The Marine's Queen (33 page)

Joe understood Mak didn’t want to give the details in front a stranger. He turned to the screen showing Hadrason ship. “Hear from Vin yet?”

“
He says the ship sent out some scouts,” Kam reported. “Two died from cactus vine poison and the others retreated inside. He plans to put a listening node on the ship when night falls.”

“
Tell him to do it now. The heat should hide him from their thermal sensors.”

“
Who are they, sir? Why would a ship come here?” Mak asked. “Are they looking for us?”

Joe gave them a quick rundown about Hadrason and his crimes against them and Giroux. “So they have Callie and Captain Sontu and are searching for the crystallized iron at least and perhaps the rest of the women.”

“
We’re ready to go, sir,” Kam said.

Becker stepped up beside Mak. “My men and I are ready, sir. She’s our queen and our responsibility.”

“
She’s also their queen, Becker.” In a brief flash of surprise, Joe understood the young man’s emotions. Damaged honor that he’d failed to protect his queen and a fierce desire to make it right.

“
These men and I know the land. You and your men would slow us down.” Joe saw the defiance growing in Becker’s expression. “You’ll stay behind as I order, sergeant. You and your men will see to the security of the civilians here. Hide the shuttle from over flights. Call one of your men in here so Mak can teach him how to use everything. Kam will show you everything outside you need to know about the defenses of the camp.”

Becker saluted and hurried to the door.

Joe stopped him with one last instruction. “Sergeant, your queen would die to protect the women and children here. Make sure you’re willing to do the same. It’s not a light responsibility.”

Becker stood a little straighter. “Of course, Sentinel, you can count on us.”

“
Kam, Mak, get these soldiers squared away while I change. We leave in thirty minutes.”

Joe left them to their instructing while he changed into one of the high tech weather uniforms Vin had purchased.

Webb came into the command center as Joe fastened his boots to his pant legs. “Joe, I wasn’t sure we’d ever see you again.”

“
I survived civilization, Webb.”

The doctor laughed. “Did it survive you?”

“
This Hadrason fellow used some type of infusion on Callie before. He wanted to make her amendable to his orders. Do you know of an antidote or a protective vaccine?”

“
Those types of drugs are illegal but I guess that wouldn’t matter to any man depraved enough to use them. I can’t make an antidote without knowing the exact formula. I’ll try and put something together that might dull the effects long enough for the drug to wear off.”

Joe continued to prepare after the doctor hurried out. Vin had stored an arsenal with the latest in lightweight laser weapons and concussion balls. Joe armed himself with everything available. He pulled on his protective mask and gloves, muttering to himself. “I’m coming, Callie. You’ll have no more trouble with Hadrason once I get there.”

* * * *

Jak carried himself as if he was leading the thugs guarding him instead of being herded into the dining room by them.

Hadrason sipped his wine, more composed than he’d been earlier. “I thought I’d have your man join us in case you wished to test my patience tonight, Callie.”

Jak looked a bit ragged, his uniform wrinkled instead of its usual immaculate condition. The fire in his eyes remained unchanged. “Give what hell you would, your highness.”

Hadrason gestured, and one of the guards fisted Jak low in the back. The captain went to his knees, his face contorted in pain, but he didn’t utter a sound.

Callie hoped her expression remained composed though she wanted to gouge out Hadrason’s eyes. “I’ve no need to spar with you. I expect the Galactic Military to arrive any time now.”

“
My dear, you are so ignorant of military rules and regulations. This planetary system is well beyond the normal patrol routes of the military. They can’t travel beyond their preset range without permission from high level authorities. It will take days for that to happen, and they will take even longer to find us.”

“
Joe knows where we are.” Callie wondered if Hadrason spoke the truth. She didn’t know anything about the limits of the military’s range.

“
They won’t let him lead them here. They might even feel it’s more important to take him to prison than chase us. He’s a very dangerous man. Capturing him will bring a lot of accolades to that star cruiser captain and his superiors. They’re not going to give up such a chance to enhance their careers. Don’t count on a rescue attempt.”

* * * *

“
Good,” Joe said when he heard Hadrason’s prediction. He sat with Vin in a small hollow between the white dunes only a hundred yards from the ship. Hadrason probably thought he had the latest in technology, but his instruments couldn’t spot the marines. “How many listening modes did you attach?”

“
One on the bridge, two in the crew areas and one in the dining area. Though I’m not sure about the crew area ones. I’m familiar with this class of ship, but it might be a special order.”

“
Call everyone in.” Joe checked the sun. Less than an hour before it set and the ship sent out another scout mission. The visitors would find the cold as dangerous as the heat, and this time they’d find the marines waiting for them.

Vin called back the others from their positions encircling the ship. Joe listened to the dinner conversation as Hadrason bragged of his plans to control the Space Dope trade and double the price of the rare drug.

Joe laid out their plan for the others when they all arrived. Kam, Roz and Mak would ambush any forces that ventured outside the ship.

“
Kill them, sir?” Roz asked.

Joe paused. A few months ago, Roz wouldn’t have asked the question. Joe wouldn’t have any answer but one. They’d all changed a bit. “Only if you have to. Disarm them and take their survival gear if they’re smart enough to have any. If they can get back to the ship, they’ll be allowed to live.”

“
Some of them won’t make it,” Vin said.

“
Either way it will discourage others from trying the sands.”

“
Vin, you do something about their ship’s assault weapons. We can’t have them flying around the planet frying every green spot. They might get lucky and find the camp.”

“
What about you, sir?” Kam asked.

“
I’m going in and get Callie.”

“
You going to kill the bastard holding her?” Vin asked.

“
If she’s injured even a little bit, he’s dead. Otherwise, I’ll leave it up to her. She’s the queen.”

“
Our queen.”

“
What about me?” Yalo had been quiet since Joe arrived and reprimanded Vin for bringing her along.

Joe looked at her fierce expression in the waning light. He knew she loved Callie and wanted to protect her. But he needed Yalo out of the possible lines of fire. “Stay here and run the communications. We can’t call each other when we’re in close, but we can relay through you.”

Yalo nodded, not looking pleased with her duty but being a good soldier about it.

The hatch nearest the bridge swung open.

“
Let’s go.”

* * * *

Another of Hadrason’s men entered, bowing his head before addressing his boss. Was Hadrason preparing them to kneel before him like kings of old?

“
Sir, we’re putting out another group. They’re going to set up a circle of sensory receivers. If anything is living within a hundred miles of us, we’ll hear them or detect their body heat.”

Callie wondered how far away Camp Haven was. Not that far. But hadn’t Joe ordered Vin to fortify the camp? The marines would have spotted this ship. They’d be prepared.

“
And if you don’t find anything, Mudge? You’re supposed to be a famed hunter.” Hadrason sipped his wine.

“
We’ll lift off and move to a different spot, but there’s no way a bunch of women trekked very far over this sandy hell.”

“
Send out double the number of men needed. Half can guard the ones doing the work.”

“
Yes, sir.”

After Mudge left, Hadrason turned his condescending smile on Callie. “It won’t be long now. You’ll be reunited with your friends. Then we’ll see how willing you are to lead me to the crystallized iron. Why don’t you tell me now, and I’ll be merciful. Didn’t I keep my word about your crew?”

“
You left them with a few hours of life support. They’re all dead for all we know,” Jak spat out.

“
Not if the military ship you sent a message to came to their rescue. Tell you what, Callie dear, if you save me the trouble of searching for your friends, I won’t give the little girl to my men.”

“
They’re not men.” Callie hated his superior smile. “You’ll never find them.”

Hadrason’s smile slipped, but the communication unit called him before he could answer her challenge. “Sir, could you come to the bridge?”

“
Bring our guests along,” Hadrason growled to the guards.

The men kept Jak and Callie separated as they made their way up to the bridge. Mudge and another man sat at various stations, monitoring the sensors and scanners.

“
What is so urgent, Mudge, that you had to interrupt my very enjoyable meal?”

“
Sir, we’re having trouble contacting our scout units.”

“
How many can’t you reach?”

“
We sent out six groups of four men. None of them are answering.”

“
None of them?”

Callie laughed, earning a vicious glare from Hadrason. “Perhaps they froze. This planet turns brutally cold after dark.” But she hoped it was a more human force of nature causing the absence of the men.

“
Shut up, bitch,” Hadrason snarled. “Keep trying to reach them, Mudge. The cold may have affected the gear.”

The other men looked more frightened than angry. The bridge was silent except for the man repeating his request for acknowledgement from the missing scouts.

Callie didn’t look at Jak, afraid her hope would show. The cold couldn’t silence so many men instantly. Someone else was out there.

* * * *

“
He took them to the bridge,” Yalo relayed to Joe’s ear piece. “Sontu, Callie, Hadrason, a Mudge character, and somewhere between two and four other men.”

“
Got it. Now stay down and off the air waves.” Joe rose from the sand, the white grains sliding from his body hugging simutex. Only his eyes were exposed, and he squinted to protect them from the freezing air.

A stumbling, nearly naked man walked into the meager light marking the closed hatch. He raised a shaking hand and pounded on the door with the strength of a tiny bird. No one would ever hear him.

Joe glided closer. He pounded on the hatch. The man half turned to look at him, but otherwise didn’t react. The bastard was so far gone in hypothermia Joe wondered how he’d found his way back to the ship.

The hatch opened a slit. Warm air rushed out, and the freezing man tried to squeeze in the narrow opening.

“
That you, Bull?” someone asked from inside the ship.

Bull couldn’t answer. He lifted his arms in a pleading gesture toward the warmth spilling out from the door.

“
What happened? Where’s everyone else? It’s damn cold out there,” the inside man said. The door crept open further and Bull fell inside.

Joe placed a small charge on the lock mechanism of the open door while the other man tugged Bull the rest of the way inside. He moved back into the shadows as someone pulled the door closed.

Hoping the door guard would help Bull to the infirmary, Joe counted to one hundred. He set off the small explosive. The short popping sounded loud in the desert night, but they shouldn’t have heard it inside.