Nocturne’s Reaping® : Prelude
Chapter 26
The instructions had directed them to wait for a call before heading to their destination. The actual attack order would be given sometime after they were in the air. Lark had already plotted to be as close to her real target as she could be when the attack order was given — while still being in the prescribed airspace. Still, it might be obvious she was a bit off-center of her course. Lark figured this was the most dangerous time. If Leader Monrage noticed this peculiarity, he might grow suspicious. He might try to communicate with her, or he might just assume the worst and sick another ship on her. That could make things difficult.
Lark decided to get to the location where Monrage’s prearranged course was the closest to her own course as slowly as possible. Then, she would hope that the attack order would come soon after, for that was the moment she and her crew would break away and head for the real target. Once the attack order was given, Lark hoped the other ships would be too caught up in their own missions to worry about her right away. It was a hard balance to maintain. Lark didn’t want the other cruisers to attack her immediately, but she also didn’t want them to ignore her completely either. Lark desired to stop the coup, and yet she was hoping to be enough of a distraction to minimize the damage the other ships could do to the colony. Still, if all the other ships came after her right away she and her crew would surely be destroyed before they could destroy the weapons. In the end, no matter how it went down, it would be up to Owen to get them where they needed to go and away afterward. Then, at 1730 it came: the call. Lark sat up in her chair.
“Okay, Captain Smithson, take us up. And remember — try not to make it too obvious.”
“Will do.”
Owen took his chair and began to pilot. As much as Lark had learned, she couldn’t touch the skill that Owen possessed. Lark was grateful; she wasn’t sure she could pull off his part.
After several minutes, Owen announced, “We’re getting close to the time we need to veer off.”
“Is there any way to delay?”
“If I go any slower, Leader Monrage will probably hail us.”
Lark bit her lip slightly. She started counting in her mind as though she were sure the attack order would be given by the time she counted to ten – only it wasn’t.
“I …” Lark began.
“Green light!” Jensen shouted.
“Captain Smithson, correct our course.” Lark advised immediately. “Head us toward the installation at the second set of coordinates.”
“All right. We’re out of the designated zone, and we’re headed toward the installation.” Owen informed her.
“ETA?” Lark asked.
“Ten minutes.”
A beeping noise came from the console.
“Incoming call from … Leader Monrage.” Jensen stated with dread in his voice.
“Play the static recording.” Lark announced.
“Will do.” Jensen agreed.
“We’ll use it for two more communication attempts. Then, I’ll have to answer.” Lark declared. “Can you listen in on his other transmissions? I want to know who is coming after us and where they’re coming from.”
“Yes, I’ll get on it … there’s no activity … wait. He’s hailing us again.” Jensen acknowledged.
“Two down — one to go. Where are we?” Lark asked.
“Six minutes away.” Owen informed her.
“He’s probably not going to let us get there without a challenge. Where is he?” Lark queried.
“Out of range.” Jensen remarked.
“Who’s in range?”
“Thomas and Smythe …” Jensen replied. “Wait. Monrage is hailing Smythe.”
“And he’s where?”
“Three minutes off, south by southwest.”
“Prepare for evasive maneuvers.”
“Yes.” Owen stated.
“This is it.” Lark announced.
***
Celeste waited for what seemed like forever. The dampness of the night seemed to settle in her lungs and ache there. She wrung her hands but then thought better of it. After all, she had recently had them manicured.
Suddenly, a strange man began to approach her. He was big with large tattoos all over his face. Celeste shrank back against the wall. She had forgotten to ask Frederick what she was supposed to do if someone did show up. Should she call out to Frederick? She looked briefly toward the entrance of the installation. The man seemed to be coming right toward Celeste. She hadn’t signed up for this — to be assaulted by some thug. She had the urge to run but didn’t seem capable of moving her legs. She gritted her teeth instead. The man stopped a few feet away and looked at her in disbelief.
“Do you have Monrage’s payment?” the man demanded.
“Wha — what?” Celeste stammered.
The man looked at Celeste as though she was dense.
“The payment. I’ve come for the payment.” he repeated slowly.
“Oh, yes. The payment. I …” Celeste looked toward the entrance again. Thankfully, this time she saw Frederick coming out of the door with a large, seemingly heavy package weighing down his arms.
“Oh, it’s here! It’s here!!” She pointed at Frederick. The man looked at Celeste skeptically.
“Yeah, I see that. Thanks.”
The man walked around her and stepped towards Frederick.
“This is it?”
“Yes.” Frederick returned.
“Great. Then we’ll have our engineer look over the item.”
“Wait. You take the weapon, and what do we get in assurance?” Celeste demanded.
The man seemed to be angered by that. Even Frederick looked disapprovingly upon her.
“Leader Monrage always repays his debts.” the man mentioned.
“Of course he does.” Frederick consoled. “And I understand this is just a down payment.”
The man still looked annoyed. He reached for the weapon and took it from Frederick.
“We’ll get back to you soon.” the man announced. He turned and left.
Frederick looked back at Celeste.
“What?” Celeste snapped. “He could only need the one. Then where would we be?”
“I just hope that man doesn’t tell Monrage.” Frederick returned.
“Can we leave now?” Celeste pushed.
“Let’s get in the car.” Frederick said while rolling his eyes.
Celeste and Frederick climbed into his car. Moments later, a light rain began to fall upon the windshield.
“Well, aren’t we going back to the house?” Celeste wondered.
“No.”
“And why not?”
“One can’t be in the middle of a coup and hang out at the first place they’d look for you. We have to lie low until this thing is over.”
“If it’s over …” Celeste offered.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Frederick countered.
“It means I’m not sure Leader Monrage is going to come through.”
“That again. You’d rather everything fall apart than be wrong, is that it?”
“Who’s to say I’m wrong?” Celeste glared at him.
“Listen, you talk to me if you have concerns. You don’t question a man like Leader Monrage — let alone behind his back to one of his men.”
“You’re afraid of him, aren’t you?” Celeste accused. “I’m not.”
“Then you’re a fool.” Frederick blasted.
Minutes passed in silence.
“So, why am I even here?” Celeste queried. “What was the point of me standing in front of that installation anyway? There was nothing I could have …”
“Because you’ve been sitting around doing nothing, letting me take all the risks.” Frederick spat.
Celeste looked over at him.
“I can’t believe you. You …” Celeste stammered.
“Be careful what you say. I’m the one with the power here, not you.”
Celeste turned forward and stared at the window as it fogged under her breath. She wondered how she’d be capable of staying in a one-sided relationship like this. She couldn’t imagine letting Frederick call all the shots. What was more, if he wasn’t enamored with her anymore it couldn’t possibly last.
Just then, the phone rang. Apparently, the man who took the weapon from them was confirming that everything checked out, and that the mission was already underway. Frederick thanked him.
After a few more minutes of silence, Celeste asked, “Could we at least drive somewhere else? I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“This is the safest place to be.” Frederick stated.
“Certainly, you know somewhere else we could go?”
Frederick was silent for a moment. Then, he said, “Why yes I do, and it’s not far from here.”
Frederick started up the car then drove a little ways away. Celeste started to stiffen as she recognized the neighborhood. Finally, he stopped in front of the small hovel that she had once lived in with Lark. For a second, she was stunned silent, but then her rage grew.
“What is this supposed to mean?!” Celeste snapped. She turned on Frederick. “Is this what you really think of me?!”
“I just wish you’d show some appreciation for what I’ve given you. You act as though you’re entitled to everything.”
Celeste could feel herself redden as she became flustered.
“And you don’t? Now that you’re getting what you want, you’ve forgotten that?!” Celeste returned.
“You know what … I almost think you’re sabotaging everything, so I’ll have nothing left but you.” Frederick rasped.
Celeste was so angry at that point she couldn’t bring herself to speak anymore; words were not forming into coherent sentences in her mind. As it turned out, it didn’t matter. For at that moment, a large explosion ripped through the space behind them where the installation had been. Celeste gasped as Frederick leapt from the car. Then, he frantically began dialing a number on his phone.
“Let me speak to Leader Monrage. What do you mean he’s busy?” There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. “Leader Monrage? Are you aware you just blew up the installation! Well?!” There was silence once more. Still, Frederick was sure he had heard breathing again after the man who had answered his call left. “Just tell me you’re going to finish our deal. Leader Monrage?”
“Yes?” a hollow voice answered.
Frederick was a bit unnerved.
“Are you going to do your part?”
“No, I think this concludes our dealings.”
“What about your word? It’s your fault the installation was probably destroyed.”
“There’s no probably about it. As for my word … I normally would work something out with you. However, by the sound of it, it seems you don’t trust my word anyway, so why should I honor it? Good-bye.”
There was a dial tone that rang through the air. It was around that time that people began to come out of their homes and into the street to see what had happened. A family even came out of the hovel that Lark and Celeste had inhabited years earlier. Frederick dropped his phone and let it smash upon the ground. He then turned and walked in the opposite direction, away from the installation.
“Frederick! Where are you going?!” Celeste called after him. She slammed her car door. “Is he not going to honor his commitment after all?”
Frederick spun around and glared at Celeste for a moment. Then, he uttered, “I can’t believe I ever thought you were worth it. You’re on your own.”
Frederick turned and walked away again. This time he didn’t look back.
Copyright © Jennifer Alice Chandler 2015
