DarkStar Running (Living on the Run Book 2) (15 page)

Lilia Archer entered the alley. Two families, she told
herself, just two families three little blocks away then it’s back to the ship.
Glad their homes are close.

Her condition wasn’t going to make her assignment easy. She
ran a gentle hand over her enlarged belly, quieting the baby, and looked back
to see her spaceship hidden amid the trees of the schoolyard. That meager
covering and dusk, weren’t much, but it was all they had until
DarkStar’s
energy stores were recharged.

If not for the fact that there were too many people to fetch
and too few people to do the fetching, Lilia wouldn’t have participated in this
rescue at all. She really didn’t like putting the baby in danger, but there
simply was no other way. What if she went into labor when she was away from the
ship? The thought of that possibility grumbled in the back of her mind.

This run shouldn’t take long, but her maternity dress,
though comfortable, wasn’t her preferred outfit for a rescue. She shook
herself, and took a deep breath.
Focus, girl, focus,
she thought,
straightening herself to concentrate on her assigned task. Alert to danger, she
scanned the alley ahead, her fanny pack bouncing lightly on her hip as she
walked.

If things went as planned, she could make it to the first
house well before Spirita arose. If not, the giant gas planet would remove the
cover of night, leaving her and the others exposed to hostile eyes.

As she neared the Barretts’ house, the unmistakable sounds
of glass breaking and objects being slammed against walls said Confederate
Enforcers had arrived ahead of her. She peeked through a bedroom window.

A green clad soldier had tossed drawers and their contents
everywhere and was now yanking clothes from the closet to search it also.

Blasted Enforcers,
she thought.
Just once couldn’t
things go smoothly?

She crept to the open dining room window and hunkered down
below it. Hidden from the street by a large bush, she slipped her TCP (Tactical
Communications Pod) from the fanny pack. Careful to hide its screen’s glow with
a cupped hand, she read the yellow-lettered text . . . Edward,
Margery, and Jacob Barrett.

From the TCP, Lilia launched a micro-fly and guided the tiny
airborne camera into the room to rest where it could give her a clear view of
everyone and everything.

Crouched behind the bush, she assessed the situation. Ed
Barrett sat at the table with his son, Jacob. Lilia saw abject fear in his
eyes. Surely, as a follower, Ed knew this day was a possibility, but even a
calm, difficult to provoke man would have been unnerved at the sight of a
Mouser M-1-AH Hand-cannon aimed squarely at his teenage boy. Dinner,
interrupted by the soldiers, was on the table, but no one had eaten.

Although Margery, Ed’s wife, was behind and to one side of
the officer, out of his line of sight, she was openly breaking the law. Her
hands were raised heavenward, and her lips moving. There was no worse time to
openly pray. If the Enforcer or either of his men saw her doing that, she was
dead—she and her family.

Lilia touched her TCP’s screen, switching it to her
husband’s image, which swaying and jostling as he walked, his voice clear in
her earpiece. “Yeah, hon. What’s up?”

“Stan,” she whispered. “Enforcers have the Barretts. I can’t
get past their house to the Oberlys without being seen.

“How many Enforcers?”

“Three.”

“I shouldn’t have put you and the baby at risk, Lilia. Three
Enforcers against you alone? I can’t have that. Abort the mission.”

“Hon, I . . . I . . .”

In the frame of her TCP, she could see Stan had stopped
walking to talk. “Honey, they found Henderson’s Bible, and shot him and his
wife.”

Lilia gasped and glanced away. When she looked back, she
could barely see the screen through her tears but pushed aside her anger to
speak. “I’m not leaving. I’ll not let these idiots have the Barretts without a
fight.” She pulled a gun from her fanny pack.

“Lilia, there’s no one to back you up. Get back to the
ship.”

She raised her pistol to check the setting. “I’ll be
careful, Stan. As always, baby comes first, but I’ll wait out the Enforcers and
hope they don’t find anything incriminating.”

“No, hon. I want you to—”

She cut him off and switched to the micro-fly’s view of the
Barretts and zoomed in. Her intention was to protect Jacob first, then Margery
if it should come to that. Gripping her gun, she considered a shootout with the
soldiers. Only as a last resort, she told herself.

“Lord,” Lilia whispered, “please answer Margery. Give her a
reason to drop her hands.”

Of the Barretts, Jacob had the greatest need. The Enforcer’s
standard issue rifle, a weapon without a
stun
setting, was leveled
squarely at the teen’s forehead. But that didn’t make sense. Why target the boy
and not his father who sat near him? What kind of a threat did the kid pose?
Was the gangly fifteen-year-old the greater risk to the officer and his men?
Nevertheless the gun didn’t waiver.

Blood-gang! Lilia gasped. Revenge-minded teens—vicious sewer
rats banding together—now posed the principal danger to Enforcers in cities
everywhere; even to these heavily armed troopers despite their traveling in
three-man strike teams like these men. Could this young kid really be a
blood-gang member?

“You’re right, Dad,” Jacob said. “Enforcers are cool. Is
that a real Mouser M-1-AH Hand-cannon, mister?”

What? Lilia’s focus narrowed on the confusing teenager. He
sounds as if he
wants
to be an Enforcer. Was that the reason Mom was
praying? Her son
wants
to be an Enforcer?

Ed’s voice quivered. “I’m tellin’ ya, boy, that’s the job to
have when you grow up. Being an Enforcer has every advantage.”

Without turning his head, the squad leader glanced sideways
at Ed Barrett and then shifted his eyes back toward Jacob who carried an
innocent, admiring smile.

In light of what the soldiers were doing to his home,
Jacob’s attitude seemed bizarre. But it was better that the officer kept his
eyes on the boy and his dad than to turn and see Margery praying.

Maybe Lilia could end this sooner than not. Her gun could
rapid-fire, and her aim was impeccable. If the soldiers didn’t leave soon,
she’d have to take matters into her own hands anyway. Spirita’s appearance was
growing ever closer; the distant horizon was already showing signs of her
arrival.

Two Enforcers were accounted for, and she hoped the other
was doing his part to trash the third room. Better
that
than he sneak up
behind her. An icy chill ran up her spine.
She turned with a start
.
Nothing. Relieved, she refocused on the crisp, forest green uniformed leader.

He turned fully toward Ed Barrett, then, almost robotically,
his head pivoted once again toward Jacob, and his eyes narrowed. Did he see
some flaw in the boy’s expression; a chink or crack revealing Jacob’s true
feelings? Or was the boy serious about his wanting to become an Enforcer?

Ready to strike, Lilia raised her gun.
Patience,
she
thought.
Let this play out. I still have a little time yet.

The Enforcer’s voice was ice, his eyes full of hate. “
You
want to be an Enforcer, boy?”

Despite his obvious fear, Jacob answered the Enforcer as if
he had just been recruited.

“Yes, Sir! In a couple years I’ll enlist for sure.” Ignoring
the ruckus in the other rooms, Jacob smiled even more.

Well, that’s not what I expected
. Lilia thought
tersely
.
Everything about the cold-blooded snake in human flesh made her
blood boil, including his choice of weapon.

She checked her gun again.
Yeah, yeah, it’s fully
charged. Keep a cool head, girl.

If she was slow on the draw, one electro-charged bullet from
his hand cannon would rip a grapefruit-sized hole clean through her chest.

That would go over swell for the baby, wouldn’t it?
She
pushed the thought out of her head, but the sounds of smashed glass and
breaking wood were starting to get to her,
that,
and
Margery’s
reaction to it all. Mrs. Barrett winced at every sound, but neither opened her
eyes nor lowered her hands.

They would have little left when the soldiers were finished,
that is,
if the Barretts were to survive this ordeal at all. Come on,
Margery, drop your arms and open your eyes already. Being quiet isn’t going to
keep his attention off you forever.

The captain took a step toward Edward, leaning to get right
in his face. “You okay with that, Barrett, your boy being an Enforcer?”

Lilia thought she could smell the soldier’s garlicky breath
from where she crouched.
Hang tough, Eddy. Protect your family
.

With a trembling voice, Ed forced a smile. “Good gravy, sir,
who wouldn’t be? I tried to enlist, myself, but I washed out. You guys are
tough, and only the best of the best make it. I’d be proud to see my son do
what I couldn’t.”

Lilia frowned. How could he not get in? With his broad beefy
shoulders and burly arms, Ed was no small man. He must be playing with the
Enforcer’s oversized ego to keep his attention off Margery. There was no other
explanation.

The Enforcer cocked his head. “Well, you’re a big enough
man, that’s for sure. Perhaps you lack the brains.”

Don’t bite, Ed. Let it go. Middle of the twenty-third
century, and civility still eludes these idiot Enforcers. Just let it go.

Ed took a nervous breath. “Actually, I got high marks in
school. I’m smart but . . .”

The officer’s nostrils flared. He pressed his rifle barrel
into Ed’s cheek. “But what?” His voice, though soft, was cold with threat.

Lilia perked up. But what? But you had no desire to be a
jerk with a gun, like him? But the Confederation stinks to high heaven? Lot’s
of catch phrases to hang on that nail, Eddy. Pick a good one.

Mr. Barrett took another labored breath and diverted his
eyes. “But I lacked the nerve. You guys are tough, and I’m . . .
well . . .”

The officer lowered his gun, apparently satisfied no insult
was forthcoming.

Ed looked at his son, grabbed his hand, and gave it a firm
squeeze before turning back to the officer. Although quaking, his voice was
filled with pride.

“I hope Jacob can get into the academy. He studies hard and
gets better grades than I did. He has a steady heart, too. Being an Enforcer
one day is all he talks about. You can value those qualities in my boy, can’t
you?”

Not believing the officer would buy the load of swill he was
being served, Lilia held her breath as she clutched her gun. Her muscles
tightened as she prepared to jump to her feet, spin, and fire.

On the TCP she saw something else in Barrett’s gaze though,
the way he looked at his son, and Jacob was in on it, as well. You’re tag
teaming the Enforcer, aren’t you? With his attention on either one of you, he
won’t notice Margery praying.

But Lilia noticed, and with a sweaty palm, squeezed her
pistol grip tighter. Would Margery ever end her prayer? If she didn’t quit
soon, they would be discovered, and that would be the end of them. Margery was
putting everyone at risk by praying openly. What was the point?

The officer glanced around the table. “Oh, did we interrupt
your supper? Pretty fancy fixin’s for the middle of the week, isn’t it?”

Lilia’s jaw tightened. Roast beef with all the trimmings, a
luxury, loudly said that the Barretts planned to leave Atheron this midweek
night. Last supper here, is it? Couldn’t just let a good hunk of meat go to
waste, huh, Marge? The Enforcer had them cold.

But before the officer turned her way, Mrs. Barrett opened
her eyes and lowered her arms to rest a friendly hand on the man’s shoulder.
“Jacob has just decided to join the academy, sir. We have much to celebrate and
would be honored if you fine gentlemen joined us.”

What?
Lilia thought.
We don’t have time for this!

The officer glanced back at the table. Although the roast
was still steaming hot, with its delicately seasoned fragrance filling the room
and stealing into the alley, his reply, “Huh!” said he’d rather take a hammer
to his own foot. But the inherent strength in Mrs. Barrett’s smile didn’t
lessen.

As young Jacob timidly raised his hand, Lilia held her
breath. Oh, no. Now what? She checked the horizon, the outlying hills; Spirita
hadn’t crested yet, but time was really getting short.

Satisfied the mom was harmless, the officer turned back toward
Jacob and scowled. “What do you want, boy?”

Jacob’s admiration beamed even more. “Can I get your
autograph on something, sir?”

The officer measured Jacob’s expression. His reply was
matter-of-fact, like Jacob’s request was common. “Sure.”

Give me a break. As if
. . ., thought Lilia.

The boy got up and rushed over to the shards of broken door
trim strewn across his living room floor—evidence of an Enforcer’s typical
method of entry—and picked up a good-sized piece. Blue paint covered its face
and one edge, but on the backside the bare wood was smooth enough to write on.

“Wow. My friends will not believe this.”

The Enforcer shouldered his Mouser and took a pen from his
pocket.

“Could you sign it ‘To my friend, Jacob?’ You know, to make
my buds jealous.”

The officer handed the shard back to Jacob and called to his
men, “There’s nothing here. Let’s go!” Then he looked back at the boy. “You
bring that piece of wood with you when you’re ready to enlist, and I’ll get you
in.”

“Thanks, man. Thanks a lot.” Jake followed him and his two
men to the door and stared after them as they walked up the street.

Hmm, well played,
Lilia thought.