Fourth Vector Ch. 50

"Thank the gods," breathed Kat as she hugged her again. "Have you seen Jack at all? Any sign of him? Anything at all?"

A look of fear developed in Abigail's eyes. "I was hoping you were going to tell me he was with you."

Kat fought the urge to panic. "We're still looking for him. We've been looking for both of you ever since the Destiny sunk."

Mentioning the fate of the Destiny didn't help the situation. Abigail's body stiffened and she looked about ready to cry. "The Destiny is gone and Jack is still missing. What have we done?"

With those final words, Abigail collapsed into a ball of tears. Kat hugged the woman against her chest as she wept, and in the process, was able to see that it wasn't only Abigail's arm that was wounded. She had many small cuts, mostly across the back of her uniform that had been the result of the explosion.

The first thing that they needed to tend to was getting her some aid.

Kat put her hands around Abigail's face. "We're going to get you some help. You're in no condition to aid the search right now. We've already recovered Doctor Kendall from the Destiny and he's down in the infirmary assisting with the wounded. Let's get you patched up."

Abigail's eyes went wide. She touched her stomach lightly. "The baby. Oh god, Kat, what if the... the..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the words. Abigail was worried about the baby, and a very real spike of fear ran down Kat's back.

"We'll have Kendall check on the baby as well," promised Kat, finding the words heavy on her tongue. "We'll take care of you, I promise."

Abigail nodded absentmindedly but the tears still didn't stop. Kat lost track of how long she hugged her friend and sister, but soon a group arrived to take her down to the infirmary.

In the meantime, Kat stopped to check on Kyle right before he was taken down as well. He was dealing with burns on the back portion of his body--also gained during the last explosion--but didn't appear to be suffering from anything more serious.

"Kyle, do you have any idea where Jack could be?" she asked, hoping that he knew something, anything, that would point her in the right direction.

Unfortunately, Kyle shook his head. "I'm so sorry. I haven't seen him. Not since that last blast that flung us off the deck of the ship. I don't know what happened to him."

Kat swallowed the lump in her throat. She nodded her head at Kyle before he was carried to the infirmary as well.

Both Abigail and Kyle had been the two people that would have been the closest to Jack by all accounts. How could it be that even they didn't know what happened to him?

Kat assisted with pulling in more survivors for the next hour before she stopped to visit Abigail below deck. The other woman had been hooked up to a bag of fluids and she had gotten some bandages for her wounds. Thankfully, the status of the baby was quickly answered.

"Kendall can still hear the heartbeat," said Abigail, managing a weak smile from her bed. "My baby is going to be okay. I was so worried, Kat. The whole time I was floating there, I was so worried that something was going to happen to my baby."

Kat embraced her and hugged her tight. "I'm so grateful to hear that. I don't know what we would have done if... well, you know. I don't even want to say the words aloud. I'm just so thankful that you're all right. I couldn't handle losing both of you."

The smile melted from Abigail's face. "We still don't know where Jack is. One moment, he was so close to me. Almost close enough for me to reach out and touch him. In the next, I was trying to stay afloat in the water. There was so much pain and I was surrounded by others trying to tread water. I called for his name over and over again but my voice was so weak. He could have been ten feet away and I doubt he would have heard me."

"We've combed the seas around the Destiny using both the Visby and the Valiant," said Kat. "At this point, I can only hope that he's been recovered by some fisherman."

Abigail gave her a look of extreme dread. "You don't think that... the prophecy... it's come true?"

Kat shook her head. "I can still feel him. The bond. It's not as strong as it usually is. In fact, it's incredibly weak right now but it's there. I don't know what that means but he has to be alive. He just has to be."

"Or on the cusp of death," blurted out Abigail. "Oh god, Kat, what would we do without him? I don't even want to think of what a future would look like without him. How could we do that?"

"We're not going to think about it right now," said Kat, putting on a brave face. "He's alive, I have to believe that. I'm not going to accept any other outcome until we find him."

"Maybe once this bag of fluids is completely drained, I can help you keep searching," said Abigail, making like she was about to hop out of bed.

Kat stopped her, putting her arm on the other woman's legs.

"No, I need you to rest right now, Abigail. You've undergone such a terrible ordeal today. You need some time to recuperate."

"But if Jack is still out there--"

Kat held up her hands. "Believe me, I know, but it's really late. We're not going to get much done right now. I think the best thing for both of us would be to get some sleep. If you're still feeling better in the morning, we can start searching together."

"I'll be fine in the morning, I know it," promised Abigail.

Kat gave her a weak smile. "I'm so relieved to see you again. For a moment there, I thought I'd lost you both. I don't know what I'd do without the only sister I've ever had."

Abigail reached over and squeezed Kat's hand. "It's going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me. I just wish that I didn't have to see the Destiny end up like it did. I'm still in a state of shock that she's gone."

"We've spent a lot of time on that ship," replied Kat. "A lot of good times too."

Abigail started to get choked up. "Hard to believe it's all over. Now what?"

Kat squeezed her hand. "Now we find a way to pull ourselves back up and keep fighting. One way or another, we have to see out the end of this war, right?"

Abigail nodded. "You're right. I'd just feel a lot better about it if I had Jack right here next to us.

Kat let out a small sigh. "Me too. What I wouldn't give to see his face right now."

If there was only a way that Kat could know he was safe, it would make so much of their suffering go away.

*****

"I'm telling you, Earl, we're going to be rich men as soon as we turn over this Easterbrook fellow."

"Yeah, but he's dead. Probably be a bigger reward if he was still alive."

"So what? A reward is a reward. Who cares how big it is. It's better than fishing every damned day. We might even be able to afford some real beef!"

"You think? It's been forever since I had a good steak."

"I'll take anything over damned fish, that's for sure."

It was sometime in the last few minutes that Lt. Cory Renner, formerly of the Destiny, came to and realized that he was no longer floating in the ocean. He had vague memories of being pulled out of the water, but the way he was roughly thrown to the back of the fishing boat had ended up with his head smacking against the railing, putting him out until just now.

Cory's entire body ached. He was cold, almost shivering in the nightly air from a mixture of the chill and the damp clothes. The former head of engineering division looked around the boat, watching the two Javans talk just off to his right.

"What do you think? Any more survivors out here?" asked Jeb, who had the more nasally voice.

The other one, Earl, shook his head. "I don't see anything. Might as well head back to shore and see what we can fetch for that one."

"We should probably take the prize back to Tinhurst," said Jeb. "I don't want to drop in Mobust with all the fighting going on, at least until the battle is over. Then we can find the Emperor and see how much this traitor is worth."

It was only with those last words that Cory figured out just who the two men were talking about. He craned his head slowly to the side, searching for a familiar face. In the vessel with him were about ten other men. Two of them were definitely dead. One would be dead soon judging by the sounds he was making. The others were alive in some fashion but most of them were oblivious to anything right now beyond the fact that they had managed to survive the largest battle they'd ever been in.

That wasn't the biggest problem. The biggest problem was that one of the two dead men was definitely familiar to Cory. He'd recognize that blond hair anywhere.

The dead man was Jack Kincardine, formerly Easterbrook, the leader of the Western alliance against Bancroft.

At first, Cory prayed that Jack wasn't really dead but the man just wasn't moving. Cory tried to watch his chest to see any movement but that wasn't helping either. Jack was bloody as well, his face nearly obscured by the amount of carnage.

In the bottom of his stomach, Cory felt a very real fear. If Jack was dead, what was to become of the rest of them?

Perhaps it was instinct driving him, but Cory felt the need to keep a close watch on Jack's body. He couldn't close the distance between the other man without alerting the two Javan fishermen but at least he could keep tabs on him and make sure they didn't get a chance to follow through with their plans.

If Bancroft got his hands on Jack's body, it just might destroy what was left of the war effort.

For the next hour, the small boat made its way along the coast, not stopping until they reached the tiny village that Cory guessed was Tinhurst. From here, the two fishermen took it upon themselves to unload the bodies that they'd recovered. The wounded went to a makeshift aid station that had been set up by the only doctor in the village.

The dead were mostly put in a small pile before they could be buried.

Since Jack's body was the closest to the exit, he was moved first. Cory kept a watch on the two men as they moved him away from the main pile, staying as close to the boat as possible as proof of the prize. Finally, they came back for Cory.

"On your feet, sailor," said the one fisherman, Earl, as he tapped his boot against Cory's. "Can you stand on your own strength?"

Cory nodded and tried to stand. His body still ached but everything was in working order at least. Earl grunted once he saw that Cory wasn't hurt.

"Well, you don't need to see Doc Iverson then," said Earl before he noticed Cory's distinctly Javan features. "You give those Fourthies a battering today?"

"We tried," said Cory, playing along. "But I don't know if the fight is truly over. It wasn't when my ship blew up."

Earl nodded and took a look at Cory's tattered uniform. He pointed to a pin on Cory's shoulders. "You an officer?"

"Lieutenant," replied Cory. "Head of engineering division on my ship."

It wasn't hard to tell that Earl's wheels were turning as he looked from Cory over to Jack and then back.

"Say Lieutenant, you wouldn't happen to know how we can contact your commanding officer of the entire fleet, would you?" asked Earl, eyeing Jack some more. "It would only be for something really important. Something like an important prisoner, catch my drift?"

Indeed, Cory already knew what Earl was getting at so he decided to keep playing along. "What kind of important prisoner? Someone from the other side? A Fourthie?"

Earl grinned. "Not a Fourthie but a traitor. A traitor to his country. A Javan one at that."

Cory looked back at Jack and put on an exaggerated expression. "Are you talking about that man over there? He kind of looks familiar, doesn't he?"

"Familiar? That's because he is! Look at him!"

With those words, Earl closed the distance to Jack and knelt behind his body, holding up his limp head. "Jack Easterbrook! And he's dead!"

Truthfully, seeing Earl grin like the vulture he was made Cory want to kick his teeth in. He knew though that the key to keeping up this ruse was playing along so he continued to do so.

"By god, that is him," said Cory, showing some excitement in his voice. He turned to look at Earl. "The Emperor is going to make you a very rich man."

Earl beamed with pride. "We can only hope he decides to show favor to a simple fisherman."

From behind Earl, the other fisherman, Jeb, emerged carrying another wounded man. "You already have enough favor in your life," Jeb grumbled.

Earl pulled his hand back, miming a slap to the other man.

"Don't pay any attention to him," said Earl. "He's just a complainer. But anyway, what do you say? Do you have a way we can collect on the reward? And don't you dare ask about splitting the prize money! I found him fair and square! I can give you five percent but don't go asking for fifty!"

Cory tried hard to keep his amusement in check. He knew that even if he was willing to go along with Earl's plan, he could very well cut him out of any reward payment for finding Jack entirely. Still, he needed to play along for now in order to keep the body safe.

"Listen, finders keepers," said Cory, putting his hands up. "I respect what you've found and you're entitled to that reward. I just might have a way that we can get this to one of the Javan commanding officers though. That would be the key to getting to the Emperor and for you getting paid."

Earl grinned. "Now you're talking my language! My wife spends like gold coins just drop from the sky. Any reward would go a long way in keeping her happy. But to your point, how would we get you to your commanding officer? Do you know where your fleet is?"

That was a very good question, and Cory didn't have the slightest idea where the Javan fleet could be. He wasn't even sure who'd won the conflict on the high seas, and from everything he was learning, it sounded like it was a draw.

Still, he knew how he could keep up the charade.

"We'd have to get into a decent-sized town that has a naval garrison," explained Cory. "Something with a radio so that I can contact headquarters. You can come with me and from there, we'll find a way to get him to the navy."

"Yes, yes, I like it very much," said Earl, rubbing his chin for good measure. "We could leave in the morning! Start moving south along the coast. Would you think the city of Corsham would have the naval garrison that you require?"

Cory nodded eagerly, knowing that the mid-sized city of Corsham was about halfway between Lockhaven and Belfort and that they certainly had a naval garrison. He also knew that they would go nowhere near Corsham though, having no intention to do anything but get Jack's body back to the Western force.

"Corsham will definitely work," said Cory. "We can leave in the morning then. I need some rest before we set out. I can also stay here and watch the body."

Earl snapped his fingers. "Yes, good idea. I still have men to unload. You stay here with Easterbrook and guard the prize. And no funny business, you understand? I have a pistol in my waistband and I won't be afraid to use it if you try to steal him and claim the prize for yourself."

Once again, Cory played the part of the docile co-conspirator. "I wouldn't dream of it. This is a good day after all. The traitor is dead. Let me help you get him to Bancroft."

Earl nodded his head. "Good, well, let me get back to work. You stay here."

With those words, Earl went back to his boat, and he was soon joined by Jeb as they continued their work. Finding that his story stuck, Cory moved his body until he was close to Jack, but he hesitated to really look at the man up close.

From a distance, it was easy to give into the fiction that Jack might still be alive. That he just looked dead but wasn't really so.

Up close, there would be no denying that Jack wasn't dead, especially once he confirmed his pulse.

Unable to look away any longer, Cory finally looked down at the body of the Galician King. It was a sad affair to see him like this. At one point in time, he was on top of the Javan world, especially after beating the Occitanians two years ago.

After that, he put together a united Western alliance to take on the Swabians, becoming wildly successful in doing so.

Now here he was, dead and bloody without anything to show for it.

Cory shook his head. He dreaded having to share the news with Abigail, whom he knew the longest. She was going to be destroyed by Jack's fate.

It was as Cory was looking at Jack's body that something hit him. It was an internal compulsion, driven by... something that he couldn't name but it was the reason why he felt the need to check Jack's pulse. He had no signs that the man might actually be alive, but something told him he needed to check it for himself.

With a heavy heart, Cory put his two fingers to Jack's neck and waited. He felt nothing at first until he repositioned his fingers a bit higher.

Suddenly, his eyes went wide. He pulled his fingers back and put them against his throat one more time, almost not believing the results. When the second test confirmed it, his mouth fell open.

Jack was still alive.

*****

Many miles to the south, Emperor Michael Bainbridge had finally secured his rule over the city of Belfort. The Javan capital city had accepted his sovereignty over the country, and in doing so, they announced to the rest of the world that they no longer recognized Bancroft as their leader.

Though events outside the city were still fluid and wrought with tension, Michael's hold on Belfort was becoming more secure. He could count on the loyalty of all five of the regiments that held the city, and for the first time in ages, the people were being fed. The granaries that had previously been reserved for the exclusive use of the army had been redirected, filling the bellies of the common people and making them more satisfied than any time in recent memory.

Things were going a little too well. The only real sour spot to Michael's reign was his new relationship with Sarah. Perhaps the lack of relationship was a better way to phrase it. Ever since his last talk with her three days ago, it was like they weren't even friends. Once she decided that she couldn't be involved with him romantically because of her humble origins, all communication between them completely broke down.

Now, she just acted like he wasn't even there. She would glide down the hall with scarcely a look in his direction, like he was a servant that wasn't meant to be seen.

At first it angered him greatly. After the anger wore away, he felt nothing but pain. That this was the same Sarah that pined for him for so many months wasn't beyond his notice. Something had changed within her, hardening her heart against him.

The worst thing was that it came when he was finally ready to accept her love.

Apart from Sarah, he had few complaints, but being the Javan emperor meant that things rarely stayed at the status quo for very long.

And it was only that morning that news arrived of a great naval battle off the coast of Java--one that, by all accounts, the Javan Navy either lost or was fought to draw.

The news first appeared with merchants and other out-of-city travelers moving down from the north, spread by word of mouth across the city. The problem with it being spread from person to person was that the official story kept changing into something far worse. By noon, the citizenry was completely riled up, believing that half the fleet had been sunk and that the entire continent was about to be invaded by Fourthies.

The problem was that their fears and passions were inflamed by mere rumors. Though Michael had heard about a massive naval engagement between the forces of Bancroft and Jack Easterbrook, he knew the battle to be inconclusive, with no word on the casualties.