A Silence Heard (11 page)

She was on her knees, head bent, rocking back and forth. Wirt hurried to her side. Eadgard pushed away a shrieking guard that lay on top of him and stood. It did not take him long to see Kendra, and he raced to where she knelt. Both he and Wirt pulled her up and led her to where I stood. Her face had taken some of the force and was embedded with nasty slivers of metal. I gulped hard at he sight of her perfect features all torn and bloody, and moved my eyes from the sorry sight, only to see the motionless figure of Marcellus on the floor.

I felt a soft touch on my arm and turned my attention back to Kendra, who stood opposite me, pale and trembling. I bit my lip. She patted my hand and said, “Do not look so sad my dear. The injury is not so bad. Now, aim that thing again and fire until all are dead.”

My eyes were clouded with wet, but I did what she asked, pressed two more buttons and fired. This time, a flurry of nails escaped along with a vast net that shot into the air then landed on top of all the guards. The nails slammed into the edges of the thing, so that all were pinned beneath it. Not much of a weapon I thought, and threw it to the ground. Still it did the trick and kept them trapped all blubbering and moaning. Weaklings that they were.

“Tend to your cherished friend,” Kendra said.

Eadgard took my arm and together we walked to where Marcellus lay. I knelt by his side and placed his great mitts in mine. I raised them to my lips and kissed.

“Wait long time for that.”

“Marcellus! Alive!” I cried and without restraint, kissed and kissed again his wrists and fingertops.

“Nice, but not so hard,” he said and I released his hands from mine. He opened his eyes and winced.

“Your injuries are serious my friend,” Eadgard said, and knelt beside me.

“We Clonies, heal fast.”

“Maybe, but this wound is from a weapon we have no knowledge of.”

“Help to feet,” Marcellus said and tried to raise himself, but slumped back down.

“No, lay still, you are too much injured,” I said and gently stroked his cheek.

“Must stand. Must leave. Cannot stay here.”

Eadgard stood. “This is true. More guards are bound to come.” He stared around the room and I did too.

The place was strewn with a whole heap of guards squirming underneath the sturdy mesh that trapped them. Some were on their backs, fingers intertwined between the holes in the material, desperately trying to pull it apart. But the webbing proved to be too strong, and their efforts did no more than give them extra wounds to nurse in the form of deep cuts to knuckles and hands. They kept trying though amid moans and grunts of frustration. Eadgard shook his head when one guard nearly sliced his lip off in an attempt to bite through.

He turned to me. “Adara, have you any meds that could help Marcellus or Kendra?”

“Some, not much. Kendra may have more. Attend to her injuries and I will see what goodies I can salvage to somewhat restore Marcellus.”

He nodded and left. I removed my Synthbag and peered at the hole in Marcellus’s chest and saw that it was deep. Much blood had escaped and a tiny flow remained. I rummaged through my bag and could find little that would absorb such a stream of blood, and then I noticed the very things that would. I swallowed back my embarrassment and pulled out four reddy sponges, some steri-wipes and bandages. Marcellus clocked the blood soakers and despite his lack of colour, went a pale pink.

“Use what must,” he said and closed his eyes.

I squeezed a steri-wipe into the hole and used another to clean around the edge of the gash. He stiffened in pain and I caressed the back of his hand. He relaxed a little and as gently as I could, pushed two of the sponges deep into the wound. He gave out a small cry and I discretely wiped away the moisture from his tight-closed eyes. Then I pulled him forward so as to rest against my shoulder, and wrapped the bandage tight around his chest. I searched for a pain relief capsule and found two.

“Here, swallow these. Not much, but if they stave of the cramps that I get each moon pull, then they may in some way ease your great pain too.” He gulped them down and I said, “I must go to Kendra. Will you rest until I return?”

“Yes. Return swiftly.”

I smiled at him and he managed to turn one corner of his mouth up in response. He lay back and closed his eyes. What a sad sight he was. My big heroic Clonie pal, all gashed and weak was more than I could bear. Still, no time for inner angst and self-pity. Others needed my help.

I stood, searched the room for Kendra and saw her lying on the floor by Deogol’s cubicle. No more than an arms length away from Alfred’s unconscious form. I saw the Meeks inside strain their necks to gaze at the scene of carnage before them. My bro-bro’s mouth was pulled tight over his teeth and I saw his chest rise and fall with heavy breaths.

But all had stopped their wide-mouthed screaming.

I stepped over a crumbled Agro bod and another before I reached my friends. Eadgard stood pawing around inside Kendra’s Synthbag, and Wirt sat all stretch-legged on the ground, cradling her head in his lap.

“Adara, good you are here,” Eadgard said and pulled out a small grey bottle. He showed it to me.

“Anaesthetic-spray,” I said.

He stooped and applied it liberally to Kendra’s face. She grimaced then relaxed. I squatted beside her and produced tweezers from my bag.

“I will be as gentle as a kittle with its newborn,” I said and pulled out shard after shard of serrated metal. Kendra winced now and then, but braved all my tuggings until the pieces were gone. When I had finished, she let out a grand sigh and patted my arm.

“Many thanks, my dear. Your Santy trained you well. Eadgard told me of Marcellus. Goodly news indeed. Now, there is a small box containing a med that will help revive both Marcellus and myself,” she said and with Wirt’s help, sat upright.

He stood and rubbed his stiff knees, whilst Eadgard searched her bag, found the box and handed it to her. She opened it and placed a large blue pill into my hand.

“For Marcellus. It is a powerful drug and should abide within his system long enough for us to escape. I hope.”

Eadgard stepped back and turned towards the opening. “No more guards as yet. Be quick Adara.”

I took the tab, jumped over the prone Agro bods and went back to my dear one, who lay as I had left him. At my approach, he gave a thin smile.

“Not gone long, good.”

Ah, how gaunt of face he was. How much I wished for his injury to be gone. With a sigh more for me than him, I knelt by his side, making sure that in said position, I could see the doorway, and gave him the pill.

“Take this. Kendra says it will right you for a time.”

His hands trembled but he managed to hold onto the tab and push it into his mouth. He swallowed hard and in a matter of secs, I saw colour return to his pallid cheeks. He coughed, blinked once then gave me a goodly grin.

“Pill mighty. Help me to stand?”

I held out my arm and he took it. Then carefully pulled himself into a sitting position. “Nearly there,” I said and put my other hand out for him to grasp.

He gripped it tight and with one mighty “Umph!” Marcellus was upright. He wobbled briefly, and then leant against my shoulder. I turned my face to his and as natural as breathing in and out, our lips joined.

No words can describe the thrill of that moment and I would have stayed forever mouth pressed against his like this. The tingle-pleasure spread throughout my loins and skin and I longed to nestle in his arms far away from all this danger. But our plight and that of the Meeks ended our kiss and we slowly parted.

Marcellus took my hand. Thusly finger clenched together we inched our way through the as-dead Agro guards to where Kendra, and Eadgard stood in front of Deogol’s lab room.

Wirt had most of his upper body pressed against the glass and stared at the kiddles that stood facing him, all quiet and still. Kendra was upright and leant against Eadgard’s arm. He held her close and had such a look of concern and fondness upon his face that I wondered if he and she were somewhat destined to be as one. I was pleased to see that she looked all-better, except for the tiny gashes in her cheeks, forehead and chin. I could not help but say, “Kendra, what a recovery. It is as if nowt injured you.”

“Temporary, however,” she said and took Marcellus’s hands in hers. “We thought you quite dead, my dear. It is good to see you restored.”

She stared at his bandage and he pulled his hands away from hers. Wirt turned to us and said, “What is to become of the young ‘uns?” I stood over Alfred and prodded him with my foot. He did not move.

“Not sure. But I do know how and who is responsible for their pain.” I pointed at Alfred. “He controlled their implants with the brocade on his sleeve. Something must be sewn into that emblem, for when he touched it they were stricken one and all. Now that he is immobilised, they are without pain.”

Eadgard went over to Alfred’s broken body. He knelt down and put his cheek next to his mouth then pressed two fingers against his neck to check for signs of life.

“Alive. Just. He will be in need of urgent medical attention. Along with the others trapped underneath that net.”

We turned our attention to the writhing guards. Some had managed to cut through the mesh and were ripping it open.

“Quickly, we must try and save the little ‘uns. We must find a way,” Wirt said and slapped the window. The kiddles backed away.

“The emblem on Alfred’s sleeve. Maybe we can use it? Can you remove it with your knife, Eadgard.”

“It is done, Adara.” He down and pulled out his Leatherman and selected a small pointy blade. Then he lifted Alfred’s limp arm and set about un-picking the stitches that held it in place. I heard sounds of ripping and turned my head. Despite their hideous wounds, the guards were emerging from their prison.

“Quickly Eadgard,” I said.

He pulled off the brocade and handed it to Kendra. She took it between her fingers, pushed out a small metal disc and held it close to her eyes.

“There are two indents that I assume are meant to be pressed. I presume that when they are, electrical impulses are activated inside the implants the young ‘uns have. I do not know for sure. I would have to press the thing to find out. I have little desire to further hurt these mites.”

“If this gadget is the key to their fear, then we may save them yet. If we have it then no one can use it against them and they can leave with us,” I said and took the thing from Kendra. I turned to the window where Deogol and the other captives stood and held it up.

They backed away and I walked nearer. I placed the device against the pane and beckoned my bro to come over. He did so with careful steps, and I gestured for him to press his ear against the glass. I put my mouth close and said, “Deogol, can you hear me?”

He nodded, put his thumb and forefinger together and held them up. Suggesting my voice was small. I breathed in and bellowed, “We may be able to free one and all. We have Alfred’s control thingy, but we need to know what will happen when the indents are pressed.”

Deogol ran to his console, he tapped and tapped then turned the screen to face me. I read his words out loud. “We know nowt of its power. We just know that when he puts a finger to his sleeve, we hurt. We hurt from the inside out. He uses it with much frequency. Headaches linger, as does a sickly feel that spreads like fungus on a rotted log. You must press and see what occurs. I will communicate this news to one and all. We will be prepared. If there is a chance for us to leave then we must take it, Sis.”

I gulped at him calling me sis again, and then turned with a questioning face to the others, whilst Deogol tip-tapped the info to the other trapped kiddles.

“He brave,” Marcellus said. I sighed and nodded my head then stared in wonder as window after window became full of small faces. All touched their red splodges and gave the thumbs up sign.

A guard emerged from the net. Then another.

“Do it, Adara,” Kendra said and squeezed my elbow gently.

I raised the device so all could see and pressed my index finger onto one of the indents. To all our surprises, the insensible guards that lay around us gave out a pitiful moan and began to move. I quickly pressed the other and the kiddles held their heads in their hands and let out a mighty yell. I stopped and they fell silent.

Eadgard grabbed my arm and yanked me towards the lab room. Wirt took Kendra, and Marcellus by the hand and pulled them to the glass. We stood, our backs to the window. Trapped as the once-netted, now free guards, ambled towards us as though unhurt.

I took Marcellus’s hand. It was moist. I felt Wirt squeeze my other hand and he whispered, “We’ll do what we can.”

Pushing Kendra behind him, Eadgard took out his Leatherman and held it out, ready to strike.

Out from amongst the slow stepping guards, a taller than the rest Agro, with high skeletal cheekbones, stepped forward and halted the approaching males by a wave of his hand. He walked to us, stood and peered into my face.

“We must not harm the girl,” he said and turned to his wounded pals. I was dumbfounded at how those that were so injured, could stand there bold and solid despite bleeding from their punctured and torn flesh. The tall, skinny Agro pointed at a wounded guard. “Algernon, attend to master Alfred.”

“With swiftness, captain Aldin,” he said and went all glass-of-eye-like to where he lay. He bent down blood dripping from his lacerated face, and lifted said Agro, as though he were no more than a bub. Aldin stared at Alfred’s bashed bod and wagged his forefinger at us.

“You’ve done it now, you have. Alfred’s one of them. Very high up. Nice try with the gun and all, nearly had us. Nearly.” He looked behind him and we followed his gaze.

Guards.

At least fifty or more advanced like a swarm of ants. He turned back and let a lob sided sneer grow upon his sunken-cheeked face.

“You’ll not escape this time.”

Chapter Eleven
 

Agros Play Roughly

The new guards filed into the room all stomp-heavy and snarl of mouth. They stood opposite us and gave out lowbrow looks of menace. I felt Wirt pull me close and I did the same to Marcellus, whilst Kendra held onto Eadgard’s arm.