The Last Horizon

Chapter 12

Axium and Allure, Nexus’ two moons, were full and cast their pale light over the landscape, silvering the trees and charging the darkness with life. They seemed to call out to the inhabitants of the forest and bring out the savageness of the alien night.

Scott lay motionless as he listened to the sound of predator footsteps around him, he could hear the baying of Northern Tavara Böri packs that echoed through the valley followed by the shrieks of animals that fell prey to them.

He found a peculiar comfort in his environment, it was as if he belonged here; deep in the forest amidst the sweet aroma of genesis and decay, the bloom of Icra orchids, and the cold dampness of the thick moss--alone and as gray as the creatures that roamed the woods.

He felt at one with the darkness--the host that embraced him and revealed its eerie secrets; the ghostly silhouettes that moved silently in the chill, the whisper of featherless wings flapping in the gloom, and the Icarus birches and pines that towered around him. Guardians that kept silent time of unseen change.

The hours waned as Scott watched the moons trek across the valley. Eventually, the thin blue line of dawn appeared on the horizon, faint and wintery. First light slowly reached for the heavens and shaded the land as a light fog drifted lifelessly over the moist ground and a surreal stillness filled the morning air.

The valley had turned blue, a dreamlike hue in the mists. During the night, thousands of Didius butterflies had descended into the area. They were everywhere, Didius covered everything and their wings opened and closed slowly like blooming flowers as they clung to every tree and leaf in the valley. It was a breathtaking sight, and Scott was astonished by their numbers and exquisiteness as he stared at the mountainside--spellbound by the beauty of the event.

He snapped out of his gaze and peered through the Trinity’s scope at the villa. In the minutes he allowed himself to be distracted, someone had drawn open the blinds for the sliding glass doors of Charon’s bedroom, and he could see the young girl curled in a heap of silk sheets, but Charon was nowhere in sight. Three bodyguards were in the driveway loitering around the limo, but he couldn’t see anyone else in the estate.

Then he appeared. Wearing a plush white bathrobe, Charon stepped out onto the terrace holding a cup of coffee. He moved casually toward the bistro set, put his mug on the table, and stretched his arms over his head and yawned as he leaned on the rail and looked at the butterflies in the valley.

Scott put the crosshairs between Charon’s eyes; his breathing was slow and shallow as he wrapped his index finger around the trigger. He turned a small, horizontal knob on the scope to adjust the windage one more time.

Scott checked his range. Two thousand and ten meters. He turned a vertical knob on the scope slowly, and put the crosshairs just to the left and slightly higher than Charon’s head…

Scott blinked slowly and brought his breathing under control as he watched Charon taking in the magnificence of daybreak…

…I am become death…

…he exhaled and squeezed the trigger smoothly. The Trinity bumped his shoulder lightly as a muffled pop broke the silence and the casing ejected…

He watched through the scope as Charon’s head blew apart in a cloud of blood, his fractured body violently twisted clockwise and fell onto the patio…

Scott could see the deck darken with blood as Charon twitched involuntarily. He saw the girl sit up on the bed and turn her head toward the balcony, her mouth was open in a scream as she put her hands to her face in terror.

The double doors for the master suite suddenly slammed open as two guards rushed into room with their weapons drawn to see what was going on…

Scott squinted and squeezed the trigger of the M341 twice. The first man into he bedroom took the round in the face; the back of his head blew open and his body was thrown backwards from the impact as the round traveled through and splintered the door they just came through.

The second guard fell to his knees as he clutched his throat and blood gushed between his fingers. He staggered on his hands and knees for a few seconds before he fell face down on the floor. The girl jumped out of the bed and wrapped a sheet around herself as she continued to scream hysterically at the bodies that surrounded her.

The men in the driveway turned their heads toward the commotion in the villa and pulled out their firearms…

Scott aimed at the limo’s engine block and fired another round. The car exploded in a ball of fire that engulfed the men as they were thrown to the ground by the blast. The limo smoldered in flames as black smoke rose into the air. The dead guards were sprawled on the pavers among the smoking debris, and one of them was on fire.

The explosion resonated through the valley and the butterflies erupted into flight and filled the sky. The sound of birds flared up as the mountainside came to life with the chatter of animals.

One of the drivers ran out to driveway and saw the chaos, he quickly turned around and ran back into the villa in a panic. Scott could see the mayhem and confusion in the mansion as the staff stumbled around in the living room. He figured Charon’s drivers were trained security professionals like the guards, but Scott could tell by their reaction that they weren’t. They were just as confused and frightened as the maid and cook.

Still, he couldn’t afford to take any chances. He fired two more shots and the sedans blew up and sent twisted panels cartwheeling across the driveway. He watched the people in the villa jump from the sound of the explosions and take cover behind the furniture. He had put the fear in them and was satisfied that they would be paralyzed by it.

He got up and folded the bipod of the rifle. Scott knew he was on borrowed time and had to make it back to Cybelle as fast as possible. It was now 0630 hours and he didn’t have much time. He shouldered the Trinity and started to run through the woods back to the Avarno.

He knew calls would be made and tried to anticipate how the dynamics of his situation would be changed. He would adopt and improvise. He was on pure instinct now.

His breathing was steady as he zigzagged through the trees and ducked low branches. The ground was soft and spongy from the bed of pine needles and leaves, and with every step he ran, butterflies took flight from their resting place and insects leapt from the forest floor.

After the blasts, Scott figured he had fifteen minutes--twenty tops, before law enforcement arrived at the scene and began throwing up roadblocks for at least a twenty-mile radius. He was also anticipating aerial drones to swarm the valley in a sweep. He had to move fast. He only had a half mile run to the car, but getting back to Cybelle undetected was another obstacle to overcome. He hoped Nikki and the Zephyr would be ready.

He heard barking and howling as he jumped over a rotted log covered with black moss. He glanced to his right and saw the blur of black stripes and gray fur of four Tavara Böri chasing him as he sprinted through the woods. He was being hunted like an animal by the mammals. Tavara were fast and very aggressive pack hunters; they were sleek, weighed in at eighty to ninety pounds, and had six legs. There was no way he was going to out run them.

Scott pulled out the Raven, slowed his pace, and squeezed off two rounds. One of the Tavara yelped as it fell to the ground, and the other three scattered into the bushes. He started running again when he heard the brush in front of him part as one of the creatures leapt in the air and hit him hard enough to send him flying backwards.

He slammed onto the ground and his pistol was knocked out of his hand as the Tavara got on top and bared its fangs with a growl. Scott instinctively grabbed it by the throat with his left hand to keep its snapping jaws away from his face. The beast was strong and he could feel its full weight on him as it lunged forward. He struggled wildly and could feel the Tavara’s claws digging painfully into his abdomen. He saw the Raven on the ground a few feet away to his right, but it was out of reach.

The Tavara broke loose from his grip and managed to sink its teeth into his left forearm and shake it’s head. He screamed in agony from the pressure of the bite as its fangs gouged deep lacerations into his flesh. His only saving grace was that it was his bio-mech arm, otherwise the Tavara would have broken it.

He pulled his legs up between him and the Tavara in a fetal-like position and kicked the beast off him. Scott rolled to his right as the Tavara landed on its back; he grabbed the Raven and fired from a kneeling position as the Tavara lunged at him again. The animal was instantly killed in mid-air but still crashed into him with enough force to leave him sprawled on the ground.

Scott got back on his feet and started running. He could feel the throb of the creature’s bite on his forearm and he was bleeding badly. Even though his arm was biomechanical, he could still feel the immense pain from the wound. His abdomen was also bleeding.

He staggered the last few yards to the car and ripped off the ghillie suit as he opened the door and dropped the ghillie and Trinity on the passenger’s seat. Scott popped the trunk open, grabbed the backpack, and set it next to him in the cab. He tore a strip off the ghillie and wrapped it tightly over his forearm several times to stop the blood flow. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do for now.

He fired-up the SS-2, pulled back onto the dirt path and headed for the main road. He was a mess. Time was running out. He looked at the GPS and punched in Cybelle’s location as he drove over the bumpy terrain. The mining colony was only twenty-five miles away from his location and the road from these mountains tied into the route that led there.

When he got to the main street he put the hammer down and the trees went by in a green blur as he sped through the winding ridge. It wouldn’t take officials long to figure out the trajectory of the shots and start their hunt on the mountainside he left behind.

He made a left when he came to a fork in the road at the bottom of the mountain and merged into the thoroughfare that led straight to Cybelle. The four lane motorway with a center median was a wide, flat run, and unlike the street on the ridge, there were no trees on either side. He was completely exposed…

Jase was in the hanger talking to Doolie when his phone rang.

“Yes?”

It was one of Charon’s henchmen in Fluture. He spoke rapidly with an angry tone.

“What? This must be some kind of mistake.” Jase frowned as he turned his back to Doolie. “When did this happen? Are you absolutely sure it was Mr. Charon?” He demanded.

“Okay, calm down, Migs,” Jase said firmly, “the cops are probably crawling all over the estate and casino right now. I need you to get everyone over here as soon as possible. We need a sit down to figure out who did this and how we’re going to deal with them. I want every district boss here in Hanger-6 within the next half hour, understand? Okay, Migs, thank you.”

Jase sighed as he put his phone away.

“Everything alright, Mr. Jase?” Doolie asked.

“Charon’s been killed.” Jase said gravely. “Doolie, get this ship fueled and ready to go--now.”

“Yes sir.” Doolie looked physically shaken by the news of Charon’s demise.

“I’m going to double-up on security for the lab. We’re going to have a lot of people here, and I want this freighter out. Tow it if you have to, we’re going to need the room. I’ll have Demra set up some tables.”

Jase grabbed the spare flight suit and walked out to the parking lot. He checked the pistol in his shoulder holster as he got in his car, and sped off to Nikki’s apartment. He had to get them out of Nexus right away. He knew Charon had a lot of enemies, and finding out who put the hit on him was going to take time. Time that he didn’t have.

For now, every mid-level district boss under Charon would work together to find his killer, but their loyalty only went so far. Jase suspected that Charon’s assassination was a play for control over Fluture by one of them and more blood would be spilled…especially his since he was closest to Charon.

He now faced an uncertain future. His dream of peace for the last year of his life was slipping away, but absolution was still within reach.

Jase parked in front of the apartment complex, ran to Nikki’s room, and banged on the door. “Open up, Ms. Wells, it’s me, Jase.”

Nikki opened the door and he walked in hurriedly. She already had her flight gear on.

“What’s wrong, Jase?” Nikki asked as she locked the door behind him.

“Ladies, it’s time. I need you to get your things together.” Jase handed Summer the flight suit. “Put this on, Summer.” He nodded and turned to Nikki. “The Zephyr is being fueled as we speak.”

“What about my partner? Is he here?”

“Not yet, but he may still make it before you depart. If it came to it, can you fly that ship without a copilot?”

“I’m not leaving without him.” Nikki glared as she helped Summer suit up.

“I’m afraid we may not have much of a choice.” He turned to look at Summer. “Someone killed Charon early this morning. In the next hour, every district boss will be in Cybelle for a sit down and things could get ugly.”

Jase grabbed their two bags and headed for the door. “We’d better get going.” He said calmly.

They sat in silence in the car as Jase sped back to the hanger. He glanced at the rearview and could see that Summer was scared.

“I’ll start my preflight when we get there.” Nikki said. “It shouldn’t take too long.”

“Excellent.” Jase smiled thinly. “Don’t worry little one,” he looked at Summer’s reflection, “you’ll be okay. You’ll soon be free from Nexus.”

“What will happen to you, Jase?” Summer asked glumly.

“Don’t worry about me,” he responded dryly, “I’ve got matters to tend to.” He parked the car and got out briskly. “Hurry, we haven’t got much time.”

They walked quickly into the hanger as Doolie and his crew were clearing their equipment off the floor. The air was thick with tension and everyone was getting jumpy.

“Alright Ms. Wells,” Jase smiled as he shook Nikki’s hand, “I’ve done all I can, it’s all on you, now.” He looked at Summer and smiled. “Good luck with your life, Summer.” He turned and walked away.

“Jase, wait!” Summer ran to him and gave him a hug. “Thank you for everything.” She whispered. “Thank you for your kindness. I’ll never forget you.”

“Be brave. It was an honor being your friend.” Jase replied softly as he kissed her forehead and left.

Nikki gently grabbed Summer’s arm and ushered her toward the Zephyr where Doolie was reviewing his checklist. “Stay close to me.” She whispered.

“Good morning, Nikki.” Doolie said a little too cheerfully as he looked up at the girls. “I think you’ll find everything in order with your vessel. We’re getting ready to tow her out of the hanger in a few minutes.

“Thanks for everything, Doolie.” Nikki held her hand out.

“My pleasure, space jockey.” Doolie nodded as he shook her hand.

“Let’s get the preflight started…”

Scott accelerated to one hundred and thirty miles-per-hour and hit the cruise control. Thankfully oncoming traffic inbound to Fluture was nonexistent this morning. He lifted his shirt and looked at the extent of his injuries. The Tavara had definitely done a number on him with its claws. There were several deep gashes on his side still bleeding and there was nothing he could do about it now. He was in a world of hurt, but his wounds weren’t fatal.

The sound of sirens startled him. He looked up into the rearview mirror and saw three police interceptors flashing their lights in pursuit. They were closing on him fast.

“Shit!” He cussed as he unzipped the backpack and rummaged with one hand as he steered with the other. He had six miles left to go and the heat was on.

Scott rolled the window down and grabbed one of the pyrogen grenades. He glanced back up and accelerated to one-sixty when he pulled the pin, dropped it out of the Avarno, and punched it to one-eighty.

He looked back in the rearview in time to see the frag detonate. The lead interceptor swerved to the left and rolled from the explosion as it was lifted off the road and slammed onto its side. The car tumbled and sent parts flying high into the air before it blew part and sent the other two interceptors into a spin. The second car came to a stop in the center median while the other flipped off the highway and came to a rest in a cloud of dust.

It wasn’t enough. Scott could hear more sirens coming after him. Four more interceptors blazed through the smoking wreckage and were on his ass when he barreled into Cybelle at a hundred and sixty.

He raced through a four lane avenue that cut through an office area half-a-mile from the airstrip and was forced to slow down to eighty as he wove through other drivers. Horns honked and cars skidded out of the way as he tore by them. The interceptors were right behind him the whole time.

Scott forced a couple of cars off the road when he careened off their sides and tore a panel off the SS-2. He smoked his brakes to avoid hitting a car in front of him; Scott cut a hard right to get past the swerving vehicle and saw the other driver give him the finger as he wheeled by.

“F*ck you too and the ground you walk on, cheesdick!” Scott growled through clenched teeth as he returned the gesture.

One of the squad cars pulled up to the passenger’s side and started to side-swipe him. Scott hit the brakes and jerked the steering wheel a hard right and slammed into the interceptor’s side. The squad car smashed into a row of parked vehicles along the boulevard and spun as another interceptor t-boned him and they both came to an abrupt stop as other cars screeched and plowed into them.

He saw the main parking lot entrance to the strip and veered into it. The SS-2 fishtailed and slammed into some parked cars as he punched it and accelerated toward the hanger where the Zephyr was sitting. He started laughing loudly as he thought about how badly this was going to end.

Scott gunned the sedan and forced a security guard to dive out of the way as he smashed through the swing gate and skidded on to the maintenance road that ran behind the hangers. The sirens wailed.

He drove down the side of the hanger and spun the Avarno sideways to a complete stop just outside the open bay doors where the Zephyr was sitting.

Scott grabbed the backpack and Trinity as he opened the driver door and rolled out onto the pavement. Squad cars screeched to a stop forty feet away from him as police troopers took cover behind their vehicles with their weapons drawn.

Scott took the Kirsten Auto and fired a controlled burst that riddled several interceptors and forced the officers to keep their heads down. They returned fire with a volley of rounds that thunked heavily against the SS-2 and shattered its windows. He looked to his right and saw Nikki with another girl duck for cover…

We were in the middle of the avionics check when we heard the sirens outside.

Doolie stopped and shot me a puzzled look. “Sounds like trouble.” He said with concern as he looked out the bay doors.

“Yeah, and it sounds like they’re heading our way.”

“We’d better finish this up, Nikki.”

We started to run the list again. Summer gazed at the Zephyr with awe as we walked to the back next to the cargo ramp.

“Nice job with the vertical stabilizer, Doolie.”

“Thanks. That was one of the easier repairs. The fiber optics were the real challenge.”

“Your ship looks fast, Nikki.” Summer smiled.

“She’s a good rig.”

The sirens were just outside the hanger when we were startled by a sedan that screeched to a smoking halt outside. I saw Scotty roll out the door, crouch behind the damaged car, and start firing at the police cruisers that skidded to a stop across from him.

“Scotty! What the hell is going on?” I shouted as I watched in horror.

“Get in the ship and get out of here, Nikki!” Scott yelled as bullets sparked off the car.

“What about you?”

“I’ll catch up,” Scotty shouted as he picked up a rifle and took aim. “Fire-up the Zephyr, I’ll be there in a second!”

Scott fired the rifle and a squad car exploded. The morning erupted with muzzle flashes as the police opened up with automatic fire.

Bullets ricocheted off a panel above my head and Doolie collapsed as he took a stray round in the head.

“Doolie!” I screamed. “Oh Shit! Get inside the ship, Summer!” I pulled out the Cobalt and squeezed off a few rounds. One of the police troopers peeked around the front of an interceptor and fired a burst that tore up the wall behind us.

Summer screamed as she put her hands over her head and curled into a ball as debris flew everywhere. I grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, girl, we need to get out of here!” We ran up the Zephyr’s ramp and through the cargo hold.

The forward bulkhead door slid open and I pulled Summer over to the flight panel and pushed her into the copilots seat.

“Strap in!” I ordered as I sat down and flipped the toggles that initiated the start-up sequence. “So much for the preflight.”

The overhead console lit up as the critical flight systems enabled, and I started a systems check as I engaged the HUD in my helmet. The VDU screen lit up and I charted our coordinates to Earth. The Zephyrs burners ramped to ten percent thrust and quickly increased to twenty.

I handed Summer a flight helmet, she looked terrified and sat frozen in her seat as she stared out the canopy at the firefight outside.

“SUMMER! Put on the helmet!” I yelled sharply.

She snapped out of her daze and fumbled with the brain bucket, but she managed to slip it on.

I could hear the sharp rattle of automatic fire as Scotty faced-off with the cops. I disengaged the brakes and we started to roll forward…

Jase showed up with a group of men carrying automatic weapons. They ran for cover in the hanger as they fired on the police.

The sound of more sirens pierced the air as police reinforcements arrived at the scene and squad cars formed a barrier along the side of the bay doors. The stand-off had escalated into a full blown siege as law enforcement clashed with Charon’s men.

Bullets shredded workstations in the hanger and several barrels full of chemicals exploded and killed two of Charon’s men.

Smoke from the chemical fire rose to the structural steel supports of the hanger as Jase ran hunched over toward the riddled Avarno and slid painfully next to Scott. He crouched behind the chassis as rounds pounded the car.

“It’s about time you got here, Mr. Scott.” Jase coughed.

“Sorry about the car, Jase.” Scott ejected a spent magazine from the Kirsten and slapped in a fresh clip.

“Why are the police after you? Did you rob a reserve?”

“I refused to pay a parking violation, and now they’re a little upset with me. Do you always have this many men onsite?”

Another one of Charon’s men stood up from behind a tool cabinet and fired at the cruisers with a sustained burst.

“Eat this you sons-of-bitches!” He screamed at the top of his lungs like a madman as he sprayed the barricade of interceptors. “Die you motherfuc…” He was blown apart when two troopers leaned out behind their cover and simultaneously opened up with assault shotguns.

“They’ve got Jackhammers!” Jase yelled back to his men. He looked at Scott and shook his head. “This is hopeless. We can’t win this.”

Scott looked over his shoulder when he heard the Zephyrs engines fire-up and the navigation lights on the wings blinked. He could also hear another firefight going on in the parking lot.

“We’re surrounded, Jase!” Scott quickly leaned over, fired three shots, and dropped back behind the Avarno.

“Why are you doing this? What do you care if we live or die?” Scott asked harshly.

“I’ve got a business to run. Inviting the police to this facility isn’t conducive to our operations.” Jase replied sarcastically.

“There’s one way to put an end to this mess.” Scott glared as he reached into the backpack and pulled out a small device.

“I’m open for suggestions.”

“I rigged this car with plastic explosives.” Scott held up the transmitter. “I push this button and the blast will be powerful enough to kill god.”

The Zephyr began rolling forward through the smoke and Scott could feel the heat from the ships thrusters deflecting off the back wall as tables and crates were sent tumbling across the floor from the jetwash.

The fire was spreading in the hanger, and muzzle flashes blinked from every direction as Charon’s men stubbornly held their ground in the chaos.

“You need to get on that ship.” Jase pulled out his pistol and flicked off the safety.

“You and your men need to get out of the hanger before I blow the car!”

“Can you do it from inside the ship?”

“Yes, but the transmitter has a three hundred meter range…the explosion will probably take out most of the airstrip along with the hangers and control tower. I’ll have to detonate it when we’re almost airborne.” Scott slapped his neck when a round splintered off the pavement and sent fragments into his skin. “With a little luck we’ll be within range to set it off, but you need to get the hell out of here or you’ll get vaped.”

“We don’t have time for luck, Scott. Your plan has too many holes in it.” Jase glowered.

“You got a better idea?”

“Give me the transmitter,” Jase frowned. “I’m afraid it’s going to take time to get my people out of here. I’ll set it off when you’re off the ground.”

Scott hesitated then handed Jase the device. “It’s your ass, Jase. I hope you know what you’re doing. This thing is going to wipe this place out.”

“Go!” Jase ordered.

Scott lobbed two pyrogen frags with one hand and ducked as they exploded and overturned three squad cars. Chunks of concrete rained everywhere as he got up and ran for the ramp.

“Cover fire!” Jase barked as he kneeled up and started shooting at the troopers. The rest of his men got up and charged the police line with their guns blazing.

Jase was knocked backwards when a round punched through his chest and splattered his face with blood. He slammed against the pavement and rolled face down as the transmitter popped out of his hand and landed a few feet away. The sound of machine gun fire reverberated in his ears…hollow and distant…

He looked up weakly and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion; muzzle flashes flared as bullet casings suspended themselves in mid-air, faces froze in fear as the chemical fire danced up the walls…

…his vision blurred as he saw Scott leap onto the Zephyrs retracting cargo ramp…he watched the ship taxi rapidly down the airstrip then blacked-out…

I could see the swarm of police interceptors from my vantage point as we rolled past them and steered toward the airstrip. I heard some explosions and thought our thrusters were malfunctioning until I saw some squad cars flip over and burst into flames

Scotty was nowhere in sight, but I had to keep the ship moving. The scanners indicated that someone slipped into the ship through the cargo ramp--Scotty! I sighed with relief and started closing the ramp as we accelerated. I looked over control panel to confirm the navigational and cryogenic systems were go. The AGL’s were also good, and the O2 generators began to prime the ship once the ramp sealed shut and locked-in.

The bulkhead door for the cockpit hissed open and Scotty staggered into the bridge and collapsed.

I lifted my visor and looked over my shoulder. “Scotty! Are you okay?” I shouted as I kept an eye on the runway. His filthy clothes were drenched in blood and he was out of breath.

“Go faster, Nikki,” he said weakly as he looked out the canopy, “get us out of here!”

“You need to get your suit on, please tell me you didn’t space it in your hotel room.”

“Nikki, I’m old, not senile.”

“Don’t be a wiseass. Get your suit on and strap in!” I ordered as we reached the end of the airstrip and I turned the Zephyr a hundred and eighty degrees into the wind.

Scotty pulled his suit out of his backpack and struggled to get in it.

“Summer, you need to help him!” I said urgently, we’ve got less than two minutes until we’re powered for lift-off.”

Summer removed her helmet and ran to Scotty. She helped him get his arms into the gear and I heard Scotty groan in pain.

“Punch that button on the wall to your left.” I instructed as the engines whined into a high pitch. A jumpseat folded down, and Summer helped Scotty buckle in.

“That hurts like hell.” Scotty coughed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. “I don’t suppose your ship has a stasis pod?”

“The e-pod in the cargo bay, but you’ll have to wait ‘til we’re spaceborne.”

“Summer, get back in your seat. We’re ready to roll.” I looked down the runway and took a deep breath. I gave the consoles another look as the thrusters roared.

I disengaged the brakes and the Zephyr lurched forward and rapidly accelerated.

“Next stop, Earth.” I turned and winked at Summer as I held the control yoke. I reached down and pushed the levers on the center console forward as we were pushed into our seats by the g-forces.

The Zephyr barreled passed the control tower three-quarters of a mile down the strip when I put the thrusters in full afterburn, pulled back on the yoke, and brought her nose up…

_____________

Jase opened his eyes and coughed. He felt like he had a tremendous weight on his chest and he had a hard time breathing. His vision was starting to blur and he could hear the sharp pops of gunfire around him.

He saw the transmitter on the ground just out of reach. He slowly pulled himself across the pavement and groaned as a searing pain consumed his body and made his muscles involuntarily tighten up.

He coughed and shuddered and felt himself cringe as he noticed he was lying in a growing pool of his own blood. His clothes were soaked with it.

Jase reached out and grabbed the device. The pain was unbearable. He didn’t know how long he was unconscious and wondered if the Zephyr had made it out yet. He looked up and saw the police advancing on the hanger as they fired their weapons.

A body fell next to him, eyes glassy and lower jaw missing.

He heard the sound of thunder and looked up to see the Zephyr speed by and lift off the runway. He watched the ship ascend into the blue sky in a steep climb as the troopers overran the facility.

“You’re free now, little one.” He whispered and smiled. “We’re both free.”

Jase pressed the button and the world went silent…