Darkspace Renegade Volume 1: Books 1 & 2: (A Military Sci-Fi Series)

by G J Ogden

  “What the hell else am I going to do?” he replied, also in a whisper. “Jump up and do a dance?” Hallam was sure he felt an elbow to his ribs, though he could have imagined it.

  Hallam and Dakota remained motionless for several minutes, though every second of it was agonizing. Eventually, the woman departed, her formal work shoes clacking sharply on the hard floor.

  “Remind me to buy a lottery ticket this week,” said Hallam, thanking whichever of the trillions of stars had been their lucky one. The device that Dakota had inserted into the central data core then bleeped, and Hallam let out a relieved sigh. “Are we good to go?” he said hopefully.

  Dakota removed the device, peered intently at the small display panel built into its side, then nodded. “We’re good. Now let’s get the hell out of here,” she said, slowly getting to her feet and glancing at the map on her watch. “The elevator that heads directly to the roof is at the end of the west gangway,” she added, indicating the direction they needed to go with the slightest nod of her head.

  Just as in the Consortium HQ on Vesta, Dr. Rand had explained that Doyle would have installed a private elevator leading directly to the roof. This was to allow him to access the facility without having to consort with, or even see the riff-raff that worked for him. Their aerial recon of the building had picked up a personal flying vehicle parked on the roof’s landing pad. Dakota’s genius escape plan involved them reaching the roof, stealing the vehicle using the lock-cracker device, and flying back to their hidden fighter. That way, they could be off the planet before the local authorities or CSF Enforcers knew anything had happened.

  Hallam took the lead this time as Dakota safety stowed the device that now contained a chunk of Doyle’s most precious secret data. He crept out of the central core with Dakota on his heels. Then, when he was clear of the core, he picked up speed and rounded the corner onto the west gangway before colliding head-first with Draga Vex.

  22

  Hallam felt pain shoot through his shoulder as he hammered into Draga Vex’s iridescent black power armor at full speed. Fortunately, the mercenary was caught completely unawares and off balance, and the force of the impact propelled Draga back along the gangway. The mercenary tripped and fell into Alexis Black, knocking her off her feet. Incredibly, Draga Vex managed to stay standing, but Hallam had already overcome the shock of literally running into the lethal mercenary. He’d been expecting the worst since the moment he and Dakota had set foot inside the Consortium building, and now that the worst had arrived, he was ready for it.

  Hallam launched a swinging haymaker at Draga, catching her cleanly. The mercenary went down, crashing through the metal railings to the side of the gangway and slamming her head into the deck. However, laying out the female mercenary with the striking black eyeliner only revealed another far more serious problem, in the form of Cad Rikkard.

  Like Hallam, Cad did not hesitate, immediately grasping the handle of his medieval sword. However, while the mercenary leader of the Blackfire Squadron reached for his sword, Dakota was charging at him. The blade of the Black Prince had barely become exposed to the cold air inside the data bunker before Dakota launched herself at the mercenary, drop-kicking him squarely in the chest. The alien-looking armor that Cad Rikkard was wearing spared him from injury, but the blow still sent him crashing to the deck.

  “Go, while we still have a chance!” Hallam yelled, hauling Dakota to her feet and shoving her past the prone bodies of all three mercenaries. He could see the hesitation in Dakota’s eyes, but Hallam didn’t need to explain to her the importance of her escape. Dakota was holding the clue to the location of the alien probe in her backpack. Without it, they had no hope of retrieving the vital alien technology, and no hope of destroying the Centrum. She had to get out, at all costs.

  Dakota gritted her teeth and ran for the elevator as Hallam launched another kick at Cad Rikkard, smashing the toe of his boot into the mercenary’s face as he climbed to his feet. Cad collapsed to the deck again, blood pouring from his nose, but somehow, he was still conscious.

  Hallam turned to run before spotting Alexis Black, hands resting on her knees, still trying to shake off the collision with Draga. She glanced up, saw Hallam, and reached for her twin Five-Seven-Seven pistols. Hallam ran at the mercenary, closing the narrow gap between them in a mere fraction of a second before driving his already bruised and stinging shoulder into her chest. The pistols fired and two cracks reverberated around the cavernous data bunker, but Hallam was not hit.

  Alexis fought back, using her augmented strength to push Hallam away before attempting to whip one of the Five-Seven-Sevens across the side of his face. Hallam ducked under it, hearing the swoosh of air rush past his ears as the weapon flashed over his head. Hallam sprang up and drove an uppercut into Alexis’ chin, knowing that striking her exposed head was the only way he could beat her. The mercenary screamed, as much from frustration and anger as from pain. Her eyes were wild now. There was no trace of the flirtatious woman Hallam had met on the casino space station above Feronia. She was like a different person, and from the look in her eyes, Hallam knew that this Alexis Black would give him no quarter. It was all or nothing – if the next blow didn’t send her down, he was finished.

  Throwing himself forward, Hallam launched a flying headbutt at the mercenary. It was a desperate move, but it caught her by surprise, causing Alexis to fall back and crash through the metal railings at the side of the gangway. The mercenary screamed again, but this time, it was out of terror. Hallam thrust a desperate hand out to catch her, more out of pure instinct than from any real desire to save her life, but it was already too late. Alexis Black’s body slammed into the gangway on the level below, the noise of her impact reverberating around the data bunker like the crash of thunder. Hallam grabbed the railings to the side of where she had fallen and peered down at her, but the female mercenary remained still, blood oozing from her skull. Then an anguished roar forced him to tear his eyes away from the motionless body of Alexis, yet he didn’t need to look to know who had uttered the cry.

  “No!” Cad Rikkard howled as he clawed himself forward and stared down at Alexis over the edge of the gangway. “Alexis!” the mercenary yelled, but the woman remained motionless in the steadily-expanding pool of blood.

  Cad Rikkard’s bloodshot eyes met Hallam’s, and what he saw staring back at him was more animal than man. Hallam backed away, grabbing one of Alexis’ Five-Seven-Seven pistols as he did so before aiming it at Cad’s head.

  “You had better kill me now,” Cad growled back at Hallam. “Because if you don’t, I will find you and I will tear you limb from limb. I will never stop coming for you!”

  Hallam continued to back away, but then saw Draga Vex climbing to her feet. Like Cad Rikkard, she was still dazed and groggy, but her cruel eyes were looking sharper and more alert by the second.

  “Hallam, run!” he heard Dakota yell from the far side of the gangway.

  Hallam’s mind was racing. He had no doubt in his mind that the mercenary leader was sincere. If he didn’t deal with Cad Rikkard now, the mercenary would never stop coming for him, no matter what Damien Doyle ordered. Cad Rikkard had to die, Hallam decided in that moment. And he had to kill him. It’s one life to save billions… Hallam told himself, remembering Dakota’s words to him. Then he recalled Dr. Rand’s similarly somber warning that there would be more casualties before the fight was over. It was either Cad Rikkard or himself.

  Hallam gritted his teeth, the sick feeling in his stomach building in intensity to a point where he wanted to vomit. Yet Cad Rikkard remained, back straight, eyes level, almost daring Hallam to take the shot. Hallam took a deep breath and held it before squeezing the trigger.

  The crack of the pistol split the air, but Draga Vex had already launched herself in front of Cad, raising her arms to shield both of their faces. The bullet deflected off Draga’s shimmering black armor, as if he’d been shooting pellets, before she dragged Cad down, shielding him with her own bo
dy.

  “Run!” he heard Dakota cry again, and this time, Hallam did not hesitate. He’d taken his shot at Cad Rikkard and missed. Legs and arms pumping, Hallam sprinted across the gangway and inside the waiting elevator, slamming into the back wall and using it as a brake. Dakota practically punched the button for the roof level, as Hallam collapsed to the floor, bruised, breathless, and more afraid than he’d ever been in his life. The doors of the elevator began to slowly whir shut, and through the gap, Hallam saw Cad Rikkard leap over the railings and drop out of sight to the level below. However, Draga Vex had not gone to attend to her fallen squadron member. Fueled by bloodlust, Draga was racing along the gangway, eyes burning with a seething hatred that was aimed directly at him. Then the doors closed and the elevator began to ascend.

  23

  Dakota helped Hallam to his feet as the elevator swiftly ascended toward the roof of the Consortium building. Both of them were shaking from a mix of adrenaline and fear, but most of all, Hallam had a deep sense of foreboding that what had just happened would come back to haunt him.

  “I think we just poked a hornet’s nest,” said Hallam, flexing his aching shoulder. “Or more like smashed one to pieces.”

  “Did you take out Cad Rikkard?” asked Dakota while watching the numbers on the elevator panel rise.

  “No, Draga jumped in front of him and blocked the bullet,” said Hallam, reaching down to pick up the Five-Seven-Seven pistol he’d taken from Alexis. “But Alexis Black fell to the level below. She looked bad, maybe even dead.”

  “Let’s hope so,” replied Dakota, coldly. “Only having to deal with two of those nutjobs is a lot better than three.”

  Hallam didn’t share Dakota’s optimistic opinion. A vengeful Cad Rikkard was the last thing they needed. “Given the way Rikkard screamed when he saw that Alexis had fallen, I’m not so sure. If she dies, then who knows what lengths that maniac will go to in order to hunt us down.”

  The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors slid open, allowing the chilly air of the Fortunan night to gust inside.

  “Well, we’re not out of this yet,” said Dakota, stepping outside and spotting the personal flying vehicle on the landing pad, across the opposite side of the rooftop.

  Hallam followed Dakota onto the rooftop but then hung back, holding the door open. “Wait, hold the doors while I find something to jam them,” he called to Dakota. “That way, Draga can’t follow us.”

  Dakota nodded and shoved her boot into the door jamb, while Hallam quickly scoured the rooftop for something he could use to brace the door. He tore the cover off an air vent before running back to Dakota. Holding the chunk of metal between the opening, Dakota then released the doors, allowing them to slide shut and brace against the vent cover. The door mechanism whirred and grumbled then fell silent before a low-pitched alarm droned out from inside the elevator.

  “There, let’s see that sadistic witch try to follow us now,” said Dakota, dusting off her hands.

  Hallam and Dakota ran side-by-side across the industrial rooftop space, dipping beneath cooling ducts and dodging past skylights and air vents, until they were within sight of the landing pad.

  Suddenly, an access door in front of them flung open and hammered into the wall at its side. It sounded like a gong being dropped onto a concrete floor. Hallam slid to a stop with Dakota close behind, heart still pounding in his chest. Then, from out of the darkness, a figure emerged, eyes wild, chest heaving, and fists clenched. It was Draga Vex.

  “Did you really think you could get away?” snarled Draga, methodically pacing toward them. Then she pointed a finger at Hallam like it was a gun. “You, I will leave alive for Cad to deal with,” she spat, aiming her finger at Dakota instead. “You, however, I will enjoy killing myself, slowly and painfully.”

  “Like hell you will,” Hallam hit back. He raised the Five-Seven-Seven pistol he still had in his hand and squeezed the trigger.

  However, Draga had already raised her arms in front of her face, using her armor as a shield, while methodically pacing toward him. Hallam fired again and the crack of the weapon pierced the cold night air before deflecting of the mercenary’s protective shell. Still Draga continued to march toward Hallam as bullets pinged off her armor with no effect. Hallam squeezed the trigger again and again, growing increasingly more frantic and desperate, until the weapon clicked empty. Draga’s arms fell to her sides, fists clenched tightly, but still she continued on. Her armor was dented and punctured in several places, and Hallam could even see blood seeping through the cracks, but the woman’s pitiless expression had not altered.

  Hallam was momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend how the mercenary was still standing, and in that moment of hesitation, Draga charged. Before his senses had returned, Hallam was swept aside as easily as a willowy tree branch and sent tumbling backwards into a skylight, cracking the glass with his shoulder and elbow. He pushed himself up and tried to shake off the pain before spotting Dakota and Draga squaring off against one another.

  Dakota made the first move, launching a series of strikes, but Draga either blocked them or allowed Dakota’s bare fists to strike her black armor, causing her to cry out in pain. Draga’s sadistic smile remained as Dakota continued to attack, but it was as futile as trying to smash down a wall with her bare fists. Seemingly growing bored of toying with Dakota, Draga reached out for her. The move was swift, like the whip of a scorpion’s sting, and Dakota was caught by the throat. Draga then slowly lifted her so that soon Dakota was on the tips of her toes. Hallam could see that Dakota’s mouth was open, trying desperately to speak or cry out, but the only sound escaping her lips was the strangled croak of someone whose throat was being crushed.

  Hallam scrambled to his feet and ran at the mercenary with no plan in his mind other than to stop her from choking Dakota to death. He launched himself at her, using his momentum to send all three skidding across the surface of the rooftop. Hallam was not injured by the fall, but his shoulder burned even more fiercely from the impact with Draga’s power armor. Dakota had rolled to a stop about five meters away. She was now tantalizingly close to the flying vehicle. Her hands were clasped to her throat, and she was coughing bitterly. Once again, Draga had come off the worst from the collision, and had toppled backwards into a skylight, the weight of her armor causing the glass to fracture and collapse. The mercenary fell through, but just managed to catch the ledge, preventing a fall to the level below.

  Wasting no time, Hallam ran to Dakota and pulled her to her feet. “Get to the flyer and start cracking the lock!” he yelled as Dakota met his eyes, her face still twisted with agony. “I’ll hold her off. She won’t kill me; she said so herself.” Dakota tried to speak, but again only a painful croak passed between her bleeding lips. “No arguments, Dak. Get the flyer started or we’re both dead!” Dakota nodded weakly and staggered toward the flyer, eyes flicking between Hallam and Draga Vex, who had now pulled both arms up onto the rooftop. “Dak, go!” Hallam yelled again, and reluctantly, this time, Dakota turned and scampered toward the quad-rotor flying vehicle.

  Hallam spun back to face Draga Vex, still feeling breathless and lightheaded, and with no clue how he was going to stop her. The mercenary now had one leg up onto the rooftop, which gave Hallam precious little time to act. He accelerated into a run and jumped forward into a baseball slide, planting the soles of his boots squarely into Draga’s shoulders. He’d expected to send her crashing through the skylight to the office floor below, but instead, it was like hitting a brick wall.

  Hallam winced from the pain shooting through his legs and scrambled away from Draga. The mercenary’s eyes were glowering back at him, blood now streaming across the lightning strike motif that shot across her temple. The fingers of her powered gauntlets were burrowed into the rooftop, biting into the material like football cleats digging into turf.

  Hallam sprang up, panic swelling in his gut, as Draga again began hauling herself onto the roof. He peered around the rooftop, looking for a w
eapon – anything he could use to hold off the bloodthirsty mercenary for long enough to get away. Running over to the door that Draga had smashed open earlier, he launched a kick at the handrail next to it, dislodging a section of the metal tubing. Hallam twisted the bar clear of the fixings and gripped it tightly. It was crude, but it would have to do, he realized. With the bar in his hands, he moved back in front of the skylight to where Draga Vex was now rising up from her knees to her full, intimidating height. Her gaze flicked from Hallam to the bar and then back to his eyes.

  “You think that pathetic weapon will stop me?” snarled Draga, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. “Drop it and submit to me now. Your death will be much easier and far less painful if you do.”

  Hallam glanced across to the personal flying vehicle and saw that the gull-wing door was open and that Dakota was inside. The flashing lock-cracker device now sat atop the main control console, lights blinking rapidly.

  “Do you even know why Doyle sent you after us?” Hallam replied, trying to stall the mercenary and also get a moment of respite to gather his strength.

  Draga shook her head and took a measured step toward Hallam. “I don’t care why he wants you,” she said plainly before again lowering her gaze to the metal bar in Hallam’s hand. “Put that down. Cad may want you alive, but I’ll hand you to him broken if I have to.”

  Hallam raised the bar as Draga took another step toward him, her dilated pupils emphasizing the whites of her eyes, which were starkly contrasted against the dark circles surrounding them.

  “If you stop what I’m here to do, then the bridges will all collapse,” Hallam continued, still trying to buy time, though internally, he was screaming for the lock-cracker device to complete its task. “Every bridge world, and even Earth, will be thrown into chaos. Everyone will die.”