Chapter 10
Most of the men were enraged to learn of Tyrell’s escape. Some called him a coward. Several claimed they had had the same idea but wouldn’t have left their crew mates behind. Others said he was a fool who would only outlive them by a matter of minutes at best. A few said nothing at all and their forlorn faces, turned toward empty space, spoke volumes.
Sensing more need than ever to keep the men focused, Cory attempted to close the chapter on this dead end and resume the search for Isaacson.
“I know it looks bad for us,” he said, “but Ops did say we had a one-in-five chance. When the comet gets a little closer, they can say with certainty whether it will hit. Let me tell you, any chance at all beats none. What we can’t afford is to lose the little chance we’ve got, so we have to make sure that our intruder doesn’t—”
Cory hesitated as a hazy memory surfaced. “A bomb… something about a bomb he had. Did he say he was going to set it, or that he already had? I can’t remember the words, just the proud look he had. Ramon, contact the transport.”
Ramon went back to the console as one of the dockmen stepped up to Cory. “Seems like a waste of time to me: setting a bomb to kill a bunch of dead men like us.”
“We’re not dead yet,” Cory said. “If you think our chances are so bad, then reverse the odds. If I put ten years’ pay in a field full of landmines and you had only a one-in-five chance of being blown up, would you feel confident enough to risk it? All of the sudden, 20% becomes substantial, doesn’t it?
“Now let’s say there’s only half a chance Isaacson has a bomb on the station. That cuts our odds of surviving to only 10%. But since he’s smart and resourceful, I’d say it’s worse than that. And it could be the transport he’s after, not us. He obviously tried to stop the preacher before. It may be a vendetta of some sort. Some kind of prison politics we don’t understand.”
Ramon shouted back from across the room. “They don’t answer. Norm’s still got the radio off. I guess he’s still torqued.”
“I realize you’re all worried about yourselves,” Cory continued, “but you have to think about your buddies on that transport, too. Too much work has gone into saving them, to let this criminal have his way. And I’m sure that those of you who sent letters and mementos home on that transport want to see that they get there safely.
“It’s been a rough few weeks, and I’ve had to come down hard on a lot of you for bad attitudes and fighting, but you all surprised me today when we had to get the preacher on that transport. It was good to see you working together again. I’m going to appeal to the better angels of your nature and expect you to keep your heads on straight, work like a team instead of a mob, and find Isaacson while there’s still time. That’s the only way we can ensure the survival of those on the transport, and make sure we’ve got the best chance possible of being here tomorrow.”
A hush fell over the men as they considered what Cory had said. They searched each other’s faces, gauging what their collective response should be. After a few moments, there were shared nods of agreement and signs of renewed resolve. One of the more dominant crew members cleared his throat dramatically and prepared to speak for the group.
But before he could begin, he was interrupted by a booming voice on the shipwide intercom.
“Now hear this. Now hear this, you bunch of malnourished schoolgirls. This is Jackknife—er, uh—Captain Jack speaking. While all you girl scout rejects have been telling campfire stories, I’ve been on the job.
“I’ve got me a cornered rabbit down in Bay D, and he ain’t going nowhere before I get my hands on him. I guarantee you he ain’t goin’ nowhere ever again after I’m done with him. That’s a fact. If anybody’s interested in about ten minutes of entertainment, I recommend you get here in a hurry and get yourself a ringside seat. Come watch how your new Captain takes care of problems on this station.”
This announcement spurred an immediate exodus from the bay. Elbows and ribcages collided as more than a dozen men shoved their way through the doorway without so much as a glance back at Cory. Cory signaled Ramon to go with them until he could catch up.
Ramon arrived at Docking Bay D along with men from all over the station who had heard Jackknife’s announcement. A quick count would have indicated that the entire crew had assembled at that spot. Jackknife hovered in front of the bay door like an artist poised to lift the curtain off his exhibit.
“Now that I’ve got your attention, here’s the rules: I found him, so he’s mine. I’ve got a score to settle with this punk.” He fingered the purple bruise on his forehead and paused for dramatic effect. “Me and him got some payback to work out first. If there’s anything left when I’m done, you can have the scraps.”
Ramon muscled through the crowd and up to Jackknife. “We need to wait on Cory, Jackknife. He’s the one to call the shots here.”
“Cory’s half dead,” Jackknife said. “It ain’t his place no more. I’m the one who found him and chased him in there with no place to run.”
“And did you think about the access conduit that runs behind all the bays? How do you know he hasn’t already escaped?”
Jackknife flinched. “Where’s Lopez?” He spotted him near the back of the crowd. “Hey, Lopez. Get your tail in there and follow it into the bay while we go in.”
Lopez looked like a kicked puppy. “Jackknife, I don’t want to miss nothing. Make somebody else go so I can watch with everybody else.”
Exasperated, Jackknife roughly grabbed a shoulder at random. “Hey, you. You’re a real man, ain’t you? Get in there and trace it back into the bay, and don’t let anybody get past you.”
The man winced a little as Jackknife’s grip tightened. “Yeah, yeah sure. I’ll do it. I ain’t scared.” Jackknife released his hold and the man turned to leave, glaring at Lopez as he passed.
“Lopez,” Jackknife said, “you and me are gonna have a talk when I’m done here.” He turned to the door and seized the latch. “Enough wasting time!”
Ramon put a hand on his shoulder and instantly got an elbow in the face, followed by a roundhouse to the ribs. The blows sent him tumbling backwards into the group of men who quickly shoved him out of the way down the corridor.
Dazed and tumbling end over end, he tried to reach out for anything. Instead he collided with something that brought him to a full stop.
Cory grunted on impact and caught his breath. “Ramon,” he said, “are you okay?”
Ramon righted himself and rubbed his eyes, waiting for the vertigo to pass. “I’m cool, Cory. Jackknife caught me off guard, is all. Won’t happen again.”
Jackknife’s voice echoed from down the corridor as he shouted into the docking bay. “You were lucky last time, you sorry con, but there's no way out, now!” A chorus of shouts from the crew followed.
“I want him caught as much as anybody,” Cory said to Ramon, “but if Jackknife puts him down, we’ll never find out from him what we need to know. We won’t be able to stop whatever it is he’s done.”
Ramon swung his jaw back and forth several times, making sure it was intact. “Then we’d better stop Jackknife.”
“Ramon, if any man on the station could, it would be you. But even on your best day, I’d only lay even odds. Neither one of us is in good enough shape at the moment.”
“Well, there's no sense in sitting down here by ourselves. We’d better at least see what’s going on in there. And look for the right chance to stop it. Cory, you’d better hang way back, man. My grandma’s 80, and even she could take you out.”
Cory gave a reluctant nod. They began the trek down the corridor to the docking bay, the shouts of crewman growing ever louder as they approached. Each felt equally inclined to help the other and neither acknowledged his own struggle.
Ramon entered the bay first, brushing past two crewman who had been hovering just inside the doorway. They were too absorbed with the spectacle inside to care about Ramon and Cory.
The lights were low and
the room was ringed with machinery and shipping containers strapped along the walls. Most of the crew hovered along the perimeter, leaving the middle of the bay open for the two men who faced off at about two meters. Ramon motioned that he would move in closer, so Cory stopped and turned his good ear forward to hear what was being said.
“I ain’t much for talking,” Jackknife was saying, “so let’s just get down to it. As far as I’m concerned, every con is a waste of skin, but what you did to me makes it personal. And I don’t appreciate you breathing up my air.”
Jackknife started to close in and Ramon shouted, “Jackknife, that’s enough! We’ve got him now, so back off until we can talk to him.”
“If he can still talk when I’m done with him, you can talk to him then,” Jackknife said.
“If it’s all the same to you,” Isaacson said, “I’d prefer talking now. Is that an option?”
“Yes,” said Ramon.
“No,” said Jackknife simultaneously.
“I’m warning you, Jackknife,” Ramon said as he approached. “Back off now.”
“And I’m warning you, Ramon, there’s a room full of guys waiting for a good fight. You try to break it up, and you’ll find yourself in the middle of them on your own. You knew how this would end when you and Cory organized the hunt. Don’t play innocent with me.”
A couple of men advanced on Ramon, so he stopped where he was and motioned behind his back for Cory to stay put. “Jackknife, listen. Of course I knew there’d be blood. I don’t care any more what you do, okay? Just not yet. We've got to get some information from him first. You think he came up here for no reason? He’s done something to the transport, and probably to the station, too. If you beat him senseless before we figure out what he did, he wins. Is that what you want?”
Jackknife hesitated, his eyes darting back and forth between Ramon and Isaacson.
“Just give me a few minutes with him, Jackknife. I’m just one man, and we both know I can’t stop all of you. But I’m asking you to use your head for once. Do you want to risk the lives of everyone on the transport and maybe blow whatever chance we've got ‘cause you couldn’t wait a few more minutes for your revenge?”
Jackknife clenched his fists and growled, “You got two minutes, Ramon. Make ‘em count.”
Ramon wasted no time in reaching Isaacson. “You’ve earned a reputation for being smart, man. I suggest you live up to it and tell us what we want to know. If you don’t, you see what’s waiting, and you know I can’t stop it.”
“I’ll talk,” he said. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know—what happened on the shuttle and why I’m here. But first you have to answer a question for me.”
“Are you loco, man? You ain’t in any position to ask questions.”
“I realize that,” he answered gravely. “But if you don’t answer my question, then I can’t answer yours.”
“One minute,” Jackknife tolled.
“Alright, alright,” Ramon said. “What’s so important?”
“I just need to know where the transport with the preacher is before I’ll talk.”
Ramon was stunned. “You mean that whatever plan you’ve got is so important that you’d rather face this mob than let it go?”
“I’m afraid so. Sorry to disappoint you.”
“I’ve heard enough,” Jackknife said. “Time’s up. He ain’t talking, so I’m busting him now.” The room erupted into shouts as two men pushed Ramon back and Jackknife advanced on Isaacson. The con maintained his position, extended his fists, and readied himself.
Jackknife lunged and flew toward Isaacson. Isaacson rammed both hands onto the outside of his elbow and redirected his energy. Jackknife sailed right and Isaacson sailed left.
The crowd howled and Jackknife extricated himself from a group of tethered containers, preparing for a second attempt. He moved within five meters, launched from a support rod, and struck Isaacson full force, knocking him backwards into a group of crates. He landed several punches before Isaacson twisted free and sprang toward the other side of the room.
“Hold still,” Jackknife said, “and it’ll be over quicker.”
Ramon tried to intervene, but couldn’t break through the ring of men. “It’s gonna be over for all of us if you don’t stop, Jackknife!” Cory started to move, but Ramon motioned not yet.
Isaacson tried to slip behind a row of containers, but two crewman cut him off, forcing him back into the open. Jackknife struck him once again and pinned him up against a flat surface, leveling several heavy blows to the head and chest before losing his grip. He drifted for several meters, caught hold of a container, and dove back into Isaacson.
Even in the dim lighting, the spray of red globules was evident as Isaacson smashed into the sharp corners of the crates behind him. The red cloud expanded and smeared every object it touched.
Ramon shoved against the two men in his way and was cut off by a third. “Jackknife,” Ramon shouted, “don’t be stupid! The rest of you, didn’t you hear a word Cory said back there? We've got to talk to this dude or we’re cutting our own throats. Simms, Nijinsky, Lopez! Somebody take a stand!”
Jackknife had Isaacson trapped inside a large, empty crate when Cory switched off the lights. A second later, a solitary safety light flashed on just over Jackknife, who reflexively looked up at it. A pair of feet shot out of the crate, struck him in the chest, and sent him tumbling across the room. He crashed into a group of containers and disappeared.
Ramon made a break from his overseers just as Cory switched the lights back on. He skirted around the edge of the room between two rows of containers. As he approached the spot where Jackknife landed, he saw Lopez scramble through the debris ahead of him.
A second later, Jackknife emerged through some tangled cargo netting. “Lopez,” he groaned, “don’t just stand there like an idiot, do something.”
He did. Lopez’s steel-toed boot struck Jackknife full in the teeth, and the heel returned to catch the back of his head. Lopez looked up at Ramon and then called out to the crew on the other side of the containers, “Uh, I think Jackknife got hurt. Lemme see.” Two more shots—one to the solar plexus and one to the stomach. He nodded in Ramon’s direction and clambered over the crates and back into the open. “Um, yeah, he hurt himself. He’s out cold. Must have hit his head on something.”
Ramon joined Lopez in the middle of the bay and seized Isaacson before anyone else had a chance to claim him.
“Have you had enough? You better talk to me and tell me what you did. You do that, and we’ll just lock you up. You don’t, and they’ll finish what Jackknife started.”
Isaacson strained to focus his eyes. “I… I…” He paused to catch his breath and then wiped the blood out of one eye with his sleeve. “I’ve got to…” he began, but doubled over as a sharp pain struck him.
Cory rushed into the middle of the room and raised his voice as best he could. “Okay, guys, you’ve had your fun, but the show’s over. Thanks to Jackknife, we almost lost our last chance to interrogate this man.”
Fluid in his lungs overcame him for a moment. He continued after several painful coughs. “If you care at all about the people on that transport—our partners and friends—then you’ll keep your hands off him. And maybe we can get some answers out of him. The time is short.”
He directed their attention out the large bay windows, through which they could see a frighteningly enlarged comet. It glowed menacingly in the black sky as it slowly closed in. Once again palpable fear arose in their midst. The crew hushed and backed away from Cory and Ramon. Cory told Ramon to proceed quickly.
Ramon helped Isaacson out of the crate and the man seemed to regain his bearings. “Don’t think I could take much more of that,” he whispered.
“Then you’d better cooperate.” Ramon eyed him sharply and held a firm grip on his arm.
“Once I know the transport…” he began.
“Look,” Ramon snapped, “there ain’t no point in this game anymor
e. The transport left hours ago. We’ve just been running those announcements to lure you down here.”
Isaacson grimaced. “It would have saved us both a lot of trouble, especially me, if you had told me that five minutes ago.”
“Five minutes ago you still might have been a threat. There's no way you’re slipping out of here now.”
“True enough,” he agreed. “Then I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
Ramon leaned in closer, but suddenly sensed a growing commotion behind him.
He turned to find everyone staring at the immense figure of Biggs looming in the doorway. Lopez inched back and looked at Ramon with wide eyes. “Amigo, ¡es un mal hombre!”
The drunken miner effortlessly shoved two men out of the way as he advanced. “That’s him, ain’t it? That’s one of them no good trash types that jumped ol’ Zeke.” He shook an enormous fist at Isaacson. “Zeke mighta been just a mole to you, but he was the best friend I ever had, and you’re gonna pay for what you no good cons done.”
“Look out!” Ramon warned as he tried to shield Isaacson from the freight train headed their way, but it was already too late.