Neutral Space(15)

We went to bed the night before our planned departure confident that one way or another it would be our last night there. I woke in the middle of the night feeling something was wrong. The door was still closed, but I knew something was off. I felt Kheda tense beside me, and I grabbed the scalpel she’d stolen from the hospital ward that I’d hidden beneath my pillow. In the faint glow of light from the window in the door, I saw someone approaching our bed. The person had a gun.

They aimed at Kheda, ready to kill her in her sleep. As quickly as I could I cut the tendons in the wrist holding the weapon. As the gun fell to the ground, Kheda swept his legs. He fell, bringing his throat into striking range. I cut his windpipe hoping to avoid too much blood. Kheda pushed him backward and picked up the gun. “A plasma rifle. How did he get this?”

“I want to know who it is.” I went to the door and opened the window wider. It wasn’t much, but I could see our attacker’s face. It was Dan.

“Why would he do this? We were going to take him with us.” Kheda narrowed her brows.

“I don’t know, but they know we are planning to escape tomorrow. We have to still get out somehow.”

“You’re right. I’m just glad I didn’t tell Dan everything.”

“You didn’t?” She asked surprised.

“No, I just told him to meet us at breakfast, and we’d fill him in.”

“You brilliant man.” Kheda hugged me.

“I never really trusted him either.”

I went to check on the others, but Crow and Jim were dead. I guess Dan didn’t want to risk us having any other allies. We pushed Dan under my bed and threw the blanket over him then climbed into his bed. We couldn’t sleep after that. We both kept waiting for someone else to come after us. Finally, we agreed to sleep in shifts, and she was first. She laid her head in my lap, and her breath fell into a steady rhythm as I stroked her hair. I watched her as she slept one hand on her shoulder the other on the plasma rifle. She protested when I woke her a few hours later for her watch.

She woke me when she heard footsteps headed our direction. We both tensed as the door opened and the light came on. Salea stood in the doorway surveying the room. I thought we were caught for sure. “Get dressed; come on.”

Kheda relaxed and began to get dressed. “Jack, hurry up.”

I pulled on my boots since she still had my shirt. “What’s Salea doing here?” I asked her quietly.

“One of my friends.” She smiled.

“Major the ships due in early you must hurry.” Salea urged watching for signs of anyone else.

“It’s never early.” She said pulling on her shirt. “Where are the others?”

“It’s just Teesa and I,” he said sadly. We’d been betrayed. Someone didn’t want us getting out.

I got up and tucked in my shirt. “It’s not just you Salea. Dan thought to murder us in our sleep.” He nodded.

“I’ll put them on lockdown let’s go.” Kheda was already moving past me with the plasma rifle in hand. Salea sealed the door as I came out and walked ahead. He took the gun from Kheda and put work chains on each of us but didn’t bother locking them. He grinned at me before pushing us ahead.

“Just follow my lead and try not to get hurt,” Kheda said quietly in English.

“What happened to the plan?” I was worried.

“Everything has changed.” She shrugged.

I saw three other guards as we approached the cargo bay. All of them armed and placed strategically throughout the bay. Kheda noticed them too and was already appraising the situation. The guards seemed to relax once they saw us chained but still held their weapons at the ready. “It was just supposed to be one of them this morning.” A fellow guard commented.

“Yeah well, the major insisted she come. She knocked out the humans when they tried to hold her back. I had to get a plasma rifle before she’d be quiet. She may not respect men, but she still respects a gun.” Salea said annoyed as he pushed the barrel into her back for effect. The other guards laughed.

“I like to watch him work,” Kheda growled and batted away the muzzle with a shoulder as she sat on a crate.

“You heard the major, Salea. Get him moving, and since he can’t be trusted, he’ll unload everything himself. Hope she hasn’t been too rough on you, the ship is full this week.” The guard mocked.

I rolled my eyes and held my hands out for Salea to unchain me. Salea reached for his key. “Leave them on.” The other guard called.

“Have you seen those crates? I’ll never pick them up if I can’t get my arms around them.” I protested. I knew they probably had lift equipment but was hoping for any excuse to get the chains off.

“Fine, do it your way then human.” Salea took the chains off, and I headed into the cargo ship. The pilot was already heading out content to sit with the others and watch me work. He sat down by Kheda, and I knew he was the key to our escape. I came out a minute later with a medium crate and saw Kheda smack the pilot. The guards were on their feet, and Salea shoved the muzzle into her back again. In one fluid motion, she grabbed the gun and turned it on Salea. She shot him in the shoulder then dove behind a crate. The guards turned their guns on me. And I stooped behind my crate, but it would only protect me so long.

The lights went out, and the hazard lights came on. Someone tripped the emergency decompression signal. The doors slammed shut sealing one of the guards out of the room and keeping any others from coming to the rescue. In the confusion, Kheda shot another guard as he bared down on my position. I used the opportunity to run into the ship. The pilot followed me in. He swung high, and I ducked low. He caught me with a punch in my side and stunned me for a moment. I managed to sweep his legs as he stood gloating. I jumped on top of him before he got up again and punched him as hard as I could. I could have knocked him cold and left it at that, but suddenly this Kelsairan represented everyone that had tried to hurt Kheda. I hate to admit it, but then I snapped his neck. It was only fear for her that made me do it, but I did it just the same. Kheda came in rifle still in hand and stared at me as I climbed off the pilot.