XXXI - Peacekeepers

The hovercraft hit the lake waters on its belly. Less speed and a more obtuse angle would have been Kamon's preference, but to bring the craft to the lake at all had been nothing short of a miracle. The underbelly of the vessel caved in upon impact. Parts of the craft were torn apart. It heaved and rolled violently across the surface of the lake, splashing and spraying up water. It finally paused momentarily on its side, then began sinking rapidly.

Inside, though pummeled by water, Kamon remained conscious. The windows of the cabin shattered immediately upon impact. He closed his eyes and lowered his head at an opportune moment. He felt tiny bits of glass dig into his skin. The vessel rolled and rolled and rolled....and finally stopped. Dizzy and disoriented, he looked to his right. Jasmine was moving! She was alive!

Water engulfed them, pouring in upon them with breathtaking speed. The craft sank in a matter of seconds. Kamon pulled a handle beneath him. His seat was forced up and to the side by a spring. An object emerged. He shoved it in the direction of what had once been the cabin windows. It was a life raft. If it was undamaged, it should inflate and float to the surface.

Kamon unbuckled his seat belt and reached through the water for Jasmine. Their hands found each other. Good! He tried to open his eyes and see but the water was murky. He grasped Jasmine's hand tightly and with his free hand, he groped for a way out.

The craft was sinking ever deeper, headed for the bottom of the lake, and they were going with it.

Finally, Kamon found an opening and he slipped through it. Jasmine went with him. He maintained his tight grip on Jasmine's hand; he would die before he let go.

They headed upward through the water, speeding their ascent with their arms and legs. The absence of air was beginning to tell on Kamon. His lungs were screaming for oxygen.

Finally, they broke the surface of the water, their heads like two corks popping up and bobbing. Kamon took in air and treaded water. He looked around for the life raft. There it was! About thirty feet away and fully inflated!

"The raft!" Kamon sputtered to Jasmine. "Can you make it?!"

"Yes!" she answered. Jasmine seemed to be treading water easily. "You can let go of me."

The two began swimming for the raft. Jasmine swam as easily as Kamon. Once there, Kamon helped her in. He quickly followed.

Kamon immediately began paddling for shore with his hands. The small paddle that should have been attached to the raft was gone. It would be slow going like this. Still, they were lucky they had a raft at all. And the shore was lined with heavy brush and small trees. That was good.

He glanced around and upward. Then he saw it. The X-49 was coming down! Looking for a place to land! He paddled furiously. Jasmine leaned over the edge of the raft on the opposite side and joined in.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ First Commander Agon peered through the cabin window of the X-49, searching the waters of the lake. Her eyes caught the raft, then the bodies in it. "I think he made it!" she exclaimed, a bit in awe. A moment later, "They both made it!.....Land!! Land!!" she ordered excitedly. "They're headed for shore!! We can't let them get away!!"

Captain Pescus eyed the terrain, looking for an appropriate spot to set down.

"Land near that shore he's headed for!!" Agon commanded, impatient with the delay.

"I'm sorry, commander," Pescus replied, "but I can't. There's trees and brush there. We need some room to set down."

"Aaagghh!!" Agon voiced his frustration. She couldn't let him get away! "Then land in a clearing that gives me a line of sight to his raft! I'll shoot him!...And Jasmine!"

Waiting for the X-49 to land seemed like an eternity to Agon. Kamon and Jasmine were paddling by hand to shore while the first commander could do nothing but wait. Shortly before the craft set down, Agon grabbed a stinger rifle and assembled his company next to the door. Only the pilot and co-pilot would remain on board. "Open it as soon as we touch down," he commanded Ensign Notus. "Lieutenant Scido, I want all the women to follow me. Everyone will be armed, but no one will fire unless I give the order. Is that clear?"

"Yes, commander," Scido nodded crisply.

Agon wanted Kamon for herself, if at all possible. She wanted to claim the councilman as her trophy.

A moment later the door was opened and lowered. "Let's go!" Agon shouted as she raced down the steps.

Some dense brush still hid Kamon and Jasmine from her view. She swore softly and raced through a stand of trees and up a hill. That idiot Pescus! She had said a clearing! Land in a clearing!

First Commander Agon topped the hill and emerged from the trees. She now had a clear view of the lake. Kamon and Jasmine! In clear sight! She had them!

Agon raised the stinger rifle to her shoulder and peered through the scope. She quickly had Kamon in her sights. A fair distance, but Agon was an excellent markswoman. For her, this was an easy shot. First Commander Agon smiled. She was about to bring home a councilman, a defiler of the Fraus faith. A promotion to Second General Agon would be soon in coming!

Agon felt the cold metal barrel press against her left temple just before the command was given. "Freeze." The voice carried a strange accent.

A very puzzled and surprised Commander Agon glanced in the direction of the gun barrel. "Wha--? Who are you?"

"We're the peacekeepers," the dark-skinned woman responded pleasantly. A slight smile played on her lips. She did not remove the gun barrel from Commander Agon's temple.

Agon looked around further. There were six more women in uniform with skin as dark as the woman beside him. All their weapons were trained on Commander Agon's company. Her people were surrounded. Indignation came quickly to Agon. "I'm First Commander Agon of the Marmot State Security Agency! You're interfering in the official pursuit of a prisoner who has escaped from Ingraham Memorial Temple Prison!"

The dark-skinned woman in uniform seemed unimpressed. "That's nice." Her voice turned serious. "Now lower your weapon."

"You are aiding and abetting in the escape of blasphemers!!" Agon charged angrily. "Defilers of the Fraus faith!! I can have you all executed!"

"Lower your weapon NOW!" There was no longer a hint of humor. It was a command, and the stranger was deadly serious.

The commander of the strange company was prepared to fire, would fire if there was not immediate compliance. Agon was convinced. She reluctantly lowered her weapon.

The stranger took the stinger rifle from Agon. "Order your women to lay down their weapons as well."

Agon hesitated.

The dark-skinned commander shoved Agon's head with her gun barrel. "I am not used to giving orders more than once." Her voice carried some irritation. "I have been lenient with you. But you try my patience!"

"Lay down your weapons!" Agon ordered.

The women in her company did so. They were quickly scooped up by the strangers.

The foreign commander finally removed her gun from Agon's temple and stepped back. She at last seemed satisfied.

"Who are you?" Agon groused. "What are you doing here?"

"We're doing nothing." The strange commander's voice was pleasant once more. "We're here to make sure everyone does nothing." She smiled. "Have a pleasant day, Commander." The smile vanished. Her voice turned coldly sober. "Don't come back to this hill again...not armed."

Then the seven dark-skinned commandos vanished into the trees and brush as quickly as they had come. On this day, the Muhoj of Kefar had added considerably to their legend and mystery.

First Commander Agon turned and watched Kamon and Jasmine in the distance paddling to shore. She swore openly. "Let's get back to the ship!" she finally spat in disgust.

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First Commander Lanhart of the Muhoj paused her unit in a clump of trees. They had a full view of the lake. It would be a while longer before Kamon and Jasmine reached shore.

"What now, commander?" Lieutenant Deceto asked.

"Now?" Lanhart repeated the question, her eyes still on the lake. "Nothing."

"But there are probably more weapons on the X-49," Deceto pointed out. "The Marmots will rearm."

Lanhart smiled. "They won't come back here, though."

"They'll take off and land somewhere else," Deceto said. "They'll keep after Jasmine and the councilman."

Lanhart nodded. "I expect they will."

"Will we take off as well?" Lieutenant Deceto asked.

"No, we will not," Lanhart answered. "The Marmots will have an eye over their shoulders now, looking for us. During take-off, our craft would be spotted. We cannot risk detection of the Z-42 stealth hovercraft in a foreign country. Councilman Kamon is on his own now. We will see how well he really does know these mountains.....and how resourceful he can be."

END OF CHAPTER