The Legend of Earth

Chapter 15



Nigel McCarthy had noticed the Juirean Guard come to summon Adam, and he had followed him to the command center. Leaning nonchalantly against the cold metal of the corridor wall, McCarthy had been left unmolested and was able to listen in on the conversation inside the command center. Once the technician had cut the transmission with the Kracori, he rushed back down the corridor to avoid being spotted by the other Humans and returned to his barracks, all the while with possibilities exploding in his mind.

A full pardon and a shit-load of money, simply for turning Hydon over to the Kracori – and for solving my Adam Cain problem once and for all. What could be better?

As he entered the barracks, he met the eyes of his men, each one conveying the same silent message: Here was the opportunity they had been waiting for.

McCarthy knew they could never return to Earth; they had been too involved with the traitorous Klin for that fact to be ignored if they ever did. So the arrival of the Human fleet was not something any of them relished. For weeks, McCarthy had been racking his brain trying to find some way out of their current situation, and now this Kracori Jonnif had just handed it to him as sweet as could be.

However, McCarthy knew he had to act fast. The Kracori did say he wanted all the Humans – which included McCarthy and his men. Yet Adam Cain was his true prize. Besides, after having worked with the Klin for so many years, McCarthy was sure he could also convince the Kracori that he could be of value to them as well. Jonnif did admit he’d never met a Human before, so McCarthy could provide him with first-hand experience and counseling, just as he had done for the Klin.

But Adam Cain would immediately be on guard for any betrayal by the Juireans – or the other aliens in the complex – but especially by him. The American was no fool; he would be suspicious of McCarthy straight away.

Carter Thomas approached him. “What’s the op, sir? Extraction will be the problem.”

“I know. We simply can’t parade the Juirean and Cain down the tunnels; they have explosives in them. But there is something called a boring pod down here that we can use.”

“What’s that?”

“Something that can move through solid rock. It’s Hydon’s escape option. We need to find and secure it. Have you seen anything like it over the past few days?”

His men had gathered around the cot where McCarthy sat. “I saw something that looked like a small submarine the other day,” said the Aussie Zack Baker.

“Where?” McCarthy queried.

“Just past the mess hall, back in the workshops and such.”

“Guarded?” Thomas asked.

“Not at that time. It may be by now.”

“Baker, you and Amarillas get over there. Position for action, but don’t do anything until we get there,” McCarthy commanded.

Then he looked at the others. “We need to grab Cain and his people and then figure out a way of getting close to Hydon. The bugger didn’t seem that concerned about his own security, so it shouldn’t be too hard. But then we need to move him half way across the bunker. It could get dicey, mates.”

“Just a walk in the park, sir,” Carter Thomas said, flashing his impossibly bright smile. “And it sure beats the alternative.”

“Roger that,” a chorus rose from the other men.

“Gear up,” Nigel said. “First stop, Cain’s barracks.”