He fired a shot at the Cruiser’s nose even though he knew the black boat’s forward shields were the strongest. But he had to get the ship’s attention, and draw it in to him.
Sure enough, the ship turned, but it was slow, and unaccustomed to targeting one tiny man on the ground. Jolo sprinted straight for the ship. It fired it’s forward railguns, but they couldn’t get a bead on Jolo because he was just about under the ship by then. The Cruiser tried to catch Jolo in its jet wash, turning hard so the positional thrusters would blow him out from under. But Jolo held his ground, darting to and fro so he could stay directly under the center of the ship between the outer thrusters that were kicking up ice and dirt.
Jolo pulled up the schematic of the Cruiser on his computer and found the weakest point on the undercarriage of the boat: a seam joint towards the rear. He pelted the big alacyte ship but it showed no damage. The third shot put a hole in the fuselage and a fourth had the big boat trying to limp home. Jolo quickly took out one of the positional thrusters and the BG ship went into a spin.
Suddenly a hatch opened and a mech jumped down. Twenty meters or so it fell, crashing down onto the ground. It had pads under its tri-toed feet but it still sunk down and had to work its way out of the ice. Jolo checked his ammo, one grenade left. Once free, the big black mech ran towards him, the ground shaking with each step. It got bigger and bigger the closer it came. Jolo swallowed hard and shouldered the gun.
“Come here, you bastard!” yelled Jolo.
He waited until the mech was twenty meters off. Its angry red energy blades were lit and ready to cut him in half. Cocky bastard, thought Jolo. It knew the shot was coming but it also knew it could take a round or two from an energy blaster.
But Jolo wasn’t wielding a Fed weapon. Jolo fired the grenade and it hit the mech in the chest and for a split-second it kept coming, the end of the staff rising up so it could swing down and destroy the little human. But the grenade blew and the mech fell back, a big hole where the chest plate was. The worm inside dead instantly. No screaming.
The blast blew Jolo back and he landed on his back and slid on the ice. He looked up and could see the big ship limping back towards the other black boat. The second boat was on the ground. People were boarding. Women.
“Greeley, you there?!” yelled Jolo into his wrist comm.
“Kinda busy, Cap,” said Greeley. Jolo could hear gunfire in the background. “We’re pinned down in the parking lot and taking heat from all angles. They got a dang mech!”
Jolo had to make a quick decision. He looked up at the big black Cruiser. He couldn’t let it get off the ground.
“Greeley, hold what you got! That’s an order!”
“We cain’t hold much longer!”
Jolo ran back to the carryall and started dragging it towards the ships. Two more mechs jumped down and Jolo scrambled to find more grenades. The mechs came fast and this time were wary of the little human with the gun. They spread out and tried to take him from either side, each footfall a BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. They ran at him from different angles so Jolo had to choose one and wait. At twenty meters he fired and missed. By then the ground was shaking and his heart was beating fast. He took a deep breath and fired again. The grenade hit the mech in the chest and Jolo took cover behind the carryall. The mech exploded, black alacyte parts clanked against the other mech still coming hard. Jolo couldn’t use the launcher again because the mech was too close. So he dove out of the way and fired the Colt.
The bullet hit the mech but it only seemed to make him angrier. He came down with his staff and Jolo could feel the heat from the lit end as it grazed past his head. Two more shots from the Colt and the worm was screeching. It took a step back to right itself and that was all the time Jolo needed. He dove for an M-16 in the carryall. The mech attacked again, 2000 pounds of metal, the end of the staff pointed right at Jolo. But Jolo fired round after round and the mech fell at his feet.
Jolo didn’t waste any time. He reloaded the grenade launcher and pulled the carryall along. People were still being loaded onto the ship. The big rear hatch was opened and the four landing pads were down. The Cruiser Jolo had shot earlier was still in a spin, though maintaining position next to the other boat. It opened fire every time the nose came around with the rail gun and nearly took out the carryall. There was a worm hole close by and Jolo had to jump clear of the rail gun blast and not fall in. The big boat made a pass and Jolo waited for it to come around again. He fired a grenade right at the one working positional thruster and the boat veered off at an angle. It scraped the top of the other boat, pushing it down a meter or so into the ice. Jolo fired at the second boat, damaging the starboard engines.
Suddenly the hatch started to close and the big boat wound up her engines. The starboard one failed, stared to smoke, and was shut down. But she could still reach atmo with just the one. Jolo glanced up at the first boat and it had worked its way right over the mall. And then it happened again.
Jolo, the carryall, the rifles, and the boat started to float. Here we go, thought Jolo. He tried to get a shot off but ended up hitting the thick hull of the second boat.
And then another crazy thing happened. The first boat disappeared. It was there, holding altitude but clearly not in control, and then when it got over the mall, the air around it shimmered and sparkled, and then it was gone.
Everything fell back down again. There were guns scattered around. Some of them fell into the worm hole. Jolo jumped up and stared at the spot where the first Cruiser was. It was gone. He looked up into the orange sky and there was nothing. It didn’t just jump out.
He started throwing the guns back into the carryall. He picked up a grenade launcher, ran around to the other side of the ship and took out the port side thruster. The ship needed to stay on the ground. Katy might be inside.
He couldn’t hit the weak point, so he started to go for the starboard thruster, but the ground shook again and again as mechs started jumping down from the rear hatch of the ship. The first few ran out to block his retreat. They were too far off to try and hit them with the launcher, so he blew a hole in the rear stabilizer. The boat wasn’t going anywhere.
He scrambled around throwing the rest of the guns into the carryall. By then four more mechs had joined the party and they were closing in. He took down two with one of the M-16s, but he was running out of time. He couldn’t take them all. He put one more down and it fell into the ice. But the others were on top of him.
He pushed the carryall towards the worm hole and jumped in after it. One of the mechs came down at him with an energy blade and cut through his jacket. It got too close to the edge and it fell, too. And suddenly Jolo was sliding down the hole end over end with M16s and grenade launchers and a big mech trying to cut him in half.
He lost the gun he was using but ended up sliding on his back for a moment and was able to pull out the Colt. He got a shot off at the mech, but then the hole changed direction and everything shifted over. For a second the mech was bearing down on him, about to crush him. He pushed off of its head and jumped clear as the whole mess came sliding into one of the underground tunnels.
The carryall crashed into the wall of the dark tunnel, Jolo tried to gain his footing but fell. He scrambled up off the wet, dirt floor. The mech came in soon after, found its footing and took a step towards Jolo. He reached for the Colt, but it was gone. The mech cut a tight downward arc with the energy blade, aiming for Jolo’s neck. Jolo dove out of the way. The heat and bright electricity of the hot red blade burned his face, a white spot in his vision, the business end missing by a hair. The mech pulled the blade back again for a final blow while Jolo scratched around frantically in the wet, cold mud, but couldn’t find a gun. I’m going to die in a hole surrounded by enough firepower to take down a hundred mechs, he thought.
And then there was a flash of green and the clank of metal on metal as the mech was pushed back by a big man in a Fed battle suit. Jolo jumped back towards the entrance of the hole where there w
as a little light left and he saw the dark shape of an M16. Greeley didn’t stand a chance against a mech and now the blade was coming for him.
“Duck!” yelled Jolo. And Greeley went down and Jolo fired five quick rounds into the chest plate of the BG warrior. It fell on Greeley and Jolo had to pull him out from under the mech.
“’Bout time you got here,” said Greeley. “We been on the run trying to stay alive.” He reached down and picked up an M-16. He fired at the head of the dead BG warrior and it put three holes into its alacyte skull. A big grin broke out on his face.
“How’d you know I was here?” said Jolo.
“I followed the sound of the explosions. That weren’t Fed issue ordinance I heard.” It was Jolo’s turn to smile. He handed Greeley a grenade launcher. “Don’t fire it in close quarters.”
“Dang, captain. I’m gone get all misty and whatnot.” He eyed the launcher like a mother holding her newborn. He loaded a grenade into the chamber. “If you was a girl, Cap, I’d give you a kiss. Might give you one anyway.”
Greeley’s battle suit looked like it been through several wars. There were ragged burn marks angling down across his chest armor, scratches, bullet marks and even a few dents.
“Now we go hunting,” said Jolo.
Finding Katy
Greeley led Jolo to another one of Riley’s hiding places, off the main hallway of the mall towards the end where everything started to look more like a giant hole carved out of the earth. The front was destroyed, and no entrance visible. But Greeley pulled back a big piece of sheet metal and they crawled under, and once inside the space opened up and the walls were still standing. There was a sign on the wall: Peachtree Credit Un-. The last bit torn off in a blur of broken concrete and rebar. Greeley went to a hole in the back. He squatted down and whistled. A few seconds later they heard a high pitched whistle in return. Then Korley’s head popped out of the hole, the end of his gun poking through.
He stepped into the room. “Good to see ya,” he said to Jolo.
“That gun still got no ammo?”
Korley shrugged. Jolo reached into the carryall and pulled out an M-16. Greeley gave him a look but Jolo waved it off.
Korley saw the weapon and his eyes lit up. “Before I give this to you,” said Jolo. “One thing. Always get eyes on whatever you targeting before you pull the trigger. This thing’s got forty rounds. Make each one count. Make sure you are aiming at Hazuki, or one of his men, or a mech before you fire. Okay?”
Korley nodded. Jolo showed him where the safety was and handed him the gun. And then Greeley and Jolo went inside and left Korley to watch the entrance.
The crew was there, Riley and the wild boys, too, though their numbers were down a bit.
“Where’s the rest of the kids?” said Jolo.
“Lost a few. Got nabbed by Hazuki,” said Riley.
George, Hurley and Koba came up and patted Jolo on the back. “I see you brought some party favors,” said Hurley.
“Yes, indeed. Y’all ready to go hunting?”
The plan was simple, go to the crippled BG Cruiser and get Katy and anyone else they could save. Jolo and the crew would all go, each carrying two guns: one for themselves and another for any of the women willing to fight. Jolo guessed more than a few would have some training. He also needed pilots. Korley, Riley and some of the older boys would stay in hiding for now and only fight if Hazuki or a mech came right to their hiding place.
George led everyone through the main corridor, then to the stairwell the skinny man had showed him days before when he went to the cage and rescued Jolo and the crew.
Jolo went up first. He got near the top and stopped, and peeked over the edge. A hundred meters away, the black boat sat on the flat ice, two mechs standing guard, one on either side.
“Okay,” said Greeley, “I’ll take them.”
“What, you get two?” said Jolo.
Greeley just glared at him until Jolo started grinning. “Okay, big man, but I’ll back you up.”
“Jolo, if we get Katy back, and we get the Hazuki’s stash, how are we going to get off planet?” said George.
“I’m thinking on it,” said Jolo. “Earlier I saw one of the BG boats disappear. How you reckon that happened?”
“That isn’t possible.”
“No, it ain’t. Oh, and before that they just sort of appeared. One second no BG boats anywhere, and a second later I got two all over me. How you figure that happens?”
“Let me think on it and we’ll talk later.”
“If this thing goes sideways y’all stay put. Hurley, I’m talkin’ to you!” Jolo said, then followed Greeley up the stairs.
Jolo and Greeley laid down on the ice hoping the mechs wouldn’t see them.
“One thing I cain’t figure. How come the mechs ain’t got guns?”
“Cause they hadn’t needed them up to this point. They were made to defeat one foe: the Fed.”
“Good thing we ain’t Fed,” said Greeley.
“Good thing we ain’t got Fed guns. Alright, go do your thing.”
Greeley stood up and stretched, checked the M-16, then Betsy, then stared walking straight towards the big, black boat. Jolo watched Greeley and smiled. The man in the green battle suit walked towards the BG warriors like he was taking a stroll in one of the core world parks. Jolo trailed him at a distance.
The mech on Greeley’s side of the boat spotted him and moved out a bit to protect the ship. The other warrior went to Greeley’s left and another warrior jumped down from the ship and headed to Greeley’s right. Great, now there were three, thought Jolo.
Greeley stopped, took a knee, and fired two quick rounds at the closest mech. It fell onto the ice. The other two jumped high into the air, aiming for the man in the green battle suit. At the same time, a hatch under the ship opened and two battle bots zoomed up into the dark sky.
Jolo started running forward. Considered calling George on the comm, but stopped and fired two quick rounds at the nearest bot. It changed trajectory, but kept coming. Meanwhile, the two mechs landed twenty meters on either side of Greeley. He took down one, but couldn’t get to the other one in time. Jolo fired at the big mech from thirty meters and it fell, but by then the two bots were all over Greeley.
They streaked upwards, just out of sight then came flying back in at a crazy angle. Jolo and Greeley were back to back waiting for the bots to come down. The first one buzzed past, its laser cutter burning a hole in the ice as it passed by, taking off the tip of Greeley’s boot. He yelled in pain. But Jolo took the bot out with the Colt as it tried to gain altitude again.
The next one flew in from the opposite side, it too, trying to cut Greeley in half. They go for the strongest, the man in the battle suit, first, thought Jolo. It came down and Jolo pushed Greeley out of the way with all of his strength and Greeley flew across the ice. And suddenly the bot was coming straight for Jolo.
He fired the Colt, heard the distinctive sound of lead compressing into alacyte, but the red laser didn’t go out. The bot was ten meters out now and there was nowhere to go but down. Jolo ducked, thinking maybe this would be it, but then BAM. The bot was thrown off course, landing a few meters off. The red ocular receptors were unlit and the laser was off. It had a big hole in its black shell, smoke coming out, but Jolo shot it with the Colt again just in case.
He looked back and there was George with his M-16. “How’d you know?” said Jolo. “I didn’t have time to get you on the comm. Shite hit the fan kinda quick.”
“Your heart rate reached 140.”
“You’re monitoring my heartrate?”
“Yes, among other things. By the way your electrolyte level is down and you are vitamin D deficient, but otherwise fine.”
“Marco?”
“And Merthon.” George smiled.
“How’s the foot?” said Jolo.
“Just a dang scratch is all,” said Greeley. There were red drops of all over the dirty ice topped with the ends of four bloody toes. Jolo
grabbed Greeley’s leg and got a good look. “Four toes are a little shorter than the rest. But I think it’s probably an improvement. You had some abnormally long toes.”
“Do it,” said Greeley.
Jolo took the med kit from the right leg of Greeley’s suit, sprayed the bloody toes down with disinfectant, then popped open a tube of simskin. “You ready? This don’t feel good.” Greeley nodded and Jolo squeezed the simskin onto the wounded toes. It closed the wound and filled in the gap where the armor got cut off. Greeley groaned and cursed under his breath, then jumped up and started limping towards the two black boats.
“Come on,” he growled.
The black boat was still leaning to one side, but there was no way in. Jolo could see a seam toward the front where the third mech had come from, but there were no outer access points. Greeley held up his grenade launcher. “No!” yelled Jolo and George together.
“Greeley, you and George watch the ice. I don’t want Hazuki to jump us,” said Jolo. Then Jolo walked around the ship, his hand touching the alacyte, like he did with the Argossy. He jumped on top, found another hatch, but again, no way to open it from the outside. On a Fed boat there were always several different access points from the outside. He laid down on top of the boat with his ear on the cold metal.
Nothing. Were they gone? he wondered.
Then he remembered Merthon’s instruction and he closed his eyes and focused, his whole mind concentrating on any subtle sounds that may come from inside the ship.
And then he heard a faint rhythmic sound, almost like music. He refocused and he realized it was someone crying. Humans were inside. He crawled back to the top hatch and lightly knocked. He waited again with his ear to the hull of the ship.
All was quiet for a few moments and then tap tap tap. This was followed by the unmistakable BOOM BOOM BOOM of a mech running through the ship. More crying.
The Cold Dead Earth (The Jolo Vargas Space Opera Series Book 3) Page 18