Taming a Planet (Trapped in Time Book 2) (24 page)

Andy stared at them and after a moment said, “I’m thinking about that.”

He continued to stare at them and the Commander saw the two men sitting beside him start to look at him. They obviously didn’t know what was going to happen either. He endured Andy’s stare for twenty minutes and said, “Please go ahead and kill me now. This pressure is too much to bear.”

Andy smiled and looked at Maxius, “You can stop me if you want.” He turned to Mark and nodded, “You may as well.”

Maxius’ eyes narrowed, “Stop you from what?”

Andy looked at the Commander and said, “I’m going to give you one of your ships and allow you to go back to your home.”

Mark stood up, “Why would you do that!?!”

Andy kept his eyes on the two Destroyer leaders, “I want them to deliver a message to their Commandant.”

Mark stared at Andy and then sat back down. The Commander said, “What message do you want delivered?”

“I want you to tell him that I am coming for him. My warriors have killed all of the troops you sent into the trees and every one you left on board your ships. I really doubt that you have killed any of us. He looked at Mark who said, “Ten were injured by stray bullets.”

“Were any killed?”

“I’m not sure, but no one has been found dead…yet.”

A voice from an archer to the left of the group said, “One of us was killed when a tree fell on him.”

Andy looked at the archer, “Any others?”

“No, all of us except for Chang are fine.”

Andy looked back at the Commander, “Tell your Commandant that I am personally going to end his life.”

Maxius looked at Andy, “Is this worth doing?”

Andy shrugged, “I’ve thought about this for the last hour and I’ve asked myself two questions.”

“Which are?”

“Would killing them accomplish anything more than what we’ve done?”

“And?”

“Is there anything I could use them for? I want that Commandant to know what we did.”

“You’ll only be warning him.”

Andy looked at Maxius, “It’s worth the fear it would cause him.”

Mark looked at Maxius, “It would probably cause him to gather his forces to defend him.”

Maxius nodded and after a moment said, “Which would probably slow down his attacks on other humans.” Maxius looked at Andy, “Is that what you’re thinking?”

Andy’s mouth turned into a sneer, “No, I just want to get his attention. Those are other benefits to doing it but they aren’t what makes me want to do this.”

“How do you know they’ll go back?”

Andy smiled, “We will remove every weapon from the ship we give them. If they can go ashore without weapons and survive the predators, more power to them. They’ll go home because they know I mean it.”

The Commander looked into Andy’s eyes and saw something that frightened him to his core. His people were in great danger. Andy saw the realization in the Commander’s eyes and smiled, “You’re right.”

The Admiral saw the danger as well but he handled it another way. His eyes glazed over and he started mumbling, “We’re all doomed. We’re all doomed.” He continued the litany all the way back to the ship and the crew finally threw him overboard a week later.

Suddenly, the wind stopped blowing and everyone looked around. Andy now knew he was making the right decision. Six of the Destroyer Warriors stood up in their ranks and the one who dropped his rifle first said, “Is it possible that we could stay with you? We will be your slaves if you won’t send us back to that nation of beasts.”

Andy looked at the warrior and saw something in his eyes. He waited in silence for others to join them…but none did. He looked at the warrior and smiled, “You are welcome to join us. We don’t take slaves. There is only one exception we made to that rule.” He looked at the Commander, “The ship Commander of that scout ship is the only slave we’re ever taken. I’ll give him your regards.”

The Commander now knew the depth of the danger facing his people. When he sailed a ship away having no idea how the man had managed to take the entire fleet without anyone on shore seeing what happened; that lack of knowledge would haunt him all the way home.

Andy stood and looked at Mark, “Send someone out to the ships and send a boat to pick up the ones moving up the beach. They can return home on the ship.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I think the two of you can handle everything from here. I’m headed back home.”

Mark and Maxius looked at Andy as he walked off the beach to the cheers of thousands of archers. The Commander watched him go and would have asked to stay with those six warriors…but his family was not safe if he did. He looked at the thousands of warriors surrounding him and they stared disappearing. He had no idea how many still remained around him but knew he wasn’t going to do something stupid to find out. He knew he heard thousands of cheers in the trees of warriors that had not revealed themselves.

• • •

Mitchell saw the ships to the south and saw a glider leave one of them. He held up his hand and the small group stopped. He sat down and waited as the others sat down with him. Melody looked at him, “Why are we stopping?”

“A flier is coming toward us from the ship.”

“A what?”

“Put your head covering on and you can see it.”

Melody pulled the head cover out of her front pocket and put it over her head. She gasped as she saw the glider moving over the water toward them, “YOU CAN FLY?”

Mitchell nodded. Jonathan arrived ten minutes later and landed on the beach. Mitchell stood and looked at him with a serious expression. Jonathan smiled, “The battle is over. We’ve taken all the ships and all of their forces onshore have been eliminated.”

Melody was stunned by the statement. She removed her head cover and Jonathan was struck speechless. She looked at him and said, “What?”

John looked at Mitchell

l, “Has Andy seen her?”

Mitchell sighed, “He has.”

John started shaking his head, “I know it had to hit him hard.”

“It did.”

Melody remained silent and John turned to her, “I am sending a boat here to take you to my ship. We’ll take you back to our home on board.’

“I think I’ve seen enough of ships.”

“Well, until you can learn how to fly, you’ll have to go with us.’

“Do you mean I can learn how to do this?”

John smiled, “Yes. However, I need to get you on board so we can leave.” John turned to Mitchell, “Andy left ahead of everyone else.”

Mitchell sighed, “I imagine he needs some time alone.”

John nodded, “I imagine you’re right.”

Melody knew they were saying that he needed time away from her. She looked out at the ships and saw a small boat moving toward them. She thought about the one called Andy and wondered if she was going to be welcome if she caused him so much pain. She would wait and see. She wanted to hear about her sister and the voyage would give her time to find out what had happened.

• • •

Andy flew north and rode the thermals inland and the wind blowing over the cliffs without thinking about it. Flying was second nature and the effort was relaxing. He looked down at the land below and saw an abundance of large and small dinosaurs. The Pteranodons flying around him were focused on the ground below for a meal. Andy turned the glider and followed one inland for several miles and saw the remains of a Triceratops. The T-Rex that killed it was lying down in the edge of the forest sixty yards away and other predators would not challenge it for the meal. The Pteranodons were different. They were swooping in low along the ground using the tall body of the dead herbivore to hide their approach. They were pulling chunks of meat from the carcass. Two of them screamed at each other and spoiled the meal for the rest. The T-Rex jumped to its feet and charged over. The Dons scrambled away and took to the air. The T-Rex roared its fury and took several more large bites out of the carcass.

Andy was amazed that the Pteranodon he followed had smelled the dead Triceratops from so far away. He turned back north and watched the life and death struggle of the creatures that inhabited the planet taking place below him. It never stopped. He thought about Harmony and missed her so much his chest cramped. He wept for her loss and when there were no more tears he slept while flying. It wasn’t real sleep. He occupied the realm that exists between consciousness and sleep. He would feel the glider change course and he would wake just enough to keep it over the cliff and moving north. His brain somehow knew true sleep was dangerous and it served up what he needed to get by.

He passed the curve in the river where he and Dinah had crossed on his exile and he smiled at the skills of his Cursor. He had not taken her out in a long time. He decided to do just that when he arrived home. Dinah deserved the attention. The wind was not howling like when Dottie had brought Harmony home or when the Destroyers were killed, so it took him eight days to make the journey back. The archers didn’t arrive for another twelve days. They stopped and landed on the cliff each night and slept. Maxius and Mark knew that Andy was a long way ahead of them and they worried about his mental state; they hoped he could let Harmony go. By the time they arrived home, he was gone.

• • •

Andy landed inside the walls of the community and Harvey came running out to greet him. “How did it go!?!”

Andy was folding up the glider and packing it up. He looked up at Harvey, “We captured every ship and killed every warrior they sent on shore.”

“And our losses?”

“One of our warriors was killed by a falling tree. Several more were injured.”

Harvey stared at Andy for a moment and then said, “Are you being honest with me?”

Andy stood up and nodded, “I am. It went off much better than I thought it would.”

“What about Harmony’s sister?”

Andy suddenly realized that he had not thought about Melody once during the flight back from the battle. He shook his head wondering what that meant. Andy blew out a breath and raised his head to look Harvey in the eyes, “We saved her as well. She’s coming back on one of the ships.”

Harvey stared at Andy and saw something, “What bothers you about that, Andy?”

Andy looked at the ground and shook his head, “Harvey, she is an identical twin. She is identical to Harmony.”

Harvey shook his head, “Surely there is some difference? Most identical twins have something about them that allows you to distinguish between them.”

Andy gave a small snort, “If there is, I was unable to see it.” Andy suddenly realized why he had not thought about Melody; it caused him too much pain. His mind was protecting him. He shook his head and looked at Harvey, “I also put their leaders on one of the ships we captured and sent them back with a message to their leader.”

Harvey tilted his head, “What message did you send?”

“That I was coming to kill him.”

Harvey stared at Andy and said, “Do you think that was a good idea?”

“It seemed so at the moment.”

“You know he won’t wait for you to come to him?”

Andy looked at Harvey and shook his head as he laughed out loud. “Harvey, you are the only one that saw that happening. I’d rather take on their forces in my territory than on theirs. Maxius and Mark didn’t see that.”

“That’s why you’re a better leader. When will the others arrive home?”

“Probably within two weeks. They’re cleaning up after the battle.” Harvey’s eyes narrowed. Andy turned toward his quarters dreading going to a home that Harmony would never be in again. “I’m going to take Dinah out for a ride in the morning. I’ll be taking some provisions for a long trip.”

“How long?”

Andy stopped and looked back at Harvey, “As long as it takes.”

Harvey saw Andy’s expression and said, “I need you to stop by and see me before you leave.”

“Why?”

“You’re not the first one. Perhaps you need to hear what the first one had to say.”

“What?”

“Stop by before you leave.” Harvey turned and walked up the slope toward the cave. Andy stared at him and struggled with whether or not to do as he asked. But, then he decided that Harvey deserved his respect. He sighed and looked at his home outside the main gate; He stood outside for an hour before he could force himself to open the door.

• • •

A priest came in the cave entrance and went to Harvey’s room, “Andy is waiting outside for you.”

“What time is it?”

“The sun is just half way over the horizon.”

“Tell him to wait for a moment; I’ll be right out.”

• • •

Andy sat on Dinah and felt her excitement at being ridden. It had been too long. He wondered what Harvey had meant the other day and he stayed in the saddle calming Dinah as he rubbed her neck. The loud moan could be heard a hundred yards away. Harvey came out carrying a dark pouch. Andy’s eyes narrowed as Harvey walked up and said, “This pouch is waterproof; I want you to take it with you.”

“What’s in it?”

“You’ve been reading what the original Andy has written. You haven’t read this book.”

Andy took the pouch and stared at it, “What book is this?”

“It’s the journal he kept.”

“WHAT?”

“He kept a journal from the first day he arrived. I think you need to read it.”

Andy looked at the pouch and shook his head, “This is too valuable to be allowed out of the cave.”

“Then make sure you bring it back!”

Andy looked at Harvey and hesitated…then he stuck out his hand. Harvey took it and his eyes twinkled as he said, “Be careful, my friend.”

Andy smiled and turned Dinah toward the gate. Harvey watched him until he turned the corner and disappeared. He looked up at the sky and shook his head, “Help him find peace. If anyone deserves it…he does.”

M
elody sat at the front of the ship and watched the waves breaking over the bow. She could see large creatures move away from the boat underwater occasionally and knew that most of them were dangerous. She stared at the wake and after a moment she saw the face of the archer’s leader. She kept it in her mind and tried to sense what it was trying to tell her. She closed her eyes and kept the face in focus. After a moment, she felt herself relax and become very calm. She smiled and knew that she had been feeling what Harmony had felt around him. He brought her peace.