Chapter 3

Spock raced outside and stopped dead at the sound of a firearm being cocked.

The sheriff stood a few paces away, gripping Gracie's forearm tightly.

"Stand still – I'll make it quick." he pointed his revolver at Spock.

Spock frowned, then raised an eyebrow. "I do not comprehend your motive for murdering either Susanne or myself." He glanced at Gracie, who's eyes were wide with fear.

"Let Gracie go." Spock demanded, taking a step forward.

Wonder crossed the sheriff's face, followed by stubbornness. "I don't think that should be your first priority." He aimed and pulled the trigger just as Gracie stomped on his foot.

Pain blossomed just above Spock's ankle and his knees nearly gave way, but he pushed it away with a Vulcan mind technique.

Gracie stomped again and the sheriff shoved her away, pointing his gun at her back.

"No!" Spock threw himself forward, a flicker of human fear shooting across his face.

The sheriff shot Gracie twice in the back, then swung his gun toward Spock, but the third report wasn't from his gun.

The sheriff jerked and collapsed to the ground next to Gracie.

Lydia stood a long way down the street and took her shotgun down from her shoulder. She slung it over her shoulder and started sprinting toward them.

Spock hurried to Gracie, who was trying to sit up. "Am I okay? He shot me – oh, it hurts!" She lay back again.

Spock knelt next to her. "We'll get a doctor to check your wound, but I am going to knock you out like the mountainer earlier today. You may be unconscious for some time – what do you want me to tell your sister?"

Gracie smiled, unaware of the blood spreading all over her dress. "Tell Lydia that the sheriff's gone bad – she has – a chance." her face twisted in pain.

"I'll convey the message." Spock nodded assuringly. "Do not be concerned – the nerve pinch will not be painful."

"Okay." Gracie coughed. "See ya."

He nerve pinched her.

Lydia slid to her knees next to her sister, and seconds later a man – a doctor – was on her other side. Spock got up and stepped away to give them room.

A moment later, Gracie died.

Star Trek

Lydia didn't cry. She stood up and turned to Spock. "Greenblood, talk. What happened? Why'd he shoot Gracie? Why'd he shoot you?"

"I think I understand why." Spock said, slowly. "It's a famine here – nothing grows – how can the mountainers survive without trading with you? They've been the ones attacking travelers. On the journey here, the sheriff was attacked, but he made a deal to inform them whenever travelers would be leaving the town, allowing them to be cannibalized."

Lydia used the back of her hand to brush across her eyes, trying to ignore the men behind her taking Gracie's body away. "What? You're saying everyone who has left here since the sheriff came was eaten by mountainers? Why would he shoot you because of that?"

Spock glanced around, and noticed several townsmen silently listening.

"He tried to shoot me – and did shoot Gracie because we both saw the body of Susanne. He murdered her just a few minutes ago. He murdered her because she had just decided she wasn't going to leave town – and he needed people to leave town so he could hold up his deal with the mountainers. He would have shipped her out in a box with the live people, and let them take and eat her also."

"Ugh." Lydia said, disgusted. She didn't speak for several moments. "My father is dead, then."

Spock paused. "The mountainers don't have any food conservation procedures obtainable -"

"Talk plain." Lydia looked him in the eye. "What are you saying?"

"The mountainers don't have – an icebox." Spock guessed their meat storage type. "If they killed everyone immediately, they'd rot. Since it's a famine, they would ration their food. There may be some people still alive."

"My father was with the group that left only two weeks ago – he's still down there!" Lydia's eyes widened, then she reloaded her shotgun. She turned to look at the townspeople listening. She raised her voice. "I'm going to the caves – I'm going after those people. Anyone who wants to come with me I won't stop."

"Do you have a plan, Miss?" a man spoke from the group listening.

"I know where the entrance to the tunnels are, and I've got a shotgun. I have a chance, and I'm going to get my father back, even if I'm going alone."

"I'll come with you." Spock decided.

"You're hurt – you'll be no help." Lydia dismissed him.

"The wound isn't serious. I failed to protect your sister, but I plan to help rescue your father."

"All right." Lydia looked around at the townsmen. "Anyone with me?"

"I'll come – something needs to be done about those mountainers whether they have folks prisoner or not."

"And I."

"I'll come."

Several more nodded.

"Go home, get your guns." Lydia told them. "We're going up onto the hill, where we look down on the entrance. We'll make a half-circle and surround them."

Star Trek

A half hour later the townspeople had moved as planned. Spock crouched behind a rock near Lydia.

"Your plan, Lydia." he spoke softly. "How do we proceed from this position?"

"Attack and kill them if they try to kill us." Lydia said, coldly.

"Killing them won't help anyone – especially not the people they've eaten. We need to stop the cannibalism. Then the mountainers will have to come to the town and trade for food."

"How will that help us?" Lydia shot back.

"Gems, plants, fish found under the mountain. If forced to barter with your town, they'd become more civilized – more advanced." Spock pointed out. "It could be better if they aren't killed."

"So what plan of attack do you suggest?" Lydia asked, angry.

"Shoot to frighten, until the mountainers retreat into the caves, then we follow, searching for any prisoners."

"How are we supposed to go into their home without killing any of them?"

"Shoot to frighten." Spock repeated. "They know firearms kill. They do not require a demonstration."

Lydia let out a breath loudly, obviously calming from a rational and justified anger.

"We'll try it your way." she conceded. "But if one person gets hurt by arrow or rock or splinter – we're going back to my plan." She whispered instructions to a man near her, and he left to spread the orders.

It took a few minutes for them to get ready. Spock checked the bandages on both of his injuries. They were healing, but much slower than if he'd been able to use a healing trance.

"You okay, Greenblood?" Lydia's voice snapped him back to the task at hand.

"Better than expected." Spock replied. "Are they ready to attack?"

"Yeah." Lydia checked her gun. "Let's go. They'll follow."

She stood and slowly headed for the cave entrance. A mountainer stepped out, holding a crude spear in one hand. Lydia fired only a few feet from him, and he retreated into the caves.

All of the townspeople headed to the cave entrance, but it split off into multiple tunnels.

"You two, take the leftmost tunnel. You three, take this one. All of you, take this one. Greenblood and I will take the last one. Remember, don't fire to kill unless one of you is injured." Lydia told them. "Move out."

Lydia moved first, holding her shotgun up to aim in front of her. They moved several hundred feet into the darkness without incident, but Spock saw the side tunnel – too late.

The mountainer gave a savage scream. He shoved the shotgun from Lydia's grasp.

Spock reached for the man's neck, but suddenly large hands were wrapped around his neck, strangling him.