The Legend of Earth

“Just a walk in the park, sir,” Carter Thomas said, flashing his impossibly bright smile. “And it sure beats the alternative.”

“Roger that,” a chorus rose from the other men.

“Gear up,” Nigel said. “First stop, Cain’s barracks.”

Chapter 16

It took Jonnif several minutes to calm down after his conversation with the Juirean Elder. His aide Mininof stood beside him, watching his expression.

“Now you give it time,” Mininof said. “You have given all those trapped in the bunker much to think about.”

“I refuse to be dismissed so disrespectfully! Hydon is without legend, and I am the one standing in the ruins of his capital. He has no place to be condescending.”

“Just give it time, Jonnif. I’m sure that even now the seeds of rebellion are being planted. Hydon may have no real value to us strategically, but just knowing that his own people may soon turn against him must bring you great satisfaction.”

“It does,” Jonnif said with a grunt. “But I would have enjoyed it more if I’d heard fear in his voice.”

“You may still get the opportunity to experience that fear, and possibly in person. Patience, Jonnif. In the meantime, we must begin preparations for the arrival of the troop ships. There are still a lot of Juireans left to kill, here and elsewhere.”

With that comment, Jonnif of the Kracori smiled. The killing of Juireans had become his new favorite pastime. Eating them was his second best.

Chapter 17

The Guard Commander and a squad of five other Juireans accompanied Adam and his team back to their barracks. On the way, Adam wasn’t sure if he should warn the Juirean that McCarthy may not take too kindly to be disarmed. He was hoping his distrust for the hulking Englishman wasn’t clouding his judgment. He knew Nigel would protest having his guns taken away, but would he really go all the way and try to take Hydon — and Adam, too?

Adam saw the logic in having the Humans disarmed. They had no need for them as long as the bunker was secure, and Hydon did say he could have them back if the bunker came under attack. Still, he didn’t feel comfortable without have at least a sidearm resting on his hip. All they had to do was just hold out long enough for the fleet to arrive and then everything would be fine.

Adam had left Chief Rutledge and Petty Officer Tindal in the barracks with Sherri and the two aliens. All of them seemed to get along fairly well and he’d seen marked improvement in all of their moods once they moved from the other barracks. They could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even though the surface of Juir was now a smoldering wasteland, they appeared to be safe and secure down in the bunker. And with the truce brokered between Adam and Hydon, within a few months, the Kracori would be on the run — from both Human and Juirean forces. The war would be over and they could all go home.

Adam sensed the tension the moment he entered the barracks. The three Humans were sitting on a pair of cots at the far end of the room, while Kaylor and Jym stood against the side wall. Behind them were the white sheets the aliens had draped around their cots. All of them wore solemn, serious expressions.

Riyad and Tobias sensed it too, but before they could react, four of McCarthy’s men appeared behind them, while two more burst through the sheets behind Kaylor and Jym, flash rifles level and ready.

The Guard Commander went for his MK sidearm, but even before it cleared the holster, the Humans behind them had smashed the stocks of their rifles into the heads of all the Juireans. They fell into a silent heap in the door to the barracks.

With Adam, Riyad and Tobias unarmed, the three of them simply raised their hands in surrender

McCarthy came forward to face Adam, a large grin on his face.

“This is crazy, McCarthy,” Adam said flatly, although he knew no amount of reasoning would stop the chain of events the Englishman had just set in motion.

“Maybe so Cain, but in the immortal words of Don Corleone, ‘He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.’”

“This is going to get bloody.”

“That’s aces by me. Now get over there with the others.”

McCarthy’s men stripped the unconscious Juireans of their weapons and then did their best to place their new cache anywhere they could on their bodies — one can never have too much firepower.

“Is Hydon still in the command center?” McCarthy asked Adam.

“He was when we left. So it’s not just us you’re after? Now you’re just being stupid.”

Nigel told two of his men to stand guard over the prisoners and then left with the remaining four. Five men up against three hundred Juireans — McCarthy just might have a chance, Adam thought sardonically. For the time being, Adam would just wait it out and let the Juireans do their job. If McCarthy and his men got killed trying to take Hydon, well that would be a problem that just took care of itself….

The word had not yet spread through the bunker that the Humans should not be carrying weapons, so McCarthy’s small team was able to easily stroll through the main chamber of the bunker and to the command center without question. Not a single Juirean gave them more than their customary glance as they passed in the hallway. In five days, most of the occupants of the bunker had become accustomed to seeing the Human aliens among them, at least in the public spaces.

The command center was another matter altogether. While eavesdropping a few minutes before, McCarthy had acquired a lay of the land. Now he confidently walked straight in and approached Hydon — still at the command console — while his men stationed themselves at the doorway.

Hydon and Yol-fin saw McCarthy coming; they also noticed he was still armed. Momentarily confused, they hesitated raising the alarm. Nigel took the opportunity to rush up to Hydon and slip in behind him, clamping a massive arm around the alien’s chest. Nigel McCarthy stood nearly six-and-half-feet tall, but still the Juirean towered over him by a good eight inches. Hydon began to struggle, but his eyes grew wide when he found he could gain no ground against the Human’s incredible strength.

McCarthy let out a small laugh when he felt Hydon submit, an then he whispered in Hydon’s ear, “Now you know what your people have been up against. Pretty impressive, isn’t it, mate?”

Unrestrained, Yol-fin cried out, “Guards, protect the Elder!”

A dozen heads lifted from their consoles, the words of alarm not registering right away. Yet a few did react quicker, only to be the first to be cut them down by the brilliant bolts from the Human’s flash rifles, some before they could even lift from their chairs. A level-one bolt even caught Yol-fin center mass, cauterizing the hole it left before his body even struck the floor.

In a few seconds, the four Human gunmen had struck down all the aliens in the room except Hydon, but not before an alarm sounded. McCarthy flung the unarmed Juirean toward the corridor, where two of his men grabbed him by the arms. Several Juirean Guards were running down the corridor — but away from the command center. McCarthy smiled. They think we’re under attack from the outside. Let them keep thinking that.

“Stand back,” he said to his men, and they all moved farther back into the command center. Within seconds, the corridor was clear with all the aliens running toward to the main entrance to the bunker.

“Move out. Thomas and Sato, take point.”

At the end of the long corridor their luck ran out. Three Juirean Overlords — signified by their blue manes —