Chapter 8

Areki's voice broke across Isha's arm device, "Point to LC."

His voice was low but it woke Carter. She lifted her head, finding a single dim lantern lit the cave. The call had also awoken the Gartian. Isha was still in her sitting position and she tapped her arm device.

Carter sat up, staring at Isha. The light revealed that the teenager's arms were scared from bullet wounds and what looked like whip marks.

"Go ahead," Isha replied.

"I found a route up the cliff, but there are Doshal soldiers less than a kilometer from it and they've posted watches."

Isha motioned Jajul to get his pack. "Send Jajul a visual."

Jajul grabbed his pack and pulled out his scanning device. He brought up something and handed it over to Isha. She looked it over.

"Is that the best route you found?"

"It's the only route I found, LC."

"Meet us en route." Isha stood and pulled her over shirt back on.

Daniel woke and lifted his head, but didn't move.

"Affirmative."

"It's fifty meters away," Jajul told her. He looked up at her. "Permission to lead out, sir?"

Isha nodded, standing.

Jajul put the scanning device back in his backpack and pulled it on.

"Wake the boys," Isha ordered Carter. She grabbed the lantern and turned it off before putting it back in her backpack.

Jajul moved to the edge of the falls and disappeared. Carter quietly woke the twins. Daniel got up, jarring Aina slightly. She whimpered a little but continued sleeping. Jajul returned.

"Clear, sir," Jajul told Isha.

"Don't talk and watch where you step," Isha ordered them.

They left the cave and crossed the rocky bank into the jungle. Daniel stumbled a couple of times making Aina fuss. Carter glanced back, seeing his eyes flash gold. Frank nestled Aina's head under his chin, whispering softly to her.

Like a shadow separating from darkness, Areki appeared in their path. No words were exchanged between him and Jajul as he took the lead. He brought them to an animal trail that led up the cliff and they began a slow ascent. Burdened with the baby Daniel began to lag behind with Wasteq. Dasex dropped back, staying with them. A high-pitched whine broke the silence.

"Down," Dasex ordered.

The three dropped to the ground. The jolt woke Aina and she began whimpering. A flare burst overhead, lighting the area in bright green light. Daniel looked up. The rest of the group had disappeared into the dense foliage at the top of the cliff. He heard voices yelling and looked over the edge of the trail. Soldiers were running up the trail.

"Dasex," Daniel said.

He looked over the edge and then up at the flare.

"When it goes out, we'll move."

"How long will it be?"

"Another two minutes."

"They'll be on us in two minutes."

"They'll see us if we move."

Daniel looked over the edge again. Aina started coughing and woke up crying.

"We have to move. Come on." Daniel climbed back to his feet and ran.

Dasex and Wasteq followed. The soldiers began yelling and shooting at them. Since they were unburdened with gear or a baby, and weren't exhausted from a four day hike, they quickly closed the gap between them.

Dasex dropped behind a boulder and opened fire on them. Daniel stopped behind a boulder above him, pulling Wasteq with his. He drew one of his pistols and fired on the Doshal soldiers. Aina began crying louder from the noise, and her crying made her cough harder and loose her breath several times. Wasteq reached out, letting her take his finger. A tear slid down his cheek.

"Aina's afraid." Wasteq told Daniel.

"She has a right to be. We aren't going to get away from here alive."

"She's sick, Daniel. She needs medicine."

Daniel turned, handing the baby to him. "Go ahead and tell them we'll hold the soldiers off as long as we can. That will give all of you a decent head start."

Wasteq looked at the baby, and then the pistol. He grabbed the pistol from Daniel and leaned around the rock, firing at the soldiers.

"Tell them Dasex and I will give you a head start," Wasteq told His.

"Wasteq, your brother and you--"

Wasteq looked at him. "My brother made a deal so that I could come but I'm not the one that needs to survive. Make sure he and Aina get there." Wasteq smiled, looking back at his targets. "Who knows, maybe one day when you're old and gray, you'll come back and get to see my nieces and nephews getting along and war will be only in history books."

A flare burst overhead. For a moment, the two stared at each other.

"You won't leave this spot alive, Wasteq," Daniel warned him.

"I know."

Daniel ran up the trail. Dasex looked back, seeing Daniel leave. He looked at Wasteq. The boy nodded once to him and they resumed firing until they ran out of ammunition. Then they fought with rocks and fists until they were captured and murdered.

The landscape had changed to pine trees and tall grass, but the mournful group didn't notice. Of them, Isha seemed to have taken the loss of Dasex and Wasteq the hardest. Occasionally a tear slid down her cheek, but even with that hint of emotion, she said nothing about the loss.

"How much further?" Frank asked.

"Another two hours," Gephka answered.

"Do you think they have the gate ready?"

"Maybe."

"Could we make sure?"

Isha glanced at him.

"We'll stop for a few minutes," Isha said, "and check in with the Hold."

The group sat down on logs and in the grass. Jajul shrugged out of his backpack and pulled out a long, flat device. He entered information on it.

Daniel placed Aina in her lap and began unwrapping the wet shirt wrapped around her.

"Here," Gephka handed Daniel the extra shirt from his backpack. "It's a little damp, but not like that one."

"Thank you," Daniel told him.

A staticky voice came across Jajul's device. "Hold primary responding."

"Communications Leader Jajul requesting relay to Hold Leader."

"Awaiting message."

"We're two hours out. Two packages are prepared to depart when we arrive. Is the gate ready?"

There was a long pause.

"Hold primary, respond."

"Stand by, Leader."

Jajul looked at Isha. She knelt on one knee next to him.

"Director Kedrek is requesting to speak with your LC. Holding for connection."

"Kedrek?" Garut asked. "My father's Chief Military Commander?"

"The same one."

Isha pulled a line from the device and connected it to her wrist device.

"You're Ambassador Havet's son?" Carter asked Garut.

"Yes."

"Carter, Garut, cut the chatter." She lifted her arm, speaking into the wrist device. "LC connected. Go ahead."

"How far out are you, LC?" Kedrek asked.

"Two hours out."

"There's a platoon behind you that we've been tracking all night."

"Affirmative. They hit us."

"Status?"

"Packing four and one packaging lost." Isha's voice trembled when she added, "And... And Dasex. We lost Dasex."

Kedrek paused briefly. His voice was slightly huskier when he continued. "We're tracking a drop ship coming into the zone and have established a perimeter five hundred meters from our entrance. Once you make the perimeter, you'll be safe, but expect resistance. We are prepared to depart packages one and two upon arrival."

"Yes, sir,"

"Isha."

"Yes?"

"Come home safe. I can't loose both of my children."

Daniel and Garut looked at her, surprised.

"I'm trying, father. LC out." Isha stood, yanking the connection. "Leave what you don't need here. We have to move fast."

They dumped what they didn't need and followed Isha.