“My arm,” she replied, turning so he could see the wound more easily. “I think a Xakul shot me. It hurts, but it’s not too bad.”
Oren’s voice broke Zac’s focus on Laila. “My comm is out of commission, but before it dropped out, I got a message from the shuttle.” The look on Oren’s face, what little Zac could see above his mask, made Zac stiffen. “That Xakul ship we saw spotted them and had to leave. T’arq couldn’t out gun them, but they’ll be back as soon as the Xakul leave.”
Zac sighed, shaking his head. “Looks like we’ll need to find a place to take cover.”
“One of these buildings? Or closer to the LZ?” Oren asked, showing the direction of the landing zone, or LZ, on his tablet where they would meet the shuttle.
“Closer, I think. Laila?” Zac paused in his appraisal of her wound.
“I agree. We need to be ready to go as soon as we get the call.”
Oren turned to Laila. “Are you going to make it?”
She scoffed, “Please. It’s barely a scratch.”
Zac’s eyes narrowed, not entirely believing her. “At least let me carry your pack. That can’t be good on your shoulder.”
Laila agreed without complaint, and Zac’s suspicion about the extent of her injuries solidified. He helped her ease out of the straps.
“Anything in here you can leave behind?” He opened her pack to peer inside.
“Sure, but not those,” she said, pointing at the tablet and black boxes she had picked up in the Xakul control room. “I think it’s exactly what we were looking for. Look after it for god’s sake.”
“That is one bit of good news, at least,” Zac said, shouldering Laila’s pack.
“The Xakul will keep looking for us, won't they?”
He nodded. “Yes, without a doubt.”
“Then let’s get find a spot where we can take cover,” Laila responded.
They moved like shadows from ruined building to ruined building, the dust storm so thick they had to tether themselves together, or risk losing each other. On the plus side, the reduced visibility and noise of the storm was probably the only reason they Xakul hadn’t found them yet. Eventually, they made their way back to the landing zone.
Night had descended, and the air was now shockingly cool, far cooler than when they had landed. Laila shivered as they lay on their bellies at the top of the rise, once again scanning for hostiles. The position they were in was not terrible, but was not easily defensible. It could be hours until T’arq, Domik, and CJ could return for them.
“We can't stay here, it's too exposed.” Laila's teeth chattered with the cold.
Zac and Oren looked at one another, thinking the same thing; she was more injured than she had let on. Moving her was not ideal, but she was right. They were too out in the open. Once the dust storm eased, their heat signatures would stand out in the cold, rocky terrain.
“What about over there?” Zac pointed across the barren ground to a distant, small abandoned building amongst a grove of stunted trees. Laila nodded and staggered to her feet, Zac moving to lead the way, Oren bringing up the rear.
They hadn’t gone twenty metres before they all felt the telltale static that preceded a plasma charge. They hit the ground at the same time, taking cover behind the hulking shape of a nearby boulder. Fortunately, the rock was large enough to hide the three of them.
“Hold your breath!” A plasma charge could do awful damage to your lungs... if you survived the actual blast.
They held their breath and tucked in as close to the rock as possible. Moments later, a searing blast of heat exploded and raced in all directions. Zac was partially covering Laila with his body, and it singed his back along with the hair that was exposed below the rim of his combat helmet.
Fuck, that was close!
Zac quickly scanned the night sky, flicking his night visor down. Xakul must be hiding somewhere close. About 100 metres in front of them, he spotted a trench dug into the ground. He cursed again. How did he miss that? They were easy targets where they were, virtually sitting out in the open.
“I'm hit.”
Zac turned to look at Laila, who was pressing her hand against her upper thigh, where blood gushed from a jagged wound. Thinking quickly, Zac tore a strap from his harness and used it as a tourniquet. The blood flow slowed, but she stumbled as she attempted to get to her feet. “I don’t think I can walk.”
Zac was loath to leave Laila where she was, but he could not use his weapons and carry her at the same time. Crouching behind the boulder, he eased Laila down to sit with her back against the large rock.
Knowing exactly what Zac was thinking, Oren placed his large hand on Zac’s shoulder. “I’ll go. You stay with her.”
