Extrication Read online

  “Maybe we can steal some clothes.”

  “We also need to get the implant out of our wrists. It could also be a tracking device.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past Schultz and Schmidt. How do you suggest we remove them?”

  “With my dagger. The blade is very thin and razor sharp.” She patted the metal belt that encircled her waist.

  “Do you know exactly where it is?”

  “I watched them implant it. Didn’t you?”

  “No. They put it in during a brain enhancement, for which I was knocked out. They told me about it afterward and showed me where to press to activate it. It never left a mark that I could see.”

  Starla nodded. Her implant hadn’t left a scar either. “We need to go and put as much distance behind us as we can tonight.” Starla took the lead, darting out of the gazebo to hide behind a large tree with long lacey leaves.

  David drew up behind her. “If we continue straight across the maze we should reach the palace walls.”

  They stayed within bushes and shrubs, darting across paths, and hiding behind trees until they came to the barrier surrounding the palace grounds. Starla had not seen anyone in the garden, and the partygoers were still oblivious to the assassination. The music played quietly in the background, and they had not seen any guards.

  Starla peered up at the large stone barricade. It was very high, and they had no rope. The smooth surface of the rock would make it hard to get a foothold to climb. “How in hell are we going to get across that?”

  “A tall tree. Let’s skirt the wall. I’m sure somewhere there’ll be a tree close enough for us to climb over it.”

  They stayed in the shadows, hiding behind shrubbery just in case, though there didn’t appear to be any guards stationed on the grounds. Had Nimera imprisoned them along with the royals?

  “Look, that big tree has branches hanging over the wall.” Starla pointed at it. “I hate to ruin this dress, but here goes.” She took the dagger out of its hiding place and dug at the material until she could tear it. She took the cloak off her shoulders and along with the bottom half of the dress scrunched them into a tight ball. She needed to bury them. The ground was soft. She poked at it with her dagger to loosen it, then shoved the material into the hole and covered it with dirt and leaves. Then she stomped on it.

  “I’d give anything for some kind of weapon other than a knife,” David said with a grunt as he heaved himself onto the bottom branch. “I wasn’t allowed to take any weapons with me on the spaceship. None of us were.”

  Starla grabbed his outheld hand and joined him. “Thankfully, it’s an old tree with thick branches.” The bough was thick and gnarled, taking their weight without even bending.

  They climbed to the branch closest to the wall. “I’ll go first,” David said. “The tip of the branch won’t support both of us.” He made his way to just above the wall, then turned. “It’s a steep drop.”

  She saw him disappear and heard a thud on the other side of the wall. He hadn’t been kidding. When she got to the wall and peered down it was higher than it had looked. He stood on both feet below, so he’d landed okay. There was no city beyond the wall. All she saw was dark forest. Come on, girl. You trained for stuff like this. She braced herself, then let go of the branch. He caught her by the waist just as her feet touched the ground.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  His hands almost spanned her waist. She tried to ignore the flutters his touch caused. “In which direction? We need to avoid the city. Once Nimera’s men discover his body, there will be a manhunt.” Everywhere she looked was forest and more trees. “Did you see anything when you arrived here? How far from town are we?”

  “No clue. They transported us to the palace in a flyer.”

  “Great. Our only weapons are my tiny dagger and the knife you pilfered from that toad. Who knows what lurks in those forests. I didn’t get to read about most of their animals or dangerous predators. There wasn’t enough time.”

  “Let’s head out. We’ll deal with whatever we come across as it happens.”

  They ran across the open space and entered the darkness of the forest. Sticking close together, they wandered deeper and deeper into the woods. It was difficult to see where they were going without a light of some sort. The thick foliage up above hid the moonlight, causing the forest to be inky dark.

  They’d been on the run for quite a while when in the distance, a siren blared. The sound resonated through the forest, warning them that Nimera’s body had been discovered. Not too long after, they heard the echo of gunfire. Behind them, Starla could hear men shouting, and the soft hum of ships above. Beams of light cut through the heavy foliage of the trees, illuminating part of the forest. Starla wondered if it was the general’s men hunting them, or the king’s.

  “We need to find a place to hide!” David grasped her arm, tugging it for her to follow him.

  They took off in a dead run, jumping over fallen trees and skirting around rocks and underbrush. Leaves rustled around them as frightened animals scurried out of the way. Starla didn’t dare look behind them because the ships patrolling the area could easily overtake them. She had no wish to be the target of a firing squad.

  They had run a great distance, when ahead, Starla caught sight of an outcropping of rocks. Beneath it looked to be an opening to a cave.

  “Quick! We can hide inside there.” Starla ducked under the low rock shelf and slipped into the opening.

  The cavern was at least three times the size of her room at the Institute. In the back was a long crack dissecting the rock from top to bottom. On closer examination, she realized it was a crevice wide enough for a human to fit through. The layers of rock within it created an optical illusion.

  “We can’t stay here long.” David pulled a fallen tree bough in front of the hole to conceal it. “If a search party happens upon our shelter, we’ll have no escape, and our knives sure as hell won’t stand a chance against their phasers.”

  Satisfied that there were no signs a predator made the cave its home, she plopped down on the dirt and leaned against the rock wall. “The ships won’t be able to see the cave from above. Running through the forest, they would see us for sure.” She patted the ground beside her. “Sit down. I doubt the guards and soldiers have been enhanced like we have. They won’t spot this cave easily.”

  David sat beside her, his gaze never leaving the entrance to their hideout. “They may not be enhanced, but they have more weapons at their disposal.” He pulled the knife from his waistband, grabbed a stick from beside him and proceeded to sharpen the end into a point.

  “How old are you, David?” She watched his movements as he whittled away at the wood.

  “Twenty-four. You?”

  “Twenty-three. They kept me around to help train the younger recruits. I thought they’d never send me out on a mission.”

  “Same here.” He handed her the makeshift spear. “This will protect you better than that tiny blade you have hidden.”

  She gave him a sidelong glance. “Tiny? It did the trick killing Nimera.”

  He chuckled. “Only because you surprised him and stabbed him fifty times in his chest.”

  Starla punched his arm. “Exaggerate much? Besides, the revolting pig deserved it.”

  Closing her eyes, she leaned back to rest her head on the rock. She didn’t want to think about Nimera or the humiliation of the evening. She felt David shift, then caress her cheek. Was that a tear he had wiped away? She never cried, no matter what Schultz and Schmidt had put her through, but her cheeks were soaked now.

  “I’m sorry he hurt you, Starla,” he whispered. “I should have broken the bastard’s neck as soon as we entered his chambers.”

  She opened her eyes to his troubled gaze. “There is nothing you could have done to stop him. You would have blown our cover, and instead of escaping, we’d be sitting in a dungeon.”

  “A risk I should have taken to save
you from the utter humiliation the pig put you through. I can’t believe Schultz and Schmidt came up with this scheme.”

  “Schultz is somewhat of a pig himself.”

  David cupped her chin, tilting her head, his thumb grazing the fullness of her bottom lip. Her breath hitched, and the butterflies in her stomach were going haywire. Those blue eyes met hers, a storm waging in them. Would he kiss her? Damn, but she wanted him to. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears when he leaned forward ever so slightly, his lips barely meeting hers. A rustle of sound... voices in the distance. David sprung to his feet, hauling her with him.

  “We need to move... now!”

  Starla grabbed her spear, her eyes trained on the cave opening. The voices were now loud enough for her to decipher some of their words. “If we leave the cave now, they will surely spot us.”

  “Then we take our chances through there.” He pointed to the crevice. “It may lead to another exit.”

  She watched as David squeezed his body into the opening. It looked like a tight fit, but he managed. Just as she slipped through the fissure, the voices echoed within the cave walls.

  Shuffling of feet and the slight glow of a light beam startled her. She held her breath, carefully easing her body further within the gap. She could no longer see the interior of the cave, but she could hear movements within.

  “No sign of them, sir.” A muffled voice said, then footsteps receding.

  Relieved, Starla pushed herself through the other side of the gap into another small cave. Hands grabbed her, pulling her forward.

  “Through here.” David led her into a tunnel opening. It was wide enough for them to move swiftly, side by side.

  “I heard them in the cave, but I don’t think they found the crevice,” Starla informed him.

  “Then let’s hope this tunnel leads us well away from their search area.”

  “We better hope we find a way out.” Starla noted that the tunnel declined steadily, driving them deeper underground.

  The tunnel was long and winding, finally widening, then ending when they reached another cavern. Starla expected the air to be stifling, but a fresh breeze from above ruffled her hair. She inspected the rock above and along the sides of the cave.

  “Up there.” David indicated an opening near the top of the wall. “We’ll have to climb, but I am sure that it leads outside.”

  Starla grabbed hold of the rock above her head, wedging her fingers into a crack to get a good grip, then hoisted herself up. Her foot slipped, but after feeling around, she found a crevice to lodge her toes in. Slowly but steadily she made the climb. Without her training, she knew she would have plummeted to the ground below. When she made it to the top, she scurried into the opening, then turned to help David.

  They rested a moment to catch their breath, then trudged through the tunnel another thirty feet or so until they reached the opening to the forest. Before leaving the safety of the passage, they scanned the tree line, looking for any sign of ships or foot patrols. Satisfied they had escaped their pursuers, they continued their flight into the forest.

  Chapter Five

  They walked the rest of the night until the chirping of birds indicated it had to be morning. Some light began to filter through the thick branches, and they could at least see where they were going. Besides seeing some small animals that resembled rabbits, and birds, they’d not seen anything else in their travels.

  Starla felt her stomach protest. “I’m starving.”

  “We need to find food and water.”

  They trekked on until they suddenly came to an open patch. They stopped at the edge of the field and saw a small village on the other side of it.

  Starla peered around a tree. “Look at the size of those houses. They’re very small,” she said, pointing at them. Children played in a clearing around a well. “We can’t approach them in these clothes.”

  “We won’t have to. Seems they’ve discovered us.”

  His words caused Starla to swivel. About ten men stood behind them, their bows and arrows aimed at the couple. Men? They were miniature, tiny men, who stood no taller than to Starla’s waist. She held up her hands. “We mean you no harm.”

  David had his arms raised. “She’s right. We are friendly.”

  “You wear a military uniform,” the tallest one said.

  “We aren’t from here. We are from the planet Earth. We were at the celebration at the palace, but now we are fugitives. There are search parties looking for us.”

  One of them whispered in the taller one’s ear, then spoke. “They are searching for a woman such as her, and a man in uniform.”

  The taller one studied David and Starla. He appeared to be the leader. “You must be the ones who killed Nimera. If you did, we salute you. He was a monster. We will not hand you over to his men.”

  “It is thanks to them that the royal family is free,” one of the little men said.

  “Then you can stop running,” the leader told them. “The king will be thankful. Nimera’s body was discovered during the night. His men panicked and fled, enabling Timyt, a close friend to the king, to get the keys to the dungeons. He released the king and the royal family, then the royal guard. The royal guard has taken control of the palace. The king’s troops are hunting the general’s soldiers that escaped and are probably also searching for you so that the king can personally reward you.” He lowered his bow, and the others followed suit. “My name is Zanke. I am the leader of the Ngororians.”

  Starla thought about what the pint-sized leader had said, but how could she explain to him that even though the king may want to reward them, that it was her own people that would send an executioner? Maybe they should just tell them the truth. Right now, they needed all the help they could get.

  The little troop hoisted their bows over their shoulder and put their arrows back into their quivers. “Come with us,” the one called Zanke said and motioned Starla and David to follow them into the village.

  The children flocked around them. Starla guessed they didn’t get too many visitors, especially ones that looked different.

  She studied them. They had pointed ears and dark green markings on their foreheads and temples. Their hair was long and straight, and silvery white. They were really quite cute. Like elves, Starla thought. Leprechauns? Their clothing would not fit her or David. What were they going to do about that? And she sorely needed a bath. After their trek through the underground passage, both she and David were covered in dirt and grime. More than anything, she wanted to scrub the swine’s touch and smell off her body.

  “Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Zanke asked. “I would invite you into our home, but you are so big, especially the man. You will not fit. What are your names?”

  “I am Starla, and he is David. Yes, we are hungry and thirsty, and I badly need to bathe.”

  “Then I shall have my mate, Nomana, prepare you a meal. After you eat, I will take you to the falls where you can cleanse yourself. One of my men will go to the city to get you some clothing.” He motioned to one of the men and taking a pouch from his belt handed it to him. “Wilkon, purchase what they need, and don’t be long.”

  “We have no money, no means to pay you,” David said.

  “I do not want anything from you. We have been terrified for so long of the monster general. He has killed many of my people... women... children. Your actions saved us. If his men had found our village, he would have ordered them to destroy us, because he hated what he called imperfection. He would have found us flawed.”

  They sat on the ground. Like the people, their dishes were small and so were their cups, but the food was delicious and the juice thirst quenching. It took several filled plates to satisfy their stomachs.

  “Now tell me, why did you kill the general? What did you have to gain?” Zanke asked.

  Starla told their story. “If the scientists find out that our bodies were not discovered at the scene of the crime, they will send people t
o find and kill us, so we can’t tell anyone else who we are, where we came from, or about our mission. We don’t want to die. I need to remove the implants in our wrists before we are discovered.”

  Zanke furrowed his brows, a dark expression in his eyes. “Your people are inhumane. Monsters, just like Nimera.”

  “Earth may not be perfect, but many of our people, if they knew about the Institute, would not agree with what the two scientists are doing,” David commented.

  “Taking children and experimenting on them is atrocious. Schultz and Schmidt are nothing more than animals. I wish we could stop them.” Starla drank her juice and held her cup out for more. Hell, she could have downed the whole jug, which was the size of a large beer mug.

  “What about the parents? They have some blame in all this. I wasn’t randomly taken off the streets, Schultz took me from my home,” David reminded her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they grab children off the streets, too. There are enough homeless in our cities. Those children would not be missed.”

  “Or the parents died and left the children orphaned? I don’t know. I vaguely remember mine.” Starla brushed a lock of hair out of her face. Deep inside she wished she could clearly remember her parents, her life before the Institute. The brief snapshots in her mind only served to tease her of what she couldn’t have.

  “We need to put a stop to the Institute, burn it to the ground, and incarcerate the two sickos that run it. But we can’t do it alone.” David looked at Zanke. “Right now, we don’t even have anything to defend ourselves with should we run into predators or the general’s men. Do you have weapons you can spare? Ones that are big enough for us?”

  “Yes. We will give you some swords and guns we took off fallen soldiers we found in the forest.” Zanke stood and brushed the grass from his leggings. “I see you are finished eating. I will take you to the falls now to bathe. By the time you are done, Wilkon will be back with clothing.”