Give Me the Man Pt. 07

The raiders were at the shelters now and each shelter of the eight had two men with explosive spheres ready. As one man opened the shelter, the other threw in his own grenade and his partner's, trying to judge it so that as much of the shelter as possible would be covered by the resultant explosions.

The noise of the explosions was almost continuous for a few moments, the sounds muffled by the material of the shelters. As the echoes died away from the surrounding hills, a hush fell on the camp. Gerlan signalled and the pairs of men began to check the shelters, one man kneeling with gun ready, the other opening the door and hiding behind its shelter. At seven of the shelters there was no activity but at the other two invaders tried to get out only to be thrown back, dead, by the attackers' fire.

Ten minutes after the attack began, it was over, the only injury to the attackers being a thumb trapped in the hinge opening of a shelter door. Gerlan's men made a hurried search of the camp and took all of the weapons they could find. Some, in the shelters, were so distorted by explosion that they were useless.

Gerlan whistled and his men came loping back, laden with weapons. One was carrying a communication device from which was issuing sounds that, although they did not speak the language, they recognised as queries, repeated. The soldier offered the device to Gerlan, who studied it for a moment. He turned to Ardan. "Any ideas how there things work?"

"See that top button. I think if you press and hold that, then speak, they'll hear you."

"This button?"

"Yes."

Gerlan pressed the button decisively. "Listen, enemies of Ha'ar. We, the men of Ha'ar, have begun the fight to retake our world from you. Leave, or die." He released the button and threw the communicator to the ground.

"A pity we didn't have two," said Ardan. "We might have been able to use them. None of them seem to have made any attempt to learn our language. It's a fair bet that if we were using them they wouldn't be able to understand, particularly if we used dialect speech."

"You want more than one?" asked one of the raiders. "There are about twenty in one of those containers near where the flying machine was. We left them because we were looking for weapons."

"Get them," said Gerlan. "Hurry, I want us out of here before any reinforcements arrive."

Five minutes later they were on their way back, the two flying machines in loose formation, the raiders relaxed and voluble in their boasts. Gerlan looked across at Ardan and grinned. "They deserve to boast," he said. He sobered. "We need even more weapons. I have an idea."

"What?"

"Where are these invaders taking all of the men, and why?"

"The people I talked to in Jalx thought it was a mine, or something, about an hour from Jalx, towards the coast. Perhaps even on the coast."

"If we could get some weapons to the men held prisoner, we might be able to get them out. We could at least give them a chance to fight back."

"If we're planning to smuggle weapons in, somehow, they'll need to be hand weapons," said Ardan. "Which means I need to go back to the Tower."

"Gerlan nodded. "Yes, I think you must. I assume you'd like to take Lea?" he added, his tone dry.

"If the Hinazi can spare her, yes, of course."

"We'll go over and ask as soon as it gets dark."

"Father?"

"Yes, son?"

"Did grandfather have any idea how long the Terran flier will keep going? I get nervous every time I lift off with it."

"I had the same worry, so I asked him." Gerlan held up his hand. "Yes, before he was captured. We didn't know for sure, but your grandfather thought it was almost inevitable that transport - a flyer - would be in the cache with the weapons. He said it's powered by a long-life fusion core, designed to last for two years without replacement. We've had it running for what, three eightdays? Good for a while, I think."

"Consider me reassured, Father," Ardan said dryly.

Gerlan laughed. "As am I, son."

"Father?"

"Yes?"

"Have we heard anything from Tanart's Hold?"

"Worried about your friend Jandol?"

"Yes, of course."

"We've a scout party over that way. They're due back in the next day or two. By the time you get back from the cache we might know something."

They delayed the flight to the Hinazi camp until after dark. A code had been developed between the two forces, and as they came over the ridge, Ardan flashed the signal, then settled the flyer down into the rendezvous point. The Hinazi were with them after about twenty minutes, Porl Vellik, Jel Van and - praise be - Leara, who ran into Ardan's arms, raising her face for his kiss. Not a long kiss, but they each knew there was a promise in it.

Porl Vellik and Gerlan were smiling as the youngsters separated. Gerlan gestured.

"We seek to borrow Leara, to return with Ardan to the Tower, for more weapons. We thought, hand weapons, but have you any ideas as to how we might get hand weapons to the men held prisoner by these invaders?"

Vellik smiled, a slow smile. "Not yet, but given the idea, I'm sure we can manage something. We captured another flyer, and Fra Leara has trained us another pilot, so yes, we can spare her. Do you need two flyers?"

Gerlan shook his head. "Not now we have an idea of how much they can carry. We'll let Ardan and Leara take the Terran flyer, as we know its power source is good for about two years, whereas we have no such knowledge of the invaders' flying machines."

Vellik nodded, with a wry grimace. "A telling point, my friend." He gestured. "Let's go. I feel that Fra Asolan - Alna - will want to know that Ardan steals her daughter again."

Gerlan nodded, and indicated the two younger people, listening carefully, hands clasped. "Indeed." He gestured. "Shall we go?"

Alna was the gracious hostess, but came to the point quickly. "Porl assures me that these invaders avoid us here, because they have learned we fight back, and they lose personnel. I suspect you find the same?"

Gerlan nodded. "Since we have had the Terran weapons, they leave us alone. I confess, I wonder why, and even more, for how long. But we are only two communities. Three, with Tanart's Hold, of whom we have heard nothing, as yet. Are others fighting back?"

"I think they are," said Vellik. "We hear tales, but we are short of real information. It is my thought that Ardan and Leara might not only get us weapons, but also information, should they see anyone."

"You're suggesting an indirect route?" said Gerlan.

Vellik nodded. "Yes. I think they should travel by night, take their time, and check out habitation areas we know of."

Gerlan looked across at Ardan and Leara, his eyebrows raised. Ardan nodded.

"Yes, father, I think Porl is right, but it is my thought that we might try to find out what they know, if anything. I think perhaps we keep our weapons concealed. Or perhaps, if we only show invader weapons, as some may have been captured, and they'll know them. The Terran weapons, those we keep concealed. For two reasons, the first being that to use them requires training. For another, we don't know how long our ammunition will last, or whether we'll be able to renew it."

"Just the two of you, or do you want anyone with you?" Gerlan studied them for a moment, then laughed. "Just the two. When do you think you should leave?"

Ardan and Leara looked at each other. "As soon as it is dark tomorrow?" said Ardan. "And much as I'd value being alone with Leara, I think perhaps four of us might be better. Me and Lea to keep the flyer concealed, the others to scout."

Leara nodded. "I think Ardan's right. Perhaps I should come back with you tonight? We can discuss what we want to do through the day, get ourselves ready, maybe have a nap, and be away as soon as it is full dark."

"I think they're right," said Vellik.

Alna sighed. "It had to come. You two are the obvious choice. You will take care, won't you?"

"We will, mother, my word on it," said Ardan, holding her eyes. Alna nodded, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

"Who do you want with you? Someone from here? Someone from Vilna station?"

"Ideally, someone trained in mountain craft, and someone skilled at tracking. I don't think we need to worry about origins, it's their skills we need." Ardan shrugged. "Suggestions welcome."

"Lea?" said Alna. "What about Kira? She's almost as good a climber as you, and she knows her way around those invader weapons."

"She's good," said Leara, grinning at Ardan. "What about a tracker?"

"Tor Belar?" Gerlan smiled. "He's almost as good as you, son, and he's another that knows the invader weapons."

"Good suggestion, father, although we don't know how well they'll get on together. I suggest that Kira comes back with me and Leara, we get Tor and the four of us discuss approaches."

Gerlan and Alna both nodded. Vellik grinned. "Let's do it!"

That's it for the moment, I'm afraid. The next part has been started, but might take a while to finish, as I am finding that I tire easily, and concentration is difficult, so don't hold your breath! As always, feedback is very welcome, and a vote or two won't hurt.