The next two days passed by quickly as we scrambled to be ready for whatever Owen had planned. Further information on the armed transport Koraf was bringing in helped us narrow down the window of opportunity for Owen’s attempted heist.
“We know that the armored transport will land on the transport dock at the top of Koraf’s tower,” I said, looking over a holo-map on the digital display table our crew was gathered around. “So, there’s no opportunity for Owen to make his move as they transfer it to the armored vehicle.”
“Koraf really did a thorough job of making this as difficult as possible,” Vomero said. “I know Owen has to try for the Diadem, but, frankly, I have my doubts about his chances for success.”
“That’s a small mercy, then,” Dick added. “The last thing we want is Owen somehow getting away with the Diadem. Plus the less smoothly his operation goes, the more opportunity for us to catch him slipping.”
As he said the word “diadem” Dick’s chest pulsed with a warm glow we had all become familiar with in the last week. The orb seemed to be more active and responsive these days, giving out pulses of light that were hard to hide and uncomfortable for Dick to deal with. He had taken to practicing some basic meditation techniques to keep it under control while he was disguised.
“Labor pains again?” Cash teased. “Remember, just breathe in....then breathe out.”
“I told you, I’m not pregnant, asshole,” Dick grumbled self-consciously because his symptoms did have comical similarities to giving birth. “And I’m definitely not birthing whatever the hell this thing is.”
Cash shrugged smugly but couldn’t resist one last dig.
“Just let me know when your water breaks and you need me to hold your hand and tell you to push.”
Dick made a rude gesture in his direction.
“Back to the topic at hand,” I said, pointedly, “it seems unlikely that Owen will try to engage the transport in the city. Koraf would have all the backup he needs within seconds, plus escaping the rural areas of the island are much easier than trying to make it out of the city while being pursued.”
“In terms of escaping,” Cash added, “the only thing he’d have to do is make it to the edge of the island and disappear into the ocean below. That would be his comfort zone for sure.”
I nodded at his assessment and continued explaining the plan to the crew.
“That’s why we think he’ll wait until the transport nears the edge of the island,” I said. “Any farther and he’ll have nowhere to set up an ambush in the middle of the sky.”
“But he’ll want to be close to the edge for an easy escape,” Vomero guessed, nodding in understanding. “That makes sense.”
“And it narrows down his choices considerably,” Ryuuk added. “There’s really only one area he’ll be lookin’ at.”
“Exactly,” I said. “Most of us will set up around that spot, hoping to ambush the ambushers. But we need someone to follow the transport discreetly just in case we happen to be wrong.”
“I can do that,” Ryuuk said, but Cash shook his head.
“We can expect Koraf’s people to be extra vigilant,” he said. “Even with you flying far back, he could spot you. Also, if we are wrong for some reason, we need someone following the transport that can delay several people long enough for us to respond.”
“Who’s that?” Dick asked, and Cash and I turned to Matthew.
“Me?” the young man nearly squeaked.
“You can teleport along the route undetected,” I said, reiterating the points Cash had made to me when he suggested it earlier. “And if something goes down unexpectedly, your abilities would be able to incapacitate Owen’s crew or delay them at the very least while we respond.”
“Ryuuk might be able to follow undetected,” Cash added, “and even that’s unreliable, but he’s built for single target, high-damage combat. He wouldn’t be able to delay an entire crew of people as easily as you can, kid. Are you up for it?”
Matthew looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding resolutely.
“Yeah, I can handle it,” he said. “I know I haven’t been able to do a lot with the set-up, so I’m definitely up to doing this. Hopefully, we’re not wrong about Owen’s plan, and I’ll just be able to rendezvous with you guys when the transport arrives. If not though, I’ll do everything I can to keep them occupied.”
“Remember, if they do attack early, it’s not all on you,” Dick added. “Koraf’s men will put up just as much fight as they would anywhere, and that will delay them. You just need to make sure nobody get’s the upper hand before we can arrive.”
We all nodded in agreement, and Matthew looked reassured.
“So, where does that leave the rest of us?” Vomero asked.
“We stake out the site we believe Koraf will be,” Cash said. “In fact, a few of us need to go out there tonight and camp discreetly. If we arrive as a group tomorrow and they’re already there, we can’t guarantee the element of surprise.”
“Ryuuk, Dick, and I will go out early and keep an eye out for Owen’s men,” I said. “Vomero, you’ll need to stay here tonight and keep monitoring Koraf’s communications, just in case something changes. In the morning, you and Cash can see Matthew off before joining us at the heist site.”
“What if Owen shows up early, and we have the opportunity to take him out tonight?” Dick asked.
“Then we do it,” Ryuuk answered for everyone. “No sense in waitin’ if what we came for presents itself to us.”
* * *
With plans made, we dispersed to pack up what little belongings we had and store them in the new hover vehicle. Cash drove the three of us out to the stakeout site and took the vehicle back with him. They would need it in the morning to join us.
The area we chose to make camp was just far enough away from what we hoped would be the heist site that we wouldn’t be stumbled upon when Owen and his men arrived. Situated a mere mile inland from the edge of the floating island, the wind whipped mercilessly at the deciduous treetops that blanketed the hilly terrain.
Our camp was tucked into one of the rocky outcroppings overlooking much more even terrain that ran all the way to the edge. The plane below was dotted sparsely with more trees and thick underbrush. It would make an adequate hiding spot from anyone traveling through the air above, but it was also much more secure than taking other routes through mountainous ravines.
We assumed Koraf’s transport would stick to the air the entire way, which meant Owen would have to shoot it down in order to stop it. This would be the most secure route, providing little opportunity for Koraf’s men to be caught unawares, yet still offering the smallest window of opportunity for Owen to attack.
As soon as we arrived at our camp site, Ryuuk said he was going to scout the area before setting his hammock higher in the treetops where he could have the best vantage point for the night.
That left Dick and I alone.
Things between us hadn’t exactly been awkward in the last week since the incident in the hallway, but that was mainly because we hadn’t spent much time alone together. He had been staking out the tower, and I had been avoiding him like the plague.
Oh well, Skye. Time to stop acting like a child and get over it.
“If you’re uncomfortable with me being here, I can make camp a little farther away,” Dick said, sensing my hesitation.
I shook my head and sighed.
“No, it’s fine,” I said. “Better to stick close together in case someone does happen upon us up here, and I’d probably go stir crazy with only myself to talk to all night. Besides, playing with fire has always been a favorite pastime of mine.”
At the last comment, he threw me a sharp look, as if gauging my meaning. Interpreting it correctly, he smiled is trademark sexy smirk.
“Fire huh?” he said. “Yeah, that’s how I would have described it, too. Hot, burning wild, all-consuming...”
“Destructive,” I added.
“Ahh...” he said in a lazy drawl, winking at me, “but it’d be one hell of a way to go.”
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
After that, he helped me unpack our meager camping supplies. We wanted to only bring what we’d absolutely need so we wouldn’t have to carry it back tomorrow.
Despite not being able to have a traditional fire because of the need for secrecy, we had packed a flameless heat generator to stay warm throughout the night. It was actually more efficient and compact than a fire, though it lacked the ambience.
Other than that, all we brought were some basic surveillance equipment and bedrolls. We had pre-scouted this spot because the natural rock outcropping would shelter us from the wind so that we wouldn’t need any type of shelter or shield.
Ryuuk returned briefly to say he hadn’t seen anyone during his initial scout, and we all agreed to settle down for the evening, keep an eye out, and stay in contact through our inner ear communication devices.
“It’s weird to imagine that this time tomorrow, we should be headed home,” Dick said.
“If all goes well,” I responded, “but then I’ve been having a hard time thinking anything is going to go right for us on this planet.”
“Tell me about it,” Dick said in agreement. “I think more fucked up shit has happened to me in the last month here than in my entire lifetime.”
“Well, I wish that held true for me, but it’s definitely been one of the craziest months,” I said. “It’s funny, I’m used to being the optimistic one about missions, but then again, I’m also usually the one deciding what missions we take. It’s a little different here. You don’t always get to choose; you just do what you have to.”
“That seems like a state of being you wouldn’t be very comfortable with,” Dick observed. “I imagine you’re always used to doing what you want and only what you want.”
I nodded, not denying it. It was the Outlaw way, but even before that, it had always been the way I lived my life.
“Well, tomorrow, maybe I’ll get the chance to go back to doing exactly what I want,” I paused for a minute, thinking of our heated encounter in the hallway.
“Almost exactly what I want,” I corrected, and Dick smiled as he snuggled down into his bedroll.
“You take first watch, and I’ll take the predawn hours,” he said, and I agreed.
Eventually, I heard his breathing grow deep in his sleep, and I settled into my perch on the nearby outcropping to keep watch.
* * *
“I’m starting to have my doubts,” Cash said the next morning.
He and Vomero had arrived as scheduled, but it concerned us that we hadn't seen Owen’s men arrive ahead of the armored transport.
“I imagine they should be here by now,” Vomero agreed.
I put a hand to my left ear to activate my communication device.
“Hey, Matthew, how’s it going?”
A few seconds passed before he responded.
“The transport just arrived at Koraf’s place,” he said. “They are loading it full of armed guards, and it looks like Koraf himself is carrying a large secured case.”
“The man takes his responsibilities seriously, I’ll give him that,” Dick said.
“Let us know their direction of travel as they depart the city,” I said to Matthew. “We’re not seeing anyone here at the site set up for an ambush.”
“Will do,” he said. “Also, just so you know, I think I spotted a Syreni goon hanging out on another rooftop. I think they’re doing the same thing I am, watching to see when the transport leaves.”
“That’s good,” Cash said. “At least we know we’ve got the right day and time.”
We decided to spread out for better vantage points in case we were just not seeing Owen and his men. Vomero stayed back at our campsite from the night before because it was the best place to get a signal. He had managed to make his “control room” set up more portable, though slightly less powerful. He was still monitoring Koraf’s communications.
Cash and Ryuuk, both being skilled snipers, took up vantage points that would give them clear shots of both the sky and ground below. That left Dick and I to do the up-close route, so we made our way down into the sparse tree line below.
“Matthew, check in,” Cash said over the coms.
“We’re just leaving the city headed south,” Matthew said. “As far as I can tell so far, we’ll be headed your way. No sign of Owen’s people other than the one guy keeping watch at the tower.”
“I still don’t see anyone here,” I said into the coms. “It’s possible Owen’s got a different spot picked out. We were looking at the most ideal area for success, assuming he would figure that out as well, but there could be factors we’re not taking into account.”
“Or he’s just not as smart as us,” Dick added.
“You’re right, we should have seen something by now,” Cash said. “Skye, Vomero, and I will take the hovercar and try to rendezvous with Matthew and the transport. Hopefully, we’ll meet Owen on the way. Ryuuk and Dick stay here just in case we’ve missed something and this is the spot. You can both fly, so it’s easier for you to cover ground to meet us if something goes down.”
“Got it,” Dick said.
As I moved to go meet up at the vehicle, however, he grabbed my arm to stop me. I glanced back at him curiously, only to see the earnest look on his face.
“Be careful,” was all he said, but his eyes spoke volumes more.
I stared at him silently for a long moment before nodding my head.
“I’ll have to be, I suppose,” I said lightly. “Since you won’t be there to watch my back.”
His mouth tilted up in a small smile that gave his features a softer look than I was used to seeing on his face. Then he ruined it by glancing pointedly down at my backside. Shaking my head with a grin, I pulled away from him and left to meet the others.
Soon, we were making our way along the transport route. Instead of racing as fast as we could, we slowed our pace, not wanting to run through Owen’s ambush if he had indeed picked another spot. We had only gone a few miles when Vomero picked something up on his surveillance channels.
“The transport is calling for backup,” he said. “It looks like they’re already under attack.”
“Matthew!” Cash barked into the coms. “What the hell is happening out there?”
After a few seconds, we heard Matthew’s voice speak frantically into the coms.
“Sorry! It got hectic really fast! It looks like Owen’s guys are makin-”
He cut out as the transmission experienced some type of interference. We could no longer make out what he was saying, and after another moment, the coms went dead completely.
“Rendezvous on Matthew’s last known location,” I said to Ryuuk and Dick, and we picked up our pace along the route. There was no need for caution if everything was going down already.
When we arrived, we found the transport grounded and Koraf’s men defending it from attackers on a cliff side above their crash zone. There was no sign of Matthew, or Owen, unfortunately, though there were plenty of Syreni goons sieging the transport.
“Coms are still out in this area,” Vomero said. “I think they’re using something to keep the Malunites from communicating. We won’t be able to use ours either in this zone.”
“Spread out and look for Owen,” Cash said. “He’s the target we’re here for. Keep an eye out for Matthew in case he needs help, as well.”
We nodded and moved to split up, but Cash stopped us again.
“One more thing,” he said. “If you see Owen, take him out. We’re not letting him get away in the name of fairness to our teammates.”
The scene, as Matthew had reported, was indeed very hectic. Blaster shots whizzed back and forth between the transport and the Syreni posted on what seemed like every side of the attack area. I knew we’d have to thin them out in order to have a chance at finding Owen. Even if he wasn’t here, I wasn’t willing to let the Syreni have the Diadem back after what they did to us.
Making my way along the perimeter of the battlefield, I caught two Syreni goons focusing fire on the transport. They were so caught up in what they were doing, they never saw me as I slipped a light dagger into the back of both of their necks.
I quickly checked their bodies for some type of communication device they might be using to circumvent the dead zone.
Ahhh...that’s how they’re doing it. It’s old school but effective.
I pulled a palm size data pad from one of the Syreni’s pockets. It was an old tech device used to send messages through text rather than voice. Most of us were using more modern forms of communication, so whatever interference device they were using must be aimed at disrupting those without affecting this old tech.
Searching through the backlog, however, proved fruitless. Apparently, they’d been told to erase messages as they received them. The text history was blank.
I continued to make my way around the battlefield, picking off a couple more attackers along the way. One I had to blind with my supernova before shooting him with one of my twin blasters, it wasn’t ideal because it would certainly alert someone to my presence on this side of the fight.
I checked his pockets like all the others just in case someone was sloppy and hadn’t erased their messages. My methods proved fruitful this time. The Syreni had apparently not bothered to check his device, much less erase them. Several unread messages flashed on the screen.
Glancing around to make sure I wasn’t being snuck up on by anyone, I ducked behind an outcropping of rocks to read the messages. Most were basic strategic commands. A few caught my attention.
Targets located at secondary site.
Proceed with distraction.
This was nearly 30 minutes ago. Was this the secondary site? Maybe our site was the original location until they had spotted us and had to move early. Hearing a commotion near my position, I realized that Cash and Vomero were having to engage in more open combat. Glancing across the clearing, I could see sparks of electricity arching as Vomero and Cash engaged a group of Syreni.
Suddenly a shot rang out from up high, and a Syreni attempting to flank their position dropped dead. Glancing up, I saw Ryuuk had arrived. Feeling like the battle was in hand thanks to my teammates, I returned my attention to the messages. They might be our best shot at locating Owen.
The next set of messages were sent only a few moments ago.
Target acquired.
What about the crown?
Still awaiting confirmation.
These were even more confusing than the last. I had assumed the crown was the target, but these messages seemed to indicate the target and the crown were part of two separate operations. I glanced toward the transport. The Syreni was waiting on confirmation, but the battle was still going strong.
Suddenly, I realized that their main plan wasn’t to take it by force. This battle was a distraction for something or someone to move in or maybe an inside man to move out. I needed to get closer to the transport. If their operative was making a move, we couldn’t depend on winning this fight to stop them.
I took out two more Syreni as I moved closer to the transport. Since I was so close and needing to avoid further detection, I replaced my blasters with the two light daggers. Employing a trick I often used to avoid drawing unwanted attention with my glowing weapons, I made sure to only manifest the daggers for the slightest instance as I struck. From afar, it would seem like tiny flashes of light that were easy to miss.
After taking out these two attackers, I was preparing to move in on the transport myself when the text pad buzzed in my pocket.
Confirmation received. Request to retreat?
Affirmative. Proceed to offsite.
Dammit! I’m too late, I cursed inwardly.
And we still hadn’t located Owen as far as I could tell. In fact, I had a feeling he was never at this location but was instead calling the shots from whatever other site they were operating in.
I scanned fervently around the transport area, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone retreating after securing the Diadem but saw nothing. Glancing back at the transport nearby, what I did find was a very furious Koraf and two of his men pointing blasters at me.
With a huff and a roll of my eyes, I reluctantly raised my hands in surrender.