“Contact Michiotelepathically.”
She closed her eyes and put herattention on Michio. Her heart felt strangled with fear and shecouldn’t stop crying. “I can’t. I’m too upset to makecontact.”
Erling’s eyes reflectedunderstanding. He squeezed her hand. “I can’t either. I’m notthat skilled at telepathy. We have to leave. Soldiers will be lookingfor us.” He started back the way they’d come, staying low, andshe followed.
They heard voices andsimultaneously slid behind a large tree trunk.
“The woman got away,” asoldier said. “One of the men she was traveling with helped herescape. Scour the woods until we find them. They can’t have gonefar.”
“I wouldn’t want to be inHolander’s place right now. Commander Rochambeau is in a rage thatshe’s escaped again.”
Their voices faded as they gotfarther away. Toemeka looked around for a place she and Erling couldhide.
***
Michio and Jake crouched in thebushes on the other side of the camp, staring at the destruction.When Michio had awakened and discovered Erling and Toemeka were gone,he roused Jake and they started searching for them. The sound ofexplosions brought them racing back. By then, most of the Owayanwarriors were dead, their bloody bodies sprawled all over the ground.The remaining warriors fought Cadmus’ soldiers in hand-to-handcombat or were plowed down by bazookas and grenades.
“It’s a massacre!” Michioexclaimed, sickened by the sight. His eyes swept over the camp,looking for Toemeka and Erling. “I have to find Toemeka.” Michiostarted toward where their teepee had once been.
Jake grabbed his arm. “Wait!It’s suicide to go back into camp. Toemeka’s not there. Cadmuswouldn’t attack like this if she was.”
Michio stared at him, stricken,as the truth sank in. “They were just waiting for Toemeka to leavecamp. They must’ve captured her and Erling. I shouldn’t havetaken a nap.”
“You couldn’t know this wouldhappen. Can you feel where she is inwardly?”
Michio closed his eyes to blockout the scene before them. At last he said, “It’s unclear.”
A laser beam flared past Jake’shead “Damn, that was close!” He glanced back at the camp. “Theremust be some way we can help the Owayan warriors.”
“We can get blasters off thedead soldiers and join the fight,” Michio said.
“You’re not going anywhere,”a male voice said.
Michio swung around to see twoarmed soldiers coming up from behind. More soldiers converged justbeyond them. “Throw down your weapons and put your hands up,” theclosest soldier said.
“We don’t have any weapons,”Michio said, as he and Jake held up their hands.
The soldiers searched them, thenhandcuffed their hands behind their backs. A soldier shoved themfacedown on the ground and stood with his blaster aimed at them.Michio’s chest constricted. . Wasthis it? Would they be executed?
From the direction of camp,Michio heard the yells of Owayan warriors and rifle fire. From wherehe lay he could see that the fighting was nearly over and most of theOwayan warriors lay dead.
Eleven Owayan warriors were takencaptive and lined up in a row. Most had bleeding wounds. CommanderRochambeau walked over to them as they stood proudly, awaiting theirfate. Michio felt fear emanating from them, which added to the heavypall and dark emotions surrounding the atmosphere of the camp.
Rochambeau raised his blaster andshot each man in the back of the head at close range. Michio closedhis eyes blocking out the picture. Shock and horror roiled throughhim.
When the executions were over,Rochambeau walked over to Michio and Jake, ordering them to stand.With his hands handcuffed behind him, Michio awkwardly regained hisfeet., He stared at Rochambeau with an intense hatred he’d neverknown before. The two men’s eyes locked and Michio felt powerflowing out from Rochambeau that was similar to what he’d once feltfrom Samrat Condor. Inwardly the commander attacked him and Michiothrew up an inner shield, blocking him.
“You had no right to kill thosemen,” Michio said. “They were defenseless prisoners.”
“It’s war; I did what wasnecessary. Samrat Condor’s impatient for his control to becomplete. Besides the Owayan tribesmen are not prisoners ofwar—they’re rebels. They will never peacefully submit to a newgovernment.”
“That still doesn’t make itright to shoot them down like animals,” Jake said.
“Where’s Toemeka?” Michioasked. “What have you done with her?”
A confused look crossedRochambeau’s face. “That’s what I came to ask you.”
“You don’t have her?”Michio chest constricted with dismay. “If you don’t have her, shemay’ve returned to the teepee.”
“Don’t pretend you don’tknow where she is,” Cadmus snarled
A sudden coldness hit the core ofMichio’s being. “When I awoke, she was gone. We were searchingfor her.”
“Do you want me to force him totalk?” one of Cadmus’ soldiers asked.
“No, it’s obvious he doesn’tknow,” Cadmus said. “We’re wasting time. Samrat Condor put alarge bounty on Kimes’ head. He’s more valuable alive, but thisother man is of no use to us.” His face hardened as he raised hisblaster.
Jake swallowed, but stood withoutflinching. Cadmus smiled cruelly, savoring Jake’s reaction.
“Wait! Don’t shoot him!”Michio exclaimed, desperately wondering how he could prevent Jake’sdeath. “A Coalition agent is more valuable alive.”
Cadmus looked at Jake withrenewed interest. “Who are you?”
“Captain Jake Navarro.”Jake’s eyes were steely, as if he’d already accepted his death.
“You’re Jake Navarro, head ofthe Coalition Resistance on Alandra. Kimes is right; you’re morevaluable alive. You’ll be interrogated in Tismus. Don’t think youcan hold anything back. Our methods of drugs and torture are veryeffective. After I’ve extracted everything from your mind, I’llturn you over to Samrat Condor and you’ll be publicly executed as atraitor.”
Another officer came up toCadmus. “Commander Rochambeau, we haven’t found any trace of thewoman or the man she was with, but they can’t have gone far. Ourmen are combing the woods.”
Michio let out his breath.Toemekahadn’t been in the teepee.
“I’ll go after them,”Cadmus said. “I want a dozen of our best men to accompany me. Therest of you can return to the fortress. Take these prisoners with youand guard them well.”
As the soldiers led Michio andJake into the woods, Jake asked angrily, “Why did you tell Cadmus Iwas a Coalition agent?”
“To buy some time. He was goingto kill you.”
“I know, but now he’lltorture me or used the mind extractor to get inside information aboutthe Resistance.”
“A lot can happen between hereand Tismus. It is not your time to die. You have a role in the futureof Alandra.”
Jake’s face revealeduncertainty. “Speak more clearly.”
“That’s all
