Deviation (31 page)

***

The tree had barely settled before Matt advanced into the wreckage. He'd spotted the tell-tale white of a space suit and had estimated the location of its owner amid the violet leaves and brush. He heard Chamberlain giving the order to confirm the creature was dead, heard the relay of commands for Romberg to fly the Io closer for extraction, but mostly heard the huff of his own breath in the helmet.

It was a difficult climb to her position and his armored suit seemed more of a hindrance than a help. The rain started up again, pattering incessantly off his hardened armor and making every foothold he could find into a slippery gamble. Still, he managed to get to the approximate spot and began tearing away at the leafage. Newbill moved to his left, straddling a massive branch as he too began searching.

Something gripped Matt's ankle, firm enough that he felt it through his boot and he muttered a startled curse. Just adjacent to his search area Matt spotted one lean, naked and bloodied arm. Newbill adjusted position to follow the arm, removing debris until a very male, defined shoulder came into view. Newbill continued his excavation in spite of the revelation, bringing Myron Degenes out of the tangle of tree bit by bit.

The man was barely conscious but aware enough of the situation to give them both a wry smirk.

"Kate?" Matt asked.

Myron swallowed on a yelp of pain as Newbill dragged his body out from between two branches. "Right ... " he gasped and paled and for a moment Matt was afraid the man would pass out. "Right above you."

"Romberg is inbound," Chamberlain reported.

Matthew turned his attention upward, peering into the confusion of limbs above him. He snapped small twigs and leaves away until finally he caught a glimpse of amber hair. The girl was upside down, but she lifted her head to look down at him, her pale eyes glossy with pain as she tried to focus on his face.

Matt paused. A splinter of wood had impaled her in a very distressing place. His helmet calculated for him that the tree fragment had just missed her heart and he expelled a harsh breath. He was mildly impressed that she was still awake, but he wasn't certain if it was a blessing or not. They certainly couldn't take the splinter out here. His team was trained in battlefield medicine, not surgery.

Blood smeared over her mouth and chin, trailing down from her nose - which he assumed was broken - and the sight leant her an endearing fierceness, as though she refused to die. He appreciated that sentiment and hoped it was real before he turned his mind to the more practical matter of getting her out.

"We're going to need a med kit," Matt said.

Chamberlain climbed up beside him and breathed a curse; "Pitts. Get over here."

Matt glanced down at where Pitts and Finnegan had grouped near what used to be the topmost branches of the tree. Pitts shouldered his weapon and began to pick his way into the debris, headed in their general direction.

"We've got problems," Finnegan said. "I ran the perimeter. The Dromodus is not here."

"What?" Newbill stopped in the middle of bandaging Myron's head to stare over at the other soldier.

"Who had eyes on the target before the tree fell?" Chamberlain asked.

"I did," Finnegan said. He checked his weapon, his hands flying through the motions of tapping grenades, ammo, and med-kit; the last minute ritual that Matthew was all-too familiar with. "I swear it was there, but it's not anymore. It must have bolted."

Matthew looked up at Kate and tried to swallow his sense of unease. He should have just abandoned her when he had the chance. He could have lied to Reesa about it later. But then again, the idea of lying to Reesa unsettled him in another way. The fact was, he didn't think he could look her in the face and tell her that he'd been too late, that he hadn't been fast enough to get to Kate.

"I don't suppose you brought any armor?" Newbill asked Myron.

"Just the one weapon," Myron hissed in pain as Newbill secured a second bandage to him, taping his left arm tightly against his chest to keep it from moving. "And it's somewhere at the bottom of this mess."

"The Dromodus isn't going to stay gone," Chamberlain said, looking at Matt for orders.

Pitts had reached them, but stopped to hear the plan as well. Matthew took a deep breath, grateful that his helmet was hiding his scowl. He preferred that his soldiers didn't know just how badly he wanted to run in that moment.

"Get the woman out," Matt said. "Tell Romberg to stand by. We're going to want an evacuation fast."

Chamberlain nodded, pulling a cylindrical canister of Anti-Bact Foam from his medical kit and handing it to Pitts. The antibacterial foam would create enough of a bandage to transport the woman with. It was expensive, and each Fomorri was equipped with only one can. Pitts didn't seem surprised by the sacrifice on Chamberlain's part. He just took the canister and started his climb, slipping lithely between the branches.

The man had a talent for quick, precise movements. Matt watched as Pitts ducked through and around branches easily, making his way directly to Kate. A moment later the soldier's blade glinted blue-grey for a flash and then disappeared again. There was a fizzing and whooshing sound as the Anti-Bact was utilized, foam bubbling up around the entry and exit wounds in a dramatic lime green color, hardening in moments. Matthew had never used the stuff himself but he heard that it came with a pleasant numbing agent.

Kate slumped against Pitts, the tree no long holding her captive, and slid limply downward. Pitts got her over his shoulder and started back down. When he reached Matt again, Pitts lowered Kate onto a secure branch just beside them and paused with his hand halfway to his med kit. His shock only lasted a moment, though.

"I'm seeing dead people, Boss," Pitts said as he began fishing through his med kit.

"Funny," Newbill said then, turning from Myron to see the commotion, "me too."

Matt imagined he should have warned them about who Kate resembled. The death of Mesa Prosser had affected them all in various ways. It wasn't every day that Matthew ordered for his men to kill someone, after all. They were more accustomed to protecting people.

Still, there was no sense in denying who she looked like, and he certainly couldn't explain it. What could he say?
By the way, my wife is a prophet.

They'd have him under psychiatric evaluation in three seconds flat.

Chamberlain looked at Kate for a moment, and then to Matt. "What the hell, Boss?"

Bereft of an explanation, Matthew just shrugged.

"I've got movement," Finnegan said.

"Dromodus?"

"Negative. Six targets in a staggered pattern. Looks like they're trying to box us in."

"Send out a warning," Chamberlain ordered, slipping his weapon from his shoulder. "Pitts, Newbill, get out front. Borden, cover the civilians. Romberg?"

The communications in Matt's helmet flicked to life and Romberg replied; "ETA six minutes."

"Be advised, possible hostiles approaching in the southwest. Prepare for a live fire evac." Chamberlain said as he moved toward the perimeter line.

Matt shouldered his weapon in order to move Myron. The taller man grimaced and growled several expletives as he half limped to where Kate was positioned. Matt managed to get them both behind a large tangle of tree limbs and prayed it would act as sufficient cover when the shooting started.

"Chamberlain, I need your safety beacon," Matt said, unhooking his own beacon from his belt.

He pressed the star-shaped object to her chest. A hiss and a small click emanated from the beacon and suddenly four straps snapped out of the device. Wide and metallic, they looped around Kate's torso, securing themselves to her body. He was a little worried about how close one of the straps was to her injury, but had to push the thought aside.

"Hostiles unresponsive. Eight meters and closing." Finnegan reported.

Chamberlain tossed Matt his beacon and returned to the perimeter. "Hold your fire," he ordered. "We've still got that damn Dromodus to worry about."

Matthew attached the second beacon to Myron, then climbed over the make-shift cover of branches and readied his weapon. He'd practiced this drill enough that he knew what would come next. He saw each of his men choose their own cover, training their weapons out at the coming threat. When Romberg was in position, they would fire, creating a pocket of protection where Matt could evacuate the two civilians.

They had to go one at a time, letting the Io magnetize their suits and safety beacons to draw them up and out of danger. One minute per extraction, he coached himself. In seven minutes it would all be over.

"We have you surrounded," a tinny voice called from the jungle line. "Release the female and no one gets hurt!"

"Is she for real?" Newbill asked.

"Tell her no," Chamberlain looked up at the sky, hunting for signs of the Io.

"We're gonna go with no," Newbill shouted.

"Think we should warn them about the Dromodus?" Finnegan asked.

"If Romberg doesn't haul ass, we won't have to."

The Novo Femina opened fire. Branches flayed open as heated rails grazed by, or exploded when they took a direct hit. Even in the helmet, the noise was deafening. Leaves and splinters went flying, clouding the view of the battle. A round buzzed passed him, his armor automatically soaking up the velocity damage that came with the R413 weaponry. Matt fired back, gritting his teeth under the recoil of the weapon.

Where was Romberg?

"Dromodus!" Pitts shouted.

Matt spun leftward, leveling his weapon in the approximate direction of the commotion before he spotted it. The Dromodus charged toward Pitts, its massive head swinging sideways in an attempt at a bite. Pitts dove to the left, narrowly avoiding the creature's massive jaws. Newbill ran to flank it, firing, but his foot snagged on something and he fell.

Changing targets, the Dromodus snapped at Newbill, giving Pitts the moment to find his feet again. Matt opened fire, hoping to give Newbill and Pitts time to get away.

"Newbill! Left!" Chamberlain said, and Matt spotted him running to flank the creature.

Finnegan was just beside him, charging toward the action and yanking one of the grenades mounted to his chest. Chamberlain had produced a grenade of his own and both soldiers tossed them at the same time. Matt saw Newbill roll to the left and take cover behind a branch, then realized that he was in the open and ducked for cover.

Heat and light exploded around them. Matthew was up the moment it was clear, rushing back to the barricade of branches where Kate and Myron were. He visually confirmed for himself that both were still unharmed, if a trifle more filthy than they had been a moment ago, and turned back to the fight.

The Dromodus was still up, but it was limping. It snarled, lunging again at Newbill who - in a reflexive movement - managed to roll just to the left of it before firing and running in retreat.

Matt held his fire. The Dromodus would only be irritated at the bombardment of R413's. Its skin was too thick. They needed it to expose the left armpit for their shots to be effective. Or they needed to blow it up several times.

The Dromodus roared and stomped, and suddenly snatched Finnegan up and away from Chamberlain's side. The movement was so damned fast that Matthew blinked in surprise and caught his breath in his throat. Horror washed over him. Six years of training. Over one-hundred-thousand clocked hours of combat drills side-by-side with his elite and Matthew Borden stood stunned, absolutely immobile.

The Martian dragon let out a guttural, primal growl that shook the ground under his feet, and still he couldn't move. Two fingers and one thumb, all clawed, clutched Finnegan's waist as its commanding jaws clamped hard around the man's torso. Then it tugged once, snapping sinew and bones and muscle like a man might tear at a tough bit of jerky.

The Femina continued to fire on their position, heedless of the new threat. Silently, Matt cursed them for that.

He realized suddenly what he had to do. Romberg couldn't extract them without a clear path and they couldn't leave the tree while the Dromodus was there. But if they hid in the tree there was a chance the creature would switch targets. So long as the Femina kept firing, of course. And since they seemed bent on killing them all where they stood, Matthew was willing to bet that they would.

"Cease fire!" Matt ordered. "Get into the tree. Deep as you can go!"

Newbill and Chamberlain immediately obeyed. Matt hurried back to Kate and Myron. Grabbing Kate by the waist, he flipped the girl over his shoulder and started his own retreat.

"Chamberlain, take Myron," he huffed as he went, too focused on negotiating the branches to see if his order was obeyed.

But he didn't need to look. He knew it would be.

When the space got too tight for him, Matt lowered Kate and began to crawl, dragging her by the arm until they encountered the trunk of the tree. Movement was hard for her, he could tell, but she was aware of what was going on and trying to help. She crawled with him, finally squashing herself up against the trunk.

Settled, Matt focused his attention on listening. The Femina were still firing - thank God - but he could hear an ominous crashing, too. In fact, the tree limbs shuddered and vibrated all around them and he knew the Dromodus was still pursuing.

The thrashing grew harsher, louder, and Matt carefully slid his weapon into position. If he shot too soon it would definitely find them, and if he shot too late ... Well, there was no sense in thinking about that so he concentrated harder, trying to find its location.

Its foot crashed down just beside them, barely missing Matt's leg. He recognized at once that it was the hind leg, which meant the creature was above them, snuffling through the leaves. He looked up, following the curve of knee, the great muscled thigh, and the pale underbelly.

This was the left leg, he realized; which meant that the left armpit was somewhere above him.

He couldn't see much through the chaos of leaves and broken branches, but he knew it would be there. The one known weakness of the Dromodus was that its heart was located just near the juncture of arm to trunk, and its skin was less thick in that region.