Dawnwind 1: Last Man Standing (36 page)

* * * * *

 
Savogh
watched Nodicwi assemble the atomizer’s components with practiced ease.
 
The young man didn’t exhibit caution until he removed the base elements and their catalyst.
 
These, he slid into their respective places with great care.

“You’re certain that this won’t affect us?” asked
Savogh
.

“Positive, sir,” said Nodicwi.
 
“The mixture is keyed specifically to Junians.
 
We could wade through it and it wouldn’t affect us.”

“As long as you’re sure.”

“What about their medical implants?” asked Zej. “Won’t they counter the effects?”

“No,” said Nodicwi.
 
“Junian medical implants only react when their hosts are in distress.
 
The mix won’t trigger that kind of reaction.
 
As far as the implants are concerned, their hosts will just suddenly drop off to sleep.”

“And if they don’t?” asked Hoxo. “What then?”

“Then
Pauxor
Zej gets to demonstrate his fighting skills,” said
Savogh
.

Zej grinned.

“The atomizer is ready,” announced Nodicwi.

“Move it to the doorway,” instructed Savogh.
 
“Make sure we get maximum dispersal. Hoxo, on my command, open the doors.
 
Nodicwi, as soon as that happens, trigger the device.”

They assumed their positions, Nodicwi adjusting the atomizer’s nozzles toward the banquet room doors.
 
Zej stood on the left, his hand resting lightly on the scrambler attached to his belt.
 
Savogh stood on the right.
 

“Now, Hoxo.”

The infospecialist tapped in the command.
 
As the banquet room’s doors slid open, Savogh saw a group of startled Junian domestics and, behind them, a young male in the stiff formal robes of the Junian Guard.
 
The youth was opening his mouth, when Nodicwi hit the plunger, dumping the catalytic agent into the base mixture.
 

A cloud of sweet-smelling air exploded from the atomizer’s nozzles, flooding the banquet room.
 
Savogh’s sensitive nostrils twitched at the odor, his small mouth forming a cruel, satisfied smile as every Junian in the room suddenly slumped over, unconscious.

“How long before the effect fades,
urwak
?” demanded Savogh.

“We have an hour, sir,” said Nodicwi.
 
He was already taking the atomizer apart, so that the components could be thrown into the nearest recycler port.

Savogh grunted.
 
“Good.
 
Zej, you’re with me.”

They moved through the room, stepping over sprawled Junians.
 
Zej made his way toward the kitchens, to make sure they were secure.
 
Savogh, meanwhile, walked to the central table.
 
Third Guard Officer Iluso Velu sat, sprawled, in her chair.
 
With her were her husband and a Fleet Officer that Savogh didn’t recognize.
 

The Jurkuroi
gorxoar
cupped Velu’s face between his hands.
 
His fingers found the pulse points beneath the woman’s ears.
 
They throbbed, slow and steady.

“Officer Velu,” murmured Savogh.
 
“It’s been a long time.
 
And the years have been so much kinder to you, than they have to me.
 
Ah well. We’ll soon remedy that.”

Zej emerged from the kitchens.
 
“We’re secure, sir.”

“Good.”
 
Savogh let Velu’s head fall from his hands.
 
“Bring her.
 
We have three hours to make our exit point.”

* * * * *

 
John watched the Jurkuroi through half-slitted eyes.
 
When everyone else had collapsed, his first impulse had been to raise an alarm.
 
That was snuffed when the Jurkuroi stepped into the room. Old instincts kicked in and he slumped in his chair, watching as one of the Jurkuroi went into the kitchen and another made his way to the central table.
 
After listening to Savogh’s speech, John realized that if he was going to do anything, time was going to be a factor.

He slid his eyes toward Jata.
 
She had collapsed, like everyone else.
 
Her head lay on the table, fish stew drying in her nearly-pink hair. When she woke up, John knew she would be furious.
 
Now, though, she was unconscious and snoring.

No help there, he thought.

The Jurkuroi were leaving.
 
Velu was slung over the shoulder of the brawny-looking one, carried from the room like a sack of potatoes.
 
John waited until the Jurkuroi had left before sitting up and tapping his comm.
 
It buzzed, but couldn’t get a connection.

Wonderful, he thought.
 
They’re jamming the comms.
 

Glancing at the table, he picked up a glass knife, then stood and went after the kidnappers.

* * * * *

“Naq is bringing the aircar now,” reported Hoxo.
 
“He should be in front of the hotel in a few moments,
gorxoar
.”

Savogh smiled.
 
“Good.
 
Help Zej with our prize.
 
When we leave, I want any witnesses to think she’s just drunk.”

Nodicwi frowned.
 
“Won’t it look odd?
 
A Junian woman leaving with a bunch of aliens?”

“Junians are a decadent, deviant people,” said Zej.
 
“They’ll probably think she’s coming with us, to
jig
all four of us.”

Hoxo’s comm-band vibrated.
 
“Naq is here.”

“Let’s go,” said Savogh.

Hoxo went to Zej, and together, they supported the unconscious Velu.
 
She was almost a foot taller than the two Jurkuroi.
 
Her legs bent and her head slumped forward.
 
Fortunately, her formal robes helped to hide the fact that she wasn’t actually walking, as they drug her across the carpet.

Savogh led the way.
 
Outside the hotel, a sleek silver aircar hovered.
 
A hatch slid open.
 
Their pilot, Naq, waved them forward.

“Come on!
 
Come on!
 
I can’t hover here forever!
 
The peacekeepers will notice!”

Savogh climbed into the car and cuffed the man.
 
“Calm down.
 
We’ll be out of here in two minutes.”

He turned back to the others and gaped.
 
Zej and Hoxo were frozen, Velu still dangling between them.
 
They were staring at Nodicwi.
 
The young
urwak
stood with a glass knife pressed to his throat.
 
The knife was held by a Junian in formal Guard robes; his blue hair was so dark, it appeared black.

“Release Officer Velu.”

Savogh climbed out of the car, studied the man.
 
He shook his head.
 
“No.
 
Zej.
 
Hoxo.
 
Put our prize in the car.”

“Make a move toward the car, and I’ll slit this man’s throat.”

Savogh laughed.
 
“Really?
 
Do it then.”
 

Hoxo frowned.
 
“
Gorxoar
?”

“He won’t.
 
He’s a Junian, Hoxo.
 
They’re soft.
 
Weak.
 
He’s bluffing.”

John laughed.
 
“Two things you should know.
 
The first is that I’m not Junian.”

Savogh’s lip curled in disgust.
 
“A transparent lie.
 
You’re a guardsman, so you must be Junian.”

“The second,” said John, “is that your interference field doesn’t work outside the hotel.”

“Oh,
jig
me,” said Hoxo.
 
“Savogh . . . .”

Zej plucked the scrambler from his belt and shot Nodicwi in the chest.
 
The young
urwak
fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Savogh!” screamed Naq.

The old Jurkuroi spun, saw peacekeeper aircars descending from above, their blue and pink lights flashing brightly.
 

“Put her in the car!”

Naq slammed the aircar’s controls, sealing the hatch in Savogh’s face.
 
Roaring, Savogh pounded on the hull.
 
The aircar shot straight up, into the night sky, at full speed.
 
It burst through the gathering peacekeeper aircars, clipping one, before shooting away. Immediately, two of the peacekeepers peeled away in pursuit.
 
The others dropped toward the street.

“Savogh, what do we do?” demanded Hoxo.

“What can we do?” snarled Savogh.
 
“Zej.
 
Kill Velu.”

“Are you crazy?” snapped Hoxo.
 
“There are peacekeepers here! They’re probably recording everything we do!
 
And you want to kill someone in front of them!”

“I will have my vengeance!” screamed Savogh.
 
“Zej!”

But Zej couldn’t move.
 
None of them could.
 
Savogh stumbled, felt his limbs tingle for a moment before going numb.
 
He realized, as he fell, that the peacekeepers had shot him with a neural scrambler.
 
Hoxo and Zej were also down.
 
Velu tumbled from their grip to land so close to Savogh that, if he could have moved, he would have reached out and strangled her.

* * * * *

 
The Hotel Tako was crawling with personnel from the Seven Lakes Emergency Authority.
 
Medics moved through the banquet room, administering mild stimulants to the unconscious guests, rousing them in small groups.
 
Trauma counselors explained what had happened and provided reassurance that the situation was safely resolved. No one seemed injured by the Jurkuroi weapon, although several outfits had been ruined.
 
The hotel’s other guests had
been trapped in their rooms, unable to communicate with anyone thanks to Hoxo’s jamming field. Most had simply been inconvenienced by the incident, but one family had broken down their hotel room door to get to a terrified toddler, trapped outside when the rooms were sealed.
 

Defense Authority agents had arrived to take the Jurkuroi into custody.
 
The Seven Lakes peacekeepers had gladly handed them over, especially when it became clear that the Diplomatic Authority and the Jurkuroi Embassy would be getting involved.
 
There were even rumors that Guard First Officer Netevu and Assembly Chief Uvetal were keeping an eye on things.
 

John wasn’t sure if he believed the last bit, but given Velu’s position, he couldn’t discount it.
 
 
At least, not entirely.

Velu seemed to have made a complete recovery.
 
She was speaking with Fleet Officer Lujo and a young woman from the Diplomatic Authority, who looked completely out of her depth.

“How are you doing, Epcott?”

John looked up and saw Sufo standing next to him.
 
The old medic had been the last to be revived, a fact that had met with his considerable ire.