At this point, I’m not even worried about possibly being implicated in the scheme.
I’m only worried about staying alive.
Because, right now?
I’m seriously doubting my chances for survival.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Olarte
It feels like time stands still as I stare at the round, orange blossom of deadly fire where the landers are. I cannot raise Davies on his com unit, because now there is electronic jamming that interferes with the signal.
Meanwhile, nausea threatens to upend my stomach as I watch and listen to the events play out around me. There is nothing else I can do.
Except, perhaps, to pray to all the old ones that my love is protected and safe and returns to me when all this is finished.
The captain has me move back, out of the crew’s way, and Dr. H’looder stands next to me. Fear grips every cell in my body while we watch through video feeds and listen in as the landing teams forcibly make their way onto the ship via emergency airlocks.
It would seem the explosion did not come from them. It was an attempt by the ship to repel them. A booby trap, of some sort.
From what I can hear of communications passing between the two frigates, Dr. H’looder’s ship, and the landing teams, there is a heated battle underway inside the ship, and more landing teams are being scrambled now. While they anticipated some resistance, it is apparent that they were not expecting the crew to be so well-armed.
I could turn and watch the first-hand vid feeds from the members of the landing teams on the communications array behind me, but I realize that makes me even more sick in heart, mind, soul, and body.
Never in my life have I ever felt terror like this before.
Please, let him be safe!
It is nearly an hour before the ship finally goes completely dark, and another explosion at the aft end lights up both the vid screen and scanners on board H’looder’s ship.
“Decompression emergency,” one of the techs says.
“Limited to cargo bay,” another says. After a few moments, they add, “Decompression stabilized, atmosphere steady.”
I pray Davies is still safely hidden in his cabin, but because of the signal disruption, I cannot raise him on his com unit.
Time crawls once more, every second a torture as we await word while the landing teams are making their way through the vessel.
Another hour later, we hear from the leader of the landing teams.
“Pass word that Davies McKellan is safe. Sixteen dead crew, including the captain and the unlisted passenger, five more injured…”
I drop to my knees and sob right there. Who knew relief could feel so much like sexual ecstasy?
I did not.
I do now.
My love is safe.
* * * *
With the ship secured and all resistance quelled by the landing teams, Colarmin’s team now lands and takes over the operation. Fortunately, the wildlife that had been smuggled and stowed into the life pod has all survived. The life pod was apparently sealed when the unlisted passenger left to join in on the firefight.
I am anxious to be reunited with Davies, and listening to all this talk about the recovered animals is not helping settle my mood.
“Come,” Dr. H’looder says to me. “Let’s go down to the landing bay and wait there.”
