CHAPTER
11
Dead in the Water
Midland Sea
0712 hours, local time
I didn't need Gage to draw a picture for me; Arthur Torqinski was this Shadow, the man who put a ludicrous bounty on my head, turned half the galaxy against me, caused Falco to betray me and Peppy to be in critical condition, and altogether made my life a living hell for the past weeks. But Gage told me anyway as we walked to the heavy steel door leading into the ship's cabin. Arthur was Black Scythe who survived the war with Andross, knew a losing side when he saw one, and ingeniously maneuvered himself into an alias trusted by Corneria. I felt oddly violated, as if someone had planted a camera in my shower. I spoke with this guy, laughed with him, shook hands, even trusted him to fly the dropship to this God-forsaken ship. And the whole time, there had been an unimaginable coldness and deceit behind those eyes. In a way, I was relieved. Now I knew it was no one close, no one I had feared waking up staring down the barrel of a gun at. Secondly, my problem now had a face.
"He can't leave the planet," Gage said over the heavy rain, flattening his back against the cold metal by the door. "I damaged the canopy of the dropship. That could buy us some time to warn the Solar Wind. Get to the bridge and radio them. Tell them about Torqinski and tell them to send transport for us ASAP." He tapped his ear. "Keep radio silence but let me know if anything happens. He could have finished us, but he knew someone on this ship would. I'm betting StarWolf. Andrea could be in trouble; I'm going to look for her. We'll meet up here once I find her and once you call the cavalry." He stopped and tilted his head. "I know this is happening sort of fast. You good to go?"
I must have looked more out of it than I thought. I hefted up my rifle and nodded.
He socked me on the shoulder with his knuckles. "Get to it then. I'll see you soon."
He disappeared into the darkness of the ghost ship. I followed him, distantly glad to be out of the rain, and waited for a moment for my eyes to adjust to the gloom. The rocking motion of the angry ocean didn't help my stomach, but it was a slight concern next to the promise of an ambush waiting to happen. But as the corridor came into greater focus with each blink, I found myself more focused, the numb shock of Torqinski's betrayal shrugged off. I was even a bit excited at the prospect of running into StarWolf. I knew why. If StarWolf was here, then Wolf was here. And if Wolf was here, then Pigma was here. And if Pigma was here, then not Torqinski, the traitorous galaxy, nor God himself would stop me from ending his life here in the desolate freeze of the ocean. He managed to evade me twice in the war, each one an insult on top of my father's murder. But not this time. No greater fury than in revenge unfulfilled…
I followed the corridor that branched off from the one Gage traveled. It led up an echoing stairwell into another maze of corridors, my destination mapped with red arrows on the walls marked "Command Center." I finally came to the room Gage had apparently visited and thoroughly checked each dark corner before lowering my guard. No sign of StarWolf or Andrea. A sound file he had activated still looped, Arthur's benign voice eerily saying the words that haunted me in those tapes. I shut it off and took one glance at his electronic Scythe ID before turning away in disgust.
I felt a wave of relief upon seeing that the radio was powered up and working and even more relief when I found it was a model I was familiar with. I punched in the Solar Wind's frequency, committed to memory for the mission of course; paranoia had its perks, and waited for a response. It felt great to hear a friendly voice again, even if it was a barely-adult enlistee who was probably stuck in the radio room to keep him from accidentally shooting someone in combat.
I patiently waited for him to finish his practiced answering spiel then said, "This is Fox McCloud transmitting from Corneria. I have an urgent message for Admiral Satcher. Arthur Torqinski of The Guardians is the Shadow, the man behind my bounty. He's loose on Corneria near my coordinates. Are you getting all this?"
"Um…I…uh…"
I sighed. "Just get that to him. He'll know what it means. Tell him—" I stopped short. The electric life in the machine had evaporated and the air stood still. Sure enough, there was no response from the kid. The line had been cut. By that time, I knew for a fact that there were no such things as coincidences. Someone was listening; someone knew I was at the radio.
I instinctively looked up through the bridge's panoramic window. I guess I was looking for some sign down on the stormy deck, but instead my eye caught a faint reflection in the glass itself. I was getting very used to the look of a gun being raised. I ducked and covered as the shot pounded into the radio in a shower of sparks. Three more shots tracked me as I rolled behind cover at a nearby console. My rifle was still propped against the radio, out of reach. I pulled out my pistol, flattened my back against the console, and waited.
"Come out, Fox. Don't drag this out."
My brow hardened. For a long time, on silent nights where the mind was left to wander, I had contemplated how I'd feel, what I'd do, if I ever heard that voice again. Half of me feared it and hoped I'd never hear it again while the other half ached in eagerness at confronting Pigma. Fortunately, my nerves had been steeled time and time again thanks to Torqinski, and the latter half rose to the occasion. I steadied my breathing. I had rehearsed so many times what I would say, but it was all forgotten then. I went with what felt natural.
"Pigma," I said as smoothly as possible. "Funny. This is the first time we've been alone, able to just talk, since…well, since you patted me on the back, told me not to worry, and left with my father on his last mission. I was just a kid. Then I hear you betray my father and Peppy and leave me orphaned. You have any idea how much that would fuck up a kid?" It was a rhetorical question so I continued. "I think I did alright for myself though. Hell, kicked your ass out of the sky twice. I'm almost glad you survived both times, though. I didn't want to just see you disappear in a ball of flame. I wanted you in front of me. I wanted to shove a knife in your gut, gouge out your eyes with a melon-baller, rip off your arm, and beat you to death with it. Hey, I may finally have my chance now."
I heard a shuffle. He was rattled and trying to move to a better position. I couldn't underestimate him, though. If I had evolved since our last meeting, he may have also. My suspicion was right; he had grown a bit ballsier. He loosed a couple shots and tried to flank me, but I was prepared. I shoulder-rolled out from cover and slammed him back against the wall. I raised my pistol to finally end it, but he recovered quicker than I expected and we found ourselves locked eye-to-eye, each pistol up and shoved into the other's face, both triggers half-pulled. I stared into my nightmare. It was Pigma alright, the expression halfway from fear to hatred. I felt fear in myself also. I had long feared Pigma after my father's death, and such an image was not easily released. But my anger quelled it.
"Why'd you do it," I half-whispered through clenched teeth. "I don't care about myself. I don't care about this goddamn Torqinski. I cared about my parents. Why did you do it?"
"The same reason Lombardi did."
"Bullshit. He's nothing like you."
"He sold you out. He knew the more profitable way. How is that not the same?"
"He regretted it. He took no pleasure in it."
"I did it because your father lied! He was no mercenary. You aren't either. You're like him, some idealistic pawn for hire. You do what Corneria wants, not what the money demands. That's why. I wouldn't let myself be turned into that."
"So you became Andross' pawn instead."
"He's dead, and I'm rolling in the cash. I'm no one's pawn. You…even with this bounty on you, where's Corneria to help?"
I never had an answer for that, but staring into the face of everything I knew to be evil, I had one then. "I'm a protector of Corneria. Let the politicians have their say. I can't force anyone into action. All I can do is what I know to be right. Like my father."
He grunted. "You've grown up from the kid I knew. Honestly, I never thought you'd make it. But too much like the old man for your own good. It'll be as satisfying wasting you as it was watching James die."
He moved quicker than I ever thought I'd see Pigma move. I got off a shot, but only after he batted my hand away and went in for the kill. The shot seared like hell across my cheek, but my reflexes saved me once again. I kicked him away and raised my pistol, but again my shot was thwarted, this time by the ship itself. A muffled explosion rocked it violently and the grating sound of twisted metal filled the air. By the time I managed to steady myself Pigma was gone, fleeing like his normal self down the stairs. But I'd have none of it. I sprinted after him.
"Gage," I said as I ran, my hand to my ear. "Gage, come in."
"Little busy," he responded in a manner too casual following an explosion.
"Satcher knows about Arthur, but I couldn't relay our position. Pigma's here. I'm going after him."
A few moments passed. Then a few more. I repeated his name a few times, thinking there might be a bad connection, then got a response. "Fox, the ship's sinking. Andrea's fine, but none of us will be if we don't get out of here. Get to the aft bay. We can take one of the transports."
"After I finish this."
"Now, Fox!"
I ripped off the headset and threw it down behind me. Not the smartest thing to do, but logic was on the back burner at the moment. I regained a bit of control when Pigma took a moment to shoot at me when I rounded a corner. Recklessness would not do. I wouldn't let my father down by walking into a hasty trap. The lasers pushed me back around the corner, but I then heard the blessed click of a trigger being pulled on a dead clip. Pigma dropped the gun and ran again. I gave chase, loosing a shot every few seconds, but always a cursed inch too late.
I glanced at the arrows on the walls as we passed and realized Pigma was heading for the docking bay. I feared that if Gage was there, they might get Pigma first. I ran harder, chest heaving. With death on his heels, the bastard was sprinting on pure survival instinct, and it was unfortunately the greatest motivator. Vengeance kept me going.
I knew something was wrong in the docking bay. A few dusty transport ships lined the vast bay's sides and the gaping maw of the ship's aft opened up to the cool, windy storm. But new wreckage decorated the far side. I only needed a moment to see that a transport ship had tried to take off and collided with some on the side. For a horrific moment I feared it was Gage, but then I saw him standing with Andrea in his usual pose: looking at an explosion he caused. They turned in surprise as our little marathon barreled into the bay. Gage raised his pistol and I reacted on guts.
"No!" I pushed his arm away and the shot went wide.
"What the hell's your problem!"
I paid no attention. Pigma knew where he was going. I raised my own pistol, but adrenaline worked against me. The excitement, the fear, all of it made me shake like a leaf in an updraft. I emptied the clip at Pigma, but none struck. The last one bounced off the hull of a transport as he fired it up. With the whine of the engines, my last chance to settle the score vanished.
No…not again. Not this time.
I dropped my gun, grabbed a grenade from Gage's vest, and with my last burst of energy, ran towards the ship. Pigma inched the transport out, turned, and lined up with the bay opening. Just as the engines flared, nearly deafening me, I leaped, grabbed the wing, and pulled myself up. The traitor looked up in shock and I made damn sure he saw my face before I continued. When I was certain that I would be the last thing going through his mind before death, I fell to my stomach, wound up, and pitched the grenade down into the left wing booster. With a newfound exhilaration, I jumped clear, ignoring the sharp pain in my legs as I hit the ground, and braced for the blast.
And oh, God, was it satisfying.
Metal flew by my face as the wing booster exploded, sending the engines into a sickly whine. The ship veered sharply left and slammed into another transport. Just as I thought I'd have to go over and finish the job, I was pushed onto my side by a brilliant explosion that left no doubt. I couldn't hear it, but that didn't matter. I saw it.
I became aware of Gage behind me and my hearing slowly came back to me. Andrea asked if I was alright, interrupted every few seconds by Gage praising how crazy I was. Finally I shook my head and said, "A minute. Just give me a minute."
They fell silent and seemed to understand. I was left to myself. Staring at the wreckage, I felt…better. Not reborn, not in the midst of a new sunrise like at the end of a smarmy movie. Just better. They say revenge is not a good feeling, but that's only if you don't understand revenge. I knew killing Pigma wouldn't bring my father back, just as killing Andross didn't bring my mother back. Bringing them back was never my goal. I knew killing Pigma wouldn't make the pain go away. But killing him accomplished the goal I set out to achieve. My father's murderer was dead. Justice was done. And for that, I felt better. The case felt closed.
I stood and turned to Gage and Andrea, every pain in my muscles temporarily forgotten. Andrea looked shaken but not injured. "Wolf?"
Gage patted me on the shoulder and headed towards one of the transports. "First, let's get off this heap. I'll explain on the way."
0713 hours, local time
I glanced over my shoulder as Fox took the corridor adjacent to the one I started down. I didn't want to leave him alone. The latest betrayal in the long line of traitors didn't seem to have an effect on him, probably because he didn't know Arthur too well, but shoving him off into possible combat wasn't the best way to follow it. That's how war goes, though. Not many options in the middle of a fight.
I focused on the task at hand. I could hear muffled voices from further inside the ship's bowels, one definitely a woman, and a woman who did not want to be where she was. Andrea must have tried to follow me outside, but they were lying in wait to grab her. It made sense in a weird way. Wolf didn't expect his sister to show up, so when she did, he'd want a chat with her. Remembering the stories of what Wolf did to her made me quicken my silent pace.
I had my memories too. I remembered our kiss before vaporizing the Vipers. I never thought twice about a relationship before. I never planned to find Ms. Right even before I was in Dagger, and after that it was certain. Spouses and the job don't mix. And now the sister of Wolf O'Donnell? I'm a soldier. I don't over-contemplate. I act on instinct, training. And right then, my gut was telling me to get my ass in gear because someone I loved was in trouble. Don't ask me why I felt that. Love never made sense to me and it didn't in that moment either.
Glancing at the painted arrows, I was becoming more certain that the noises were coming from the galley. Sure enough, I rounded the corner to the galley corridor and a shriek guided me in. Windows made up the wall on my left. I flattened my back, shuffled along the wall, and peeked through the dirty glass into the mess hall. Rows of grimy, disused tables and chairs littered the galley, as well as some more recent scum: StarWolf. Andrea sat at one of the chairs, shoulders slumped and head bowed. Wolf leaned on the table next to her, speaking too softly for me to hear. Another character stood over her as well, a lizard. I recognized him from the merc files. Leon. Leon…something. Didn't matter. I just needed to know he was the enemy, and that was enough for me.
I flinched as Wolf slapped his sister and grabbed her muzzle. I didn't need to hear the words to know they weren't kind. I sank to the ground and crawled under the window panes until I reached the doorway. I could hear the voices now and I risked a peek.
"We wouldn't be this way, Andy," Wolf said. "We could've had the money. All of us. But you…you went to McCloud? You ran to our family's enemy?"
"Your enemy," Andrea responded. Wolf retorted with another slap.
"Don't interrupt. You know I hate that. Where was I…right, McCloud. Torqinski doesn't even care about Fox. None of this was about Fox. It was about something bigger. I'm trying to save you, Andy. I want you back with me. But before I can even think of asking Torqinski to let you live, I need to know what that Dagger soldier you're running around with knows. There can be no loose ends."
I filed that little bit in the back of my memory for later assessment. Something bigger.
Andrea risked a glance up. "I don't know what you're talking about."
I braced myself to see another slap, held my breath as Wolf's hand moved, but it never struck. Andrea caught the wrist in mid-air and shoved his arm back, her eyes regaining some fire. I grinned a bit. 'Atta girl.
"You still don't know what's good for you," Wolf muttered. He nodded to Leon. The lizard smiled and nodded back. "Andy, I don't believe you. But, call it family love, I don't want to extract information from you. So I'll let Leon here do it. When you're ready to be a good girl and tell me about Dagger-boy, he'll stop."
I let my breath out. The son of a bitch was going to watch as his own sister was tortured. It was always nice to have little reminders that I was on the good side in Lylat's wars. Andrea's face became more and more forlorn as Leon placed different sizes of knives and other unpleasant tools on the table, making damn sure his victim saw them. Lastly, he removed a pair of handcuffs from his bag of goodies and grabbed Andrea's arm. Time to move.
I broke the heavy silence of the galley. Three pairs of eyes looked to the door as I rushed in, but I only saw Leon's, and I loved the surprise. The quiet was shattered and the gloom lit up from a long rifle burst. A good half-dozen lasers pounded into Leon's chest and sent him sprawling on top of the greasy table behind him. I tracked my rifle towards Wolf, but the bastard hadn't let his guard completely down. He fired rapid shots from his pistol, apparently not caring if Andrea was in the way. I did. I dove, grabbed her, and pulled her down as the lasers tore up the air.
I raised myself to a kneel and fired at Wolf as he ran from the galley, but my awkward position and the strewn debris left my shots straying. Andrea was up before me, a low growl escaping her throat, but then she was right back down again as a bitch of an explosion rocked the boat. Not a good sign, but I'd unfortunately been expecting it. The ship had to be rigged if Arthur led us right to it. Wolf had moved to plan B…blow the hull, sink the ship, and kill anyone left behind. He'd be heading aft, to the bay.
Andrea hopped up again, but not before retrieving Leon's fallen pistol. I recognized the model; packed a hell of a punch, but required a steady hand. Hoped she could handle it. Halfway through the doorway, a solid thunk by my ear stunned me and I looked to the side to see a knife reverberating in the doorframe. I spun around to see Leon winding up another throw, one of his deadly knives in his hand. I raised the only thing handy to protect myself: my rifle. The knife cut through the barrel like cheap paper, the tip no more than an inch from my eye. I dropped the useless rifle. Leon stood there, his shirt torn and small pieces of ragged body armor sticking out. The shots weren't fatal, but they did some damage to his chest. A small stream of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. He had a knife in each hand. My own hand hovered over my pistol holster.
"Go," I uttered to Andrea. "Get after Wolf."
She didn't need further urging. I focused on my high-noon standoff. Leon glared at me with the cold concentration of a true killer. I had no doubt he could handle those knives better than most men handle a gun. We both stared, our breathing even starting to become synchronized. And, like a telemarketer at dinnertime, it was then that Fox decided to call.
"Gage. Gage, come in."
"Little busy," I responded curtly, my eyes never leaving Leon.
"Satcher knows about Arthur, but I couldn't relay our position. Pigma's here. I'm going after him."
Leon made his move, probably hoping I was distracted. He must not have known me too well. I dropped my shoulder forward and the knife thunked into the wall behind me. I came up shooting, but he charged and pounced, knocking my pistol away. I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall, but he was a tough bastard. He broke my hold and pulled the exact same move, pinning me against the wall. He brought the knife up and I managed to block the thrust at my chest, but his strength was gaining and the knife inched towards me. With a last burst of energy I pushed him away. He regained himself and lunged at me, but I was ready and that look of shock crossed his face once again. I yanked his thrown knife from the wall and shoved it into his neck as he charged. His knife clattered to the ground and he went down sputtering. I stayed to make sure he was good and dead. Finally, I recovered Black Beauty and hauled ass to the aft bay.
I became aware of Fox's voice in my ear and remembered I sort of left him on hold. I responded. "Fox, the ship's sinking. Andrea's fine, but none of us will be if we don't get out of here. Get to the aft bay. We can take one of the transports."
"After I finish this."
"Now, Fox!"
No answer. He was going to have Pigma one way or another. I couldn't blame him. I focused on Andrea.
When I ran into the docking bay, my heart skipped a beat. Wolf had gotten to a transport and was lining it up to take off, but what concerned me was where Andrea stood…dead in the middle of the ship's path. Wolf revved up the engines, fully intending to wipe his sister out in take-off. But Andrea stood like a finalist in a skeet-shooting match, her face stoic, her eyes boring into Wolf. She raised Leon's pistol, the hand-cannon, and with hardly a moment's hesitation, fired the deafening shot. The canopy glass shattered and I didn't even need to see Wolf's head to know it splattered. With the pilot resting in many many pieces, the sheep veered sharply to the side and collided with the bay wall. Thankfully, no explosion ensued. I almost wished one did, just to burn away the last traces of Wolf O'Donnell.
Andrea lowered the gun and looked at me. After a tense moment, she sighed, her eyes cleared, and she walked over to me. I'd never been more proud of her.
We waited for Fox in silence, hoping he hadn't gone and gotten himself killed. What was taking him so long…
-Chapter 12 coming soon-