Fourth Vector Ch. 11

Vera gave him a disconcerted look. "Jack, I have to go with you. Especially since Kat may still be in the city."

"Listen, Vera, I know you feel guilty about what happened to Kat, but it's not your fault. We don't know if she's still here or not but this isn't a place for someone who can't protect themselves."

"What do I need to protect myself for when I have all of you to help me?" asked Vera, gesturing to the rest of them, as well as the marines, around them.

"It's too risky, Vera."

She gave him a dirty look. "It wasn't too risky when you let me accompany you in Sorella. Back when we had to capture the treasury from Barak!"

Jack took a deep breath. She wasn't understanding the real reason why he didn't want her to come along so he'd have to be more direct with her. "Vera, that's not it. I remember your ordeal with the Andalucians. I don't want you to come with us because I don't want to bring up any bad memories for you. I'm sure it can't be easy for you to be here again, but the last thing I want to happen is for this to trigger any anxiety or bad memories for you."

Vera raised her head and gave him a confident look as a soft breeze made her blonde hair flutter in the breeze. "I'm not a child, Jack. I can take care of myself."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it, Vera," said Jack quietly.

"Listen, Jack," she started while putting her hand on his arm. "I appreciate what you're trying to do but I'm the only person on this ship who's been to Andalucia before. Without me, you'll struggle to find out where you need to go or who you need to talk to when you get there. I've put those memories behind me and I'm asking you to do the same. Let me help you. I owe this to Kat."

"If something happens to you, I'll never forgive myself," admitted Jack.

"Well, then I'll just stay extra close to you," said Vera with a sweet smile. "I know you won't let anything happen to me. I feel safe when I'm with you."

Jack took a deep breath. If it were just about anyone else, he might have found the strength to turn them away. However, there was always something deeper about Vera that stayed his hand. Some kind of connection that made it nearly impossible for him to resist turning her down. One day, he hoped to get to the bottom of what that was.

"Stay close to me," he reiterated. "If you feel scared or anything, let me know right away. And if you need to come back to the ship for any reason, I want to know. We'll arrange a quick transport back. Are we clear?"

Vera grinned and hugged him tightly. "Crystal!"

Being that Vera was the only one who didn't have a rifle, all of them plus the marines huddled into two small launch boats and lowered into the ocean. The waves were choppy this morning, spraying all of them with water on the short journey toward the shore. It was an ominous beginning, mostly because they had an audience right away.

"It looks like they know we're coming," said Greg, pointing towards the harbor where several men seemed to be gathered watching them.

"I can't say I'm surprised," said Jack.

Greg started to laugh. "I bet they're shitting themselves wondering what we want. I bet they took one look at theDestiny and they're figuring out the best way to surrender to us."

"You have too much optimism," said Jack with a chuckle. "If anything, I bet they're plotting how to fuck our day up without dying."

Greg started to grin. "I'd like to see them try."

As they got closer to shore, Jack could begin to make out more of the city's layout. As they entered the small, natural harbor, he could see there didn't appear to be any distinct pattern or grid to the streets of the city. Houses seemed to pop up wherever they could find room and even tiny alleys contained enough people to fill a regular-sized street. It was almost as if there was no planning to the city whatsoever, and Jack wondered how they would begin to find anything in a city so chaotic.

He turned to look at Vera. "Are all their cities so . . . disorganized?"

Vera nodded slowly. "From what I've seen. At least the ones that I've been to. The Andalucians aren't known for their brains. They only care about one thing and one thing only."

Jack didn't have to ask, being greeted by the sight of slaves as soon as their launch boat pulled up to the nearest quay. A short distance from them was a line of pathetic-looking men, too far emaciated to be of much use and with skin so dark they must have been left out in the heat of the sun for too long. Jack could feel the terrible warmth overhead as well, the temperature having spiked the closer they got to the island. It was easy to see why the desert land was so miserable.

"That's so despicable," said Abigail as she looked away from the slaves in disgust. "How can any sane person do this?"

"I think the word you have wrong is sane," said Jack. "I don't think the Andalucians are much like the Sorellans."

Everywhere he looked, the Andalucian people scurried about at a quick pace. Most of them wore a thin robe of material just heavy enough to shield their skin from the direct sunlight but thin enough to prevent them from overheating. Most of them wore a kind of head protection as well, with some of the people barely visible except for their eyes from the clothing they wore.

Others were less precautious still, and Jack seemed to notice that the darker they were, the less clothing protection they wore. He wasn't sure if perhaps they were just used to the sun's effects on them or just simply didn't care any longer.

Once they were able to tie up the boats at the dock, the small party clamored over and set foot on solid ground.

"Leave a few guys to guard the boats," instructed Jack. "Keep your ears on your radios and let us know if anyone starts to hassle you."

"I don't think that'll be much of a problem," said Greg while pointing back to some of the nearby Andalucians. Most of them seemed to be rushing in the other direction from the group of Javans, their faces somewhat fearful as they took in their powerful bodies and weapons.

"Good, let them be afraid," said Jack. "But let us know if you think they're trying anything."

With one last look at the boats, Jack, Greg, Abigail, Vera, and the two other squads of men set off down the quay towards the main harbor facilities. Even though most of the people gave them a wide berth, it didn't stop them from staring. Jack could tell by the looks they were getting that foreigners weren't a common sight in such a place, and no matter where they went, they were always being watched.

"It makes me uneasy that we seem to stand out so much," said Greg as they reached the main portion of the town.

"I doubt they've seen Javans before," added Abigail. "We probably look just as funny to them as they do to us."

Greg started to chuckle. "Yeah, but I'm not the one with a blanket around my head."

Jack elbowed him in the ribs. "You might want one in an hour after the heat of this sun starts to make you crazy. Now, let's try to find these slavers."

"Jack, I think I can help you find them," said Vera, as they began to navigate a tiny, crowded alleyway.

"I'm all ears, Vera."

"Well, when I was here, there was a very easy way to find where all the slaves were being kept. Usually, they were all kept in one place so if Kat is here, most likely she'd be with all them. But all we need to do is follow the smell."

"The smell? What do you mean by that?" asked Abigail.

Vera pursed her lips. "The Andalucians don't believe in giving slaves much in the way of personal hygiene. When you combine that with the high death rate, even before they are sold, the slave pens are one of the foulest smelling areas in Andalucia. Or the world, for that matter. We just need to keep walking until we start to smell something rancid."

Sure enough, Vera's advice was spot-on, and it wasn't until they were well near the north side of the city that just about all of their noses began to twitch. Jack's face began to grimace at the stench that seemed to linger against his face for several moments before disappearing, always reappearing once they turned a new corner. When they made a wrong turn, or the smell appeared to weaken, they turned around and proceeded until it once again became stronger. Finding themselves at the northern gate of the city, the group walked through a small partition in the walls and the smell hit them full force.

Unfortunately, so did the sights. Abigail was the first to gasp as they entered the slave market, a ghastly-looking affair that bustled with a large variety of people. In the center was the start of an auction, where a portly owner was showcasing a variety of different slaves. For the most part, they looked to be sharing the same features of the Andalucians however it was easy for Jack to see that several of them were foreigners. There were a pair of men with incredibly light features that looked more frightened than the rest of prisoners, most likely aware of the fate in front of them. There were several women there as well, including one who looked very Sorellan in her features.

Yet the longer that Jack looked, he found no sight of any blonde hair that may signal the presence of Kat. He turned away from the auction itself to look around the slave pens that ringed the auction grounds. They were miserable affairs with cramped, dirty conditions and flies that seemed to never quite go away due to an excess of deceased and decaying flesh. If there was one place in this world he never wanted to see again, it was Andalucia.

The next thing he did after scanning the pens was to watch the actions of the Andalucians. "Greg, see any threats?"

"Only those two men near the entrance," said Greg, gesturing to two fierce-looking warriors that were watching them from a short distance away. Both of them carried ugly, curved swords at their waists as well as short bows that slung across their backs. Both of the men were horribly scarred.

"Keep your eyes on them. Let me know if they try anything funny," said Jack. "Anything else?"

"No one else that I can see," said Greg. "Although, I don't see anyone here who looks like Kat."

"I don't see any sign of her either," said Jack before turning to look at Vera. "Is it possible she's in another city?"

Vera shrugged. "It's possible. There are slave pens in just about every city and clan grouping on this island. This is one of the bigger cities that I've seen here in Andalucia though. The time I spent here previously was in much more primitive conditions."

Jack shuddered at the thought of seeing something worse than this. And at the thought that Kat was probably suffering there as well. "Can we make any inquiries? Is there an owner or a proprietor that manages the slaves in this market?"

Vera looked around before pointing to a small, white building just on the edge of the property. "That looks like the nicest place in this entire area. If I had to guess, I bet the owner can be found there."

"Then that's where we're going then," said Jack as he firmed his gaze on the wooden door out front. The entire party followed in his wake, and he gave a quick rap on the door.

A man answered who was mostly covered in fabric from head to toe. Jack could only tell it was a man by the portion of his face that was not covered, showing enough signs of a mustache and scar that split most of his upper lip.

"What do you want?"

"I'm looking for the owner here. I'm trying to find a slave that I believe was brought here recently."

The man pointed out to the yard. "Go find them out there." He then went to shut the door.

Jack jammed it with his foot and then gestured to his rifle. "I'll have words with the owner now, friend."

The man glanced at the rifle and then out to the rest of the party. Greg held his rifle in ready mode, ready for action should anything start to turn ugly. After realizing that he stood no chance against several burly marines, the Andalucian man's features softened.

"Of course. Come on in. I'm the owner of this slave market. My name is Larthiss," said the man while beckoning them inside. It wasn't a very large dwelling, but Jack could tell it was his home as well as place of business. Larthiss gestured for them to sit in front of his desk before taking a moment to unwrap the covered portion of his head, revealing course, dark hair.

"Stand guard for me," said Jack to the other marines as he led Vera, Abigail, and Greg inside. Jack took a seat in front of Larthiss, carefully appraising the man for a minute before resuming his conversation. The owner seemed a little off to him, a bit too slick for his taste. Even the way his beady eyes seemed to watch him made him feel uneasy.

"So what brings you to Methusa?" asked the slave owner while sitting back in his chair.

Jack gave him an odd look. "I'm sorry, Methusa? I thought this was Andalucia."

Larthiss started to laugh, showing a grin that was missing several teeth. "The country is Andalucia. This city is called Methusa,friend."

"It's our first time in this country."

Larthiss started to laugh. "That was obvious from the start. Where are you from?"

"Java, on the other side of the world."

Larthiss grunted. "Never heard of it."

"We're trying to find someone. A friend of ours who I believe is a slave now."

"A pity for you then. To have a friend reduced to slavery in this country," said Larthiss.

"I realize that," said Jack with an angry glint in his eye. "Nevertheless, here we are."

"And that brings you to my doorstep because why?"

"We believe she's here. Or at least, she may have landed here," said Jack.

"Did you not look out in the pens? All the slaves for sale in this town are out there."

Jack shook his head. "She was not there."

"Perhaps you should look again. The filth and dirt in those cages might make it hard to recognize old faces," said Larthiss with an amused grin.

Jack gritted his teeth. "As I said, she's not there. She would stand out like a sore thumb anyway. She's Galician and for that reason, she's also blonde. A young woman, mid-twenties in age, and—"

"Wait just a minute," said Larthiss while leaning forward. "A blonde you say? Mid-twenties?"

"That's right."

Larthiss stood up from his chair and approached a small cabinet in the corner of the office. Jack looked over to Vera who was rubbing her arms with her hands. It was a vulnerable expression, and Jack knew being back so close to the slave pens must have been bringing back the memories. He reached out to touch her arm, offering a measure of strength to help her get through it. Vera smiled at the touch, only interrupted when Larthiss came to sit back down with a piece of paper.

"I sold a blonde yesterday," said Larthiss as he thumbed through the papers. "Matching that description." He stopped on one page and started to chuckle. "Spirited one, that was for sure."

Jack was nearly seeing red. "Where is she?" he hissed.

For once, Larthiss' smile dropped and was replaced by a more nervous expression. "Again, I sold her."

"Where? Who did you sell her to?"

"That's confidential. I can't tell you—"

"WHO? Who did you sell her to?" Jack roared, smacking his fist against the man's table.

Larthiss turned ghostly pale as his fingers started to click nervously against the paper on the desk. "TheNumratha clan. I sold her to theNumratha clan and their clan chief, Yusef. Five of their men collected her and other slaves yesterday and started the journey to reach their tribal lands."

"Where can I find this clan chief Yusef?"

Larthiss started to sweat. "You just don't go looking for clan chiefs, friend. Do you know nothing about Andalucian affairs? For any man, especially a foreigner, to go after or question a clan chief is to invite your own death. Never mind involving yourself with their slaves—"

"Don't worry about that," said Jack. "We can take care of ourselves. Isn't that right, Greg?"

"Right as can be, Jack," said Greg, staring daggers at the Andalucian slaver.

"I still can't tell you how to find them. If word gets back to them that I leaked their information to you, I could be in just as much danger," squeaked Larthiss.

Jack slipped his service pistol out of the holster and pointed it directly at Larthiss' head. "I'm done with your games. Tell me where I can find this Yusef, or I'm going to splatter your brains against the wall behind you."

Larthiss started to shake. "F-five days to the south of here, through the lands of theMuthada clan. Take the coastal road on the w-way south and you can't miss it."

Jack started to nod and pulled his pistol away. "Thank you, Larthiss. Your help has been much appreciated."

Larthiss snarled and slung away from the Javans, his courage temporarily rebounding. "You may have just gotten me killed! You better hope I can sell my way out of this, foreigner!"

Jack shrugged. "Not my problem."

"It will be your problem when I unleash theSciavo on you! Then you'll pay!"

"What the hell is theSciavo?"

Larthiss started to sneer. "Stupid man.Sciavo are the main slaver hunters of Andalucia. An army of over a thousand of the deadliest warriors Andalucia has to offer, answerable only to the high clan king of the island. You will either die slowly at their mercy or they will capture your bodies for use as slaves in the mines!" Larthiss pointed out the window to the two scared guards that stood watch near the entrance of the slave partition.

Greg looked at the two guards and then back to Jack. "I've had about enough of this guy."

"You and me both," said Jack while walking calmly over to where Larthiss was still standing, panting angrily behind the desk. Jack pulled back his fist and planted his feet, delivering a powerful blow directly against the slaver's head. His body as it crumpled against the floor as his consciousness fled.

"That should buy us some time," said Jack while shaking his hand. "Come on, let's go!"

Jack and the rest of the group left Larthiss' dwelling and quickly took a look around. Moving at a steady but quick pace, they rushed to the exit of the slave partition before anyone found out what happened to the owner.

"How long do you think we have until they find him?" asked Abigail, walking quickly by Jack's side.

"Hopefully not too soon. I'd like to be back aboard theDestiny before they do," said Jack. They walked past the fierce-lookingSciavo guards, who were still watching them intently as they slipped back into the city.

"What's the plan now, Jack? How are we going to catch up to Kat?" asked Vera as they found their way down a main thoroughfare running through the middle of the city.

"I think we should sail down the coast a little before we attempt to land again," said Jack. "The last thing I want is to start a trail that these assholes can follow easily. If they can follow us, we'll always be on the lookout for them on our heels, and that's the last thing I want."

"So get a day or so down the coast and drop ashore in a deserted area? I take it that's what you're thinking?" asked Abigail.

"Precisely," said Jack. "We'll hug the coast, and we'll bring a good portion of the marines with us. We'll have plenty of firepower if they catch us, and we'll have theDestiny and theTiger to watch our backs just in case. Whoever these slavers are that have Kat, they can't be moving too quickly on foot. Perhaps we might gain on them while we sail down the coast, and we just might intercept them before they reach theNumratha."

"Or we might get stuck in the middle of another war," grumbled Greg. "I don't like how this one is starting. For once, can't we just set foot on an island and find people not trying to kill us?"

Jack started to laugh as they approached the harbor. "Unfortunately, that's just not our style."