The Last Horizon (22 page)

He watched through the scope as
Charon’s head blew apart in a cloud of blood, his fractured body violently twisted clockwise and fell onto the patio…

Scott could see the deck
darken with blood as Charon twitched involuntarily. He saw the girl sit up on the bed and turn her head toward the balcony, her mouth was open in a scream as she put her hands to her face in terror.

The
double doors for the master suite suddenly slammed open as two guards rushed into room with their weapons drawn to see what was going on…

Scott squinted and squeez
ed the trigger of the M341 twice. The first man into he bedroom took the round in the face; the back of his head blew open and his body was thrown backwards from the impact as the round traveled through and splintered the door they just came through.

The second guard
fell to his knees as he clutched his throat and blood gushed between his fingers. He staggered on his hands and knees for a few seconds before he fell face down on the floor. The girl jumped out of the bed and wrapped a sheet around herself as she continued to scream hysterically at the bodies that surrounded her.

The men in the driveway turned their heads toward the commotion in the villa and pulled out their firearms
…

Scott aimed at the limo’s engine block and fired another round. The car exploded in a ball of fire that engulfed the men as they were thrown to the ground by the blast.
The limo smoldered in flames as black smoke rose into the air. The dead guards were sprawled on the pavers among the smoking debris, and one of them was on fire.

The explosion resonated through the valley and the butterflies erupted into flight
and filled the sky. The sound of birds flared up as the mountainside came to life with the chatter of animals.

One of the drivers ran out to driveway and saw the chaos, he quickly turned around and ran back into the villa in a panic. Scott could see the mayhem and confusion in the mansion
as the staff stumbled around in the living room. He figured Charon’s drivers were trained security professionals like the guards, but Scott could tell by their reaction that they weren’t. They were just as confused and frightened as the maid and cook.

Still, he couldn’t afford to take any chances. He fired two more shots and the sedans blew up and sent
twisted panels cartwheeling across the driveway. He watched the people in the villa jump from the sound of the explosions and take cover behind the furniture. He had put the fear in them and was satisfied that they would be paralyzed by it.

He got up and folded the bipod of the rifle. Scott knew he was on borrowed time and had to make it back to Cybelle as fast as possible. It was now 0630 hours and he didn’t have much time. He shouldered the Trinity and started to run through the woods back to the Avarno.

He knew calls would be made and tried to anticipate how the dynamics of his situation would be changed. He would adopt and improvise. He was on pure instinct now.

His
breathing was steady as he zigzagged through the trees and ducked low branches. The ground was soft and spongy from the bed of pine needles and leaves, and with every step he ran, butterflies took flight from their resting place and insects leapt from the forest floor.

After the blasts
, Scott figured he had fifteen minutes--twenty tops, before law enforcement arrived at the scene and began throwing up roadblocks for at least a twenty-mile radius. He was also anticipating aerial drones to swarm the valley in a sweep. He had to move fast. He only had a half mile run to the car, but getting back to Cybelle undetected was another obstacle to overcome. He hoped Nikki and the Zephyr would be ready.

He
heard barking and howling as he jumped over a rotted log covered with black moss. He glanced to his right and saw the blur of black stripes and gray fur of four Tavara Böri chasing him as he sprinted through the woods. He was being hunted like an animal by the mammals. Tavara were fast and very aggressive pack hunters; they were sleek, weighed in at eighty to ninety pounds, and had six legs. There was no way he was going to out run them.

Scott pulled out the Raven, slowed his pace, and squeezed off two rounds. One of the Tavara
yelped as it fell to the ground, and the other three scattered into the bushes. He started running again when he heard the brush in front of him part as one of the creatures leapt in the air and hit him hard enough to send him flying backwards.

He
slammed onto the ground and his pistol was knocked out of his hand as the Tavara got on top and bared its fangs with a growl. Scott instinctively grabbed it by the throat with his left hand to keep its snapping jaws away from his face. The beast was strong and he could feel its full weight on him as it lunged forward. He struggled wildly and could feel the Tavara’s claws digging painfully into his abdomen. He saw the Raven on the ground a few feet away to his right, but it was out of reach.

The Tavara
broke loose from his grip and managed to sink its teeth into his left forearm and shake it’s head. He screamed in agony from the pressure of the bite as its fangs gouged deep lacerations into his flesh. His only saving grace was that it was his bio-mech arm, otherwise the Tavara would have broken it.

He pulled his legs up between him and t
he Tavara in a fetal-like position and kicked the beast off him. Scott rolled to his right as the Tavara landed on its back; he grabbed the Raven and fired from a kneeling position as the Tavara lunged at him again. The animal was instantly killed in mid-air but still crashed into him with enough force to leave him sprawled on the ground.

Scott
got back on his feet and started running. He could feel the throb of the creature’s bite on his forearm and he was bleeding badly. Even though his arm was biomechanical, he could still feel the immense pain from the wound. His abdomen was also bleeding.

He staggered the last few yards to the car and ripped off the ghillie suit as he opened the door and dropped
the ghillie and Trinity on the passenger’s seat. Scott popped the trunk open, grabbed the backpack, and set it next to him in the cab. He tore a strip off the ghillie and wrapped it tightly over his forearm several times to stop the blood flow. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do for now.

He fired-up the SS-2
, pulled back onto the dirt path and headed for the main road. He was a mess. Time was running out. He looked at the GPS and punched in Cybelle’s location as he drove over the bumpy terrain. The mining colony was only twenty-five miles away from his location and the road from these mountains tied into the route that led there.

When he got to the main street he put the hammer down and
the trees went by in a green blur as he sped through the winding ridge. It wouldn’t take officials long to figure out the trajectory of the shots and start their hunt on the mountainside he left behind.

He made a left when he came to a fork in the road at the bottom of the mountain and merged into the thoroughfare that led straight to Cybelle. The
four lane motorway with a center median was a wide, flat run, and unlike the street on the ridge, there were no trees on either side. He was completely exposed…

J
ase was in the hanger talking to Doolie when his phone rang.

“Yes?”

It was one of Charon’s henchmen in Fluture. He spoke rapidly with an angry tone.

“What? This must be some kind of mistake.” Jase frowned as he turned his back to Doolie. “When did this happen? Are you absolutely sure it was Mr.
Charon?” He demanded.

“
Okay, calm down, Migs,” Jase said firmly, “the cops are probably crawling all over the estate and casino right now. I need you to get everyone over here as soon as possible. We need a sit down to figure out who did this and how we’re going to deal with them. I want every district boss here in Hanger-6 within the next half hour, understand? Okay, Migs, thank you.”

Jase sighed as he put his phone away.

“Everything alright, Mr. Jase?” Doolie asked.

“Charon’s bee
n killed.” Jase said gravely. “Doolie, get this ship fueled and ready to go--now.”

“Yes sir.”
Doolie looked physically shaken by the news of Charon’s demise.

“
I’m going to double-up on security for the lab. We’re going to have a lot of people here, and I want this freighter out. Tow it if you have to, we’re going to need the room. I’ll have Demra set up some tables.”

Jase
grabbed the spare flight suit and walked out to the parking lot. He checked the pistol in his shoulder holster as he got in his car, and sped off to Nikki’s apartment. He had to get them out of Nexus right away. He knew Charon had a lot of enemies, and finding out who put the hit on him was going to take time. Time that he didn’t have.

For now, every mid-level district boss under Charon would work together to find his killer
, but their loyalty only went so far. Jase suspected that Charon’s assassination was a play for control over Fluture by one of them and more blood would be spilled…especially his since he was closest to Charon.

He now faced an uncerta
in future. His dream of peace for the last year of his life was slipping away, but absolution was still within reach.

Jase
parked in front of the apartment complex, ran to Nikki’s room, and banged on the door. “Open up, Ms. Wells, it’s me, Jase.”

Nikki opened
the door and he walked in hurriedly. She already had her flight gear on.

“What’s wrong, Jase?” Nikki asked as she locked the door
behind him.

“Ladies,
it’s time. I need you to get your things together.” Jase handed Summer the flight suit. “Put this on, Summer.” He nodded and turned to Nikki. “The Zephyr is being fueled as we speak.”

“What about my partner? Is he here?”

“Not yet, but he may still make it before you depart. If it came to it, can you fly that ship without a copilot?”

“
I’m not leaving without him.” Nikki glared as she helped Summer suit up.

“I’m afraid we may not
have much of a choice.” He turned to look at Summer. “Someone killed Charon early this morning. In the next hour, every district boss will be in Cybelle for a sit down and things could get ugly.”

Jase grabbed their two bags and headed for the door.
“We’d better get going.” He said calmly.

They sat in silence in the car as Jase sped back to the hanger.
He glanced at the rearview and could see that Summer was scared.

“I’ll
start my preflight when we get there.” Nikki said. “It shouldn’t take too long.”

“Excellent.” Jase smiled thinly. “Don’t worry little one,” he looked at Summer’s reflection, “you’ll be okay. You’
ll soon be free from Nexus.”

“What will happen to you, Jase?” Summer asked glumly.

“Don’t worry about me,” he responded dryly, “I’ve got matters to tend to.” He parked the car and got out briskly. “Hurry, we haven’t got much time.”

They walked quickly into the hanger as Doolie and his crew were clearing their equipment off the floor. The air was thick with tension and everyone was getting jumpy.

“Alright Ms. Wells,” Jase smiled as he shook Nikki’s hand, “I’ve done all I can, it’s all on you, now.” He looked at Summer and smiled. “Good luck with your life, Summer.” He turned and walked away.

“Jase, wait!” Summer ran to him
and gave him a hug. “Thank you for everything.” She whispered. “Thank you for your kindness. I’ll never forget you.”

“
Be brave. It was an honor being your friend.” Jase replied softly as he kissed her forehead and left.

Nikki gently grabbed Summer’s arm and ushered her toward the Zephyr where Doolie was reviewing his checklist.
“Stay close to me.” She whispered.

“Good morning, Nikki.” Doolie said a little too cheerfully as he looked up at the girls. “I think you’ll find everything in order with your vessel. We’re getting ready to tow her out of the hanger in a few minutes.

“Thanks for everything, Doolie.” Nikki held her hand out.

“My pleasure, space jockey.” Doolie nodded as he shook her hand.