Elemorts

Chapter VIII - Crossfire

"Are you in charge here?" asked Zablaron.

"Get out of here while you're alive." The commander trained his blaster at Zablaron.

"Look." Zablaron raised his hands up. "I'm here to make a deal. I can buy off a large share of the merchandise on that spaceship." Zablaron motioned with his head over the man's shoulder toward the Knight and Steed at the far end of the ramp, approaching like a lumbering giant.

"It's not for—"

"Name the price you are currently being paid. And name the people. I'll double whatever they're paying you for your... operation."

The commander did a double-take. "Quinn, Briar, take him inside... find out what he knows."

"You want to know why I know what I know?" Zablaron said snidely as two men started for him. "Because you are pathetic at doing your jobs. You let the custom's officer in on your little operation. Now he's trying to find the highest bidder for those weapons in there."

The men seized Zablaron by the arms. "I'm not the only one who knows. But I do know others who know," Zablaron growled.

The commander put up a hand. "Wait. Stop."

The men loosened their grip on Zablaron, who yanked his arms away.

"And oh, a truck passed us by a while ago. The worker driving it? Guess what? Not a worker," Zablaron said with a shrug. "You guys really suck at your job."

"We'll riddle him full of bolts if he dares come this way," the commander said matter-of-factly. "Now, who the heck are you, and who else knows?"

The spattering was turning into a drizzle by now. The hangar roof amplified the sound as the drizzle pelted at it while Zablaron's vision was getting hampered by the raindrops collecting on his wearisome spectacles.

"I'll tell you if you take me to whoever's payroll you are currently on. Where do you smuggle those—"

"Answer my question!" the commander lashed out as he pointed his blaster right at Zablaron's head.

I need to choose my words carefully, Zablaron thought as he pushed the water back from his hair.

Jayrock turned on the wipers on the windshield. It was becoming increasingly difficult to see through the gloom and the rainfall with the headlights turned off for discretion.

As the wipers rhythmically rubbed against the screen, Jayrock felt his transceiver vibrate again. He took it out and pressed a button.

"Heads up, Captain." Gylith's voice came from the other end. "There's another spacecraft bound for the hangar. Stop wherever you are."

Jayrock applied the brakes, and the truck screeched to a halt. "What?"

"It's coming this way, and if they park it in front of our freighter, we won't be able to get it out of the hangar. We need to wait until it leaves, Jayrock."

"Wait? They have killed innocent people, Gylith! They will kill more if we wait any longer. Besides, they still haven't let our freighter go. Who knows how long they will keep this one? We don't have time. We can be discovered at any moment."

"Well then, what else can we do? If you blow up the fuel tanks now, it will be useless if the freighter is trapped."

Jayrock banged his fist against the steering wheel in frustration. The truck let out a deafening honk. He sat still for a moment in the cabin, gazing into the rain. Sandywick means for me to fail or to die after succeeding, Jayrock thought. I can't let him have the pleasure of seeing me fail.