James Axler – Deathlands 35 – Skydark

When they neared the entrance to the redoubt, they slowed. It was always possible that they had been seen and that Kaa had left an ambush behind for them. They advanced in leapfrog fashion up to the bunker that housed the redoubt’s double entrance doors.

The doors were open.

Ryan went in first, his G-12 up and ready. He found die passageway empty except for the Mitsuki Meatball, which stood where they had abandoned it two nights before. Ryan closed the distance to the armored personnel vehicle on a dead run, then peered around its rear end. He saw nothing-no rear guard, no sentries. He waved for his friends to come up.

As they rounded each right-angle turn of the passage, they prepared to face the enemy. At each turn they saw only empty space leading up to the next zig in the road They paused about three-quarters of the way down the twisting ramp to catch their breaths from the half mile of consecutive wind sprints.

“What do you think Kaa’s up to?” Mildred asked.

“There’s only one thing here that could interest him,” Ryan said, “and that’s the mat-trans chamber.”

“So, he’s going to take his Apocalypticon and jump the hell out of here?” J.B. asked.

“Wouldn’t you?” Ryan said. “He’s got no more army, so he can’t go after the other barons around here. In fact he’s got so few troops that he’d be pretty easy pickings for even the weakest of them. I’d say he’s going back where he came from, wherever that is, to regroup, to lick his wounds. Mebbe to build up his forces again.”

“It seems what you’re saying,” Doc said, “is that we can expect to run into the piebald man again.”

“Exactly,” Ryan replied. “He came real close to getting everything he wanted out of Willie ville. If it hadn’t been for J.B.’s pyro cocktail, he’d be on his way to Byrum ville by now, with his army intact. Mebbe even bigger, if the slaves joined up. This Kaa’s no stupe. You can bet he knows that he missed the gold ring by about a whisker and a half. Next time he won’t be making the same mistakes.”

“And if he raises another army of stickies,” Mildred said, “we could be looking at the same trouble all over again.”

“It’s not ‘if,’ Mildred,” Ryan said, “it’s ‘when.’ Because as sure as we’re standing here, he’s already thinking up how he’s going to pull it off.”

“We got to stop him cold, then,” J.B. stated. “That’s what I intend on doing,” Ryan told him.

“Get our friends back safe, and then chill the rad-blasted bastard once and for all.”

They moved forward again, and kept on moving down the ramp until they came to the entrance of the first level of the redoubt Ryan gestured for them to stay back behind the edge of the opening. He poked his head out for a look-see and jerked it right back.

“Stickies,” he whispered “Lots of them. Over by the elevator. We might have to chill them to get to it**

“Shh,” J.B. said, “Hear that noise? It’s the elevator. They got it running again.**

Ryan peeked around die corner. When the elevator doors opened with a chime sound, he was pretty sure who had got the machine going again. Jak stepped out of the car and said something to the stickies that Ryan couldn’t make out The stickies weren’t looking at the teenager, they were concerned about the huge lion that stood behind him. Jak waved for the stickies to join him in the car and they did so, staying as far away from the lion as they could get The elevator doors closed, and the arrow indicator over the lintel lit up and pointed down.

Ryan stepped out of the shadows. The first level was deserted now. There was nothing to stop them from crossing it on a run. When they arrived at the elevators, Ryan told them what he’d seen.

“Young Jak gone over to the enemy?” Doc said with dismay. “That’s a development that pains me sorely.”

“No doubt about it, Doc/* Ryan said. “He fixed the elevator. He was running it for the stickies.**