Escape From Zulaire (31 page)

“About five miles ahead.” Chewing his lips, he stared at the readout.

Tom came back to the car, sliding into his seat. Andi could see from his lined face and hooded eyes how reluctant he was to tell them what he’d learned.

She touched his arm. “It’s okay. Rogers did a forward scan. We’re cut off.”
 

“Yes.” He sat for a minute then flipped the comlink switch, as if to try one last appeal for help. “
Fuck
.” Stress and worry etched his face as he turned to her. “We’ll figure out something, I promise.”

“We’ve made it this far. I have confidence in you.” Leaning over, she gave him a quick kiss.

“What now, sir?” Uneasily, Rogers shifted in the cramped rear compartment.

“Rahuna says there’s a rock formation of some kind about two miles ahead. Guess he travels this road a lot in his ministry, huh?” Tom tried a lopsided smile.

Nodding, Andi shifted the car out of idle. The motor roared. “I think I know the place he means. Shall I follow the truck?”

“Right, stick close. I told Mitch it doesn’t matter if we burn out the truck engine now, once we make this rock formation. At least the heavy weapons we got from Iraku provide us some edge.” Tom raised his eyebrows and rubbed his forehead, then his neck. He sat on the edge of the seat, fingers drumming on his thighs.

“The Betang brought the rebels several haulers’ worth of weapons, not just the ones we took from Iraku,” Andi said.

“Unusual for the Betang to show such desperation, as far as tracking us. Their campaign on Zulaire must still be in the early stages, fragile enough for the Sectors to be able to stop it.” A tired smile was all Tom could muster. “No pressure on us, right?”

Nodding, she matched his grin.

Mitch drove the cargo hauler off the edge of the transportway ahead of them, steering over the uneven ground toward an isolated upthrust of rock. The massive formation was the remnant of some violent geological episode in Zulaire’s long-gone past, rising out of nowhere in the middle of the flat plains. Andi had seen the natural wonder on the way out from the capital—the Knives of the Under Spirits, so-called because of the formation’s jagged shapes and resemblance to a bundle of ceremonial knife blades. The Knives towered at an angle about two hundred feet into the Zulairian sky.

“Not a bad spot, sir,” Rogers said as their vehicle began the bumpy trip off the transportway and across the hard-packed, dusty plain toward the rocks.

“Don’t let the car get stalled in the dirt,” Tom said, voice tense. “Pull in front of the cargo hauler and angle it just a bit when you park, so we have a vee formation to take cover behind.”

Andi did as she was requested then shut the motor off. The sudden silence surprised her, but a moment later she heard the sounds of approaching vehicles coming from the north. The rumbling was faint as yet but unmistakable, giving her nervous chills up and down her spine.

“Come on, time to get you to a safer spot.” Tom tugged her out of her seat, hurrying her around the back, squeezing between Gul’s car and the nose of the cargo hauler. Mitch, Latvik and Abukawal were busy placing heavy-caliber weapons at intervals along the barricaded vehicles.

“Wish we had the APC.” The sergeant loaded a full pack of ammo into the gun he was preparing and moved onto the next one.

“Don’t we all,” Tom said. “Take charge here for a few minutes, would you? I’ve got to talk to Andi.”

“No problem, sir. I think a few minutes are all we’ve got, though.” Slamming the cover down on the massive gun, Mitch set the safety to off.
 

“Hold on a minute.” Andi pulled her hand from Tom’s. “I can shoot. I can fight. I want to be here on the line with you, not hiding in a rock crevice like Sadu and Lysanda.”

She expected him to argue, had her own counterarguments ready.

He stood staring at her for a long minute, hands on his hips, saying nothing, face drawn. Then he nodded. “Okay. We can use all the firepower we can get. But you tell me the instant you feel anything from the Betang, understand?”

“Of course.”

“Help me get the Tonkilns and Rahuna settled.” He held out his hand to her.

Lacing her fingers through his, she went at a quick pace to the rock wall where Rahuna stood beside a sobbing Lysanda, arm around her shoulders. Sadu watched his sister’s face, thumb in mouth, deciding whether this was something he should cry over, too. As Andi approached them, the toddler’s little face crumpled, and he began to howl. She reached for him, to offer what comfort she could. Lysanda forestalled her, gathering her baby brother into her arms and crooning a song while she rocked back and forth.
 

Rahuna met Tom, holding out a hand. “I should like a weapon, Captain.”
 

Unclasping his blaster from the holster, the captain handed it over. Andi gaped at him, then eyed the cleric with raised brows, horrified that things had come to this necessity.
Rahuna with a weapon? Rahuna prepared to kill people?
His Serene Holiness took the weapon gingerly, studying the sleek, black Mark 27 blaster with a judicious eye. Tom reached over and shifted the weapon in his hands, adjusted Rahuna’s grip.

“You click off the safety here.” Tom pointed with one hand. “Aim, depress this.” He demonstrated. “And it shoots. Plenty of charges left. Any questions, sir?”

“No. I’ll manage. Sanenre does not forbid killing in a good cause. I must be responsible for the Tonkiln children.” The cleric experimented with aiming. “I won’t allow Lysanda and Sadu to fall into the hands of these killers, trust me.”

Tom assessed Rahuna with a long, measuring gaze then nodded. “All right, on my command, or if the rest of us are neutralized, agreed?”

“Agreed,” His Serene Holiness said. “And, Captain, Sanenre’s blessing on us all in the next hour.”

“We’ll need it.” Tom saluted before he and Andi jogged back toward the defensive line of vehicles.

Opposite their group, back on the transportway, a motley convoy of ten assorted vehicles had come to a halt.
 

“Pretty overpowering odds.” Andi stared across the dusty plain, her eyes narrowed.
Looks like the entire contingent from the village, all armed to the teeth.
Drawing her blaster, she clicked the safety off. “Where do you want me?”

“Between Mitch and me.” Tom drew her to the indicated spot.

Andi swallowed hard.
“Orders?”

“Just shoot the bastards.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Stay hunkered down as much as you can.” He strode away, calling to Mitch for another blaster.

Crouching behind the rear flank of the car, Andi found a position where she could get a clear line of sight without being too exposed. Tom brushed her back as he moved to take his place.

Strange how the enemy is so silent. Why aren’t they yelling demands or something?
 
Sweat trickled down her neck. Her legs were cramping already. Inaction was so much more torturous to endure than action. She wanted to stand up and run toward the trucks, attacking them, just to get the combat underway.

“Remember, make each shot count,” Tom said in a tense whisper.

She nodded, moistening her lips with the tip of her tongue, afraid to try her voice.

Suddenly, fifty or sixty rebels poured out from around the ragtag, dilapidated vehicles that made up the convoy. Screaming oaths and curses, the men ran across the plain, firing their weapons uselessly since they were still out of range. Whatever heavy armament the insurgents had mounted on their trucks shot a barrage of covering fire, bracketing the Knives harmlessly on the first round.

“
Fire at will!”
Tom shouted.

His command startled her. Reflexively, she pressed the firing button, and the beam went wild. Her companions’ blaster fire erupted around Andi. She swallowed hard, took aim and shot again, but her next blast also went wide. Pinpointing a single enemy soldier rather than trying to sweep across the mob, Andi controlled her weapon, letting off a short burst. The man stumbled and fell as her shot hit him.

Andi swallowed.
Don’t think, don’t feel, just shoot them before they can shoot you.

She settled into a rhythm of aim, fire, move on to the next target without waiting to see if she’d been successful. Totally focused on her own battle, Andi hovered in a zone, aware of the others beside her, hearing the boom every time Rogers fired his energy cannon, blocking incoming blasts, but her senses had narrowed. She focused only on the sights of her own blaster.
 

At first the insurgents were easy to pick off as they sprinted in a disorganized mob. The attack failed, and a few minutes later the next wave came at them using a pair of slowly moving cargo haulers as shields.

“Disable those trucks, damn it,” Tom yelled over the din. “Don’t let them get close.”

The Sectors party would have been overwhelmed in short order without the heavy weapons they’d found in Iraku’s truck. As it was, Rogers and Latvik targeted and knocked out the oncoming trucks with relative ease. A short lull fell. Andi’s hands were sore, her legs shaking. She slumped to the ground, back to the car and lowered her head. Tom moved along the line of his makeshift fortifications, checking the need for recharges, checking for injuries.

“
Incoming
,” Mitch shouted. Andi, Tom and the others hit the dirt as an energy charge exploded harmlessly behind them, striking midway between them and the spot where Rahuna and the Tonkilns huddled in the shelter of the Knives.
 

Tom took up a position where Gul’s car and the cargo hauler met. “Return fire!”

Andi pinpointed the location where the energy grenades were being launched. “Rogers, see that ugly green flatbed over there? That’s the one to take out, quick.”

“With pleasure, ma’am.” Swinging his cannon around on the makeshift turntable in Gul’s backseat, Rogers unleashed an intense barrage of energy. The designated truck blew up in a huge explosion, setting a couple of the other vehicles on fire. A number of the enemy fell, either from the concussion or from shrapnel. The rebels in the field hesitated, before withdrawing in a ragged wave.

“Yes!”
Andi pumped her fist in the air and slapped Rogers on the back. “Great shot.”
 

“They’ve got reinforcements, sir.” Mitch pointed out three more trucks driving in from the north.

“Keep an eye on them.” Tom crouched beside Andi. “I’m proud of you.”

She stared at the newly arrived vehicles. Unexpectedly, a slimy sensation rippled down her arms, as if she’d been stroked by a tentacle.
The Betang must be in one of those trucks.

“Andi?” He put his arms around her, turning her to face him.

Reaching up, she wiped a smear of blood from his cheek where he’d been grazed by shrapnel, her hand trembling.
What if he’d been seriously injured, or even killed? That was a pretty near miss.
“I’m cool as a cucumber when they’re attacking, but I have the shakes like crazy in the lulls like this one.”

“That’s normal. Adrenaline rush. Are you okay? No injuries?” He eyed her up and down, running his hand along her arm.

Andi hesitated.

He glared at her. “Answer me. You’re hiding something.”

Gesturing at the enemy convoy, she said, “The Betang is here. It must have come in one of those new trucks. The sensation is faint, but I can tell the creature’s there.”
 

“You need to see this.” Mitch crouched next to Andi’s side, viewers in hand. “To the left, by the red cargo hauler. It’s nothing I’ve ever seen. Betang projecting a false image maybe?”

Grabbing the viewers from him with a curse, Tom took a long look, then passed them to Andi. He waited while she adjusted the focus and tried to find what the two men had seen.
There it is. And it’s got those horrible red stubs turned in this direction.
Instinctively trying to hide, she dropped the viewers and shrank back. “That’s the creature all right. Oh, Lords, now it’s probably seen me. What can we do? Could you give me an inject, knock me out?”
 

Tom shook his head. “You’ll just die faster. You can’t fight it if you’re unconscious.”

“
Fight it
? Fight it with
what
?” She clamped down hard on the rising edge of her hysteria and sucked in a deep breath before she started again. “Look, I don’t
want
to die, but there’s nothing else we can do then, is there? At least I wouldn’t have to suffer.” Unable to meet his eyes, she swallowed and looked away. “I’m not a coward. You know I’m a fighter, but it was excruciating when the Betang tried to kill me before.” She looked at their grim faces, struck by a new worry. “Can it kill all of us with a mental blast?”

Shaking his head, Tom took her arm, rotating it a bit so they could both see the imprint of the Betang’s suckers. “You’re the only one at direct risk from the Betang.” He drew her to her feet, stopped her next anxious remark with a fierce kiss, then held her away from him. “You know I love you. Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.”
And I don’t want to die here, in the dust, where you have to watch.
 
Trembling all over, Andi felt a cold sweat beading her arms and legs, despite the heat of the day. “Are you sure a knockout inject won’t work? Has it ever been tried?”