James Axler – The Mars Arena

“Do Ryan no good, go running out there,” he said.

Krysty gave up the struggle almost at once, anchored in the harsh realities of the situation. It was almost too much for her the visions, the not knowing if they really were the future or if they were just bad hallucinations, the secrets she was keeping from Ryan, and the suspense of what was happening with Dean. She pulled Jak’s hand away and made herself exhale.

“It’s okay,” she said, going back to ground behind the ridgeline, “I’m not going out there.”

“It would be a very brave thing to do,” Doc said sincerely, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“It would be stupe,” Krysty replied. “There’d only be one more person to rescue, and one less to help.”

“Yes,” the old man said quietly. “Dear Krysty, having a care toward our own freedom is how we may best serve our fallen companions.”

Krysty knew that, but it didn’t assuage any of the feelings of guilt that assailed her. She holstered her weapon. Below, sec men surrounded Ryan and carried him to the back of a wag. She watched until she couldn’t see him anymore.

“Follow,” Jak said. “Best make tracks away from here before they see us and come after. Then no one come rescue.”

“We’re going to find them,” Krysty said so there’d be no mistake.

“Yes, dear lady,” Doc agreed, “we shall. And it appears we have at least some time on our hands. The Big Game in Vegas is not until six more days.”

But Krysty also knew transportation would be a problem. The wags could go much faster than they could. Crossing the desert on foot to Vegas would be almost impossible. Even if they made the distance, and on time, they’d be in no shape to help anyone.

“Gaia, help me find a way,” Krysty prayed. She followed Doc, while Jak kept point, motioning to Bernsen to keep up with him. They weren’t followed.

“GOT THREE OF THEM,” Wallis Thoroughgood said, gazing into the back of the wag where the three captured outlanders lay caged and still unconscious.

LeMarck gazed around the battlefield. Everything was a flurry of activity as the sec teams secured their gear, tended to the few wounded and made what repairs were necessary to the wags. Two of the vehicles appeared destroyed. The first had been set on fire by the one-eyed man, and the resulting explosions had killed four men and burned the wag badly. He’d given the order to drain the surviving tank and leave the wag behind.

The second wag was lost when a group of muties had rolled a huge boulder at it while it had been going down the hillside. The boulder had smashed into the wag and buckled the vehicle’s frame and drivetrain, flipping it onto its side. The driver’s side had been buried in the sand, and it would have taken too much time to attempt a recovery of the saddle fuel tank on that side, so only the one on the passenger side had been tapped.

Both of the wags were being jettisoned. They didn’t dare try to haul them across the desert because it would have reduced their top speed if they were attacked. And pulling them would have increased gas consumption, as well as announcing to the other barons that they’d undergone a hardship.

LeMarck looked at the three captured outlanders. “There are still three of them out there.”

“I know it,” Baron Hardcoe said, running a hand across his broad face. “But how many men is it going to cost us to try to dig them out?”

LeMarck nodded.

“Cut our losses here,” Hardcoe said. “Three of them, from what I’ve seen, are going to tip the odds in our favor in the Big Game. Mebbe we ought to be satisfied with that much.”

“All six would have been better,” LeMarck remarked.

“I think so, too. But we got three. Let’s work with that.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get your men ready,” Hardcoe instructed. “I want to shake the dust from this place in ten minutes or less.”

LeMarck went to see that it was done, but he ordered men to keep an eye on the ridges around the area just in case. And he could always hope the other three would find a way to follow them. If they arrived in Vegas before the representing teams were dropped into the pit, they could be added. The thought gave him hope.