by S. E. Smith
Chapter Twenty-Eight
They had left an hour ago to travel to the city, and by now, Derik could see the smoldering outline of the city’s edge. He scanned the horizon for threats; pointedly ignoring the most recent of Afon’s disapproving glares. Neither he nor Amelia needed to answer to the man. It wasn’t like Dolinski didn’t ‘have a few skeletons, literally, in his closet’ as Amelia liked to say. The irony of Afon’s displeasure made him smile.
“What’s so amusing?” Amelia asked him.
She must have felt his silent chuckle. Her arms were wrapped around his waist and she was resting her chin on his shoulder. He placed a hand over hers and squeezed it before refocusing on navigating the skimmer.
“I was just thinking of the phrase you mentioned last night—about skeletons and closets. Your uncle is not pleased that I have claimed you,” he blithely reflected.
She looked over her shoulder to check on Afon and Marcelo. They were riding on the trailer that Derik had attached to the skimmer, each holding a laser rifle at the ready. So far, no one had seen any evidence of other Juangans.
Turning back to him, she rested her chin back on his shoulder. “Sounds like a personal problem to me,” she quipped with a shrug.
He laughed. “I love your human phrases,” he replied.
She pressed a kiss behind his ear. “I’ve got loads to share,” she teased before releasing a sigh. “Do you think the Juangans are still here?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“What are we going to do if we run into them?” she asked.
“Kill them. If they are in the city, they will show no mercy for any of the residents—young, old, male, or female. As a Prime warrior, it is my duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves,” he explained.
“Uh, you do realize there are only four of us, right?” she pointed out.
“Three—I don’t want you in harm’s way,” he said.
She snorted. “Is that why you insisted I come with you?” she retorted.
“I didn’t want you there alone and I may need your uncle and Marcelo,” he admitted.
“Yeah, well, remember who the best shooter on the ship is. I totally blasted the lizards out of the sky,” she reminded him.
“You may have to remind me a few more times,” he joked.
A rumbling laugh slipped from him when she playfully pinched his arm. They fell silent as he slowed the skimmer near a rock outcropping, and stopped, powering it down.
Her arms loosened from around his waist. He stepped off the skimmer and turned to help her down. Afon and Marcelo slid off the back and walked over to them.
“What now?” Afon asked.
“Now, we go on foot,” he said.
“Wish this damn planet had night,” Marcelo cursed under his breath.
“Keep your coverings on. They will conceal you and protect you from the suns and sand,” Derik cautioned.
He adjusted his own sand-colored coverings before he reached out and tucked a strand of Amelia’s dark hair under her protective headgear. Then he reached for the laser pistol stored inside a compartment of the skimmer. He checked the charge on the pistol before he handed it to Amelia.
“Don’t think twice if you see a Juangan. Shoot and run. Headshots only,” he instructed.
She gave him a weak smile. “I’ve got this,” she said with more confidence than she was feeling.
“I know you do,” he murmured.
He leaned forward and pressed a hard kiss to her lips before he straightened and looked at the other two men. They returned his gaze with piercing determination. These were men accustomed to fighting—and not afraid to kill if necessary.
“Protect Amelia at all cost,” he ordered.
They nodded. Without another word, he picked up the laser rifle attached to the side of the skimmer and turned. He scanned the area before motioning for the others to follow him.
Amelia could see the heavy devastation to the city as they entered it. She followed Derik while Afon and Marcelo took up the rear. Debris from buildings that had been blown up littered the road, making it difficult to traverse. The ruins reminded her of the pictures of war zones that she had seen on the television.
Afon steadied her when she stumbled over some loose rock where a hole had been blown in the road. She bowed her head in thanks even as her gaze moved back to the buildings. All around them, there was nothing but destruction and wreckage.
Afon and Marcelo checked several buildings that were still standing. They both emerged and grimly shook their heads—they’d found no survivors. Runt had witnessed a lot of misery in her life, but she had never seen anything like this. It was as if the Juangans had purposely targeted each and every building.
The buildings and the residents inside hadn’t stood a chance against the Juangan’s deadly laser cannons. Her hand slid across the rough exterior of a wall. The coarse sands had been mixed with water and combined with thick, bright red reeds to form bricks for building. Each building was connected to the next. Now, gaping holes in the structures revealed the colorful debris of the residents’ lives. The contrast was heartbreaking.
Her stomach roiled when she saw the arm of an alien sticking out from under a pile of crumbled stone and the stain of green blood. She averted her eyes when she saw a small toy covered in dust lying in the road. Amelia waited in the shadows of a crumbling stone wall while Derik moved across the narrow road to another burnt shell of a building. He scanned the area before waving for them to move out. She darted across the open space and turned until she was next to him. They were slowly working their way deeper into the city. The farther they went, the more extensive the damage.
Sporadic fires burned—fueled by the reeds, the materials inside the structures, or something worse—the remains of those who couldn’t escape. She didn’t want to know. She covered her nose with her head covering to keep from gagging as the acrid stench of smoke which burned her throat and made her eyes water. She saw the look of concern on Marcelo’s face when he fell in beside her.
“Where is everyone?” Marcelo hissed under his breath.
They all turned as a ship flew low over the smoking remains. It rotated a hundred yards from them and landed. She shivered as an ominous feeling swept through her.
This must be what it means when they say someone is walking over my grave, she thought.
I don’t like that saying, Derik absently commented.
Me either, she decided.
She hadn’t meant to broadcast that thought to him. Afraid she might distract him, she pulled the wall up around her thoughts. She knew from experience that a single unintentional distraction could be the difference between life and death.
“That is a transport ship. They must have rounded up the remaining residents and are planning to transport them off world,” he quietly explained.
“What will they do with them?” Afon asked.
Derik turned and looked at her uncle. The expression on his face sent another shiver through her. He glanced at her before turning his attention back to the transport that was landing.
“They will use them as food,” he said in a dispassionate voice.
“Food?!” she hissed with horror.
Her stomach knotted at the idea of the residents’ horrible fate. She bit her lip to keep from crying. Bowing her head, she realized that no matter where you went in the universe, there would always be those that preyed on the weaker. She looked up when she felt Derik’s tender touch.
“Are you going to be alright?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m good,” she murmured.
He motioned for them to continue moving through the debris. Ten minutes later, they were peering through a narrow slit in a wall at the center of the town. On the north side, a large enclosure had been erected. Inside, terrified residents pressed to the back as far away from the opening as possible.
Her heart broke when she saw mothers and fathers holding their weeping children to them. Older residents had t
aken a fruitless protective stand in the front of the younger residents. Two guards paced in front of the entrance. A single heavy bar held the gates shut. There was no need for a lock when you were that big, ugly, and had a reputation for eating your prisoners.
This was her first up close look at the creatures. Her stomach turned. They were over eight feet tall and thickly built. Their skin was dark green with tan, black, and light green blotches that made them look like they had been splattered with camouflage paint. They had long tails, long legs, and short, stubby arms. They wore armor made of leather and metal, and they each held a glowing sword that had to be four or five feet long!
She silently counted as a dozen more of the creatures jumped out of the transport and spread out to stand guard at different points around the town center. It was obvious that something else was going on. There was a distinct tension in the air as the Juangans gazed warily up at the sky, focusing on another shuttle that was landing. With so many Juangan soldiers, she didn’t know how they were going to free all the prisoners without anybody getting hurt—or worse, them getting killed.
“What is the plan?” Afon asked.
She swallowed and looked at Derik. “We are going to free the prisoners, aren’t we?” she asked in a voice that wasn’t quite steady.
His lips curved upward and he nodded. “We’re going to free the prisoners,” he repeated.
She heard Marcelo release a long breath. “I knew I should have taken the security job at the mall,” he muttered with a rueful expression.
His response made her smile. “Naw, teenagers are a thousand times worse,” she joked.
“You’re probably right. I wouldn’t have been allowed to kill them,” Marcelo retorted with a wink.
“It would be best if we split up. I’ll move out to the right and around to the back side,” Afon said.
“I’ll take the left,” Marcelo added.
“Amelia and I will cover this side. The communicators are on a secure frequency. Stay in touch,” Derik agreed.
“I should take a side. The more firepower, the more confusion,” she said with a shake of her head.
Derik’s lips parted in protest. She touched his lips with her fingers, and shook her head again.
“I’m fast and I can hide if things go crazy. I’ve got this. It isn’t my first rodeo with bad guys. Besides, if you guys can create a distraction, I might be able to free the prisoners,” she reasoned.
“She’s right. If we can get them to focus on us, Runt might be able to slip in and open the gate,” Marcelo agreed.
She winced when both Derik and Afon turned to the other man with an outraged glare. She touched Derik’s arm. He reluctantly turned to her.
“We have a unique ability to communicate with each other. I won’t go until you tell me it is clear,” she murmured.
“If things get out of control, I want you to head back to the skimmer and the ship. RITA2 and DAR can operate it. It is hidden and you should be safe. If we don’t check in within a few days, a recon ship will be sent,” he ordered.
“Deal,” she agreed.
She could tell he wasn’t happy, but they didn’t have a lot of choices considering there were only the four of them. It didn’t make sense for her to be Derik’s shadow when she could help. Her fingers tightened on the grip of her pistol.
“Move out,” Derik reluctantly said.
She took a deep breath and followed Afon. They wove their way through the damaged remains of the buildings until they were behind a pile of debris next to the fenced compound. Peering over the wall, her eyes widened when she saw a formidable creature standing across from where they were hiding. He must have been on the last shuttle that landed since they had not seen him during their first sweep of the area. Given the expressions on the guards’ faces, they were very leery of the newcomer.
The Juangan’s authoritative manner had the other soldiers standing at wary attention. This new Juangan wore a uniform of gold-plated armor and was shouting orders in a language she didn’t understand, but in a tone that left no doubt that he was furious.
“That has to be the man in charge,” Afon murmured.
She nodded. “He doesn’t look pleased,” she observed.
“He’s about to get even more upset. Wait for Derik to signal you. We’ll take out the guards and draw attention away from you. Stay close to the cage and come up the right side. There aren’t any lizards on that side and there is enough debris you can use as cover if you need it. Once you get the signal, open the gate and get the hell out of there. We’ll provide as much cover fire as we can for everyone else,” he said.
She looked back at him with a worried expression. “But… there are bound to be casualties that way! The women with kids…. There is no way they will be able to run fast enough, especially if either one of those transports lift off,” she hissed.
He reached out and gripped her hand. She blinked back the sting of tears when she saw the look of resignation in his eyes. He’d already come to the same conclusion as she had—there would be collateral damage.
She turned back and looked at the frightened faces. Bowing her head, she forced herself to think. There had to be a way to stop the Juangans. Even if they escaped, the aliens would hunt them down. If there was a way to stop them—all of them, then that wouldn’t be an issue.
“Runt, if you don’t think you can do this, tell me now. It is better to retreat than to freeze. That will only get you—and the rest of us—killed,” he said.
She looked at him with a stony expression. “I won’t run and I won’t freeze. You get to the other side and don’t miss,” she said in a tight voice.
Afon studied her face before he gripped his weapons tighter and disappeared into the shadows. She turned her gaze back to the prisoners, then the transports. She might not be as good as they were in a physical fight, but she was damn good at fighting with her brain. Slipping behind a pile of debris that gave her cover yet still allowed her to see what was going on, she touched the micro-computer on her wrist.
“RITA2, I need your help. DAR’s too,” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“I’m in position,” Afon stated.
“I’m in position as well,” Marcelo said.
Derik’s gut tightened. “Amelia, are you ready?” he quietly asked.
“Yes.”
Her immediate response sent a shot of adrenaline through him. He rolled his shoulders and then lifted his laser rifle to a firing position. He flicked the switch to silent mode.
“I’ll take out the first guard when he turns the corner. Marcelo, if you have a clear shot, you take out the second guard. Afon, get ready,” he ordered.
“I’m aiming for the guy in gold. Something tells me he is the leader,” Afon wryly responded in his ear.
“Affirmative,” Derik responded.
He waited until the guard on the right side of the enclosure turned and walked back to the corner. He fired as the warrior rounded the corner and was briefly obscured from the other soldiers.
His blast struck the back of the Juangan’s head and the force of the impact propelled the creature forward. He collapsed next to the cage. Several old men inside the enclosure looked at the Juangan in surprise before they looked around the area. Three of them quickly concealed the dead soldier by standing along the fence in front of where he was lying. From his position, Derik could see one of the men reach through the bars and pull the soldier’s weapon from his limp fingers.
Marcelo fired the second shot almost at the same time. He had waited until the Juangan on the left began to turn and retrace his steps. A young man inside the enclosure jumped to his feet and grabbed the soldier’s clothing before the Juangan could collapse to the ground. He held the creature upright, using the dead Juangan’s body to conceal himself.
Turning his attention back to the main area, Derik could see the man that Afon had identified yelling orders. He recognized the uniform and armor the Juangan was wearing. He was the S
tarship Commander. It was unusual for the Commander to leave the ship. There was always the chance of a mutiny, and he could return to find himself the new item on the menu.
“Where are the fighters that were deployed?” the General demanded.
“They intercepted a Prime spaceship that entered the atmosphere, General Tusk,” a soldier replied.
General Tusk turned on the Juangan who had answered him. He sneered. Derik could see the Juangan’s sharp, yellow teeth glisten against his dark blue gums.
“What happened? Where is the Prime’s ship?” General Tusk snapped.
The Juangan warily watched the General as he stepped closer. “Five fighters moved to intercept. Colonel Tusk reported that it was a transport and not a warship before we lost contact. With the planet’s communication system destroyed, there is no way the Prime ship could have sent out a distress signal. The last signal we received from Colonel Tusk came from the Red Canyons. A sandstorm developed shortly after and we’ve received no communications since, General Tusk. We only have three transports and a single fighter remaining on the planet, sir. We did not want to conduct a search without proper equipment in case the Prime ship survived. We were waiting for additional forces to arrive,” the soldier reported.
General Tusk scanned the area. He roared in anger and extended his sword arm, separating the soldier’s head from his shoulders in one fluid movement. He kept his arm up in the air as he looked at the prisoners.
“That is for waiting. Load the prisoners in the transports and prepare the fighter,” the General ordered.
It took Derik a moment to register the connection between the General’s name and the Colonel’s. He had never expected any Juangans to give a damn about their heirs, but it was obvious that this one did. He vaguely wondered which one of the pilots they had killed yesterday was related to the General. It didn’t really matter. The General was about to join his relative.
“Amelia, get ready. Afon, if you have a shot, kill the bastard,” Derik said.