Freeforce: The Gryphon Saga

by L. E. Horn

  Better than booze, she thought, as if that ever worked for me either.

  The stars of Tarin were at least as beautiful as Earth’s. She spent the hours of her sleepless nights inventing names for the constellations. Someday, I will remember to ask Wilf for their Gryphon names. Of course, I doubt I will understand his answer.

  FROM A LEDGE, MICHAEL WATCHED Lianndra. He seldom accepted the sentry change since he knew he wouldn’t sleep anyway. He’d convinced himself he’d adapted to having less sleep. It’s mostly true, he thought.

  Michael preferred to stay up here. He looked forward to the nights when Lianndra also couldn’t sleep and came out to see the stars. Then it was just him and her, in the darkness of the night. Lianndra’s nocturnal pilgrimages brought him closer to her than he dared to get during the day. Somehow, sharing the stars with her made him feel less alone.

  They were lost in their separate togetherness when the normal bustle of the camp suddenly increased. Michael froze, listening, when Lianndra abruptly joined him on the ledge.

  “Something’s up.” She hesitated before heading down the cliffs.

  Michael inhaled. Lianndra’s scent floated past him, igniting all of his senses. It was the closest he’d been to her in a long time. Giving himself a shake, he followed along behind her.

  Something’s up. A large group of soldiers stood around the central fire pit. As Michael jogged in, Drake appeared among the group. He stood on an upended storage crate. Michael saw Lianndra join Andrea, Hannah, and some other Healers.

  Michael’s height provided him a clear view of the rebel leader. The respect Drake had attained became obvious when a hush fell as soon as he spoke.

  “We have intel about the captive Healers’ location from the disbanded FHR groups,” Drake said, initiating a collective intake of breath among the crowd. The rebel captain glanced beyond the soldiers to where Karn stood, surrounded by some of his warriors. “I need a small core of blokes. We must strike hard and fast to rescue the Healers, and it will be dangerous. We will, unfortunately, be without our Gryphon mates for most of this venture. The Healers are being held deep in Fang territory, beyond the reach of Karn and his Gryphon. Karn will be on standby to collect us as soon as it is physically possible.”

  Drake paused for a moment. “I’ve been in talks with Kesar. He’s currently staging guerrilla raids along the northeastern front lines. I’ve asked him to increase these forays over the next five days. The hope is to draw troops northward from here. Of course, the Fang are now familiar with this strategy, and we must take care not to alert them to our mission. I will select blokes based on their experience level. Considering the mission’s covert nature, we will keep the group small.”

  The crowd parted for Michael as he approached. “I’m in if you want me.”

  WHEN MICHAEL STEPPED FORWARD, DRAKE nodded to him before addressing the raised hands in the crowd. There were more volunteers than Drake needed. He spotted a tall blond head among them and gave Sean a nod before starting to work his way through the others.

  “Count us in too.” A clear female voice rang out from the edges. Drake swung around to see Andrea, Lianndra, and the other Healers staring at him.

  “They’re our sisters,” Andrea said. “We can move faster through the jungle than any other soldier. We want in.”

  The other Healers nodded.

  Drake hesitated. “I’ll talk to you separately.” Then he selected his team and told them to gather their gear. Drake approached the women. “I need not remind you how important the Healers are to the rebellion.” He crossed his arms. “You are crucial to our success. I will need a couple of you as scouts, but I can’t risk all of you on this single mission.”

  Andrea glanced at her fellow Healers. Hannah met her eyes with a clear, committed gaze. Behind her, a tall woman with cropped auburn hair and a firm jaw nodded encouragement.

  “We understand we are important to the rebel effort, but so are you,” Andrea said. “This mission differs from a regular slave raid. You’ll be going deeper into Fang territory. We’ll be needed, and not just as scouts.”

  Drake raised an eyebrow. “Okay. I know you can knock sentries unconscious with your healing abilities. The Fang are onto us, so they’ll be guarding the Healers with Farr, not slaves. We won’t be knocking anyone out. We’ll be taking them out. Quick and quiet, or the mission will fail.”

  Andrea hesitated.

  Lianndra spoke. “We can do it. Quicker, faster than any soldier. With a single touch.” The auburn-haired woman beside her looked surprised and glanced her way.

  Drake’s second eyebrow joined the first. “This is news to me. You’ve used your mind to kill?”

  Lianndra met his stare. “Yes,” she said. “While I was a captive, I tore a man’s heart to pieces.”

  There was a moment of astonished silence. Then Hannah straightened. “It wouldn’t differ from healing an old, infected injury. We must rip the tissue apart before healing it properly. It’s just a—different—focus.”

  “It isn’t hard. I’ve done it too, in self-defense,” the tall auburn-haired woman stated, head held high. Her hand rested on another Healer’s arm, a woman even smaller than Hannah with long, dark hair. Drake noticed that the smaller Healer appeared upset and refused to meet his eyes.

  What are their names—Laura, that’s it. The other is Ali. The two that wandered out of the jungle on their own. I don’t know their story, but it already sounds interesting. As Drake’s gaze drifted over the group of Healers, a couple shifted and looked away.

  It took Drake a few moments to reassess the situation. Healers could camouflage better than any soldier, to get within easy striking distance of a target. If they’re willing and able to use their talents to kill, they will be exactly what we need for this mission.

  “Could you do it again? Kill, I mean? Not out of anger, but because it is necessary?” He was looking at Lianndra, but the question applied to everyone. Lianndra killed a Fang with a Vloxx scale, I know she can do it. But the others? Even if they think they can, when the Farr is standing in front of them, will they be able to do it?

  “If it’s a Fang, I know I could do it again.” Lianndra’s voice was quiet but firm.

  Raking his eyes across the row of Healers, Drake took stock of their expressions. “What about the rest of you? Think this through. I’m not forcing anyone to do this. I know Lianndra has abilities not all of you have developed. Can you follow her lead? Even if you know how to kill with your mind, ask yourself if you can do it. Even with Fang as the target, killing isn’t something easily shrugged off. It takes a piece of you each time you kill a sentient being, even if they’re Fang.”

  A few Healers would not meet his eyes. He found himself looking into Hannah’s. She swallowed hard but met him stare for stare.

  “Are you sure?” he asked softly, and she nodded.

  Beside her, Lianndra raised her chin high. Andrea nodded and two other Healers followed suit, including Laura.

  Drake wasn’t so sure this was going to work. He would be more comfortable with seasoned soldiers. Except every seasoned soldier has to start somewhere. War doesn’t provide safe training sessions for amateurs, but I have no other way for them to learn. He couldn’t guarantee the Healers’ safety. These aren’t ordinary women, he reminded himself, and they’re not strangers to death, they’re just not used to being the direct cause of it.

  He glanced to where Michael stood like a statue in the firelight with his arms crossed over his broad chest. Having Michael and Lianndra together on a team will be like housing your detonators with your dynamite. Michael was his backup plan if everything else failed. The big guy was a one-man army when he went berserk. As long as Drake could keep him under control until he needed the power, Michael remained a major asset he was loath to do without.

  Drake sighed. Fate is dealing me an interesting hand for this one.

  In the end, the rescue force consisted of Drake, Michael, and ten of Drake’s best fighters, plus fi
ve Healers, including Andrea, Hannah, and Lianndra.

  IT WAS STILL DARK WHEN they headed off mounted on Gryphon. The big aliens carried them as far into the dense foliage as their size would allow. Finally, Drake called a halt and they dismounted.

  Michael slid off Karn. The two friends looked at each other for a moment. “If the Fang find you, just sing,” Michael said with a smile. “That’ll drive them away.”

  Karn snorted and tossed his head, rattling his neck spikes. “Funny,” he said. “Keep short.”

  Keep short? As the big Gryph left him to approach Drake, Michael considered Karn’s parting remark. Oh, keep your head down. We’ve got to work on his farewells.

  Karn stepped closer to Drake. “We remain. Call if trouble. We come.”

  Drake nodded and reached to clap the big Gryph on the bicep. “Stay safe,” he replied.

  “Tirrek raih,” the Gryphon whispered, crossing his arms and bowing deep. “Tread lightly, my friends.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  MICHAEL COULDN’T SEE LIANNDRA, BUT he was intensely aware of her presence high in the trees. The blonde Healer ran sentry duty ahead of the ground forces, finding the easiest path for them through the dense foliage. Her scent wafted back to his sensitive nose on the slightest breeze, and he saw her every time she dropped out of the canopy to direct the column leaders along the trail.

  They used established trails as much as possible. This gave them the advantage of speed, but as the Fang units created the trails, using them also presented the risk of discovery. Two Healers worked to keep this danger to a minimum: Laura, tall and raw-boned with cropped auburn hair, and Kate, athletically built with flowing dark hair and a ready smile. The two Healers fanned out along the sides and just ahead while Andrea took the rear sentry position.

  According to the intel, the Fang gathered the captive Healers at an outpost about two days deep into the jungle. The closer the rebel group got to the barracks, the greater the risk of detection. Even with Kesar harassing the front lines, they had to take cover from the occasional Fang fighting unit.

  The experienced soldiers Drake chose traveled swiftly through the dense brush, and Michael worked to stay with them. His larger build meant he jumped over the fallen trees they ducked under, while the sword’s hilt loomed over his shoulder and snatched at the overhead branches. Without the sword, he could slip through the brush with ease, but he was loath to leave it behind. He thrashed through yet another clinging branch when Lianndra startled him by dropping her skrin to the ground in front of him. She didn’t say a word, just dropped it and vanished into the trees.

  Lianndra’s silence disappointed Michael, but he was grateful for the skrin. He soon mastered the device and made things even easier by removing his boots and strapping them to his belt. The skrin enabled him to get into the lower canopy and above the men as well as the clinging undergrowth. Although Michael couldn’t hope to match the Healer’s agility, his upper body strength enabled him to swing through the lower levels of the trees. He became proficient at spreading his toes to grip the bark. Soon, the only time he faltered was when Lianndra passed by overhead, and the breeze carried her scent to him. Hannah appeared to steady him during one such distraction, the look of sympathy she shot him made him grimace.

  Still, he kept pace with the Healers. This is easier. Have my toes adjusted? Michael could swear that they seemed longer and the toenails stronger. Must be imagining things, he thought, unless I am turning into an ape.

  Drake and his men traveled throughout the night, guided by the Healers and only stopping briefly to rest near a monstrous hollow tree. Their pace slowed on the second day as they neared their target. Deep in Fang territory they often hid from passing Fang units. By the time the barracks were in sight, another night had fallen.

  DRAKE, MICHAEL, HANNAH, AND LIANNDRA stood on a giant branch one hundred feet above the ground, clutching smaller branches for support. Drake used Hannah’s skrin to heave himself into the tree, offsetting his lack of polish with sheer determination. The rest of the unit hunkered down in the shadows far below, waiting for their orders.

  Just ahead, the barracks spread out across the clearing—a misshapen wart nestled among the beautiful, rich landscape. From above, the buildings appeared even more decrepit than they looked from the ground.

  Drake assessed the state of things as he clung to a branch. This outpost appears more like a supply field station than proper barracks. They’ll only want to hold the Healers here temporarily, and I hope they’ve not already moved them.

  Fang sentries patrolled the clearing’s edges, pacing in a bored fashion along their assigned route. Before the rebellion, the Fang used slaves for this purpose as Farr were too valuable to waste on such duties. The fact they patrolled was a sign the rebels were now a recognized threat.

  “We need to knock out those sentries,” Drake whispered. Using his magnifiers, he made a quick headcount. “Six,” he muttered.

  “Should we check for the captive Healers first?” Hannah asked, pointing to a large tree overhanging the barracks. “I can drop within the perimeter using the tree and check the buildings.”

  Drake grimaced and debated with himself. “All right, makes sense. If you find them, get on a roof and signal us. Then you’ll have to hide until we remove the sentries.” He turned to Lianndra. “We’ll need the Healers to take out four. Are you sure they can do this? If not, I’ll use my men. They can’t camouflage the same way, but they’ve done this kind of thing before.”

  Lianndra’s eyes shone in the moonlight. “I’m sure. We’ve talked this over and we are all committed. With Fang, there are no second thoughts.”

  “Saying that and actually living it are two different things. There is no shame in having second thoughts,” Drake replied. “You can’t hesitate once you are in place. Hesitation is fatal.”

  “I’m fine.” Lianndra looked grim.

  Drake gazed deeply into Lianndra’s eyes and nodded. He designated those he needed the Healers to take out and waited for her to confirm. “When they’re down, send Kate and Laura into the trees to keep watch,” he said to her. “You and Andrea can join Hannah and the rest of us to free the captives.” The blonde Healer nodded. and Drake turned to skrin down the tree. Hannah followed him, leaving Michael alone with Lianndra.

  LIANNDRA AND MICHAEL STOOD IN silence. She shifted on the branch and the movement made Michael wonder how much she missed her tail. The bit remaining could no longer wrap around the branches, yet the blonde Healer seemed to balance without effort. Her strong aroma, a unique blend of human and animal, made his blood heat.

  He sensed the tension in her body as she clung to the tree’s rough bark. The thought of her tackling the Fang sentry alone wreaked havoc within him. He knew his eyes fired gold specks at her as she turned her head to look at him.

  Her eyes widened as she read his face. “I can do this, Michael. Don’t worry.”

  Michael’s heart fluttered. He had trouble thinking of her as a killer. I wonder if she feels the same way about me? He looked away from her. The Berserker in him took no prisoners. Ever.

  Lianndra stared at him, waiting for his response. She’s trying to reassure me. “I believe you,” he replied, but the growl in his voice gave him away. Dammit, suck it up, you idiot. “I’m always on edge before a fight. But I believe you.”

  I believe in you, he thought but couldn’t quite bring himself to say it. He knew Lianndra felt guilty for what she’d inadvertently done to him. Michael didn’t know what he could say to ease the burden, especially not at this moment, with the battle imminent and the Beast rattling the bars.

  Her eyes shone brighter in the faint moonlight and he thought he saw the sheen of unshed tears. “Be safe.” She vaulted into the higher canopy.

  “You too,” he whispered before activating his skrin and sliding back to Drake.

  DRAKE SENT SEAN AND ANOTHER soldier off to work their way closer to their designated sentries. The two soldiers and the Healers would wa
it for a signal before moving to take them out.

  “I need you to stick with me.” Drake searched Michael’s face. “How are you, mate?”

  “Good. For now.” Michael avoided making eye contact as he finished strapping his boots back on.

  “Scale?” Drake asked.

  Over time and many battles, Michael and Drake developed a rating system to tell the captain how close he came to losing control. “One” meant complete Michael, calm and in control. “Five” indicated Berserker present but contained. “Eight” was too late for negotiation. They’d yet to make it beyond that number.

  “Five,” Michael answered as he shifted uncomfortably. Drake knew the big guy often grew agitated before a battle. The soldiers listened to the exchange—they had worked with Michael before and understood the rating system.

  “You’re our backup plan if things go south. If I yell for an Eight, let it go. Otherwise, I need you in control.” Drake held Michael’s eyes for a moment. Then he turned and nodded to the men ranged around them. “Once the sentries are down, we move in—standard fan formation. Cover the buildings not housing the Healers.” He nodded to three men. “The remainder stick with me. There will be guards with the captives and we have no idea what shape the women are in.”

  Drake stood and moved to where Hannah leaned against a tree. He returned her skrin, and she reached to kiss him before vanishing with a quick flick of the device.

  Drake stared after her for a moment. Then he gestured to his men to hold position. He looked back into the tree above him.

  “Mate, I need your skrin,” he whispered to Michael, who rose to join him.

  Michael handed it to him. “Toss it back when you’re up.”

  Drake wasn’t graceful with the skrin, but he made it partway up the tree before tossing back the tool. The two men weren’t as high as before, but they had a good sightline into the clearing. They could see the massive tree Hannah would use to gain access to the barracks.