Giant Killer: 6/?
by Nancy Smith and Linda Garrick
13
The scout ship bearing Alan Westover and Mark Linley came out of hyperspace just inside the orbit of Mars, well off the main shipping lanes. Alan leaned back in his seat, holding the little bracelet before him, concentrating. "She's here," he said. "She's ahead and a little above us."
"Right." Linley adjusted their course. "Hold up a bit, Miss Austell, honey. We're comin' after you."
"A little faster," Alan said.
"Okay. Are we catchin' up?"
"Gradually. She's moving pretty fast, too."
"Expectable," Mark said. "Ah, there she is. I'm pickin' her up on the scanner."
Alan opened his eyes. The scanner showed a faint blip, hardly detectable. Mark glanced at him. "That her?"
Alan nodded. "Is she close enough to use the short range communicator? I don't want to alert ships all over the Solar System with the long range one."
"Give me some credit," Mark said. "She'll be in range in a couple of minutes. Oops! She's spotted us, too. She's really pourin' it on."
Alan swallowed. "Hurry."
"I am." Mark glanced at him sharply. "You getting' a warnin'?"
"I think so." Alan tried to quell the prickling on his scalp and in his fingers where they touched the little gold chain. "I'm going to try to contact her."
"I think she's still too far away," Linley said.
"I'm going to try anyway." Alan pressed the transmit control. "Scout ship acknowledge. This is Alan Woodruff. Acknowledge!"
No reply. Alan tried again. "Julia, please! It's Alan! Answer me!"
Nothing. Linley shook his head. "Gimmie five minutes an' she should be able to pick us up."
"I think she already is," Alan said. "She's just too scared to answer."
An alarm went off on the panel and Mark glanced at the readout. "Well, there's the source o' your warnin'. It's a Patrol cruiser, an' he's after her."
"Will he be able to catch her before she reaches Terra?"
"I dunno." Mark's fingers moved over the controls. "It'll be close. All depends on how good a pilot she is. One thing's for damn sure, though -- *we* sure ain't gonna catch her."
Alan studied the screen. "She's going in awfully fast."
"Yeah, I know. Can't blame her, with that cruiser huggin' her fins." Mark scowled. "Sure hope she's a good pilot."
"Me, too," Alan said, grimly.
"Blaster fire," Mark said. "He's takin' a few pot shots at her."
"Can we distract him?"
"An' draw attention to ourselves?"
"Maybe I can make it look innocent," Alan said. He pressed the transmit control. "Patrol cruiser, this is Terran Air Defense! Do you have authorization to be in Terran space?"
No response, nor did the cruiser slacken his pace. Alan tried again. "Patrol cruiser! You will not harass Terran vessels in Terran space! Remove your ship from the vicinity immediately!"
"Get lost, twerp," a heavily accented voice responded. More blaster fire showed on the screens.
"There she goes," Mark said helplessly. "She's hittin' the pull, an' that bird's right on her tail. We're gonna hafta shoot at him."
Alan nodded, activating the weapons computer. They didn't, of course, have anything near weapons matching those of the battlecruiser, but their ship was still capable of a few surprises. Instantly, there came the sound of their ship's blasters, and a muffled curse over the communicator. The Patrol ship veered slightly, but didn't slow down.
"He didn't expect that," Mark said with faint satisfaction. "As far as I know, Terran Defense ain't never fired on a Patrol ship before."
Alan leaned forward. "Where's Julia?"
Linley was checking. "She'll be hittin' the atmosphere in less'n a minute. Dammit! She'll burn up if she don't slow down, an' she can't slow down with that damned cruiser so close!"
Alan pressed the transmit control again. "Terran ship, this is Air Defense! Slow down! You'll burn up on entry!"
No reply. Mark leaned over the control board. "I'm losin' her. Too much interference. Damn that damned cruiser! He ain't turnin' back for nothin'!"
Their blasters went off again, and this time the computer registered a hit. There was a muffled exclamation over the com and the Patrol ship returned the fire, missing.
"We're hittin' the pull," Mark said.
On the scanner, the little blip that was Julia's ship vanished. The Patrol ship began to fade, and an instant later there was a thin, rapidly increasing whine as they entered the fringes of Terra's atmosphere. Mark triggered the repulsers.
"We've lost her," Alan said. "Hold on. I'm computing the approximate landing site."
"Hurry up. That cruiser's turnin' around, an' he looks madder'n hell."
"I am. It looks like she went down somewhere in the Canadian northwest. Oh gosh!"
"What?"
"Explosion below. Looks like it could be a ship."
Mark glanced at the readout and swore unimaginatively.
14
Julia knelt beside the pilot and pulled his arms behind him, binding his wrists tightly together. Her hands were shaking and she was filled with a sense of deep disappointment that, for a moment, overrode even her fear of the pursuing Patrol ship. Dannar had tried to take her stunner away. He had betrayed her, after almost convincing her that he was her friend. She should kill him, she thought furiously. After all, she had promised him that if he betrayed her, she would do so ...
An alarm blared, bringing her sharply about, and a moment later the little vessel rocked violently, hit by a blast from the Patrol ship. The com was beeping frantically, but she ignored it. Forgetting Dannar, she slid behind the controls.
On Riskell, two years ago, Julia had attended flight school in order to learn how to pilot the family skippership. It had been fun, and her instructor had been handsome and charming. Now, glancing at the rear screen, her hands clenched on the controls, she pushed the little ship to the very limit of its endurance. In her frantic need to escape her pursuer, she completely forgot about Finnian's Imports, Alan Woodruff, the Terran Underground and all else.
Terra lay ahead, serene and beautiful against the starry background. There was no time to plot her course now. She must go in as fast as she could and hope for the best.
The ship rocked again. Julia winced, glancing at the scanner, then up at the screen. The Patrol ship was close -- terrifyingly close -- and behind him, she detected the movement of the other ship that Dannar had noticed earlier.
A sudden burst of blue flame appeared behind the cruiser and Julia stared in shock. Someone was firing on the Patrol ship! Who?
The answer was clear at once. The other ship! Quickly, Julia activated the com, and at once a voice came over the unit. "... Scout, this is Air Defense! Slow down! You'll burn up on entry!"
The voice was oddly familiar, but Julia had no time to think about it. Air Defense was on the scene, harassing the Patrol ship that was chasing her. They couldn't know, of course, who she was, or they wouldn't dare interfere with a Patrol cruiser. In fact, it was sort of incredible that they would do so, even *not* knowing ...
She became slowly aware of a sound, and a light blinked red on the panel. Air. She was striking the atmosphere.
Quickly, she applied the repulsers. The Patrol vessel had fallen a little behind -- perhaps the result of the presence of an Air Defense craft in the area -- but he was still terrifyingly close. The deck grew hot beneath her feet.
Clouds swirled around the ship, obscuring her view of the planet below. Then she was through them and saw dense forest beneath her, the tops of trees tossing wildly in the wind. Her heart lunged as they flashed toward her, and she pushed the repulsers to full power.
She struck poorly, the ship at a slant. It nosed down and sideways, then began to fall leisurely through the tangle of branches. Julia cut the engines completely and braced herself, praying that the containment field would be enough to protect her from the impact.
The ship came to a jolting, crashing halt, wedged nose-down in a thick cluster of trees. Smoke began to pour from the engines, swirling away in the wind. Julia unstrapped her safety webbing. The artificial gravity had vanished with the final jolt, and she had to scramble clumsily across the slanting deck. It was a good thing, she reflected grimly, that it had held out to the end. The gravity bubble had probably saved her life.
The airlock was tilted, she discovered, but undamaged, and she pushed the manual control. The outer doors slid open.
Then she remembered Dannar. Well, leave him to die -- why not? She had warned him, several times, and still he had turned on her. Let him die in the ship. Why should she risk her life to save him?
But even as the thoughts flashed through her mind, she was moving -- struggling back across the deck to where she had left the pilot.
He was no longer there, but she located him a moment later, slumped against a bulkhead in the passenger compartment. He saw her as she came through the door and struggled to sit up. His eyes looked glassy, and there was a swelling lump on his forehead just below his drooping crest. From somewhere forward, Julia heard the crackle of igniting flames.
She caught the Arcturian by the collar, dragging him upright by main force. He staggered against her as she hauled him toward the airlock, the adrenaline of sheer terror giving her, for the moment, greater strength than she had ever possessed. "Jump!" she snapped.
He obeyed clumsily, and Julia leaped after him.
She landed hard in scratchy, scraggly bushes. From overhead, came the sound of the Patrol ship's engines, growing rapidly louder. They must have seen her ship crash in the trees, and now the search parties would be dispatched.
Flames were leaping from the engine of the scout ship, roaring in the wind. Julia bent, hauled Dannar to his feet again and pulled him away with her into the trees. A tremendous explosion hurled them forward into the underbrush. Julia rolled to a sitting position and looked back.
The little ship was a mass of seething orange flames, and for a moment she was afraid it would ignite the forest. Then, for the first time, she felt the slap of sleety rain on her face and realized that the ground and trees around her were dripping wet. No fire could survive in this weather.
Dannar lay still at her feet, moaning faintly. Julia bent over him.
"Come on!" she snapped harshly, and caught him by the shoulders. "Stand up! We've got to get out of here!"
He groaned again, but began to obey. Julia helped him to his feet and led him away through the forest.
For perhaps fifteen minutes, he stumbled along beside her in silence. Then she paused, letting him sink down on a fallen log. He lowered his head to rest his forehead on his knees and moaned again. Julia watched him, trying to harden her heart.
"Are you all right?" Her voice was gentler than she had intended.
He didn't reply.
"Dannar?"
Slowly, he raised his head to look at her, and she saw that his pupils were again widely dilated. His crest drooped like wilted lettuce, and he was drooling slightly.
"Are you all right?" she inquired again.
He hissed softly and dropped his head to his knees again. "My head iss splitting."
"I'm sorry. Did you hit something during the crash?"
"Yess, but ze headache iss not from zat. It iss from zat wicked stunner of yourss."
"It was your own fault!" she snapped furiously. "I told you not to try anything! You're lucky I didn't leave you in the ship!"
"I do not feel lucky at ze moment," Dannar said faintly. He moaned and hissed.
"Well, you are!" Julia stood up. "Come on. We've got to get going. They'll have search parties out looking for us soon."
"Yess, of course," Dannar said, lifting his head. "If zey do not zink we perished in ze ship."
"Come on," Julia said, grimly.
"Whatever you ssay, Miss Ausstell."
She took his bound arm and led him forward through the trees.
It was horribly cold. Sleety rain lashed her in the face, and the enormous coat was in actuality very thin -- not designed, certainly, for this type of weather. It flapped around her legs, tripping her. Dannar, after a few moments more, straightened up and began to walk more steadily. The light was dimming and Julia realized with alarm that evening was approaching. If they were forced to spend the night out here -- well, the chances of her surviving until morning weren't good. The wind was picking up, and the sleet turned gradually to snow. Julia pushed on doggedly, trying to ignore the burning ache in her feet and hands. Dannar kept glancing at her, his eyes glowing faintly in the gathering dusk.
At last, she stumbled, going heavily to her knees in the wet, rotting leaves. Dannar bent over her. "What iss wrong, Miss Ausstell? Are you ill?"
She shook her head and staggered upright. "I'm just cold."
"Cold?" He sounded incredulous.
"Yes." She turned to look at him, her teeth chattering. He was clad lightly in his flight suit, and his arms below the elbow were bare, but he seemed not the slightest bit cold. "You mean you're not?"
"No." He hissed softly, his round, yellow eyes searching her face. "You are very white, Miss Ausstell."
She drew a deep breath, trying to control her shivering. "Come on."
"You do not look well. If you will untie my handss, I will help you."
"Shut up!" she snapped. "Come on! We have to keep moving!"
"Very well." Again, he strode on beside her. Julia clung to his arm, trying to lead but realizing more and more that she was depending on her prisoner for support. He also must have realized it, but he said nothing.
They must have traveled for nearly an hour before Julia stumbled again, her legs simply folding beneath her. Her ears were humming, and spots danced crazily before her eyes. Dannar bent over her, his face a pale blur in the rapidly thickening darkness. "Miss Ausstell! Wake up! You musst get up!"
Julia tried. Her feet hurt terribly, and her body seemed heavy and unwieldy. Dannar's voice pierced the darkness, shouting for her. "Miss Ausstell! Miss Ausstell!"
She struggled to rise and made it to her knees, clinging to his arm for a moment before falling again. Consciousness began to slip away.
"Shulia!" Faintly now, she heard him. "Shulia!" His body landed next to hers, and, with dim surprise, she realized that he felt warm. Somehow, she had supposed that Arcturians would be cold, like any reptile --
"Shulia, please! You musst untie me!"
"No," she muttered.
His voice was in her ear, speaking desperately. "Sulia, listen to me! I want to help you! I will not take you to ze Shils! You have my promise!"
Somehow, the combination of his voice and the warmth of his body dragged her back to consciousness. His weight pressed her down, and in sudden panic, she pushed at him, trying to wriggle free. He rolled sideways, releasing her. Julia made it to her knees and staggered clumsily to her feet. Her head was spinning.
"No!" she gasped.
"Sulia, listen to me!" His voice was urgent, reaching her even through the howling of the wind. "When I tried to get the stunner back on ze ship, it wass not so zat I could take you to ze Shils! I would do nozzing to help zem! I hate zem -- perhapss azz much azz you do!"
Julia leaned back against a tree, gaping at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean exactly zat. I hate zem. We are comradess, Shulia Ausstell, whezzer you know it or not!"
Julia shook her head. "You wanted the reward."
His teeth gleamed in a snarl. "Zat iss not true!" His voice was savage. "I would never do zat!" He took a step toward her. "Please, Shulia, you cannot keep going in ziss weazzer. I can help you. Please untie me."
Julia shook her head. "No!"
"You will die if you do not!"
"I'd rather die out here, cleanly, than in the Jilectan execution chair!"
He stared at her, his crest standing up straight, and his yellow eyes gleaming golden in the dim light. "I will not take you to zem!"
"I can't trust you, Dannar --" She was feeling faint again, and her knees folded. The snow was warm as she sank down into it. Dimly, through the humming in her ears, she heard Dannar shouting her name.
**********
Julia's first awareness was of warmth. Warm air brushed against her face, and sharp, burning tingles ran through her hands and feet. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Around her was total darkness. Julia blinked, trying to pierce the blackness without success. From somewhere, close by, came a soft, hissing sound.
She flinched away from it. Where was she? What had happened? The last thing she remembered was falling into the snow.
She mustn't panic, though. Striving for calm, Julia felt carefully around. She was seated on a smooth, vinyl surface, and a similar surface was behind her back, supporting her. Beside her was a slick expanse that felt like the surface of a window.
An instant later, she identified her surroundings. She was in the passenger seat of an aircar.
Again came the soft, hissing sound. Nerves jumping, Julia reached up, groping, and located the interior light. With a deep, steadying breath, she pushed the manual switch.
The sudden illumination was almost dazzling. She blinked away tears and gazed around in shock. She was in an aircar, all right, and beside her, seated behind the controls, was Dannar. The Arcturian was no longer bound, but his large, muscular form was slumped limply against the back of the seat. His eyes were half-closed and filmed over. In his right hand, he held Julia's stunner.
Instinctively, she moved, grabbing the weapon and yanking it from his grasp. He jerked convulsively and a startled hiss escaped him. His eyes flew open, focusing instantly.
Julia flattened herself against the door, the stunner clutched between her numb, quivering hands. Dannar's eyes met hers and he relaxed visibly.
"Ah, Miss Ausstell! You look very much better! I wass quite frightened for you."
She stared at him in confusion. "What happened?" Her voice sounded rusty and hoarse. "How did we get here?"
He straightened up, rubbing a spot on one wrist and utterly ignoring the stunner still trained on him. "Ah, yess. It wass not easy, Miss Ausstell. You are a mosst difficult Terran to convince, but when you fainted ze second time, I realized zat I would have to ssave you in spite of yourself. I took ze stunner and searched your clozzing in hope of finding ssome sharp object, and located your penknife in one pocket. After zat, while it wass not easy, I wass able to cut away ze ropes on my wrists."
Julia gaped at him. "How could you do that?"
"Azz I said, it wass not easy." He wriggled his fingers in the light of the cabin. "But azz you see, my arms and fingers are not precissely ze same azz yours. I do not have shoints, and zat makess it possible to maneuver in such as way azz to be able to cut ze ropess. I manashed to cut myself razzer badly on ze first attempt --" He turned his wrist, showing her several deep cuts that had by now crusted over. "But ze ssecond time, I wass successful." His fangs flashed in one of his hair-raising grins.
"Oh," Julia said, in astonishment.
"And zen I picked you up and carried you. It wass not far to a small town. I came upon ziss car, and since ze keys were zoughtfully left in ze ignition, I placed you inside and took us up. I flew us here, among ze trees, and since I wass razzer tired, decided to wait until you awakened before proceeding. After all, I sstill do not know where you wish to go."
Julia stared at him, speechless. He grinned horribly. "Zen, I wrapped you in zat blanket, which wass very kindly left by ze car's ownerss, and waited. I musst have fallen asleep, for ze next zing I knew, you were repossessing your stunner."
"Oh," Julia said again. Could it be true, she wondered. Had the Arcturian really decided to help her? All the evidence pointed to it, and yet, it was still possible that he was lying. Perhaps he was trying to win her trust, knowing that she must be here to contact the Terran Underground. If so, he could take the information back to the Jilectans, perhaps doubling his reward. Arcturians were clever and resourceful. He father had always said so.
He was watching her. "You do not believe me still, Miss Ausstell?"
"I ... I don't know." She fingered the stunner uncertainly. "I want to."
He spread his taloned hands helplessly. "What more can I do to prove my sincerity?"
Julia shook her head. "It would help if I knew why. Why did you help me? You say you hate the Jilectans. Well, very few of the subject species like them. Is there something they've done to you in particular that makes you hate them more than other Arcturians do?"
He shook his head slowly. "I cannot tell you. Perhaps some day --"
Julia watched him, nonplused. "Dannar, I'd like to believe you. Honestly, I would. But I don't dare."
"I saved your life," he said. "What more would you have me do?"
"I -- don't know." She looked at the blaster and then back at the Arcturian. "I haven't thanked you yet, but I want you to know that I'm grateful."
He leaned forward slightly. "I want to shoin ze Underground."
"*You?* You're an Arcturian!"
"Zere are many species besides Terrans in ze Underground. I know ziss for certain."
"But you won't tell me why?"
Again his gaze fell. "I cannot."
She nodded slowly. "All right. I mustn't trust you, Dannar -- not without knowing for sure -- but for the time being, we'll stay together. You pilot the aircar, and I'll tell you where to go."
"Very well, Miss Ausstell."
Julia sighed. "And please don't call me Miss Ausstell anymore. It makes me feel elderly."
"I beg your pardon?" His crest lifted slightly.
"Julia will do."
"Ah, I ssee." Again, that demonic grin. "And you may call me Dan, Shulia. Mosst Terrans do."
"All right, Dan." Julia began to relax for the first time since she had left Alan at the Embassy gate. "Take us up and head for Europe. I want to go to the United Kingdom."
"Very well." The Arcturian touched a control with a taloned finger, and the craft soared upward.
**********
tbc
