shifted his weight back and forth from one foot to the other.
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”
He glanced over her shoulder. Golden light spilled from the bedroom door beyond. He swallowed. “I-I thought you should know, ma’am, the prisoners have escaped.”
Carla’s nostrils flared. “Escaped?” she asked, biting the question off hard and short.
Heinrich swallowed again and spilled his story in a rush. “Y-yes, John Coultas came to the stasis chamber, we were rebuilding part of the control circuitry and –”
Carla frowned. “Spare me the details.”
“O-of course. Someone shot Grace Ng, they want to put her in stasis.”
A hint of a smile formed on Carla’s face. “Really.”
Heinrich nodded, the steady rain running down into his eyes. He blinked and pushed his sodden hair back off his face.
“Yes, ma’am. Really.”
“Wait here,” Carla told him, and shut the door in his face.
For the second time, Heinrich found himself left alone in the rain.
John was heading toward the park when a thought occurred to him. Whatever happens, someone might want the shuttle to escape. We should make sure we’re the only ones that can.
He stopped, torn between rushing to catch up to the others, and making sure the shuttle couldn’t be stolen. He swore and doubled back toward the shuttle bay.
I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t make sure – there’s only one shuttle.
He redoubled his efforts, throwing caution aside for the sake of speed.
David had almost made it to the spot where he thought Joyce’s scream came from, when he heard the unmistakable sound of automatic gunfire. Fearing the worst, he burst into the clearing and took in the scene.
Vasily, half-naked and smeared in mud, still on one knee, assault rifle in one hand, barrel on the ground.
Joyce, half-naked and sitting in the mud, shivering.
Jake lying on his side, groaning.
“Vasily!”
He looked up, dazed. “Dad!”
“Cover me!” David moved over to Joyce and picked up the pistol. Jake was still alive, but he’d taken several bullets in the chest and lay groaning, his face contorted. David took Joyce into his arms and she clung to him, sobbing and shaking, her iron grip describing her desperation and shock.
David held her close, stroking her hair, as Vasily walked over. He cast around for her T-shirt and helped her drape the torn garment over her chest, even as she continued to cry.
“It’s OK, now, it’s over. He can never hurt you again. Neither can the other man.”
Joyce nodded, still crying.
David turned to Vasily. “Start back to the bridge. Help Joyce.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll catch up.”
Vasily hesitated, then put his arm around Joyce, encouraging her to walk. She didn’t seem to have full control over her legs, and stumbled at first.
“Vasily.”
He turned.
“You did well today.” Vasily looked at his father for a moment longer, then nodded and continued walking.
David watched them go, anger flaring for the innocence his two eldest children had lost this day. When they disappeared from sight, he turned around.
Jake lay shivering on the ground, eyes wide as he looked at David. He said nothing as David brought the pistol up and chambered a round.
Vasily struggled to keep Joyce moving as they left the clearing, half-dragging her along. She still didn’t have control of her legs, and her eyes seemed unfocused.
“Come on, Joyce. I can’t carry you, you have to walk.”
His sister’s nails dug into his shoulder as she tried to straighten up and do as he asked.
Vasily flinched as a single gunshot rang out behind them, then swallowed and resumed walking.
Simon and Tobias were playing cards when they heard the sound of footsteps running past. Tobias raised one eyebrow. “Should we check that out?”
Simon shrugged his shoulders. “That’s what Christian’s out there for.”
A moment later they heard the sound of rain hitting the aluminum roof and saw a soft light filtering through the windows.
Simon stood up. “Perhaps we’d better …” he said, just as the door banged open and Christian came barging in.
“We’ve got trouble,” he said, and filled them in on what Heinrich had told them.
“You’d better wake Raoul,” Simon told Tobias.
Carla shut the door and strode to the bedroom. She dropped her robe, beneath which she wore only a pair of thigh-high boots, and hurried to the bed to untie Edward.
She smiled at his wide eyes, then bent to kiss him. “I’m afraid playtime is over for tonight. We have a situation to deal with.”
As she dressed with rapid movements, she filled Edward in on developments.
Edward’s eyes flashed as he pulled on his own clothes. “I told you your rash actions would lead to further trouble!”
“Relax, Edward. We have the guns, remember?”
As if to mock her words, they heard the muffled but unmistakable sound of automatic gunfire from outside.
“You were saying?”
For once Carla didn’t have an answer. Both knew they had brought only semi-automatic pistols with them.
Simon’s head jerked up at the sound of gunfire in the distance. He exchanged a meaningful look with the others. This changed everything. Until now, they’d had the advantage. They’d assumed the colonists didn’t have weapons of their own, not to mention they were locked away where they couldn’t do any harm.
They had no doubts now, that the colonists not only roamed free, but also outgunned them.
“Shit,” Tobias said. “This complicates things.”
“I can’t disagree,” Simon said. “I guess the question is, which way do we jump now?”
There were grim looks from the others. None of them felt any strong allegiance to Edward, not after the aborted rape attempt and his and Carla’s reaction to it.
“Ten gets you twenty those assholes Roberto and Jake have caused this,” Raoul said, his voice edged with disgust.
“Yeah.” Simon still felt ashamed over that event, and couldn’t wrap his head around why all the colonists got locked up while Jake and Roberto not only stayed free, but guarded them.
“Look, we’ve still got a job to do, but I’m not going to cross the line into doing something that’s just plain wrong. So I think we go along with Edward and Carla for now, but if they step out of line, that’s it for me. No matter what.”
The others nodded agreement.
“If Jake and Roberto are behind this, I’m sorting them out once and for all,” Tobias said, baring his teeth. “I can’t stand being in the same room with them, let alone working with them.”
“Not if I get to them first,” Simon said.
“Or me,” Christian said.
“You’ll all have to get in line,” Raoul said.
“We’d better get out there,” Simon said, turning for the door.
David caught up to his two eldest children just before the bridge, and together he and Vasily half-walked, half-dragged Joyce across. When they reached the other side, David turned to Vasily, his voice low and steady.
“Vasily, I need you to get
Joyce home. Can you do that?”
He nodded. “Dad, I …”
David put a hand on his shoulder. “Stay there once you get her home, OK?”
Vasily said nothing, not happy at being told to stay home.
David squeezed his shoulder. “You’ll be the only man there,” he said. He saw the light come back on in Vasily’s eyes. “I need someone there to defend the others. Can I rely on you?”
Vasily nodded, mission accepted. “You can count on me, Dad.”
“Good man,” David said, and meant it. After tonight, there would be no putting the child back into his eldest children. “Go the long way, through the farms. Be careful, we don’t know who’s out there.”
Vasily nodded his understanding and set off walking north beside the river. He had his arm around Joyce, who walked as if in a dream, her eyes vacant and legs stiff.
David watch them go for a moment then took stock. He hefted the pistol in his right hand. Six rounds remaining. His left hand held the bayonet. He turned to see the lights blazing at the pavilion. Edward and his men would soon form a response. He thought of Grace, hoping against hope they’d got her to the stasis chamber in time, then buried that hope once more.
He’d taken care of Jake and Roberto, but he had more work to do before this night’s end.
As they went back outside, into the rain, Simon and the others met Edward and Carla. Already Carla looked like a drowned rat, and none too happy for it.
“What took you so long?” she said.
“We’ve been planning our response, ma’am,” Simon replied. It was an honest answer. I’m just not going to tell you everything we’ve planned.
“And what are you planning to do, Greene?” she asked, crossing her arms.
“We’re lacking in tactical information, ma’am. I propose to divide our forces, half to protect you and Mr. Harper, and half to scout the warehouse area to find out what’s happened. We can develop a more comprehensive response once we know more.”
Edward spoke up. “Distribute the remaining weapons first, Simon. Then you can leave two trusted men with us and distribute your team wider.”
“Yes, sir.”
Edward looked over toward the pavilion, where a crowd had gathered. “I need to address our people. Send two men with us now, then implement the rest of your plan.”
“Yes, sir.” Simon looked at Tobias and Raoul. “Go with Mr. Harper.”
Edward set off for the pavilion, Carla in tow and Tobias and Raoul forming up behind.
Simon hesitated, thinking. They had two more handguns and ammunition, but who could they trust?
Christian must have read his thoughts. “Start with dickless over there,” he said, pointing with his chin at Heinrich. He cut a forlorn figure, still standing by the door of Edward and Carla’s house in the rain, clothes sodden and dripping.
Simon snorted. “You think he’ll be any use?”
Christian shrugged. “If nothing else, he’s loyal. He’s got his nose so far up Harper’s ass you can only see his feet now.”
Simon grinned and nodded. “OK, give him a gun and show him what to do with it. Bring the other gun with you and some spare clips. We’ll leave him here for now, to guard the building. It might keep him out of trouble.”
Veronika kicked open the door to the stasis control room, startling the people inside. She pushed her way in, bearing the stretcher, Heidi bringing up the rear.
Gena’s and Tracey’s eyes widened as they saw Grace lying on the stretcher, lifeless.
“Is she … is she …” Gena stammered.
Veronika shook her head and lowered her eyes. “We have to try. How long?”
“Five minutes,” Ernie said. “You can take her in.”
Chuck held the door to the tube leading through the main windows to the capsule. “Lay her down across one row of seats,” he said.
Veronika and Heidi did as he said. Veronika looked back at Grace before leaving, and shivered. She didn’t know if she could revive her. She felt a nagging guilt at the back of her mind that she’d spread false hope. Glancing at Heidi, she saw her doubts reflected. “We’d better go.”
Together they filed back into the control room. Chuck closed the hatch after them.
“Two minutes,” Ernie announced. He turned to Heidi. “What happened?”
Heidi looked away, but they didn’t miss the flinty look in her eyes. She spent a moment examining the wall, then turned back.
“Roberto! He tried to abduct her, but she resisted and he shot her.”
Veronika put a hand on her shoulder.
Ernie said nothing, but the looks he exchanged with the others spoke volumes. His gaze shifted back to the console. “The accumulators are sufficiently charged,” he said. “Initiating stasis field.”
David circled around the back of the new houses and edged forward. He could see some residents at home and others over at the pavilion. Most of the paying passengers seemed to have stayed home. He crept up to the guards’ barracks and checked the windows.
Nobody home.
Then he noticed Heinrich, standing outside Edward and Carla’s house. He appeared ill at ease, fiddling with his pistol, holstering it, then drawing and checking it again. David took his own pistol, safed it, placed it under a bush and refocused on Heinrich. He circled behind him, keeping to any shadows he could find in the artificial moonlight.
The lights faltered and the rain missed a beat. David sighed with relief. He knew what that meant – they had initiated the stasis field.
He waited, oblivious to the rain drumming a steady beat on Edward and Carla’s roof.
The moment arrived – Heinrich turned his back to him and holstered the gun. David exploded in one fluid motion, muscles rippling beneath his naked skin. Heinrich suddenly found himself being dragged into the shadows with a hand clamped around his mouth, the prick of a knife against the unshaven stubble of his neck.
“One sound,” David hissed in his ear, “and you’re a dead man. Do you understand?”
Heinrich started to nod but thought better of it when he felt the knife nick his skin. David removed his hand from Heinrich’s mouth and relieved him of his gun.
“OK, move – into the house. Try anything and it’ll be the last thing you do.” He gave Heinrich a shove in the back to get him moving.
As soon as they got inside, Heinrich started to protest. “I had nothing to do with anything, I swear! I’m just doing my job, they told me to wait here and –”
“Save it for later,” David said. He motioned Heinrich toward the bedroom, senses on high alert. Heinrich’s eyes widened but he complied. David pointed. “On the bed, face down.”
Heinrich did as he was told, his expression comical. David’s thoughts took a dark turn as he wondered if the guard expected to be raped. He gathered up the ropes scattered on the floor, not without more amused, dark thoughts, and trussed Heinrich up like a chicken.
“Now,” he said. “You’re going to tell me everything you know.”
Heinrich nodded, his eyes bulging. “Where should I start?” he asked, his voice shaking.
Veronika held her breath as Ernie instantiated the stasis field, then let it out with a relieved whoosh as he nodded his head and gave a sad little smile. “The field’s holding.”
“It’s the best we can do for her,” Veronika said again. “Thank you all. I know it’s risky for you to be helping us.”
They all looked up when the door opened and Elizabeth walked in. She looked pale. Their eyes took in the pistol holstered at her waist.
Veronika’s brow wrinkled. “Elizabeth?”
“I wanted to make sure Grace is safe. I waited outside and listened.”
The unspoken corollary to her statement hung in the air. Veronika looked at her face and wondered how the innocent, caring Elizabeth she’d known could turn into a woman who could shoot someone.
“There’s no need to worry,” Tracey said. “We’d never do anything to harm anyone, or to prevent someone fro
m being helped.”
Gena and Ernie made gestures of agreement.
“I know that now,” Elizabeth said, and her voice quavered a little. “It’s just …”
Heidi stepped forward and hugged her, followed by Veronika.
“What do we do now?” Elizabeth asked in a small voice, lost for direction.
“I’m going to the clinic,” Veronika said. “I’ve got a patient to check on. Why don’t you come with me?”
Elizabeth looked at Ernie. “Will Grace be OK?”
He nodded. “Don’t worry about her, we’ll watch over the system and make sure she’s safe, held in stasis.”
“I’ll stay too,” Heidi said.
Elizabeth managed a wan smile of thanks and turned to leave with Veronika.
Kevin noticed Edward, Carla, and the two guards crossing to the pavilion, and decided their best chance lay in that direction. He and the others doubled back down the path and struck off through some trees, heading toward the rear of the pavilion.
As they crept closer they could see at least half of Haven’s population packed inside, out of the rain. They fetched up under a window and listened.
Edward started to speak.
“People of Haven,” Edward said, “I regret we’ve seen more unfortunate events. As you know, we’ve detained the original colonists to protect the other residents of Haven. Unfortunately, some of them have escaped and realized our worst fears – the threat of further violence. Our security forces,” he indicated Tobias and Raoul, “are even now ascertaining the current situation and taking steps to bring the perpetrators to heel.”
“Whadidya do to them?” came a voice from the crowd.
Edward searched for the source of the question and identified Steve Rickard. He hesitated for a moment, not prepared for questions.
“They wouldn’t be all riled up for nothin’,” Steve said. “So what didya do?”
The Seasoning Page 19