Aurora (The Exodus Trilogy) (17 page)

“Follow me,” he said. Lisa seemed to have caught on, and she looked as enthusiastic as he felt. Drew was a little slower, but he followed him nevertheless.

“Going hunting?” Drew almost laughed, as he stumbled after the others. Ben grinned, adrenaline surging through his veins.

“Yeah, Drew. We’re going hunting.”

GREG HAMILTON

The morning brought no warmth on the cold ground, but Cancri’s rays made the fresh snow in the treetops drip down on their heads. Greg adjusted his hood to keep the icy droplets off his face and neck. Then he continued to peer out from his cover, toward the trees on the far bank, where the soldiers were coming. The noise had been growing steadily for a while, and he expected to see them soon. This was the best place to cross the ice safely with motorized transport, which was why they had set up here, on the north bank of the Trickler.

He didn’t need to look around him to know the covers of his companions were equally well hidden. These were a mix of everything from former soldiers to crewmen of the Exodus to carpenters and scientists, but he had made sure everyone had a good position where they could observe and fire without being easily spotted. They didn’t have the heavy firepower of the soldiers from Fort Andrews, but with the element of surprise on their side, they might give them a thorough beating, which hopefully would stall them enough to give Tina and her group enough time to get away. He even expected most of these brave men and women to get away also, if everything worked out. They had a decent evac route, and the soldiers would have a hard time following them up the hillside to the north with their snowmobiles and heavy equipment. But there were a lot of ifs…

The first soldiers to exit the woods were on foot, lightly armed scouts, who took up positions close to the frozen waters. His people held their fire, waiting, just as he had told them to. Then the rumbling of engines got louder, and a group of snowmobiles appeared. The scouts went slowly forward, onto the ice. Greg noticed they had night-vision optics fitted to their AMR-17 combat rifles, as expected. Well, it would be of limited use to them. Had they come during the night, they would have had a tactical advantage, but now they had to use the regular laser sights. Everyone had laser sights, even the cook on his left, a heavyset woman of perhaps forty, with a determined look in her eyes. He smiled wryly. Determination and dedication could be the decisive factors today.

He waited until the fifth snowmobile was well onto the ice. There would be more coming, but the closest of the scouts had almost reached the north bank, and Greg knew it was time. They couldn’t afford close combat, not if they could avoid it. He fired the first shot at the soldier driving the closest snowmobile. The soldier slumped, and the snowmobile veered to the right, as it sped up, running over one of the scouts. There was confusion out there on the ice, as more of his people opened fire. Every one of the scouts fell within seconds, since they were the closest targets. Two of the snowmobiles lost their drivers, and crashed into each other. A few seconds later, they went up in a blaze, either from the sparks of ruptured wires or the shots fired into the explosive fuel. Black smoke clouded the area, and he moved his sights to the soldiers further back, who were firing in their general direction without much effect.

Within moments though, the soldiers seemed to realize where the fire was coming from, and they started returning fire in a more disciplined way, as expected. Greg saw the cook become too eager, forgetting her cover as she fired quick bursts at the soldiers. A single shot felled her, as the back of her head exploded, blood spraying the brush and wood behind her. Strangely, her chest kept heaving though, as he turned away from her. Nothing to be done for her. He set his eye to the sights again, making sure he kept his head down.

Another snowmobile was burning, and the last of the five had turned and was racing back toward the far bank. Greg trained his rifle on the driver and squeezed off three rounds. Missed. As the snowmobile reached the tree line, Greg noticed most of the soldiers were either down or scrambling for cover on the other side. They had beaten the first wave, which would buy Tina and her group a little time. He knew the soldiers would be back, and the next time, they would come in heavy. He didn’t know if they could stand up to that, but they had planned to try until he deemed it futile. Who knew how long they could hold. He looked over toward the now-dead cook and grimaced. That would be the fate waiting for all of them if he didn’t assess the situation well and break contact at the right moment. Still, they had won a small victory, about which they should be glad. He guessed there were a lot of people who thought they had won the battle, especially those with no combat experience. Still there were no cheers or any other sound. Good.

The minutes passed slowly, and there was little movement on the south bank. The soldiers were probably assessing their losses, searching for their positions, planning for an attack. But time passed, which was a good thing. Every minute that passed was a minute that Tina and the rest could use to put distance between themselves and Port Hammer.

He heard a loud noise. The first thing that came to his mind was a microphone being held too close to a speaker, causing feedback. And just as he squinted toward the tree line on the south bank, he heard the amplified voice, a familiar voice.

“This is Ramon Solis speaking.” Greg gritted his teeth. He’d liked Ramon. But he knew he was loyal to Havelar. He hadn’t expected him now though. Solis wasn’t a soldier.

“Put down your weapons, and you will not be harmed.” A few seconds went by. Greg waited for what would come next.

“We don’t want to harm you, but this ends right now. Admiral Hamilton, Major Hammer, I know you are listening, come out and let’s talk.” Greg felt his stomach clench.
Or what
, he thought.

“Very well. You have five minutes. If you don’t surrender immediately, you will have to face the consequences. Make no mistake, this ends today.” Then Greg heard a click, and the speaker went dead. He had expected more, and the silence that followed gave him a bad feeling. He gave a quick hand signal to the man on his right, who nodded and crept over to Kim Leffard, who was lying in her cover further to the right. Kim quickly approached Greg, keeping her head low and her rifle ready. She was an experienced soldier, and she acted the part.

“Sir,” she said in a low voice, as she reached him.

“Leffard, something is up,” Greg said, keeping his eyes on the far bank.

“I want you to take Fred and Josie right now, and get to that first hill on the evac route. I want you to observe, just in case.” Kim looked at him quizzically, but she was too loyal to question his orders.

“Major Hammer needs to know what happens here, and since all comms are down, I’m counting on you to tell her. Just in case I won’t be able to.” She almost started to protest, but nodded, and crept quickly over to the other two. Less than a minute later, he caught a glimpse of them, as the three made their way north through the thicket.
Good
, he thought. Whatever happened here, Tina would get word of it. Then his mind went back to the task at hand, while continuously scanning the tree line on the south bank for movement. He looked at his watch. Almost seven minutes had passed since Solis had last spoken.

The silence was broken by two loud bangs, quickly followed by another two. He saw the smoke from the rockets as they flew from within the forest to the south and across the sky toward them. A voice to his far left screamed.

“Incoming!” He buried his face in the dirt and snow, keeping his arms above his head to protect it, waiting for the rockets to hit their targets. The sounds of the explosions were weaker than expected, and he lifted his head slightly. Had they been lucky this time? Perhaps it was time to consider withdrawing to the hills? Then he saw the soldiers entering the ice, only this time, they seemed to be wearing some kind of suits… His eyes widened as realization came to him, just as he felt the first itch. He scratched his forearm, breathing heavily. Not a sound escaped his lips. The fabric of his jacket sleeve dissolved beneath his fingers. Then he felt the burning sensation in his fingertips, only seconds before the pain reached his arm, his neck. Before he could react to it, he felt the sensation reach his face, his eyes blurring over, his mouth on fire. Then the air filter of his mask seemed to clog up, and no more air reached his lungs. The pain became excruciating, and he tried to scream. A deep primal sound barely escaped his lips before his throat constricted, burning, and swelling until no air would pass through. He ripped off his facemask, but to no avail. Before his vision failed him, he saw his hands dissolving into bloody, almost liquid gore. In the darkness, all sounds seemed to amplify, and the last sounds he ever heard were the screams of his companions, with a smattering of shots interspersed, as those who still could turned their guns on themselves. Then his entire being exploded in agony, every second an eternity until blissful numbness finally engulfed him.

Chapter 12

THOMAS DUNN

It had been almost a week since they reached this place. While most were fleeing Port Hammer, Dean Johnson and a small team had scouted a large area in the Rockies. When they found what they were searching for, they hurried back to tell the exhausted refugees of this spot, where they could be safe for the time being.

Thomas had just returned from a two-day patrol on the far side of the lake to the west, and was finishing up a hearty meal when he heard commotion outside. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and nodded a quick “thank you” to the woman coming to take away his plate before exiting the tent. He was sort of disappointed when the sounds turned out to be two of the men building cabins, arguing over some detail or another. He had hoped it was Benjamin Waters and his team of youngsters returning. He had only met them once since he’d arrived in Port Hammer, and he was curious about the extraordinary abilities he’d been hearing about. They had been sick, everyone told him, from breathing the unfiltered air of this planet. When they finally woke up from their fever, they were able to run faster than any human being, see sharper and further than anyone could imagine, and they had the quickest reactions. He’d been told all this and more, but he wanted to see for himself. He wasn’t entirely sure everything was true, but even if half of it were, it was some really strange effects.

He saw Kim Leffard talking to Dean over by the well. Dean looked like he was on his way out again. While Thomas and Ben and a few other teams each scouted their designated area, mainly south of the Stronghold, Dean and his team still searched the north. It was paramount that they knew the land better than the soldiers, so Thomas was all for it, even though there were grumblings that they needed every armed body between here and the soldiers. Well, he concluded, they would always be short of manpower, but it wouldn’t matter. Knowing this land like the back of their hand would prove more valuable than manpower once this war dragged on. It was how guerrillas fought, and how they won.

He didn’t envy Dean, leaving his woman so soon. They all knew the horrors Kim had seen back on the Trickler, and Thomas knew that even though she played tough, the sights must have made an impression. She had told them the story, made sure everyone knew the sacrifice Admiral Hamilton and his people had made. Just before that devastating moment, when the soldiers fired their awful weapons, the admiral had sent Kim and two others away, knowing that whatever happened to them needed to be told. Then the soldiers, led by Ramon Solis, of all people, had loosed their deadly poison upon the north bank and massacred every living thing in the area. While watching her companions die, she had stumbled onto Ben and a couple of other kids, who seemed eager to fight. Kim had talked them out of it, and together they had hurried north to report what they had seen.

Thomas still had difficulty accepting the sort of cruelty that had taken place on the Trickler, but he’d been there a few days later, and seen it with his own eyes. In that moment, he realized that what had happened to the admiral would be the end waiting for them all, if they didn’t keep the soldiers away from here. The thought filled him with determination.

Although the mood in the Stronghold was down at the moment, everyone seemed busy building something or another. It was still winter, and though they had a decent supply, they needed the greenhouse supplements soon. So getting a greenhouse up and running was the first priority for those not taking part in the patrols securing the area. Housing was another priority, and a few cabins were already in the making, proof that this would be the future settlement for the refugees from Port Hammer.

Everyone had expected Admiral Hamilton to be their leader, to guide them through this struggle, and lead them toward independence from Fort Andrews or to some arrangement that would give them the freedom they all desired. Now that he was dead, that role had fallen on Major Hammer. Tina had proven herself capable since leading the refugees from Port Hammer, and besides, the fact that she had been the main force behind the abandoned town was evidence that she had what it took to be a leader. Nevertheless, Thomas got the impression she didn’t want that kind of leadership. That she would do her duty, and lead them through war, though she didn’t want this new role pushed on her by outside events. He sighed. They all had roles and tasks to fulfill that they hadn’t chosen. So what? The situation demanded that they embraced their roles, and did what was necessary. He had no doubt Tina would as well.

Thomas looked around and smiled. Everyone seemed busy, and he had a good feeling about this place. Even before coming here, people had started calling it the Stronghold in the North, or simply the Stronghold. In time, Thomas thought it might even stick for a name. It truly was a stronghold, and he admired Dean for finding it, and under the tight pressure of the flight from Port Hammer, realizing that this would be the best possible spot. It was well hidden by the mountains, with only one entry point to the south, now being guarded by heavily armed men and women, who would see an enemy coming hours before they arrived. Mountains surrounded the Stronghold, and if they needed to, there were several escape routes leading further north. The mountains formed a valley that was much larger than the Stronghold itself, so there was room to expand, and a lake formed the focal point of several rivers leading water down from a glacier to the west. Another, wide river flowed complacently north from the lake, and Thomas thought it might lead all the way to the ocean. There was animal life here as well, and both rat monkeys and green deer had been spotted. One of the men had said there was a sizeable herd of green deer that would prove a nice supplement to their supplies as soon as they could get a hunt going. Thomas had never tasted its meat, but if it had any resemblance to deer back on Earth, it would be something to look forward to.