Shades of Gray (98 page)

Carrie reached up and unlatched her helmet, taking it off. “Zhalmo,” she said, going over to the cowering female. “We’re real. This rescue is real. You have to come with us now, or we’ll all get caught. Do you understand?”

She relaxed a fraction, letting herself down onto the bed again. “Kusac?”

“Yes, Zhalmo. I’m here,” he said, coming over. He held out the suit to her. “I need you to put this on. It will make you almost impossible to see.”

She began to rock backward and forward, clasping her arms around her legs, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t. You don’t know what he’ll do if he catches me.”

“He won’t catch you, I promise,” said Kusac.
Get her off the bed, Carrie, and then we can get her into the suit.

Carrie put her helmet on the bed and reached out to take Zhalmo by one thin, bruised arm. “Come to me, Zhalmo,” she said gently.

“No! Oh, Gods! Home. I want to believe you, but it isn’t true! It’s just another of his tricks.”

“Noolgoi, sedate her, but not fully,” snapped Kaid from the doorway. “We haven’t time for this.”

“Aye, sir,” she said.

“No!” said Kusac. “I’ll handle her.” He strengthened his Link to her, taking control of her mind. It took only a moment before she was blinking her eyes slowly and beginning to droop back onto the bed.

“So tired,” she murmured. “I knew it wasn’t real. Just a dream.”

Leaning forward, Kusac scooped her up into his arms and sat her on the edge of the bed. Between him and Carrie, they managed to get her cut and bruised body into the suit. Once it was sealed, her body heat immediately activated it, and she all but disappeared.

Carrie, meanwhile, grabbed her helmet and put it back on.

Picking Zhalmo up, Kusac left the room and joined the others, Carrie behind him.

“Let’s go,” he said, heading for the main door out. “Kaid, take command.”

“Get rid of the cloaks,” Kaid said. “T’Chebbi, Kushool, M’yikku, you have point. Kusac’s team, guard him closely. Rezac, with me. Report on enemy locations. Banner, take rearguard.”

The unit re-formed and they moved off.

“Kusac, take out the electronics at the security post,” said Kaid.

Kusac reached mentally for the electrical system and, finding it, isolated those controlling the alarms. A surge of energy shot through them, burning the wiring out, rendering it useless. “Done.”

“Go left,” said Rezac. “They’re waiting at the other exit. Four soldiers, another five on their way.”

They stopped at the door to the courtyard, waiting for those on point to open it and clear the way. Unarmored as the guards were, their main danger to them would be in overwhelming numbers.

Rifles whined, then T’Chebbi gave the all clear. At a brisk run, they headed diagonally for the waiting room as T’Chebbi and M’yikku, already there, lobbed gas grenades in the open doorway. A few screeches were heard, trailing off into the distance.

“Clear,” said Rezac as they entered. “They ran for the security post.”

T’Chebbi gestured to M’yikku who ran forward with a stun grenade. The flare lit up even the room they were in.

Shots sounded, but they were quickly silenced; then T’Chebbi waved them onward.

Four bodies lay draped over the consoles or in untidy heaps on the floor as they quickly passed through and on into the empty corridor.

“Where’d they all go?” muttered Kushool.

“Other elevator, or down the corridor,” said T’Chebbi.

At Kaid’s signal, they stopped just short of the junction to their right, those at the front and rear standing guard.

Kusac took advantage of their stop to Link his mind to Zhalmo’s and search for the memories of what had happened to her since her capture. Finding them, he began to erase them as carefully as he could in the short time he knew he had. She began to whimper and stir in his arms, and with a portion of his mind, he began to soothe and reassure her.

“Jurrel, report,” said Kaid.

“Almost there,” Jurrel said. “Where’s the elevator from my entrance point?”

“On your right.”

“Copy that. All right, here I go!”

“Move out,” said Kaid, gesturing down the corridor. “Make every shot count. They outnumber us even if they can’t hurt us.”

“Wait,” said Carrie urgently. “Just a minute longer and Kusac will be done.”

“We haven’t the time,” began Kaid just as Kusac lifted his head.

“Finished.”

“Go,” said Kaid, starting forward. “You know the plan, stick to it. If anyone falls, go to their aid, but protect Kusac and Zhalmo at all costs.”

There was a subdued chorus of “Aye,” as they headed for the elevator.

 

The elevator opened onto a scene of utter chaos as the MUTAC, crouched in the center of the cavern, sprayed an arc of fire from the beam weapon mounted between its shoulders. Behind it, the tail scythed back and forward, cutting down anyone who came too near.

A group of soldiers armed with missile launchers ran toward it. The MUTAC crouched, then launched itself at them, landing on top of several of them and scattering the rest with a swipe of one forepaw. Its own launchers spat into action, missiles howling down the adjacent corridors to explode violently, sending showers of rock fragments back into the cavern to hit those nearby.

Almost unnoticed, they left the elevator and began running for their exit corridor.

“Incoming!” said Jurrel as they heard the whine of a missile heading their way. As one, they plastered themselves to the walls, watching it approach. Kusac turned himself so his body protected Zhalmo. Twenty feet from them, one of the MUTAC’s antimissile shots hit it, and it exploded. Shards of rock and debris rattled off their suits.

“Go!” yelled Kaid, peeling himself off the wall.

As they neared the halfway mark, he halted them and called Jurrel.

“Break off combat and join us,” he said.

“On my way,” came the reply.

They heard him before they saw him, loping down the corridor at almost a full run. “I love this beast!” he said, slowing to a walk to pass them.

“Clear a route for us to the ship,” ordered Kaid. “Schiya, lower the ramp!”

“Aye, Captain,” she said. “But they have guards around me.”

“They’ll be dealt with. Call the
Couana
and tell them we’re leaving.”

The MUTAC sped up again and they ran to keep up with it. The guardroom was a smoking ruin as they passed it, as was the security point by the blast doors. Into the cavern the MUTAC exploded, cannon raking everything around it with burst after burst of plasma. Jurrel lobbed missiles at the other two ships sitting berthed there. As they exploded in balls of fire, he loped over to the
Aggressor
, again raking anything that moved with his cannon, keeping his shots short range.

They followed in his wake, shooting at anything that shot back at them, but the shock tactics of the MUTAC had bought them the time they needed.

The ramp was down, and crouching the MUTAC, Jurrel leaped inside, turning so his weapons were pointing outward, giving them cover as they raced up the ramp into the hold. Kaid stayed by the entrance, hitting the door control as the last of them ran inside. Whining, the ramp began to retract.

“Take off!” he ordered Schiya.

The ship’s engines rose to a high-pitched whine, then it lifted from the ground and began moving toward their exit.

Chy’tu raced to the air lock, punched the controls, and headed up the corridor to the Bridge at full speed to take his place at the nav board, unfastening his helmet as he went. Kho’ikk and Shirzak followed him, heading for the turret and the gunner’s board.

Kusac and Na’qui ran for the sick bay while the others began breaking open the crates and grabbing their packs. Five were staying with the ship, and the rest of them were jumping down to the surface to remain on M’zull.

Laying Zhalmo down on the exam bed, Kusac had one last thing to do before he headed back to the hold. When he was done, he turned to the medic as the ship rocked from side to side on its breakneck trip down the cavern tunnel.

“Do what you can to clean her up and make her look good for Zsurtul,” he said. “And yes, it really does matter. Give her a uniform to put on. I’ve erased what memories I can. Tell Zsurtul that but not her, and remind him my sister Kitra will finish the healing. She’s no longer pregnant, but keep a watch on her—I don’t know how her body will react to what I’ve done.”

She nodded, and he turned to leave. “Don’t leave her alone, Na’qui, and watch she doesn’t get suicidal, please.”

“I will, Captain,” she said. “Good luck with the rest of your mission.”

“On second thought, may I put a message for Kitra in your mind? One advising her on Zhalmo’s treatment?”

She paled a little but nodded.

“Thanks.” He pulled off one glove and reached out to touch her forehead lightly. Marshaling his thoughts, he braced himself as the ship banked to the right. He needed to let Kitra know what had happened to Zhalmo since she had no memory of it now. Encapsulating it in a locked mode, he sent the thoughts to Na’qui, adding an apology for exposing Kitra to the cruelty that had been inflicted on Zhalmo.

The ship rocked again as he heard the guns go off.

Only a blockage in the tunnel,
sent Schiya.

Back in the hold, Kusac found Jurrel had parked the MUTAC at the back, well out of their way. Carrie was waiting to hand him his pack and help him on with it.

“Gods, Kusac, what had he done to her? The poor girl was in a real mess,” she said.

“You don’t want to know,” he answered grimly, putting on the backpack and locking it in place, then fastening on the jet pack. “I’ve had to leave a mental message for Kitra so she knows, and I wish I hadn’t needed to do it.”

“Poor cub,” she said sympathetically.

“She’s going to have to learn to be strong in our Clan,” said Kusac, turning to let Carrie check that his fastenings were secure.

“I know, but she’s still so young.” She slapped him on the back. “You’re good,” she said.

 

Along the wide tunnel the
Aggressor
screamed, its lights picking out the rockfalls and other obstructions that Schiya swerved to avoid.

Once more Kho’ikk had to blast a large rockfall ahead. It exploded in a cloud of pulverized rock that the
Aggressor
shot through before the dust even had time to fall. Finally a circle of light appeared ahead of them, rapidly growing closer. Like a cork from a bottle, they shot out into the open and began to climb.

For now, there was no sign of pursuit on the sensor boards. Then points of light flickered onto the edge of her screen.

“Six fighters, ten o’clock,” said Shirzak.

“Hailing us,” said Chy’tu.

“What they saying?” demanded Schiya.

“Usual,” said Chy’tu laconically. “Surrender and your lives will be spared.”

Schiya hissed in derision. “Ignore them. Now would be a great time for the
Couana
to appear,” she muttered.

“Five minutes we being there,” said Toueesut, his voice suddenly coming over their comm. “Stay alive till then!”

“Dammit, that made me jump! Tell the Captain,” said Schiya shortly, taking evasive action and heading out toward the mountain ranges to the north of the city.

She ignored Chy’tu’s quiet voice as he relayed the information and concentrated on flying. She’d reached the start of the main range now, and she prayed that the reality of flying between the mountains would be the same as the simulations she’d practiced on the
Tooshu
.

Toggling the ship intercom, she said, “Hang on, could be a bumpy ride.”

“And it hasn’t been so far?” asked Chy’tu.

She cast a brief but scathing look at her brother. As she began a steep descent toward the range, she hoped the Captain had chosen her because of her superior flying scores.

A ravine was coming up, and she dipped down into it, flying low, almost grazing the tops of the trees.

In the hold, Jurrel was frantically tying the MUTAC down as it had begun to slide toward the outer hatch with Schiya’s maneuverings. J’korrash and Cheelar ran to help.

“Dammit, they got blood and guts all over the MUTAC’s claws.” Jurrel complained. “Going to be hell cleaning that lot off after three weeks in jump space!”

I remember a flight like this,
Kusac sent to Kaid with a hint of humor in his mental voice.

Aye,
chuckled Kaid.
When you visited my place in the mountains.

“Fighters still on our tail but falling back,” said Chy’tu. “Waiting for us to crash, I guess.”

“You want to take the helm?” Schiya demanded.

“No, you’re doing a fine job—a very fine one—of just missing the trees,” her brother reassured her.

She snorted and flipped an obscene gesture at him.

“New message,” he said after a short silence. “If we don’t return immediately, they’ll open fire in one minute.”

“You tracking them, Kho’ikk?” she asked, banking to the left and rising sharply as the ravine ended in a wall of solid rock. The ship’s engines screamed as she accelerated, but they made it with inches to spare.

“Aye, but keep it more level if you want me to hit them.”

A current caught them, sucking them down into the next ravine. She fought it, rising up again to level out just above the razor-sharp crest of the next ridge, then turned abruptly, heading straight toward the following group of fighters.

“Fire at will as we pass,” she snapped. “How long till the
Couana
gets here?”

“Any time now,” said Chy’tu, shutting his eyes briefly and uttering a prayer to any Gods that were listening as he saw them heading at a suicidal speed straight for the fighters.

At the last possible minute, the fighters broke away, and Shirzak and Kho’ikk opened fire on them. Explosions rocked their craft as the two brothers scored hits.