The two men brought her in front of the tent which was nearly completed. Out of the tent flap strode another human. He was dressed in boots, what looked to be leather and pants of light brown and similar to jodhpurs.
Jonathan and Turk heard him say, “you thought you could get away from me?”
“I just want to live by myself. Why can’t you let me go? I won’t do anything and I’ll stay away.”
The man with arms folded across his chest lowered his head ever so slightly for a few moments.
“What did I say just now?” he asked the woman.
“I don’t know. I’m not connected…you know that.”
He nodded. The two men let go of her arms. She stood for a second then began to back away. She turned around and ran. Both men who had held her unhooked the object at their belts, aimed it at the retreating back. Two green beams shot out. The beams hit her in the back and she crumpled. No noise emanated from the weapons.
Both Jonathan and Turk knew the woman was dead from the way she fell. They were silent as the human in jodhpurs went back into the tent and the two killers went back to the barracks and began to help the other workers. No worker looked up nor seemed to notice the interview and murder of the woman. Neither Jonathan nor Turk could say anything for minutes.
Turk nudged Jonathan with his elbow, “you were going to say…” he whispered.
“Don’t be a smart ass.”
“Turk did you hear what she said?”
“Something about wanting to live alone and…something…”
“She said she wasn’t connected. She was dressed in similar clothes as the male workers. Same type of fabric and same colors. So she was one of them. A worker…maybe.”
“So?”
“So she was also different from the workers. She had emotions. And she wasn’t connected.”
“That mean anything?”
“Yes. I think it means the others have an implant or something like it. Those two guys heard what the boss or whatever he is had to say in his head and they carried out his orders. She couldn’t hear what he said…though I think she knew what he was going to order the two to do. She actually was heading out in a different direction then the one she was brought in on.”
“That might not…”
“She was protecting someone.”
“You think?”
“Yes. And by the way she subtly stressed she wanted to live alone.”
“Hmm. Yeah, that could be. Where do you think the one she was protecting is?”
“Probably not the way she came in or the way she was heading. I’d guess from deeper into the hills. Maybe that way.” Jonathan pointed to the southwest. “We need to find that one.”
“Do you think there are others of those guys looking for her?”
“Good question. Maybe. Though that guy didn’t have a reaction to what she said so maybe he doesn’t know.”
“He looks like the suspicious type though. I can smell that type of asshole. Like some cops I’ve run into when I used to grow weed. They didn’t know shit but always suspected something was up. Pain in the ass.”
“Yeah. If that’s the case he would have some of those assholes looking around. So, you know the area well do ya?”
CHAPTER FOUR
“I hear two,” whispered Jonathan. “How many you think?”
Turk raised his hand with only two fingers showing. Jonathan nodded.
They had had to travel a long way to reach this spot. It was southwest from the cove and the clearing where the humans were building the barracks and putting the finishing touches on the tent.
This area was part of a larger drainage system and not difficult to find if you had been over the territory already. Turk seemed knew the area like it was his back yard.
They assumed if there was another of these people in hiding then that person would have to be near water and a food source. With some shelter and a good place to hide in. Turk took Jonathan to a small lake which would fit the bill.
The small lake might have some fish in it and it had feeder streams from small valleys which emptied into the basin. Some of the small valleys would provide shelter from the meteors. There were probably berry canes in the general area. Small animals such as rabbits would undoubtedly be in the vicinity if one could hunt or trap.
Without any difficulty they found a fairly obvious trail leading into a little hollow and positioned themselves just above it.
Though only a few miles from the cove it had taken most of the night to reach the lake. They had headed for it in a roundabout manner. They didn’t know but had to consider that other of these humans would be out searching. What puzzled Jonathan was why had the woman and the one in jodhpurs spoken English. If they were aliens how would they have known it?
Yet they had spoken English that had no tone or accent. He had been all over the English speaking world for one reason or another but never had heard the type of inflection or in this case lack of inflection which she spoke with. She and the jodhpur human spoke very phonetically.
The breeze still came from the ocean keeping the volcano ash and vog away from the island though it did little to decrease the humidity in the forest. However it did allow a few stars to be seen and even a gibbous moon to shed an eerie light. They could see well enough and both Jonathan and Turk knew the area somewhat so they felt they had an advantage.
Jonathan had picked up a stout fir limb as a weapon and Turk had a pistol. They hoped they wouldn’t have to use either. Especially the pistol as it would he heard for miles.
They came upon the lake from the west and from above while it was still dark. They could see the lake reflected in the moonlight. They trod slowly and did not have trouble nor make much noise as they descended from the ridge.
As they got closer to the lake they spotted the trail leading into a little hollow. They stationed themselves above the trail on a small rock projection. They were pretty sure there was someone in the hollow but had decided to wait. If someone was hiding than better to introduce themselves when there was light. They could hear rustling and a young woman’s voice cry out, “Stop this. Let me go.”
Jonathan and Turk did not need to be told what was happening. Two of the workers probably armed had found the one the middle-aged woman had tried to protect.
Jonathan turned to Turk and whispered. “They have to come single file along here. You take the one in the front and I’ll take the other.”
Jonathan picked up an ostrich egg-sized rock and gave it to Turk. “Try the rock first. Let’s be as quiet as we can.” And Turk nodded as he took the weapon.
They waited. It seemed to take longer than the loudness of voices would indicate but the lead alien eventually came into view. He came out of the holler on the path pulling a still struggling girl. She was around five four, slender though with the tunic and baggy pants hard to see her overall figure. The second human was pushing her. She kept up a constant chatter of pleading or whining interspersed with angry vitriol.
Each man was dressed in similar fashion as the other workers in the cove clearing and each sported the same weapon which had killed the woman. Turk gave Jonathan a nudge and they moved quietly into position.
The first human walked past Jonathan. The human was pulling the girl by one arm. The girl was struggling. Jonathan could see she couldn’t be more than a teenager and from her thin arms not too much more than a hundred pounds. The second human came underneath and Jonathan jumped down at the same time as Turk jumped. Jonathan was swinging his stout club and had an unobstructed angle to hit the second man upside the head.
Just then the girl pulled back and both humans lost their balance and momentum. It caused the jumpers to miscalculate. Jonathan had to delay the full swing and landed on the girl’s shoulders. This momentarily stopped Jonathan.
The girl and the second human stopped as well. Before the girl collapsed under Jonathan he slammed the club down on the second human’s head. A loud crack rang out.
Turk had a
imed for the back of the first human. When he had been stopped short he turned toward their female prisoner. Turk slammed into the human’s torso. Turk’s weight carried the alien down hard. The alien slammed into the ground on his back. Turk hit him squarely over the ear and a loud thunk was heard.
The second human was crumpled on the ground holding his head and moaning. Jonathan stood over him with his club not knowing what to do next. The first human was recovering as Turk pushed himself up straddling the worker’s chest. Turk hit him once alongside the head. “That didn’t work,” and hit him a third time. The man slid into unconsciousness though Jonathan knew he wouldn’t stay knocked out for too long.
The girl scrambled to her feet. She looked at Jonathan as he stood over the second man with his club dangling. He looked at her.
“Hello there. Can we be of assistance?” She looked wide eyed for a few moments than calmly stood erect and straightened out her tunic. She walked to the fallen man beneath Jonathon. She took the weapon from the belt of the stricken man and shot him in the nape of his neck. Maybe it should be called beamed him instead of shot him as a green beam hit the prostrate human. The human with a mild spasm died.
She went over to Turk who got off the unconscious human in a hurry. She shot or beamed him in the neck. He died.
All three stood. Silently. Turk looked at Jonathan. Jonathan wondered if they hadn’t given the girl the means to kill them. Maybe she wouldn’t realize they were there to help her. Jonathan looked at the girl.
After a few seconds he tried to smile. “Well, hello there again. Ahm, how do you do…and can I have that gun…or ray gun or whatever it is?” He reached out his hand slowly and not fully extended.
She looked at him but said nothing.
“Do you speak English? The woman who had been dragged into the camp of those fellas,” and he pointed to the two dead workers, “spoke English. The guy who was the boss spoke English so I assumed you would too.”
“You saw…the woman…they brought in?” she asked. She spoke with the same stilted inflection as the woman.
Jonathan nodded.
“What did they…what happened?”
Jonathan looked to Turk as he noticed the club was still in his hand. He tossed it away.
Turk looked at Jonathan, “why don’t you tell her?”
Jonathan scratched his chin stalling for time, “was she your mother?”
The girl nodded.
“I have some very bad news.” Jonathan wished he could stall for more time. Remembering the murder was bad enough but to tell this young girl was indescribably difficult.
“Two men dressed like these two brought her into the camp they’re building. A guy dressed a little differently, a boss of the project I’d guess came out of the tent. He spoke to her about her thinking she could get away from him. He did something odd, at least odd to us. He lowered his head and then asked your mother what he had said. She told him she wasn’t connected and didn’t know. Then the two guys let go of her. She turned and started to run when they shot her in the back.” He wanted to add more but could only think to say, “I’m sorry.”
The girl bent her head and was silent. She looked up to Jonathan, “it must have been difficult to watch.”
“It was horrible,” Turk said. She looked at Turk.
“You didn’t know what they would do?”
They both shook their heads.
“They are like that toward us,” she said.
“Well then, who are you and who is he? The boss I’m guessing you mean or all of the workers?” Jonathan again pointed to the two on the ground to emphasize the similarity or difference.
She swept her arm to indicate the two lying on the ground, “they are not workers. They are slaves. My mother and I are slaves.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “She was a slave,” whispered the girl.
“Listen,” said Turk. “I think we need to get out of here. They know where you live…well, they know this place and I’d guess they’ll be back.”
“You’re right,” Jonathan added. He looked at the two dead slaves and was pensive.
“We need to take their clothes.”
“Huh? Why?”
Jonathan didn’t want to tell him the germ of an idea he was considering. “The clothes and all are still good and it’s not like we can go find a mega-mart.”
This seemed to satisfy Turk but the girl looked at Jonathan.
CHAPTER FIVE
It took them two hours of fairly rapid hiking to arrive at Turk’s little corner of the island. Jonathan realized they were close when he could smell the pungent, slightly sweet and not unpleasant aroma of budding marijuana. The rapid pace and the marching over fallen trees on the many hills and knolls of the once heavily forested island precluded much normal conversation. Yet they did learn she was indeed an alien.
Jonathan and Turk learned that those workers and the boss were aliens.
She suggested they take some of her provisions but she had no pack and they had left their packs behind. Jonathan assured her they’d be able to come back for it another time.
Turk had settled in a little valley which had had a small stream now a dry stream bed. It emptied into a decent sized lake. The area had once been forested. Now many slopes had trees lying on the ground while other slopes still had the tall trees standing.
In his little vale he had erected a large lean-to and a small shack. Marijuana plants were clinging to the slopes of the vale between the fallen trees. He had hoses for water camouflaged though noticeable up close yet, “can’t be seen from the air. Been there too long.”
The lean-to had been dug into the sheltered side of the vale but the shack had taken numerable hits from the meteors. In the lean-to he had half of a bike with wires attached to a large battery. Another cable went from the battery to connect to a radio/tape player.
They weren’t very hungry since they ate some trail mix on the way to Turk’s hidden vale but they were thirsty.
“Let’s have some music. How ‘bout I roll a joint?”
“Hmm, well outside of the fact there’s slavers who’ll kill us if they found us I’d say great idea.”
“Okay,” said Turk taking his hands off a bong. “You got a point.”
“But music wouldn’t be so bad…?”
“Another great idea. What if they hear it?”
“I’ll play it softly. Bob Marley, mon.”
Jonathan just nodded and said to the girl, “wonderful poet of disenfranchised people.”
“That means slaves,” said Turk.
“You have slaves in your world?” asked the girl.
“Not in the same way as you and the others…at least I think. No, but many of the disenfranchised were descended from slaves though.”
“I would like to hear more about this…Marley?”
“Aw, he’s great…”
“Hold on you two. Let’s talk about the essentials first. We don’t know how much time we have before they find…” and Jonathan pointed to the girl.
“They won’t find her. Not here.”
“They found her at the other place easily enough…and it may be important to know how.”
“So, if I understand it correctly,” Jonathan asked the girl, “you don’t even have a name?”
She shook her head. “My father, the one I think of as my father would call me Kookli sometimes but I do not know what it means. I never thought of it as a name as slaves don’t have names.”
“What language do the slavers speak?”
“I do not know. When I was in the pod I was taught English and Spanish.”
“Oh.” Kookli touched the back of her neck as the song ‘Misty Morning’ started playing from the tape recorder.
“What’s the matter?” Both Jonathan and Turk looked around with their eyes quickly scanning the area.
“It…I guess the music affects the implant. It tingles.”
“I’m sorry,” said Turk. He reached for the on/off button. “I’ll turn it off.?
??
“Oh, do not do that. It is not unpleasant. Just…”
“Weird?” Turk offered.
“Yes.”
“Ya know,” Jonathan started to say then was quiet. He remained quiet as Turk fidgeted.
“And?”
“Remember what the woman, your mother, said. ‘I’m not connected.’ Could that mean she had a malfunctioning implant?”
“It was not malfunctioning. It had been disabled when it was implanted.”
“Really?” interjected Turk. “Who did that?”
“My father.”
“Why?”
“He loved her…and me. He did not want us to be slaves.”
“Damn nice guy,” Turk said.
“Kookli, may I call you Kookli, we have to call you something, is that why you shot, or beamed the two slaves in the neck?” asked Jonathan.
“Yes. As long as they were alive they were connected to the slave master and he can always find them.”
“But you and your mother weren’t connected yet he, the slaver, found both of you.” Kookli nodded.
“What I’m getting at is even though he cannot control you through the implant the implant may still be giving off a signal. And the music may be able to disrupt that signal.” Jonathan looked at the two of them, “what do you think?”
“That may explain why they found my mother and me.”
“It would be interesting to find out if music could disrupt the workers…”
“Oh no, Prezlee.” Turk stood up and was quite agitated. “We can’t put her in jeopardy.”
Kookli looked at both of them, “what do you mean?”
“Well, I was thinking if we could lure two of those workers here then play the music we would know if it effected them or not. It would give us information on how they could track you.”
“We can’t do that. That’s much too risky.”
She looked at Jonathan, “do you think it risky?”
“Well, I believe the slave master doesn’t know about Turk and me and we have those ray guns so I think the risk is minimal. But Turk is right, there is a risk.”