Chapter 28

Without any further hesitation Matt followed her to the G-3 mecha, just as she began to lift off he asked. "Is that how he treats you?"

"There's more to it than what you just saw Matt, Ken wasn't always that hot tempered and out of control." Jun defended him.

Matt spoke more carefully, "I suppose there is an explanation."

"We'll talk about it later and I'll fill you in." She said softly, she was worried, Ken would need some rest badly after using the hypershoot, instead they were going on a another mission with him leading them and then he lost it totally at Matt when could have been more compassionate. Why? She thought. It angered and saddened her at the same time to see him lose control to that degree.

When they finally formed up the Gatchasparten Jun noticed Ken had gone very quiet, he didn't even look at Matt or her and stayed seated at his station on board the ship. Occasionally on the way to the location on the disk Ain River Castle he spoke only to deliver a few orders in a flat tone. From staring at the back of his helmet she couldn't read his face, and she needed to know why he lashed out like he did.

Matt spent part of the flight starring at the interior of the famous bridge of the Gatchasparten- every now and then she caught a haunted look cross his face. She figured he was trying not to worry too much and was focusing on staying positive.
"Its insight, shall we scoot around it and check for any resistance?" Joe asked turning in his seat to wait for the approval from Ken. Ken only nodded and looked over at Ryu.

"Got it boss." Ryu's lighter tone didn't hide the discomfort they were all feeling at the change in Ken and his attack on Dyami's adoptive father.

"What are they playing at, where are they hiding." Joe's distrust of Galactor was founded. Not a guard in sight at the prison.

"That's very odd." Ken agreed the mystery of it brought him out of his sombre mood for a few minutes.

"We'll land a short distance away, and then approach it in our usual stealth manner. Keep frosty team they might have known we were coming." He said evenly as Ryu began to land the ship in an area protected by high cliff faces. Ryu set the ship to land with autopilot so they could all make the jump.

"Joe, you and I will take Matt between us when we jump." Ken said looking at Matt for the first time since he punched him unprovoked.
Matt acknowledged him silently and the six of them ran up to the top of the Gatchasparten to leap from the top onto the top of the cliff face.

Landing softly on the grass they all began to head towards the walled castle prison looking for an entrance inside.

Ryu indicated he found an old servants door on the far wall. Joe used his gun to blast the latch and Jinpei dashed in to check out the area.

"Wow, someone got here before us, and it looks like it was a few days ago at least." He said as they all walked in to join him.

A few dead goons that had begun to smell of dead bodies confirmed his conclusion of a few days at least.

"We'll work better if we split up, Jinpei, Ryu- check the lower levels for anything you can find.
"Joe, take care of the middle section and Jun and Matt, you're coming with me, we'll have a look at the top level and see what we can find." Ken's said in his usual commander's voice.

They took their time going from cell to cell with the same results. "None of these look like they've been occupied for centuries." Matt said glancing into another across the hall not even trying to hide his frustration.

"Wait, did you hear that." Ken said his sharp eyes turned to further down the hall. "I thought I heard someone…weeping."

"I don't hear anything." Jun confessed stretching her ears to try and pick up the sound.
Matt looked to concentrating on hearing it too.

Ken began to run up the hall, Jun and Matt exchanged glances." He's usually right in these sorts of things." She said hurrying behind him she heard the grating sound of door opening.

Ken stood looking back at them he walked slowly into the cell.

The smell of damp hay and human waste greeted her when she joined Ken, then her eyes fell on the woman hunched in the corner. Her long hair dull and lifeless with bits of straw hanging from it she looked weary and ill.

"Natasha." Matt a wave of relief washed over him. He crouched down next to her and gently pushed back her hair so he could see her face.

Natasha stared at him blankly and for an instant she didn't' appear to recognise him. When it dawned on her he was real and looking into her eyes expectantly she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder sobbing uncontrollably.
Matt did his best to try and calm her down, and make sense of the words that came tumbling out of mouth.

"Dyami's gone." Matt murmured- his alarmed eyes met Ken and Jun's. "Dyami's not here."

"Are you sure?" Ken asked walking towards her." They might have taken him to another part of the castle-"

Natasha shook her head wildly her haunted eyes looked into her husbands as she explained the events of the past few days. "After they left I went looking for him everywhere…I searched…and found nothing. Some goons came one night and woke us, they drugged me and stole him…then Kempeler came back her with his men and they took the other prisoner, I think his name was Kaseru. Kempeler told me rushing past I was stay here because you were coming for me…I…thought he lied to me and…you were really dead along with Dyami."

Her eyes became desperate. "We have to find him Matt…we have to…he must be scared and alone where ever he is, what if…" She put a fearful hand over her mouth, when the worst kind of thoughts must have entered her mind about the fate of her son and she looked like she was about to be sick. "People like those who work for Galactor would probably sell children…oh my god, what could they be doing to him."

"We have to get you back to safety." Ken said looking at Jun seriously. "We need to see what intelligence has on new bases, its likely they would have taken him to one of them, and Natasha needs medical help."

He sounded more like the Ken she knew in that last statement, the one who cared about the people around him and wouldn't harm them no matter how he felt.

"I'm fine, just a little….dirty, makes me look worse. What can we do to help?" She asked trying to stand up only to have her husband lay a gentle hand on her slim shoulders to prevent her from moving. Then she proceeded to fill them in on what she thought Kempeler was likely to be up to.

"Stay alive and be here for Dyami, he needs his parents….he needs you." Ken's voice went low when he repeated what he had said to Matt earlier on. Jun didn't miss the underlying pain there, his face darkened in deep thought. "No, we can't take them there- we need somewhere where Galactor won't find them this time and someone we can trust…They won't be able to find them at the base."

"Joe, Ryu and Jinpei, what have you found anything yet?" Ken said into his bracelet urgently. Then he filled them in on what they had just discovered.

"Nothing but more dead goons, he really didn't want to leave anyone behind who wasn't going with him, if Natasha's right, then it could work to our advantage if Galactor falls into turmoil right now." Condor Joe sounded very pleased with that idea.

"Same with us big bro, nothing that indicates we'd find a secret base here," Ryu replied.

"Yeah, I like that idea as well- the problem face is what have they done with Dyami?" Ken's tone became very controlled echoing Jun's thoughts.

Matt's lips drew a tight straight line. "I can fly a fighter jet- we'll get Natasha to safety and then-"

"Matt you haven't flown one in years! It's not like it was when we were twenty years old." Natasha's voice became fearful like the idea of him flying dragged up painful memories.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Ken stepped forward and Matt stood up to his full height.

"Are you going to punch me again, to make me do as I'm told?" Matt's voice challenged Ken.
"I…No…I was wrong to do that Matt, and you have every right to think poorly of me for it, It won't happen again." Ken's said apologetically.

Matt didn't respond, his eyes said he didn't completely trust Ken. Natasha looked on with a raised eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Ken and Jun exchanged glances, "We have something to tell you. Matt just found a short while ago." Then Jun lifted her helmet along with Ken.

Natasha gasped in surprise when her eyes fell on Jun putting her fingers over her lips. "I don't know what to say." Then her eyes fell on Ken and went wider. "Why do I feel like I'm look at my son in many years to come- Like someone just gave me a premonition of his future."

"I hope not, this war will be all over by then-I hope." Jun said- Ken nodded agreeing with her.
"We'll have time to talk about all this later, let's get moving." Ken ordered. Matt picked up Natasha into his arms.

She snuggled her face into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck as he crossed the threshold of the doorway. "You haven't carried my like this since we were newly weds."

"I'm not that old you know a bad leg won't stop me from showing how much I love you." His voice full of emotion he kissed her hair. "I thought I'd never see you again….and…"His voice catching in his throat. " "He's alive Tash let's hold onto that..."
"We have to hurry, I'll have Ryu bring the Gatchasparten up to the roof top, its closer so we won't have to walk as far." Ken looked back at Jun who watched him with a raised eyebrow.

"So, what your plan, do have a safe house in mind?" Jun queried.

"Yes I do- one that Galactor won't give a second thought to and his wife is even a trained doctor, he's an old friend, and a man I'd trust with my life." Ken didn't say any more as he ran ahead of them to find a door that lead to the rooftop.