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Colonel Michaels led the group quickly back along the empty track that ran along the inside wall of the fortress, and by the first side door that was now locked, and along to the open door through which they had gained entry into the fortress.
“Quickly now let`s move down the track, but remember to be careful, we don`t want anyone tripping and falling down the hill the hard way.” Colonel Michaels warned.
Once out of the fortress Ray closed the door to give the appearance that it was locked, and then he pushed a buttress of snow against it to hold it shut against anything except a determined effort to open it. He then walked backwards along the track, smoothing the snow and obliterating their footprints for a distance of twenty feet, this was when they were finally hidden from the view of the guards on the battlements by the trees and shrubs that grew along the ridge of the hillside.
Colonel Michaels appeared at his shoulder, he wanted to be away from the fortress before they were discovered.
“Come on Ray that should be enough, I hear the sound of approaching soldiers up on the battlements, and we cannot afford to be seen at this stage of the game.”
“Ok Colonel, I`m done, let`s move out.” Ray replied to Colonel Michaels` warning of impending company.
Peter Summers had managed to exchange a few words with his sister but any full description of the efforts she had gone to on his behalf, and the dangers that she had faced, would have to wait until they were safely sitting in the staff car that was waiting for them down below. They walked by the place where Jean had tripped and almost fallen down the hill without further mishap, and they were able to keep up reasonable pace down the slippery hillside. The moon had now gone behind a cloud, but there was still just sufficient light to see by, and at least the reduced visibility made them all the harder to see. Jean was amazed that she no longer felt quite so tired, her body had been boosted by the adrenaline rush she had experienced by the recent events, even the cold didn`t feel quite so icy. Finally as the visibility was reduced even further by the growing snow clouds, which were blotting out any further light reaching them from the moon they, arrived at the staff car.
Lieutenant Charles Bragg was the man chosen to drive with Peter Summers sitting beside him; Jean Summers was hidden between the other two men in the back of the vehicle. With only Ray and Colonel Michaels having the necessary paperwork, and of course the uniform of the dreaded state police, it would be down to them to get them through any inspections made by the genuine state police who they might encounter between the fortress and the space port. Ray came up with a plan that called for Jean and her brother to be their prisoners who were being taken back to the capital for questioning. To support this story Peter Summers` hands were loosely bound. Now this might work for the initial part of the journey, but would be more dangerous when Peter Summers was found to be missing.
“Colonel, if we had arrived two hours later, as I had suggested, we would never have even got into the fortress never mind freed Peter here, it would have meant some drastic re-planning on our part to have got him out.” Ray said acknowledging Colonel Michaels` brilliant handling of the gaol break.
Colonel Michaels smiled across at Ray. “We did manage to time it just right didn`t we Ray.” He said smiling.
“You timed it brilliantly.” Peter Summers stated, highly delighted to be out of the cold prison, and to be with friendly faces once again.
“And I would like to thank you all for getting me out of that cold hole, but you must tell me why on earth you included my little sister on your mission?” He sounded perplexed and he was, for he could think of no good reason why she had been included on the team.
“Your little sister is the reason that any of us are here Peter, she was all set to come here alone and free you, it was only because of her that Tom Parkinson set up this crazy mission to attempt to bring you home, personally I am amazed that we are got as far as this with so little trouble.” Colonel Michaels stated. “I was in constant fear of being forced to turn back to our ship.” This thought had also occurred to Ray, and it was left to Jean to explain the reasons behind his escape.
“We got as far as this because of you three men; you are the most wonderful men that I can ever hope to meet.” Jean said with tears streaming down her face as the realisation of what they had accomplished finally kicked in, Jean reached for a now grubby hanky and blew her nose. “Thank you for risking your lives for my brother and me.”
Peter Summers was still a little stunned by his sudden freedom, and by what he had heard, and could only add his thanks to those of his sister for their heroic action. He would really have to talk to his sister and hear the story behind her magnificent deeds he thought, but for now, he allowed her to close her eyes and get some rest.
They were driving with dipped headlights in case of the need to get off the road and hide quickly without being seen. They had been travelling for thirty minutes when they saw ahead of them the glow of the lights from a far off column of vehicles moving towards them.
“Get off the road fast Lieutenant and turn off our lights.” Colonel Michaels ordered.
Lieutenant Charles Bragg pulled the vehicle to a halt and took a quick look about and seeing the beginning of a dirt track twenty feet ahead of them he turned off the headlights and moved ahead with just the sidelights to show the way. He pulled their car off the tarmacked road and along the dirt track. He brought the vehicle to a halt when they reached a farm gate that stopped any further progress. Here he turned off the sidelights, and here they all waited for whatever was coming towards them to pass them by and allow them to continue with their journey. Jean was oblivious to all of this as she had been asleep for most of the journey, she was resting her head against Ray` shoulder, which he was more than happy for her to do, for she was thoroughly exhausted by the events of yesterday and the early hours of the morning.
It was only a few minutes later that a column of heavy mobile Phasers drove by with a guard of armoured vehicles that bristled with weapons protruding from every opening. Soon the column of vehicles ended and was moving away from them towards the Wallachia Fortress and their comrades.
“What on earth are they doing sending troops to the fortress for?” Peter Summers wanted to know, his past activity as spy coming to the forefront of his mind.
“They were front line troops, as were the ones we only just escaped from, it certainly seems to be strange to be moving the cream of their army to such an out of the way outpost.” Colonel Michaels agreed.
“Could it be that Earth is doing much better in the war than was thought possible at the time we embarked on this mission, Colonel? Tom Parkinson did say that the war was about to enter a crucial phase.” Lieutenant Charles Bragg ventured in a brilliant insight that would make him one of the best officers that the illustrious Space Marine Corps would have.
“What are you thinking Lieutenant?” Colonel Michaels asked of his junior officer.
“They most certainly were front line troops, and up until now they were supposedly being used off world enslaving planets and peoples across the whole of this sector of space. However, if their space fleet lost a major battle then the Lyren General Staff just may think that it is time to bring their best troops and equipment home to help fight off any planned invasion of Lyre itself. It may even be to stop them being trapped on the enslaved planets by the starships of Earth and picked off one by one.” Lieutenant Bragg suggested.
“Earth may even have used agents to arm the locals and attack the Lyrens on each of the enslaved planets, just as you suggested could happen here on Lyre, Colonel, while the space fleet of Earth attacked from the safety of space.” Ray Connors suggested. “If that was already happening then it would explain the sudden movement of troops to an out of the way place here on Lyre, they are afraid that the slaves will rebel, and there are an awful lot of slaves on Lyre.”
Colonel Michaels looked at Ray for a moment before answering. “We would have to see a lot more troop
movements to prove those theories Ray, but you both may be correct, we will have to wait and see.”
Peter Summers brought the conversation back to earth with a warning. “One more thing, if this planet is becoming militarised to an even greater extent than before, then we may well encounter more units and also road blocks, there to check on the all of travellers here on Lyre.” This thought by Peter Summers proved why Tom Parkinson valued him so much. “Hopefully though that won`t be for a couple of more days, when they have fully organised themselves.”
Jean woke up then and seeing the serious faces around her and the fact that they had stopped asked sleepily.
“What is up, what have I missed?”
“Nothing much sis, just an event that might make things a little more interesting and a whole heap more dangerous.” Peter Summers said smiling at his younger sister.
“No change then.” Jean said and settled back down to sleep, which made all the men laugh.
“Let`s get moving Lieutenant, but be ready to turn off our main lights at a moment's notice and switch over to our side lights.”