Burke thought furiously as he crept down the corridor, trying to buy himself more time to come up with a last-minute plan. There was no way he could overpower five hundred pounds of gorilla, even if Kuma didn't wield a weapon. He could only hope to take Gres by surprise, somehow, use him as leverage against Kuma... He'd have to improvise, see what opportunities presented themselves.
Brilliant plan, Pete.
They turned a corner and Burke felt tension flow out of his shoulders and chest at the sight. Katlin and half a dozen of her people were standing in front of the still-locked door, their weapons piled on the floor before them. Gres was facing them, his gun trained on Katlin's head.
I shouldn't be so stupidly happy about that scenario.
But it meant she hadn't betrayed him to Kuma. Guilt mixed into his relief as he remembered his doubt. Better make it up to her by saving her life. But how?
Kuma gave him a little push to take his place among the rest of the would-be rescuers and handed the laser gun to Gres. The chimp weighed the weapon in his hand and sighed with mock regret.
"You had a great future ahead of you, Peet - chief engineer, weapons master... you could've chosen the title yourself."
"I think I'd have gone with Opperman," Burke said, and Gres frowned. Burke didn't bother to explain the reference. "But that's moot now, isn't it?"
Gres smiled. "I really regret this, but in a way, you're still serving the cause - as my first weapon's tester." He raised the gun and pressed the firing button, and an ominous glow began to spread along its barrel. So option one could be ruled out. Burke shoved Katlin to one wall and retreated to the other.
"Keep your distance, I have no idea how broad that thing's spread is!" He focused on her safety, since it was no use anymore to focus on his own. "Drop, all of you! Don't look at it!" Behind him, he could hear shuffling noises as Katlin's people obeyed.
The whine of the gun had risen steadily as the coil was powering up. Gres was pushing the button again and again, his face betraying consternation that quickly turned to worry. A sudden hope surged through Burke - the thing was overloading. Of course, it could still kill him; there was just no way of knowing - that tech wasn't from his own time, after all. He dropped to the floor and covered his head.
A sharp crack, a cry, and a sudden smell of ozone and molten plastic made him jerk up his head in the next second - Gres lay on the ground, writhing in agony, clutching his wrist above a charred and bleeding mass of what had been his hand. Kuma was staring down on it, his attention diverted for a second.
At the other wall, Katlin threw her arm back, then lunged in one fluid motion. Kuma staggered and crumpled to the ground - whatever she had thrown had knocked him out cold. She didn't lose a moment, leaped over to the pile of rifles, grabbed one, and aimed it at Gres.
"Open that door, Pete," she ordered.
Nice job saving her life, Pete.
Burke got to his feet and went over to Kuma. The hilt of a knife protruded from his temple.
"I hope you'll train your people to search prisoners thoroughly ..." he murmured while he quickly patted the body down.
"I don't intend to take prisoners," Katlin was still staring down her former leader.
Burke found the keys and went for the door.
"You should be grateful, Gres," he heard Katlin's voice behind him. "We saved you from certain defeat. Now you can continue your little war with Aken."
"There'll be consequences," Gres gasped.
"You bet there will," Katlin said coldy. "My people will leave your organization. We'll find a place where we can live in peace, without being anyone's pawns."
Burke finally found the fitting key and shoved it into the lock.
"There is no such place, unless you create one," Gres ground out. "Do you really think you'll be able to do that without getting your hands dirty? That you'd be different from me?"
"Well, I intend to keep my hands, for starters," Katlin said. Burke pushed open the door and hugged Zana, who stumbled into his arms. The fur on her head was crusted with blood. Behind her, Lora's tear-streaked face peeked over her shoulder.
"What did those monkeys do to you, Zana?" Burke held her at arms length and sized her up. Zana squinted at him.
"Peet? I don't think I'll make a career as a burglar..." She squeezed her eyes shut and clutched her head. Poor girl had to have a pounding headache.
"Can you walk?"
"I can walk," Zana confirmed. "Don't worry, Peet, it takes more than a Gorilla to crack me." She let him support her all the same. Behind them, Katlin's people picked up their weapons to escort them to the stables.
Katlin ordered Gres into the storage room and had Kuma dragged into it, too. That would only buy them a little time, though.
"Where are we going now?" Lora was still clutching Zana's robe.
"You'll probably hate me for this," Burke said to Zana who was still holding her head, "but I have a horse waiting for you..."
Katlin had the horses ready outside the compound, for which Burke was grateful; he had gaped at her when she had told him that the stables were underground, too (and had wondered how they managed to keep them sufficiently ventilated), and he'd had to clamp down on nightmarish visions of having to fight their way through the corridors with screaming, rearing horses at their back.
Little stone-face was holding the reins, which meant he wouldn't be shooting at them, and Burke felt a little spark of hope that they'd actually get the women out of here alive. He helped Lora up her horse, and turned to Zana. Katlin had already mounted.
"Where's your horse?" Zana asked, leaning against the side of her horse. Burke shrugged.
"City kid - I'd probably slide off the moment it moves. I'll get away the same way I came here." He lifted his foot and wiggled it.
Zana grabbed his arm. "When you came here, you didn't have Gres' people coming after you! They have horses, Peet! You'll never outrun them!"
"Guess I'll have to outsmart them, then." He shook his head when she opened her mouth. "Look, you only have a few hours left until morning. You need to get into town in time, or they'll crack Al's skull like an egg. You can't stop every mile to let me climb into the saddle again." He patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about me, Zana - I'll catch up to you, promise."
He stumbled when Zana suddenly pulled him into a fierce embrace. "I'll hold you to that promise," she said hoarsely. Then she let go just as suddenly and mounted her horse.
"You know our assembly place at the pyramid ruins?" Katlin asked stone-face. The boy nodded. "Get the word out to our people to meet there. If it's possible without being detected by Gres' faction, they should try to bring as much weapons and supplies as they can, oh, and get all the horses out, even those we don't need."
It was this world's version of slashing your enemy's tires, Burke supposed.
"I'll try to meet you there tomorrow." Katlin steadied her nervous horse. "If... if I don't turn up by sunset, you need to go without me." She held up her hand to hush the murmurs. "Actually, I'd prefer if you don't wait for me at all, but I know you'd just disregard my orders, and we can't start our own movement with insubordination, can we?"
A few chuckles made the rounds; Burke smiled sadly.
"If I don't return, go and find some place on the other side of the Zone. Yes, I know, the apes have been telling us all kinds of horror stories about the Zones, but we've been holing up in this one for years and were fine, so - don't believe everything you hear. At least the apes won't follow us, if they believe their own stories."
"Does that mean we shouldn't go with you?"
Burke craned his neck. The speaker was an ape, he realized to his surprise.
Katlin shook her head. "Everyone who believes in human-simian equality and is willing to live and work together in peace and freedom is welcome to go with us. We'll create that place that Gres always promised us, without the bloodshed that he set as a price."
The cheers were whispered - they were all aware that Gres' people were just a shout away. Burke patted the neck of Katlin's horse.
"I told you you're fit to lead your own resistance," he said. "Have you thought of a logo for your movement?"
"A logo?"
"A sign, a symbol to show people at a glance what you stand for." He pulled something from his pocket. "I found this in the junk room, and... I thought it's fitting." He handed it up to her.
"What is that?" She brushed her fingertips over it.
"It's a piece of an old human board game. They called it a Knight, but it's a horse head, see?"
"A horse head..." Katlin mused.
"Yeah." Already he was feeling silly. "Bonded humans mustn't come near horses on pain of death. Only free humans ride them."
"I see." He saw her swallow in the pale light. She carefully pocketed the chess piece. Then she turned around in the saddle.
"Lora - get into the saddle behind Zana. She has a concussion, you make sure she doesn't fall off her horse." She turned to Burke. "You take Lora's horse."
"I told you I can't ride!" Burke protested.
"Don't argue with me, Pete." Her tone allowed no further objections. She'd probably tie him to the saddle if he didn't obey. Grumbling, Burke grabbed the withers and fumbled for the stirrup.
"I never argue with women who have knives in their boots..." He pulled himself up and eased himself onto the animal's back.
Easy, Pete - you've climbed cliffs that were higher than that. Much higher. Without a rope.
Katlin took the reins of his horse and put his hands on the saddle horn. "Just hold on to that," she said. "Leave the rest to me."
"Okay." He swallowed. "Here we go. Here we g...ohhh..."