“Cassidy!”
He glanced behind to find Marquez dashing along the ground toward him, doing his best to stay out of sight, with Tai not far behind.
“What are we going to do?” Tyler said, hoping the CDF captain had an answer.
“There’s not much…” He stopped and looked to the other side of the forest floor.
A green weapon blast struck a Seeker and the soldier fell to the ground with a thump.
Then another.
What the hell!
“They’re firing on their own.” While Tyler couldn’t tell who it was in all the carnage, it had regardless created a brilliant diversion.
The natives noticed as well, halting their retreat.
Marquez jumped out beside Tyler over the downed tree and prowled like a panther toward the Seeker closest to them. He picked up a spear from the ground and struck the unknowing victim to the forest floor. He dropped the butt of the spear into the soldier’s helmet, crushing his skull.
The elder looked down on Marquez from afar, considering him for a moment, and smiling.
Does he understand we’re not Geri Vakar?
The elder held up his hand and pointed back down the hill. His people followed their orders and bounded toward the Seekers.
Tyler and Tai jumped out from behind the log and joined Marquez who picked up a Seeker weapon and fired potshots at their assailants.
“Whoever fired on them, got their attention,” Tyler said, as the Seekers fled. “They’re heading back to the village.”
The natives passed them, yelling at the top of their lungs. There was a hope in their eyes Tyler hadn’t seen before.
Thirty-Nine
Jason sprinted as if his life depended on it—because he knew it did. His haphazard plan had worked. He’d taken out as many Seekers as he could so the natives could go on the counterattack. But he didn’t expect the soldiers to be as fast reacting as they were. Or him to be as unfit as he was.
I’ve got to stop drinking so much.
He rounded a tree and ran out into open ground toward the native’s village. A weapon blast whizzed past him, knocking over a bundle of rocks ahead. He turned, spotting at least ten soldiers heading his way. Slowing slightly, he weaved through the huts and dived over a large wooden stump in the township’s center. Either side of him, the Seekers fanned out and outflanked him.
Jason pulled off his helmet and braced himself for that attack. To his left, a soldier aimed toward him and his heart skipped a beat.
A crack sounded.
The Seeker stumbled backward and Jason looked up.
The Argo!
The old cargo ship hovered overhead, its powerful engine trembling the ground beneath him. Althaus hung from the open rear ramp with his rifle in hand. With another pull of the trigger, Jason’s sharp-shooting uncle rained more fire down from the sky at the Seeker bearing down on Jason to his right. The bullets hadn’t taken his assailants out, but it’d given him the time he needed to fire off his more advanced gun.
Jason raised the weapon and cut down the Seekers to the left and to the right. The rest of the soldiers took defensive positions behind the village huts and fired on the Argo. They put sizeable dents into the side of the old girl, and with little choice, the cargo ship had to retreat. Her maneuvering thrusters spun up, and she launched away above the tree line.
With the Argo withdrawing, they’d have to do it on their own. Nicolas stood behind a large rock and commenced shooting. The natives, too, fired what arrows they had left in their arsenal. Though the arrows weren’t making their way through the Seeker’s armored suits, it was keeping them pinned down.
Across the field, Corporal Higgs took his shots, and the lone ranger from behind the tree stump at the village center joined in, firing off several blasts.
Who could that be?
They had the Seekers surrounded. The natives streamed from behind Marquez and down toward their township. They launched spears through the air, threw nets, and wrapped ropes around the vastly superior soldiers. A barrage of rocks knocked the final one to the ground, who was immediately beaten to a pulp.
Nicolas joined with everyone else converging on the village center. The lone gunman who’d started the counterattack was still behind the tree stump. The natives raised their spears and loaded their bows.
“Come out from behind there!” Nicolas shouted.
The figure rose.
He might’ve been wearing Seeker armor, but the face was unmistakable.
“Jason?” Tyler walked up beside Nicolas, while Susan appeared behind him.
The village elder pushed his way between his people onto the wooden stump. He looked down at Jason inquisitively and put out his hand. Jason took it, stepping up beside him.
The elder turned to everyone who’d gathered around. “Drolen!” he said in the loudest voice he was able to muster.
“Drolen!” the natives chanted, dropping to their knees, bowing toward Jason.
“Great.” Tyler rolled his eyes. “That’s all we need—Jason thinking he’s a god.”
“Who said you could take the Julieanne?” Tyler blasted his brother after being told how he’d gone to the dark side of the moon.
“I had to see what was out there.” Jason led the way toward the landed Argo in the cutting. “And you were too busy down here. I didn’t want to hassle you over semantics.”
“If I didn’t want you coming down here, how did you think I’d respond to you going for a joyride around that moon?”
“You would’ve said no. I guess that’s why I didn’t ask. If I hadn’t done it, you’d be dead now. You’re welcome, I guess.”
Tyler crossed his arms. “Don’t let it go to your head, Drolen.”
The rear entry ramp of the Argo retracted and Kevin, Aly, Althaus, and Professor Petit waited for them at the top.
“That was some nice shooting, Althaus,” Jason said, striding past him. “You might’ve got a gig in the war as a CDF
