Running With Argentine (24 page)

In
Orbit at Trinity

"Geez," said
someone.

Everyone on the bridge was focused on the small screen at
their stations. The Asperian ship had simply… Vaporized.

"Blimey… That was bloody good shooting, chief."

Judging from the surprised look on the chief's face,
Argentine guessed that it might've been a lucky shot.

"Sami?" he said.

"They're gone, Captain."

"Any chance of survivors?" he reiterated.

"Not bloody likely," answered Barry.

Argentine looked around the bridge at his people. His glance
finally rested on Mandi, who was looking back at him with a funny expression on
her face.

"We had no choice," he said in explanation.
"If we let them board us it would've been all over. You said so
yourself."

"No… It's not that," she said distractedly.
"I just didn't know you had it in you."

"Yeah, well…"

“You could have run.”

“What?”

“You had time to run; you endangered everyone by staying…”
she said with curiosity.

"Captain!" Sami suddenly said. "All hell is
breaking loose down at the compound."

"Our team?"

"Our sensors were blinded for a few moments, but it
looks like a flitter is speeding away from the compound and towards the city.
They are just now starting to get a pursuit organized."

"Keep an eye on them! That's got to be our team and I
want to know where that flitter lands."

Argentine turned to the chief, "Do we send a rescue
team?"

"I think it's going to depend on where they end
up," the chief responded.

“We’ve lost them, Captain!” Barry sang out. “They made it to
the city but I can’t tell if they crashed into a building or went under cover,
but they’re off our scope.”

“At least we know they got that far,” the chief said to no
one in particular. “I wouldn’t have given odds on that.”

“Your lieutenant seems to be a fairly resourceful person,”
Mandi interjected.

“You have no idea,” Argentine responded absently. And then…
“Are they still trying to get organized?”

“No, the pursuit force has almost reached the city.”

“How many of them are there?”

“A whole lot more of them than we can handle…”

“So what do we do now?” Sami asked.

When no one else responded, Argentine stated the obvious…

“We wait.”

ΔΔΔ

They were
holding geostationary orbit above the city.

The waiting had been unbearable.

For the entire day they’d hashed and rehashed their
situation. Finally, at about sunset local time, Argentine lost his patience…

“Sami, get me a connection to that Lord Tiren guy.”

He saw the chief raise an eyebrow. He shook his head sharply
in return… his mind was made up.

“This is Lord Tiren,” came the voice over the bridge
speakers. “I’m assuming this isn’t Captain Bismarck.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Thank goodness you survived,” the Lord responded. “I was
afraid we were found out. I didn’t count on your ability to defend yourself so…
efficiently.”

Lord Tiren was a cool customer, Argentine realized. He was
going to try and play out the charade as if nothing had happened. Well, two
could play that game…

“I’ll be needing to speak with my crew. If you’d be so kind
as to put them on…”

“Ah, Captain. I’m afraid they’re not here. They’ve gone to
inspect the fossil site
in situ
was, I believe, the way the professor
put it. But they should be back late this evening. Why don’t you and your
officers come down to join me for dinner? This hasn’t been the easy experience
you were hoping for and I want to make amends…

“I assure you, we can provide very unique entertainments.”

Argentine was already bored with the game…

“Look Tiren, we know our people aren’t there, but we also
know you were trying to hold them prisoner. So why don’t you stop with the
scamming for just a minute and get real with me.”

There was a pause, and then the tone changed…

“Very well, Captain. Yes, we have your friends and if you
want to see them again you’ll do exactly as I say…”

ΔΔΔ

Argentine signaled
Sami to cut the connection…

"He wants us to think he's got our team," he said
to no one in particular.

"Are you sure he doesn't?" asked Mandi.

"No, I’m not. Barry, how long before sunrise at the
compound below?"

After only a slight hesitation Barry responded, "it's a
shorter day here… Sunrise is in six hours forty-seven minutes."

He glanced back at Sami.

"Is the connection still open?"

When she nodded, he continued, "Put him back on.

"Okay, Tiren. I don't know what you're up to but
nothing is going to happen until I speak to my crew and verify that they’re
okay."

"It's
Lord
Tiren."

"Okay, Tiren. I'll try to remember that. In the
meantime, put my crew on."

After only a short pause and in a voice that was obviously
irritated, he responded, "That won't be possible, Captain. Even if I
wanted to oblige you…

"You don't really think I'd be stupid enough to keep
your people here, do you? I assure you, however, that they are safe. If you
want them to stay that way you and your officers
will
be joining me for
dinner.

"I will expect you within the hour."

"Captain, he's closed the connection." Sami said.

ΔΔΔ

"Those bloody
wankers!"

"What an asshole…"

Once the connection closed, everyone had started talking at
once. The bridge was suddenly a very cramped and
noisy
room…

Argentine waited patiently for a moment until a shrill
whistle reverberated from the bulkheads…

"Let's at least try to pretend we’re a real ship, shall
we?" said the chief harshly.

"Thanks chief. Now, does anybody have any ideas that
don't have anything to do with stuffing Tiren's head up an orifice?"

“I don’t think Tiren has them,” Mandi spoke up.

When everyone turned their attention to her she continued…

“If he did have them I would think bringing them back under
his anti-aircraft shield would be his first option.”

“That’s pretty flimsy reasoning to be basing any strategy
on,” commented the chief.

Mandi just shrugged.

"We need to rescue them," said Sami like it was
most obvious thing in the world.

"We don't even know where they are," Barry said
not unkindly. And then with more conviction, "This whole mission is cocked
up."

If Mandi noticed the searing glance he sent her direction,
she didn't show it.

"They are either prisoners or they’re on the run,"
said the chief. "Either way, we need to be ready to go extract them."

"Captain, you will be needing help to perform this
rescue, yes?” Marco Petulengro chimed in.

“My family..." he continued while placing his fist on
his heart. "We would be honored to help in this."

"We’ll wait until dawn. If we hear from our team we’ll
find out where they are and go get them. In that case, Marco, we may need your
help...

"Chief, you'll need to open up the Armory and make sure
that Marco and his people are properly prepared."

It was only then that he noticed a slightly sheepish look on
Marco's face.

Throughout the entire ordeal he'd been standing more or less
out of the way at the bridge entrance. Now, he stepped fully into the room and
turned his hip slightly.

In a low-slung holster was one of the Pelican’s firearms.

When Argentine saw it he immediately looked over to the
chief…

"Since when do we not lock the Armory Closet?" he
asked with some irritation.

But before the chief could respond, Marco interjected…

"Ahh Captain… We knew you weren't really serious about
keeping us from your weapons… Not with that flimsy lock."

In
Orbit at Trinity

Trinity's star
was now rising over the horizon. The terminator line, bringing dawn, would
reach the ground below them within minutes.

Argentine and the chief had spent the previous ninety
minutes in his day cabin. They'd talked through about every scenario they could
think of. Unfortunately, not all of them ended well, regardless of what they
did.

On the other hand, he felt better prepared… At least he'd
already decided what to do in each contingency… More or less, anyway.

He allowed the chief a few moments at the weapons station
and then asked, "What about it, chief? Will it work?"

"I still don't know. They weren’t designed for this,
but I don't think I'll cry if I accidentally miss."

Everyone had either remained on the bridge or returned in
time to hopefully witness contact with their team.

Rory was back at the shuttle’s controls, ready for an
immediate rescue attempt…

Barry and Sami exchanged puzzled glances. Argentine thought
about bringing them up to speed, but there were just too many uncertainties…
Too many variations on what could happen over the next fifteen minutes. He was
way past talking about it.

He was ready to get it done.

"We have sunrise on the city," Barry announced to
the bridge.

"And… Now at the compound."

The comm stubbornly remained silent.

For every minute that passed, the tension increased.

Finally, in a soft voice Mandi said, “You know, if they
were
captured you could still comm Tiren. You might be able to…"

Just then, Sami sat straight up in her seat…

She hit a switch on her console and the bridge speaker came
to life.

"…elican, can you hear us? Pelican, are you
there?"

"Lieutenant, it's good to hear your voice,"
Argentine said with a calm he did not feel.

"And yours," came the reply. "We saw an
orbital explosion. We… Weren't sure what to expect."

Was that relief he was hearing in the lieutenant's voice?

"There's a price to be paid for messing with the
Pelican and her crew, Lieutenant."

"Aye, I guess I never really realized that
before."

"What’s your status?" Argentine asked, anxious to
get down to business.

"Come get us! We managed to sneak out of the city but I
have no doubt they'll triangulate on my transmission. They're actively
searching for us and we've been informed by the locals that we really don't
want to be found."

"Are you in immediate danger?"

"No, but I have zero confidence that the situation will
last. Plan on coming in hot."

"Barry, have you got a location on the
lieutenant?"

"That I do, Captain. He's about 3 km south southwest of
the city."

"Okay, hang tight Lieutenant. We’re coming to get
you."

ΔΔΔ

Once Argentine
confirmed that Rory and the shuttle had made a successful deorbital insertion
he turned his attention back to the chief…

"Chief, are you ready?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Barry, any sign of pursuit or other activity around
the lieutenant’s position?"

"Not that I can see."

"Okay, Sami… I want you to hail the compound and get
Tiren on the line."

Sami made the connection but had to wait while the Lord was
notified…

"Captain! I've got a set of what looks to be half a
dozen vehicles leaving the city at high speed! They are heading towards the
lieutenant’s position."

"Could it be normal traffic?" Argentine asked.

"I don't think so. Not unless high-speed cross-country travel
at dawn is some kind of artsy-fartsy sport on this planet."

Argentine quickly looked back at the chief. He nodded his
head once and said, "Do it."

Although there was no kick associated with firing the
railgun, the sound and vibration of it reverberated throughout the ship.

Everyone on the bridge was focused on the small screens at
their stations…

"Whoa…" Sami said. The sound of several others
sucking in their breath could be plainly heard.

The kinetic round hit about a half-mile away from the villa
itself. The chief had been aiming for the same field the shuttle had first
landed in. It was going to be hard to tell how accurate his shot was… It looked
like the crater was going to be bigger than the field itself.

It wasn't but a few moments later that Sami said,
"Captain, suddenly Tiren wants to speak with us…"

Argentine signaled for her to put it on the speaker.

"…the volcanic depths of Jezdeen are you doing? I've
got broken glass all over the place. Orbital bombardment was outlawed centuries
ago, you idiot! When Asperia finds out about this there won't be any place in
the entire sector for you to hide!" he finished in a venomous voice.

"Well now, Asperia is not going to find out about this,
are they? Seeing as how this planet is embargoed, and all that. Unless, of
course, you'd like them to find out about these little scams you've been
running. You might be able to bribe some of the military, but I'm pretty sure there
are a lot of people that would like to know about your scheming…

"But let's not waste time, shall we? Call off the
pursuit going after our team or I'll level your villa."

"What pursuit? I don't know what you're talking
about!"

"Well, you'd better find out real quick. Because
someone from the city is trying to track down my team… And if they get any
closer I'm going to turn your villa into a strip mine."

Argentine wasn't sure, but he thought he could hear angry
breathing from the other end.

"I'll see what I can do," said Tiren. "But
those aren't all my people; I can’t just order them to turn around."

"Then kiss your ass goodbye, Tiren. Because I don't
think you're much longer for this world."

He motioned for Sami to cut the connection and then looked
at the chief…

"Take out the flitter park."

"That's cutting it real close… I can't be that sure of
my aim."

“He needs a sense of urgency,” Argentine reasoned. “Besides,
we can’t let him think he can just fly away…

"Just do it," he said nodding to himself. And in
the same breath… "Barry, are they still approaching our team?"

"At full speed, the smarmy bastards…"

The railgun fired again and this time everyone watched their
screens in silence…

After a moment, Argentine said, "That's alright Chief;
I know you did your best."

The flitter park was gone, but so was a good 20% of the estate…

“Do we still have a link with the villa?” Argentine asked.

“No. The comms are down…”

Argentine was rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands
when Barry called out…

"Captain! They've turned around! Blimey, that was
close!"