Event Horizon, page 25
Margo, Cass, and Singer stood and exited the captain's office. Donovan was nowhere in sight. He either left to find his own answers or to tell Hugo the bad news.
Cass stayed close to Margo, wanting to get as far away from Singer as possible.
"I'm sorry about your friends, truly," said Singer. "I'm in Farson for the rest of the week. I can contact you if I hear anything."
"Thanks," replied Margo.
The air had turned colder. The blue sky was now overcast, threatening snow. The military personnel were more frantic, moving every which way. Knowing what they had to do, but not knowing how. There was too much movement for Margo to think, to concentrate. She needed to get back to Event Horizon.
She looked over at Cass. Tears streamed down her face.
"If I had just been a little faster, or had looked where I was going..."
"It's not your fault," Margo said, wrapping her arm around Cass's shoulder. "And it's not Singer's fault either. Just bad luck."
"I don't know if this helps," said Singer, "but I think your friends are all right. You will see them again soon."
"Thanks," said Margo, "but it's gonna take more than wishful thinking to—"
Looking towards the man, Margo was greeted by an empty space. She gazed all around her and found no trace of him. Uriel Singer was gone.
40
Reconnaissance
Hugo awoke an hour earlier than normal and snuck out of the craft while the others were eating breakfast. He'd be damned if he got suckered into craft duty again. Let Donovan have that job, or better yet, Cass. She almost got herself kidnapped yesterday. Best not to repeat the same mistake. But who got captured instead? Eli! His own brother taken and held hostage by psychotic anarchists! Had Hugo been with them, instead of doing grunt work, he would have never allowed that to happen. And how did that even happen? Eli was the smart one, for the Republic's sake! He should have known better, right? Right?
The sun had just risen over the horizon as Hugo wandered over to the barracks. Every soldier was moving around, gathering supplies and heading to their destinations. He flagged down one of the soldiers.
"Aren't you the one who had a birthday yesterday?" Hugo asked him.
"Yes," replied the soldier, slinging a supply pack over his shoulder. His nametag read Graiko. Wait a moment. Wasn't that the name of those diplomats on Novatera? Could be a coincidence. The Republic was a big place. Could also be an advantage, if there was a relation. Hugo filed it away for later.
"Happy belated birthday, then. So, what exactly are you guys doing?"
"We're heading into the forest for a reconnaissance mission. Hoping to track some of Walker's people and pinpoint his location."
"Can I help, or is this strictly military?" Finding Walker was the first step in finding Eli. If Hugo could speed that process along, he was willing to do anything.
Graiko gave him a puzzled look. "Military only, sorry."
Hugo thought of bringing up the kid's name. Was he from Dionysus? Was he really related to those people at the Peace Summit? But that might lead to the wrong kind of questions. What was Hugo doing on Novatera? An investigation would follow to see if he were legit. Why was he on Novatera under an assumed name? That job would then be compromised. But Hugo did not worry about getting shipped off to a prison world. Margo would kill him before he went to trial.
"I understand," Hugo said. He would save that information for later. He turned and walked back towards the crafts. He would find another way to help his brother. Maybe talk to some of the locals. With the right monetary incentive...
"Hold up," said another voice.
Hugo turned and saw the soldier who had caught him sneaking around the other day.
"Zaks, is it?" Hugo asked.
"Yeah. Are you still trying to sell encyclo-somethings?" Zaks asked sarcastically.
"No. Bad business venture, I'm afraid." Sensing an opportunity, he turned to Graiko and asked, "Are you sure there's nothing I can do? I know delivering supplies is a great help, but I haven't had much to do since my craft landed here."
"You know what," said Zaks. "Huang and Collins are out sick, and we need as many eyes as possible today."
"Wait a second," Graiko said to Zaks, narrowing his eyes. Eyes so dark they were almost black. All those Dionysians had blue eyes. Maybe it was just a coincidence. "You're not seriously considering that, are you? Christie will never go for it."
"What Christie doesn't know won't hurt him."
"But this man has no military training, I'm assuming." He glanced over at Hugo.
"You're correct," Hugo replied.
Graiko continued, "If he screws up, that's on you and probably me, too."
Zaks asked Hugo, "Do you know how to use a stun gun?"
"Of course." Hugo had zero experience with guns, stun or otherwise, and had never fired one in his life. But if lying meant finding Eli, so be it.
Zaks handed his stun gun to Hugo. The gun was much heavier than it looked.
"The magazine," Zaks explained, pointing to one end of the weapon, "holds twenty rounds of tranquilizer darts."
"Zaks," Graiko said, his voice shaking.
"Each one is powerful enough to immobilize the targeted muscle groups for two hours. Be sure to aim for the legs or arms. Shots to the torso or neck can be fatal."
"Lieutenant Zaks, Junior Officer Graiko," called out a senior officer. She stood at the same height as Hugo, and her black hair was tied in an orderly braid. The two red stripes on her uniform sleeve indicated she was second in command.
"Yes, Commander Kurosawa?" Zaks replied. He and Graiko stood at attention. Hugo forced his breathing to remain steady.
Kurosawa glanced over at Hugo and the weapon in his hands. "I see you already got the memo."
"A memo?" Hugo asked.
"Haven't they told you? Captain Christie had ordered that transport workers with clean records can assist with the search."
"Really?" Hugo struggled to process the information.
"That's one of the reasons why you're here." She addressed the soldiers. "After yesterday's incident, the captain isn't taking any chances. He wants Walker captured today, understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," Zaks and Graiko answered in unison. Kurosawa walked away to inform the rest of the soldiers.
"Lucky break," said Zaks, breathing a sigh of relief and smiling.
"This time," replied Graiko. He was not smiling. He cast a sideways glance over at the headquarters building. Hugo surmised he did not approve.
A long whistle sounded over the intercoms, followed by Captain Christie stating, "All military activities are postponed until further notice. Happy Republic Day."
"Well, that sucks," said Hugo. Was it really Republic Day? He counted back the days. Sure enough, it was the eighteenth.
"Keep your voice low and follow us," said Graiko as he, Zaks, and dozens of other soldiers and transport workers went towards the edge of the dense woods. Hugo recognized none of the other workers. All wore in plain clothes. Most were armed with stun guns.
"But your captain said—"
"Reverse psychology," Graiko explained. "The Dissenters won't expect us to work on an important holiday. This op wasn't even planned for today. Just a luck coincidence."
Hugo did not believe the military relied on coincidences, just very good timing. As for his own coincidence, only time would tell.
He entered Wyrd Forest right behind Graiko. The dense trees obscured most of the early sunlight. The three of them, as well as a dozen others, separated from the main group and trekked deeper into the woods. This smaller group then splinted. It was only the three of them among the looming trees. Looking behind him, Hugo could not see the base. Nor could he see any of the other soldiers. The trees obscured everything and made each direction look the same. Zaks and Graiko better have brought GPS trackers. He couldn't help his brother if he was lost in the woods.
A twig snapped. Hugo froze, his eyes fixed on the trees. What was that? Did something move? His pulse beat in his throat. Was he holding the gun? No, Zaks had taken the gun back as they entered the forest. How could he have forgotten that?
"Look down," whispered Graiko.
Hugo looked at his feet and lifted one foot. He had stepped on a twig without realizing it. He let out a relieved sigh. Graiko tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to be quiet and keep moving.
Sometime later, maybe an hour, maybe five minutes, Hugo could not be sure, the trio paused in a small clearing. The clearing was no more than five feet by four, but it was a welcomed break from the monotony of the forest. Zaks whispered some code words into his communicator while Graiko scanned the tree line, his gun ready to fire.
Hugo brushed some snow off a fallen tree trunk and sat down, getting his bearing. Growing up in a large city and working in space had left him no time for forests. The lack of people and enveloping quiet made him uneasy. And, he hated to admit it, fearful. A crowd of people in a city was predictable. But out here was nothing but wild, untamable nature. There were no facial expressions, no body language or tone of voice for him to read. His talents, the things that made him Hugo Carnaki, were useless here.
His only reason for being in this damn forest was Eli. As soon as he found his little brother, knew for a fact that he was safe, they could go home and leave this sorry excuse for a planet behind.
And this, his brother being in danger, was the one thing he wanted to avoid. Yeah, it pissed Eli off that Hugo forced him to stay on Event Horizon. But it was for his own good. Katia was going into a dangerous situation, and if they were too busy focusing on their feelings, one or both of them could get hurt. Eli never saw it that way. And it only resulted in fight after fight after fight. Hell, Eli probably went into town for the sole purpose of getting away from him. Oh God, was this all his fault?
Hugo jumped and nearly fell off the tree as Zaks let out a short, sharp whistle. They were on the move again. Hugo followed the two soldiers deeper into the woods. The sun was high in the sky but provided no warmth. Pointless. Suns had no right to shine that brightly and offer no warmth. Old snow and dead leaves crunched underneath their feet. Every now and then, a bird chirped.
Why couldn't those birds chirp all the time? The prolonged silences made Hugo more uncomfortable. The only thing for him to hear was his own thoughts, and he hated where they took him. Hated himself. Would Eli really have been better off on his own? If Hugo hadn't screwed up, the kid would have a university degree in computer science, earning more than enough to support himself. And he would not be stuck with someone who still viewed him as a little kid. Hell, Eli could have been married with his own kid by now if not for Hugo making a mess of his life. But Eli was all he had. Eli might have been okay, but not him. He would be lost without his brother by his side.
Hugo glanced up at the soldiers. How could those two stand the silence? Military training, he supposed.
Another twig snapped. Hugo looked down at his feet, but there were only leaves underneath. Looking up, he saw Zaks and Graiko standing back to back, guns at eye level.
Hugo's heart raced, pounding inside his chest. A shadow moved between the trees. Anarchists or wild animals? Anarchists could be reasoned with, bought off. But wild animals? Hugo had never encountered a wild animal.
Another shadow. Definitely human shaped. He backed up. A tree root snagged his feet. He grabbed onto Graiko. The soldier lost his balance, falling against a tree. He accidentally pulled the trigger, letting off a shot that echoed through the trees.
Standing on shaking feet, Hugo looked to the two soldiers. Both silently scanned the woods. Nothing moved. The echo faded to silence.
Zaks said, "Be more careful next—"
An explosion of shots rang out. Zaks dropped to the ground. Graiko fell to his knees, gripping his left arm. Hugo felt a miniature heatwave as something whizzed past his head. He dropped next to Graiko, his right ear ringing. The volley of shots ended. Sounds of people running on snow and dead leaves followed. The forest returned to silence.
"Base command, this is Junior Officer Graiko," he said into his communicator. How was his voice so calm? "We're under fire. Send back up to our location. Walker's people are near. Repeat. Walker is near."
"Oh crap, you're bleeding!" said Hugo, noticing the red liquid oozing out of Graiko's torn shirt sleeve.
"Dammit." Graiko removed his belt and tried and failed to tie it around his arm. "Help me."
Hugo grabbed hold of the belt, his hands shaking. Weird. His hands never shook. He wrapped the belt around Graiko's arm until the young soldier screamed. He let go of the belt, thinking he had messed up and caused more damage. Graiko grabbed the loose end of his belt and held it in place.
"Why are you bleeding? What…?"
"Bastards got their hands on armor piercing rounds," Graiko said.
"Armor piercing?" Hugo tried to put the words together. Soldiers wore armor, obviously. So armor piercing... His brain refused to work. The young soldier's arm continued to bleed, coating the belt. Oh God, there was so much blood! His right ear rang like crazy, and his face felt too warm, as though he had a bad sunburn. Sunburn? How could he get sunburn? It was too damn cold here!
"Somebody started making them again. Probably hand-delivered them to every active Dissenter cell. Must have made a fortune." Graiko's eyes widened as he faced Hugo. "Oh man, your ear."
"What about my ear?"
"Half of it's gone. There's blood all over you."
Hugo touched his right ear. The upper two-thirds of the lobe were missing, replaced by bloody, gnarled flesh. He pulled away his hand. It was coated in dark red blood. Funny, it didn't really hurt.
"Zaks, are you okay?" Graiko asked. The other soldier did not reply. He rested on his knees, not moving an inch. "Are you okay? They're gone now," he said, pushing Zaks's shoulder. Zaks rolled onto his back, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. A bullet had pierced his throat.
"Oh my God," said Hugo. "Is he…?"
Graiko spoke into his communicator, his voice trembling, "Base command, we need backup now. Man down. I repeat. Man down."
41
Last Door on the Right
Dakota laid down on the cot, staring up at the ceiling and picturing the bunker layout in his head. From what he could glean from people's thoughts, the bunker had three exits leading to the surface. He only knew the exact location of one. Turning right, he would walk down the corridor and then turn left. From there, he would take the second right, past the central room. Joseph Walker's followers spent most of their free time there, so sneaking past the room posed a challenge. Coupled with the fact that nobody in the bunker slept at the same time. People were always moving around, acting as guards. More so now that they had hostages.
But if he could manage it, time everything just right, the exit was directly down that last hallway. He and Eli would be home free.
"Who are you?" asked a small voice.
Dakota turned towards the voice and saw a little girl, no older than three or four. She stood next to his cot, observing him. She had jet black hair and the same eyes as Joseph Walker, except the colors were switched, with the right one green and the left one blue.
"Nate Kennet. Who are you?" he asked, sitting up. How had this small child gotten down here?
"Kelsi Walker."
So she was Walker's kid. But why bring her down here, surrounded by wanted anarchists? She ought to be much safer in Farson. Why would Walker risk his child's safety? "What are you doing here?" he asked. Would a child that young even understand what was happening around her?
"I came here with Mommy to see Daddy."
"Do you know where your dad is right now? I would like to talk to him." About what? Dakota did not know why he had said that last part. Just an odd feeling. A task that needed to be accomplished.
Kelsi shook her head. In the doorway appeared a thin woman in her early thirties. She had jet black hair and pale skin, like most of the people Dakota has seen in Farson. Bony wrists protruded from her too short coat sleeves.
"Kelsi Marie, I told you not to wander off," said the woman, rushing to the little girl's side, never taking her eyes off Dakota. She took hold of Kelsi's hand and backed away towards the door.
"Excuse me, ma'am." Dakota stood and walked towards the doorway. The woman stepped further into the hall. She looked at Dakota like he would lunge at them and take her child away. Dakota took a step back. "Do you know where Joseph Walker is? I wish to speak with him." And he did not know why he was saying this. Maybe part of him thought he could talk some sense into Walker, convince the man to let them go.
"Are you one of them? The ones they took from town?" she asked, her eyes scanning him.
"Yes. My name is Nathan Kennet."
"Aleah Hirsch," she cautiously introduced herself. She frowned. "Why is your door unlocked?"
Dakota hadn't realized that. Grendel Ericksen had locked it last night, so how had Kelsi gotten in? He asked the little girl, "Kelsi, do you have the key?"
"No, it was open already."
Dakota smiled. It had to be Uriel. But where was the guardian angel now?
He asked Aleah, "Can I speak with Walker, if he's not busy?"
Aleah was silent for a moment, biting her lower lip. "Sure. I guess." She shrugged. "Go down the hall and turn left. Last door on the right."
"Thank you." Thank God she was cooperative. Maybe most of Walker's followers were more like her and less like Maddock.
"Goodbye!" Kelsi waved as Dakota walked by her and her mother.
"Goodbye," Dakota replied.
"Don't!" Aleah yelled, holding the child closer to her. Letting out a shuddering breath, she added, "Don't talk to her, please."
"But he's nice, Mommy," Kelsi protested.
Aleah bent down and said to her daughter, "I told you not to talk to anyone here. Please, just do as I say."
"But why?"
"Please listen to me." Her voice sounded strained. It could not be easy raising a child and being in a relationship with the most wanted man on the planet.
