BORN OF HEROES

— by Jeff Karamales

Chapter 37
 

Cerise sat at the table in the kitchen of her parents’ house drinking a cup of herbal tea, her hand absently rubbing her belly. Four months had gone by since she discovered she was carrying Elias’ children, and while she missed her mate terribly, the vixen felt a certain level of serene contentment. She was still a few weeks away from her delivery date, but even now the children within her womb were active and had been all night.

  “I didn’t think that I was big enough for them to play chase,” Cerise said tiredly to her friend across the table, though she was smiling. “I even gave up coffee but it hasn’t slowed them down in the slightest!”

  Samantha, now with the surname of Sinclair, laughed. “Shannon says that it’s a good sign if they’re active at this point. It’s just one more thing for me to look forward to with Merlin.”

  “Then they’re going to be a handful later. I just wish they’d wait until they were born before being this rambunctious. I don’t think I got more than an hour of solid sleep last night,” Cerise said, her hand still on her stomach.

  “Maybe their father could talk them into settling down a little?” a familiar voice said from the doorway.

  Cerise whipped her head around, a grin splitting her muzzle as she looked into the blue eyes of her mate. “Elias!” she cried, jumping up and throwing herself into the white fox’s arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes closed as she rocked back and forth. “I’ve missed you so much!” she exclaimed, her voice muffled as her face was pressed against his chest.

  The fox held his wife, amazed at how much he had missed her and felt a tear roll down his cheek. “I’ve missed you, too. So very, very much,” he said softly.

  Cerise pulled back and gave him a deep kiss, oblivious to everything around her except her mate. “When did you get in?” the vixen asked when they parted.

  “About forty minutes ago. The others will be along shortly once they’ve secured the ship. I was told in no small way to get my tail to you as quick as possible or the others would mutiny,” Elias said with a grin.

  “I’ll have to make sure the others get a nice gift, then,” the vixen replied with a grin.

  “I can’t believe you’d condone that kind of behavior!” Elias exclaimed in a mocking tone. He looked up and smiled at the Border collie. “Hey, Sam. Thank you for being here,” he told her sincerely.

  “It’s what friends are for, Elias. I know Merlin will be glad to see you,” Samantha said with a wide smile.

  “Go ahead and call him!” Cerise said, still holding on to her husband. “I feel like celebrating!”

  Samantha nodded and picked up one of the house phones and made a call to her husband, leaving the room while Cerise and Elias continued their reunion. Sitting back down on her chair, Cerise smiled as Elias knelt next to her and placed his head on her swollen stomach.

  “I know we really haven’t met yet, but I’m your father. I just want you to know that I can’t wait to meet you and that I love you very much.” He said more, but Cerise couldn’t make out what it was.

  She did notice, however, that the activity level dropped almost immediately as the little ones inside her responded to the sound of their father’s voice.

  “That’s the stillest they’ve been in days,” she said with a certain amount of relief.

  “They were just telling you that they knew I was on my way home,” Elias told his wife with a grin. He looked up at her and his eyes grew wide and soft. “I really have missed you,” he told her with a catch in his throat.

  “Don’t you dare start crying, Elias Tivnan! If you do I’ll start,” Cerise admonished feeling her eyes well up.

  “Can’t help it, Love,” he said as he slid his arms around her waist and rested his head on her breast.

  There was a flash from the other side of the room and Elias and Cerise looked up to see Pala with a camera. She had a gentle smile on her face. “That is a moment I want to capture forever,” the Kastan said.

  “How have you been, Pala?” Elias asked.

  “Quite well. Better now that you are home. Now I won’t be the only one having to go out to find foods to satisfy midnight cravings,” she replied with a laugh.

  Samantha reentered the kitchen area. “Merlin will be over as soon as he closes up the office,” she informed the others.

  Despite having her mate back and luxuriating in his presence, Cerise couldn’t help but yawn widely, her tongue curling over itself. “I’m sorry. The babies kept me up last night,” she apologized.

  Elias smiled. “You know you don’t have to apologize. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up after you’ve had a nap. I promise I won’t go anywhere.”

  The vixen laid a hand on the side of her mate’s face. “I feel so bad about it. You just got in and I want to spend time with you-“

  Elias put a finger over her lips. “And there will be plenty of time. I’m not leaving until the children are born. Besides, we have to get Saul ready to take his new command, give Stram his retirement party and welcome our new First Officer and Engineer.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  Elias scooped his wife up in his arms, eliciting a yelp and giggle from Cerise. “Not at all. Your needs are everything to me. There will be plenty of time for us later. And after you get up from your nap everyone else will be here. They want to see you very much.”

  “Just as long as they know you belong to me for the next couple of days. I feel like being a little selfish,” Cerise told him, putting her arms around his neck as he carried her to their room.

  “I’m always yours, Love.”

***

  Cerise was still sleeping when Merlin arrived. Elias and the wolf gave each other a comradely embrace.

  “You are looking decidedly well!” Elias said as the wolf took a seat next to Samantha. “I never thought I’d see you in a suit, though, much less without you captain’s hat.”

  Merlin laughed. “I tell you, it wasn’t an easy choice, Elias, but I can’t say that I miss the Blue Horizon too much. I know she’s in good hands with Taro. Besides, I’m having fun running everything from here. It’s enough to keep me occupied.”

  “From freighter Captain to pillar of the community,” Elias said with a smile. “I’m really glad that you’re doing well. You and Sam both. I like seeing my friends succeed.”

  Merlin accepted a cup of coffee from the fox and sipped it appreciatively. “From what I’ve heard, your endeavor is going fairly well. You’re up to how many pirates now? Eighteen?”

  “Twenty. We put ‘paid’ to two more a couple of weeks ago,” Elias said, his smile dropping a little. “Last one was a slaver. We were only able to rescue half of the abductees. Special Operations is trying to track down the other half.”

  Merlin leaned forward. “Don’t berate yourself, Elias. If it weren’t for you, the half that you rescued would have wound up who knows where. It’s a win no matter how you cut it.”

  Sam put an affectionate hand on the fox’s arm. “Merlin’s right. You have to look at all the good you’ve done.”

  “Sorry,” Elias said, his smile vanishing all together. “I guess it’s starting to wear on me. We’ve been at this for a little over a year now, I’ve got my family to think of…I guess I’m starting to get tired of it.”

  “No one can fault you if you decide to walk away,” Merlin said as he set his cup down. “You’ve done far more than any other individual I know of. To be honest I’m surprised you didn’t walk away after the Scimitar incident. And it’s not like you can’t get a well-paying position somewhere else. I’d jump at the chance to get a pilot with your qualifications.”

  “Are you offering me a job, Merlin?” Elias asked, giving his friend a sideways glance and grin.

  The wolf returned the grin. “I don’t want it to sound like a charity offer, but you’ve got the skills that I would want in a captain and then some. Granted, flying an actual freighter isn’t nearly as glamorous as commanding a pirate hunter…”

  There was a faint and distant rumble of thunder and the three looked out the windows.

  “I don’t remember the Grandstorm networks saying there was going to be a storm today. I know it’s spring time, but today’s supposed to be clear,” Sam said with a slight frown.

  A half moment later, Elias’ DataCom beeped with an incoming message. He pulled the unit from his pocket. “Go.”

  “Elias! We just lost the Angel! Someone put an anti-tank missile through the open cargo hatch!” Randal was yelling over the din of secondary explosions, the roar of the burning ship and the blaring of emergency sirens.

  “Did we lose anyone?” Elias yelled into the device, standing up so fast that he knocked his chair over.

  “We can’t find Stram, Rutger and Melise. Everyone else was outside. We’re withdrawing to the SPF barracks in Grandstorm.” There was a burst of static followed by the blare of another siren. “Elias, get out of there! Whoever did this…they know who we are! They know where we are!”

  “Got it. I’m authorizing any necessary force, Randy. Protocol Savage. Understand?”

  “Understood. Protocol Savage. Rendezvous?” the wolf asked.

  “Rendezvous Sanctuary soonest.”

  “Understood. Sanctuary. Out!”

  Elias looked at the others. “Get out of here, Merlin! Get out now! They know where my crew and I are at!” The fox didn’t wait, fleeing the kitchen and heading to his and Cerise’s room and taking the stairs two at a time. “Pala! Get Cerise’s things packed. Go light. We’re outta here in ten minutes. Get her to the Dragonfly as fast as you can! MOVE!”

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Elias contacted Rovi and let him know what was happening and told him the house wasn’t safe and about the loss of the Guiding Angel. Rovi understood and agreed with the rendezvous at their predetermined haven before signing off. As he leapt down the stairs and turned to head back to the kitchen, Elias encountered Keena entering the house through the front door.

  “Hey, Elias!” she said in surprise with a wide smile.

  The fox looked at her, saw movement behind his sister-in-law and drew his pistol. “Keena! Down!”

  The female gave him a wide eyed look, but dropped as she was ordered. Not hesitating in the slightest, Elias fired two rounds at the figure that was the closest to Keena. The 7 millimeter rounds were specifically designed to be as lethal and efficient as possible for the small bore weapon. The two rounds hit the approaching mountain lion in the chest and dropped him. He then swung on the other assailant who had started to raise a sub machinegun.

  There was no time to take careful aim, and Elias simply pointed with the pistol and squeezed the trigger repeatedly. Four rounds struck the other, a lynx, sending him in a crumpling spin, the sub machinegun flying off into the grass.

  Pausing by the door and looking out, Elias spoke to the frightened vixen. “Get inside and find your sister!”

  Keena did as she was told, frightened tears flowing freely as she scrabbled across the stone tiled floor, vainly trying to get purchase and traction, her actions clumsy and jerky with fear and adrenaline.

  Seeing no one else outside, Elias made his way to the first intruder. He pocketed the mountain lion’s pistol and spare magazines, finding a sub machinegun under the dead feline’s coat as well. He slung this over his own shoulder and moved to the next one. Elias likewise collected the weapons from the lynx and retreated back into the house, closing and locking the door once inside.

  The easiest way out through the back of the house was through the main room and bar that overlooked the pool deck. Elias scanned the area through the large glass doors. While he didn’t see anything amiss or any movement, he waited for the others before proceeding.

  “Elias? What’s happening?” Cerise asked, her eyes wide and her left hand held protectively over her bulging belly. In her right hand was her favorite Binfurr pistol, a small semiautomatic that she was deadly accurate with.

  The fox tossed one of the confiscated pistols and automatics to Pala. The Kastan caught both easily and checked them before pocketing the pistol.

  “The Angel has been attacked. We don’t know where Melise, Stram and Rutger are. The rest of the crew is scattering and will meet us at the cabin as soon as they can,” Elias told her. “Right now, I want you, Keena and Pala to get to the Dragonfly and get out of here.”

  “What about you?” Cerise asked shrilly.

  “We’ll get him out to you,” Merlin said entering the room. “By the way, do you have another pistol?” He saw the look that Elias was giving him and shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t jump ship on my friends.”

  “Take these,” Pala said. “I have my own.” The Kastan handed the wolf the weapons that Elias had given her and pulled her father’s swords out from beneath her long vest with a deadly serious expression. “I’ll go first. Give me a count of twenty then follow.”

  They watched as the Kastan exited out onto the pool deck, then moved into the trees, essentially vanishing among the vegetation. Elias counted to the indicated twenty. “All right. Let’s go.”

  The others followed, Cerise right behind her mate. There was no one on the trail that led to the hangar where Rovi’s small helicopter was kept. Dona was at her usual spot sitting at the desk just inside the hangar when the others came out of the woods.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes slightly wide at the variety of deadly hardware that was being carried openly.

  “Dona, get Cerise, Keena and Pala out to the cabin. Don’t stop for anything or anyone. When you get out there, if you see any strangers, drop them. Do not hesitate. Understand?” Elias asked, waiting for the hyena to nod. “I’ll be out as soon as I can. So will Rovi, Sharan and the girls.”

  “I’m not leaving you!” Cerise said, tears in her eyes and her lower lip trembling.

  “Love, there’s no one I would rather have at my side than you. But you have to look after our kits. That is the only thing I want you to worry about right now. Just take care of our babies.”

  Cerise whimpered softly and gave Elias a quick embrace and kiss. “You better come back to me!” she sobbed.

  “I will, Lover. I promise you I will.” He turned her to the helicopter that the hyena was already bringing online. “Now go. Please, go.”

  Elias waited until everyone was loaded, and watched as Dona did something that was unexpected. With deft touches to the stick and cyclic, she lifted the little ‘copter a few inches off the floor and flew the few yards out of the building before adding power and climbing into the deep blue sky.

  Cerise kept her eyes locked on him the entire time until the small craft disappeared over the trees.

  “I don’t think that the two I put down out front knew I was here. I want to grab their identicards on our way out,” the fox said.

  “So where are we headed?” Merlin asked, his expression angry and deadly cold.

  “You two are getting out of here. Seriously, Merlin, I know you can handle yourself, and I know Sam’s well versed in Silloni martial arts, but this is a little different. This is what I do and it’s me they want.” He saw the wolf and Border collie were about to protest until he held up his hand. “Please. I have enough on my plate worrying about Cerise and whatever’s left of my crew. I want you two to get out of here now.”

  Merlin hesitated. He wasn’t the type of individual that left those he cared about in a lurch.

  “If you are my friend,” Elias began, “if you have ever had the slightest feeling for me and Cerise, take Sam and run.”

  The wolf looked at his friend with a scowl. “Damn you, Elias,” he muttered darkly.

  “I know. It’s a cheap shot, but I mean it. Run. I’ll get a hold of you when this is over.” He didn’t wait for an answer and bolted back into the house.

  Elias hated leaving his friends, but he also knew that the wolf was a fiercely loyal individual. And while he may have been a veteran of military service, accepting the offer of help wasn’t something that Elias could bring himself to do. He knew what his odds were of making it out, and if there were others around, they would decrease his chances of survival and he theirs. It was cold, possibly a little heartless, though he comforted himself with the realization that Merlin and Sam were safer away from him.

  The garage attached to the house had a number of vehicles from open topped sports cars and utility vehicles to the latest in personal transport. Right now, Elias wanted something with speed. Sitting at the end of the line of vehicles was a pair of new monocycles that Elias had purchased his last time on Dennier for Cerise and himself.

  The small one-wheeled electric cycles had a built-in gyroscope for stability, and were far more maneuverable and much faster than two wheeled variants. He jumped on the nearest, one that was a glossy black with blue and silver trim and graphics, and disconnected the power feed while sliding a helmet on. He then punched in the activation code, feeling the safety interlocks disengage while the little vehicle began humming and vibrating with the stored charge. Elias tripped the control for the automatic door.

  His captured sub machinegun was on a sling that allowed it to hang down between his right arm and body, putting it close at hand if need be. He had his hand on the grip, his finger resting lightly on the trigger as the door opened. There were no targets, though. The only thing he saw was the back of Merlin and Sam’s car vanishing down the driveway. Elias let the weapon drop back down and gave the monocycle enough power to roll it out of the garage.

  He set the brake and moved quickly to the bodies, riffling through the pockets of both intruders, grabbing cash and identicards and stuffing them into his coat pockets before trotting back to the cycle, his eyes continuously looking around for other threats. Elias had just swung his leg over the saddle when he heard the sound of squealing tires and what sounded like gunshots.

  Swearing furiously, he released the brake and twisted the accelerator, leaving a black mark on the cement in front of the garage before he shot off after Merlin and Sam. Elias passed the gate and leaned heavily to his right, taking the turn at the end of the driveway almost too fast, the bottom of his leather coat dragging on the ground while the tire squealed on the pavement. Less than a quarter mile ahead he saw a small ground car hot on his friends’ tail. Someone in the passenger seat was leaning out of the window taking shots with a pistol.

  Righting the cycle, Elias increased the amount of power from the batteries to the electric motor. With an almost wide open throttle and a quick juke to the left, the fox brought himself up to the back left corner of the trailing car. His hand found the grip of the slung SMG, and with the range so close, and the target so near he didn’t bother with sighting. Elias’ finger squeezed the trigger and he felt the weapon jump in his hand as rounds spat from the barrel in short staccato claps and tore into the rear tire and body of the car.

  The tire was made of foam filled synthetic rubber, but it hadn’t been designed to withstand the punishment of the small copper jacketed projectiles that chewed into it. It flung chunks of rubber casing and foam core, the process aggravated by centrifugal force before catastrophic failure threw the ring of material under the car and dropped the bare rim and hub motor on to the paving in a shower of sparks.

  Likewise, the thin panels that comprised the body of the car weren’t meant to act as armor and the sub machinegun punched neat little holes in the green plastic. Elias continued to squeeze the trigger as he moved forward. He watched as the cheetah in the driver’s seat flinched and jerked as bullets passed through the car door and into his body.

  Even as the cheetah died, a final spasm of his muscles depressed his foot on the accelerator of the car as he leaned to the right. The combination of speed, sudden course change and the damage to the rear wheel surpassed the limits of what the car was designed for. With a screech of rubber and metal, the car slewed sideways before Newtonian physics took over and caused the vehicle to flip and roll, slinging debris in several directions at once.

  Without waiting to see what happened next, Elias let the weapon drop back to his side and sped forward. He drew up alongside Merlin and Sam and saw that both were shaken but all right. Merlin looked angry, but gave the fox a vicious grin and nod. The fox returned the nod and gave a mock salute. Dropping his hand back to the handlebar, he added more power and pulled away, topping almost one hundred miles per hour before he’d gotten three blocks.

— NEXT CHAPTER —

Unless otherwise noted, all material © Ted R. Blasingame. All rights reserved.