Haven 6 (30 page)

Crusty lay across the path to the tunnel, writhing. Eri bent down and tore her laser from his belt.

Laser fire erupted behind them. Jolt had misfired, and the beam of light exploded like shrapnel, cutting through six of his men. In seconds, they were gone. Not even dead. Just gone. Eri pulled herself away and ran. The mouth of the tunnel loomed steps away with stalactites pointing down in jagged teeth.

A high buzzing noise grew as the photon chambers charged. Jolt fired another shot behind her and the stalactites fell from the ceiling. She dove for the darkness of the tunnel as rocks crashed behind her and the wind rushed over her head.

Eri scrambled forward. Her ears rang as she tore through the tunnel, not caring if she swallowed a spidermite on the way out. Sound returned in time, dull and foggy, like she wore thick headphones. She touched her earlobes to make sure they didn’t bleed. Her head felt like someone had stuck a pin in each ear and turned it over and over again.

She checked behind her and Weaver followed her through the narrow cavern. He shouted, but all she could hear was ringing in her ears.

“What?”

“What was that noise?”

“Just an alarm,” Eri shouted over her shoulder as she jumped over rocks blocking their path and landed in a puddle. Using her locator, she illuminated the narrow space between the rocks ahead.

“Why do I feel like my ears are going to fall off?” This time she heard him more clearly, which was a good sign. It had taken two days to regain her complete hearing after the hide and seek incident.

“The echo in the cave intensified the sound waves.” She hadn’t thought the alarm would work, but death stared her in the face and she had no other ideas.

“Why did you save me?”

She slipped against the rock and pulled herself back up again, her heart pounding. “Because Jolt’s going to kill you, Weaver. I can see it in his eyes.”

“What if I deserve to die?”

“No one deserves to die.”
Except for Jolt, maybe.
She grabbed Weaver’s arm and pulled him forward. “Come on.”

The laser fire pinged through the rock behind them. Flashes of light illuminated the cave and sent them into darkness once again. Eri had stored up energy, drinking from a water canteen and stretching her muscles while studying the symbols. She wished she’d thought of the alarm sooner, but then she would have never found out about Jolt’s plan with the lasers.
I have to warn Litus and Striver.

With the weapon upgrade, the Lawless would give the team from the
Heritage
a run for their money. After witnessing their savage civilization, she didn’t want the Lawless in charge of Refuge, even if it meant enabling the commander’s attack.

As Eri ran from the laser fire, the commander’s past flashed through her mind. Eri’s short time with the Lawless illuminated the assassination attempt in a new light. The gangs on Old Earth had killed Commander Grier’s family. The survivors stole a colony ship and settled at Outpost Omega, and their descendants traveled here. No wonder the commander wanted them all dead.

But they aren’t the same people who killed her family
.
Not all of the people on Refuge are Lawless. Striver is a good person. His village can coexist in harmony with the people from the
Heritage
. If only they could be given a chance.

The commander had to be stopped, and only Eri was sane enough to do it.

She and Weaver broke through into clean air and the vast expanse of star-studded sky. Eri looked over her shoulder. The cavern behind them lay dark and silent.

They ran over the jagged rocks. Eri expected laser fire to erupt at any moment, but she reached the nearest strand of trees unharmed.

“Where are they?” Weaver huffed by her side, peering through the leaves.

Relief spread across Eri’s shoulders. Jolt didn’t need her and Weaver any longer. Although he’d probably revel in killing them, he had bigger problems on his hands. “They don’t have time to pursue us. They need to dip their weapons and meet the others for battle.”

“Are your people really invading?”

Eri gave him a cold stare. What else could she say? “Yes.”

“Are they going to take over the planet?”

“Most likely. But I have a plan.” Eri smiled. “One that had better work more effectively than yours did.”

“What are you going to do?”

She put up her arm and started typing into her locator. “I’m going to warn them.”

“Will they still attack?”

Eri sighed. “I don’t know. I feel like I’m trying to stop a tidal wave from crashing down on all of us.”

Litus’s face popped up, hovering over her arm. “Eri! Are you okay?”

She slowed down and spoke between gasps of air. “I’ve escaped. Weaver is with me. I have some bad news.”

Nodding gravely, Litus’s face hardened. “Bring it on.”

“Jolt has upgraded our weapons using the golden liquid in the cave. Anyone who’s near the lasers when they go off will disappear to another dimension, never to return.”

Litus ran a hand over his mouth. Eri knew she sounded crazy, but there wasn’t any other way to explain it.

“You mean, they just disappear?”

“Yes. It has a wide range, too. He misfired and I saw it take out six of Jolt’s men.”

Litus rubbed his temple with his free hand. “This will make the Lawless harder to beat.”

“You’re telling me.”

“I’ll notify the commander.” He moved to turn their communication link off.

Eri held her locator screen up to her nose. “Litus!”

“What?”

“I just saw one of our guns work with the liquid. I don’t think the people on the
Heritage
will win this.”

Litus didn’t seem to believe her. “I’ll take care of it, Eri. I’m sending your coordinates to a rescue team. When they hit down, they’re coming right after you. We’re going to get you out of there.”

“Tell the team not to come out. Tell them all to stay inside the
Heritage
.”

“I can’t stop our commander’s orders.” Litus’s shoulders rose and fell. “I can only help our people myself.”

“What do you mean by that? Are you going to fight as well?” Eri slammed her palm to her forehead. Her plan had backfired. “Litus, no!”

The transmission clicked off.

She tried reestablishing the link, but he was already busy hailing the commander. “Dammit!”

Weaver stood patiently by her side. “What are you going to do now?”

“Plan B. I’m going back to the ship to stop the commander myself.”

Weaver rubbed sweat from his forehead, giving her an incredulous look. “How are you going to do that?”

Eri reached down to his belt and took her laser back. “Serious negotiations.”

Striver’s heart broke as Litus switched off the locator.

She’s still alive. She’s safe. She escaped. And she’s with Weaver.

The last part caused a current of unease to sting his gut, but she seemed to be in Weaver’s company by choice, so maybe they’d worked something out. Maybe Weaver had changed his mind and saved her? Who knew the depths of his brother’s heart?

The second part of the conversation gripped Striver’s stomach and twisted. He’d spent his life keeping technology from the lawless, and now they faced the one evil he’d worked so hard to avoid. “Why did you shut her off?”

“I have to notify the commander immediately.” Ducking underneath a branch, Litus left just as Commander Grier’s alto voice rang out from his arm. For the first time, Striver wished he had his own locator to talk to Eri.
To think, I used to hate technology.

“Did you hear?” Carven tugged on his sleeve. “The Lawless may have the advantage.”

“Yes, but do we really want them to win?” Striver watched the trees for Litus’s return. He raised his voice so everyone in the main square could hear. “Think about it. The Lawless would surely kill us if they won, but if we help these visitors, they would owe us their lives. I can’t imagine such a well-developed culture going against a life debt.”

“You want us to fight their war?” Riley crossed his arms. “Because of Eri?”

“It has nothing to do with Eri.” He put his fist up to his chest. “It’s our war as well. We’ve allowed the Lawless to amass over hundreds of years, threatening our own village. Now, we have a chance to make a difference. If we go with Litus and fight by his side, we have a chance to prove ourselves. If we let them die at the hands of the Lawless, the savages will not be as forgiving. Especially if they steal the visitors’ technology. They’ll blow us to bits.”

“Who’s to say the visitors won’t turn on us once the Lawless are taken care of?” Riptide tilted her head, her blue gaze catching the moon’s light.

“Because Litus and Eri won’t let that happen.”

“I won’t either.” Mars stood at the back, swinging her new weapon. “You’ve got my vote.”

“As much as I
love
Eri”—Riptide rolled her eyes—“what if she can’t convince her people to accept us?”

Striver shrugged. “It’s a chance we’ll have to take.”

“I still don’t trust them,” Riley murmured as he shook his head. His gaze flicked to Mars sharpening her weapon. “Eri’s sweet, but she has her own job to protect. If it came down to it, do you think she’d give up everything she has to save us?”

The certainty rose up inside Striver, giving him courage. “I know she will.”

Riley’s voice fell to a whisper. “And what about Litus? He has more power than she does.”

“Litus is a good man and he’ll do the right thing. If not out of love, then out of moral responsibility.” Striver turned to the crowd. Most of them were already listening. “Hear me out.”

He leapt on top of a stump so everyone could see him. “I’m going with Litus to the battle, and if anyone wants to come with me, you are welcome. If you want to go to the caves with the others, then so be it. I won’t stop you. Those weapons sound powerful, and you may not make it back.”

As Striver spoke his final words, Litus stepped from the forest. “I’ve spoken with the commander. The attack is on as planned. She underestimates their abilities, I’m sure of it. That’s why I’m leaving to help my people.”

“I know.” Striver adjusted his bow on his shoulder. “I’m going with you. We’ve fought the Lawless for centuries. They are as much our burden as they are yours.”

“You can count me in.” Carven nodded his head, his hand resting on the hilt of one of his knives. “I’ve wanted to give those pirates some of my own medicine for years.”

“Me, too.” Riptide held up her spear. “Riley and I are both in.”

“I’m with you, too.” Mars stood and the spikes on her weapon shined in the moonlight.

A low thunder drew Striver’s attention. Whispers and questions filled the air and he raised his hand to calm them down. “Listen.”

The sound grew louder until it roared in his ears. A screeching noise keened above the din, and the earth rumbled underneath their feet. Striver clung to a tree trunk, helping Carven stay upright while others fell to the ground. His teeth rattled and the leaves on the trees shook like nervous observers. The booming earthquake stopped suddenly, and the cries of startled swillow wisps filled the night.

Above them, the sky was clear except for a V-shaped congregation of arcs sailing in the direction of the crash. “Look, the Guardians!” Striver pointed to the sky, hoping the site would bring courage to his people.

…

Weaver gripped a spongewood tree as the ground shook like the planet tore apart underneath them.
They are planning to take over.
Anxiety shot through Weaver’s legs. “Was that what I thought it was?”

Eri hadn’t been as quick to respond. She’d fallen to her knees in swamp muck. “I’m not sure what you thought, but that, most definitely, was my colony ship.”

“Why the hell would the entire ship land, and right in the middle of the enemy territory?”

Eri stood up and wiped off the brunt of the mud. “We’re not a warship; we’re a colony vessel. The ship is not equipped with weapons. Besides, she doesn’t want to nuke the planet and destroy our new home. She’d rather take the Lawless out gorilla style and keep the environment intact as much as possible. If Commander Grier wants a fight, she’s got to come to them.”

All this talk of war made Weaver anxious. They needed to cut through the battle and reach to the ship before a victor emerged. The best time to take control was during a period of flux. “Come on.” He offered his hand.

“I can walk on my own.” Eri cast him a warning and he dropped his hand to his side like a dead trotter on a string. He had to admit, the more he got to know her, the more he liked her. He could see why she’d caught Striver’s attention. As much as Riptide was gorgeous, Eri was clever, vibrant, and spunky. She fit Striver’s personality like pearl berries with pie.

And I stole her away.

Guilt dripped down his throat until he could hardly swallow. Somehow he had to make it right. He’d lost his control of the golden liquid and he’d betrayed the one person on Refuge who still believed in him. His only chance lay in seizing the ship from the commander. He’d control everything: the technology, the team attacking, Striver’s village, and the Lawless. He’d be the most powerful man on Refuge. Then he could make the world what he wanted it to be.

“Why are you coming with me?” Eri’s eyebrow rose in suspicion as she wiped off her knees.

He shrugged. “I don’t want the Lawless to win, either.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Who do you want to win, then?”

Weaver glanced down at the ferns brushing against his legs.
Me.

“I thought so.” Eri trudged ahead.

Could she hear his inner thoughts? “You thought what?”

“You can’t pick a side.”

“That’s not true. I could pick if I had to.”

“Really? Or can you only think about yourself?” She stopped and turned toward him. “Wake up, Weaver, and smell the swamp sludge. There’s something happening that’s bigger than all of us, and we have to fight for what we believe.”

She spun around, turning her back to him, and sloshed ahead. Weaver followed her, speechless. He didn’t know what he believed. He hadn’t taken the time to really think about it. He’d been too involved in his own woes.
Eri was right. I am selfish.
Now he had a new emotion to add to the already miserable bunch: shame.