I followed her, feeling like I’d had twenty minutes sleep, she said it was more like three hours.

Back by the entrance she whispered, “About ten minutes ago lights came from the main road, then they were shut off, but I heard voices below. They moved off that way.” She pointed to the hill.

I carefully scanned the area using LA and I saw two people sitting on a rock, talking. The image was a little blurry so I sharpened it up. I got the impression of uniforms so they were probably Earthers. It was a while, but they were soon joined by one other from the hill direction. Earl and Fred were right, someone was talking to the Earthers.

After twenty minutes, two more from the hill joined them and I saw animated expressions from all. I was wondering if it had anything to do with our little trouble-making.

Soon it broke up and the Earthers headed back up the road. I soon heard a vehicle start and lights head back toward Fantasia. We recorded it all, but we were too far away to get a lot of detail.

“I have an idea,” I told her. I set up the SAW on its bi-pod and mounted the scope. I told her my plan; she thought I was crazy. “Just follow me as far as you can; if I holler go to TI and pick me up. Shoot anything following, piece of cake.”

“I still think you’re crazy. Be careful, please?”

“Keep the recorder going,” I told her.

I wore the black suit and stripped off everything else. I held one 45; well, I stuck it in the waistband, and crawled into the night. Felt like it took forever to get to the rock I had seen them sitting on. I watched the hill area and saw movement several times—they had guards out.

The area was well worn, they used it often as a meeting point. I spent twenty minutes crawling around and settled on a small tree up behind the rock. I placed the listening device in a small crotch and put a bit of dirt on it, just to tone down its green color. I spent the rest of the time trying to get back unseen. It was actually after sunup before I crawled back into the shaft, to a clearly relieved Tonie.

I told her they obviously didn’t meet during the day, so we’d sleep like before. I placed two listeners out far enough, so we’d be warned.

I finally crawled back to the mattress and was almost asleep as Tonie said, “Night.” She settled in. We slept all that day and into the night when I heard the proximity beeper going off in my earpiece. Waking, I realized it was the one by the rock. Tonie got up and we moved back up front. These were for listening only, so I had no visuals, but the voices being picked up were clear.

“I don’t know if it was that son-of-a-bitchin’ old man or not, but that was a whole damn squad taken out when the hill exploded. We lost most of the pirate group as well. Jim, this sucks, this really sucks. You promised none of your people would be armed and now two of our techs are dead as well.”

“Look, damn it, I told you. Crazy Henry didn’t get his name from being a concerned citizen, and he wasn’t part of our underground, so can the bull. It is not my fault the pirates are incompetent, nor your damn troops. I’m beginning to believe I may be on the wrong side,” the voice called Jim said.

“No, you look,” replied the Earther. I could see him gesturing in the scope, Tonie was watching with the binoculars. “You signed on to this deal fifteen years ago when we funded your wife’s operation, don’t forget it. Eperia hospitals are very expensive and her care cost us a bundle.”

“Ya, ya, can it. I know what ya did and am thankful, I’m just telling you he did it, and he ain’t one of us. Hell, he was crazy enough, he probably blowed himself up too.”

“You better hope so. This isn’t sitting well with the General and his staff. Speaking of which, we want to start full offensive ops against all the HQs you know of. The various pirate groups swear they can make anyone talk, so we can finally dismantle the whole underground and they won’t know what hit them,” he snickered. “I’ll bring the plans by tomorrow night, but we want to start moving in about a month. The Prez wants us on Eperia by the end of winter; he misses me.”

That meant they planned to complete ops here within three months.

“Look, you got 90% of the HQs all mapped now, took us a while to get the reports. You know where each is and what weapons they have. You don’t need us any more so can we leave for Earth as promised?” Jim asked.

“As promised, once the planet is secured. Not before.” I saw him smile and get up—their meeting was over.

I carefully tracked him as he and another walked back to the vehicle, hidden in the tree line by the road It started and the lights came on as it turned and headed back toward the spaceport.

The man called Jim told someone near him, “If I thought I could get away with it, I’d kill that pompous ass.” I heard the other man snicker.

“Wish I had more than a probably on a chance to get back to Earth,” the unknown man said.

“I told you, you’ll go, and Donny too. The rest die of course, but they don’t need to know that.” They moved out of range.

We went to the back of the tunnel. I told her we’d sleep the rest of the night and tomorrow and what I wanted to do.

“And I was the one accused of possibly jeopardizing the mission,” Tonie said.

“He’s high up, be worth it. If I don’t make it, just scat back home and get the info to Fred, he’ll know what to do,” I said.

I was woken up sometime during the day. Tonie asked if I’d scratch her itch one more time. Just in case.

Her itch was really bad. She lay there and cried a bit after. I asked her what I did wrong.

“Nothing, nothing at all, just everything crashing in on me. Family dead, pirates, I shot his balls off on purpose, you know. The four girls killed that way, David, it is all so screwed up, like a really bad dream I can’t get out of.” She sobbed then, kissed me, and I scratched her itch one more time. Then she was up and dressed as if nothing happened.

We waited for dark as we munched some trail mix and jerked meat. At dark she was at the SAW scope. “I am going thermal imaging, John. No excuses, I want to see you.”

I decided it might be the last I ever saw of her and I didn’t feel like arguing. Supposedly they wouldn’t track it, so I just nodded. Finally I kissed her cheek and moved into the dark just as I saw the headlights of the vehicle pulling off the road. It was now all about time.

Tonie kept me posted as the two men moved passed me and on down the trail. I needed to hurry, but waited to be sure they were clear. She said they were, so I went into a crouched run. I found the vehicle, a small car, two passenger type. I found it unguarded so I slipped under it, a tight fit. I took out one of the special grenades Uncle had given us. Like most things, they were modified. I pulled off a strip of cloth and slowly rubbed the two strips of goo under it together. As I felt it get warm I pressed it hard against the gas tank and pulled off a little of the epoxy, which I stuck to the inside of the wheel rim right by it. I stuck the small ring from the wire rope spool into the glue on the wheel and waited until I felt it cool. It was now bonded as strong as the metal. I then removed the rest of the wire from the spool, about four feet. Part of the built-in bobby-trap feature I intended to use.

Apparently it was a short meeting as Tonie said to hurry, they were starting back. I pulled the wire, all but about a foot, through the ring, then applied the little snap as Uncle had showed me, double loop back through it—it couldn’t slip. I unbent the prongs on the pull ring and it was set.

I scooted out from under and slid off the side of the clearing into a muddy ditch as they came back. I was cautious, but quick, as I slithered like a snake into the underbrush. I headed as quick as I dared back toward the mountain as I heard it start up. I dropped as the sky erupted in a fireball and my back was pounded by the shock wave and bits of debris. There was nothing, I mean nothing, larger than a loaf of bread left of that car or them! That grenade was powerful.

I moved further into the night as I heard shouts from the hill. Wasn’t ten minutes and people were walking around and hollering, then a bunch of Searchers came flying up the road. I managed to get back to our tunnel as lights lit the whole area. We pulled the SAW back and I piled some fresh brush near the entrance. Tonie hugged me but said nothing as we moved to the rear of the tunnel.

We listened and recorded; people were upset. A lot of people were upset. Soon we had four cars there. By daylight the place was being given a fine tooth comb. In daylight I managed to get back to the edge for a peek. People were arguing big time. I heard the voice named Jim and got to put a face to it. There was another four armed men with some fancy dressed dude, they called him sir and General. Damn, for that 50 cal now.

Jim was walking around arguing with this guy about it had to be someone at the Earth HQ that rigged it. A Technician, from the white coat he wore, came up. “Confirmed sir, a Mark 16 Experimental grenade. Only us, southern command, and two of Jim’s people have them.”

“Well, the southern command is out, they are down south, that leaves us; nope, don’t think we’d take out our President’s advisor, do you, Jim?” The General asked.

“No, but we wouldn’t either,” Jim said.

“But Jim, you said you’d like to kill him, I got it on tape.” I recognized the voice. His friend he promised a trip to Earth. Jim turned and I am sure was glaring at him.

“That true, you wanted to kill him?” asked the General.

“I was joking and he knows it.” Jim walked up and took the Generals coat lapels. “General, you got to belie—” Poor Jim would never finish his thoughts as all four guards had stuck long bayonets into him and I figured the other guy had secured his trip to Earth.

I saw the General say to the new guy, “If he was here talking to the Representative he couldn’t have set the trap, now could he? No I think not.” As the General walked back to his car the guards removed this guy’s hopes as well. Two more men standing nearby were shot as well. Soon there had to be fifty Searchers scrambling over the hill, firing lasers and missiles.

The last I heard over the listening device from the General, before a missile blew apart the tree, and the guy hiding at its base, was, “Kill them all, bound to get the right one. Prez is gonna be pissed at me, that was his lover.”

Soon the place was a smoking ruins with fifty Searchers scrambling around. Then I heard a rumbling noise and the Searchers were leaving the area. I grabbed Tonie and subbed to her, “Something big is coming, let’s leave.”

In broad daylight we packed out as the ground rumbled a bit. We scooted out and through the brush and trees. Thank god the Searchers had pulled back. We skirted as fast as I dared, back behind the mountain. I got a glimpse of what was on the road, what I had heard—two monster tracks, both packing a big missile. Nukes? Would they use them?

I found a ditch and we now had the mountain between us. I felt the ground vibrate as the missiles took off straight up, then I heard them screaming down—well, the sound was behind. While I heard the screams I saw the two huge blast waves erupt in the sky. Nope, not nukes, mountain busters though. I think they both penetrated deep in the bedrock of the mountain and lifted it up and shredded it.

Among the rumble and shake and the falling rocks, someplace in there I broke my arm. After the earth stopped moving and the world came back into focus I almost yelped in pain. Tonie seemed okay, just limped a little. “Banged my leg is all,” she subbed to me.

“I think I broke my arm,” I told her. Then I heard something I never expected. A voice came over the earpiece, far away, but I recognized it instantly. My uncle.

“Johnathan? Nephew? That you that caused this ruckus? Should have known. Forgot I gave you a couple of those. Damn, we just killed hundreds because of you,” he said.

I looked at Tonie and went shush. She nodded.

“Talk Johnathan, I know it’s you, no one on the planet has those earpieces except you. Your dad is dead, he refused to help. I warned him what would happen fifteen years ago if Earth came. He laughed it off then. He laughs no more. Come out, Johnathan, I know you’re within a five mile radius. I will find you. Come out and maybe I can get you a pass to Earth too, but it will be hard. The Prez did love Wilbert so.”

After a few minutes, he said, “Aha, smart lad, you remember I can track them. Well, I will find you and you will die with the rest of this stinking planet, and all the other upstart bastards that dared go against us, to leave us in our time of need and run away. Yes, you will all pay!” We always felt he was touched, but brilliant, and now I knew.

I took off the earpiece and mike and laid them on a rock. Tonie did the same and we drifted back into fresh woods. She finally made me stop and found the pills. I told her a yellow pill would be fine, we needed to keep moving.

Soon the pain was tolerable as we faded further away. Searchers were all over the place. I found a deep water well, it was dry and small. The single 4×4 cross beam seemed sturdy. I lowered Tonie down with one hand, about 30 feet. She then lowered me down with the rope over the cross piece.

We sat in the soft sand at the bottom and listened to Searchers all over the place. One even flew over the top of the well, but didn’t stop.

Tonie had me grit my teeth as she popped my arm bone back into place and splinted it. “A simple break,” she said, as my tears rolled, but I didn’t holler.

She kissed my forehead and snuggled up as we sat against the stone and waited. The night came, but we didn’t move; Searcher lights were still all over the place. Someone wanted us bad, and I knew who.

Toward dawn the area had pretty much emptied out as they moved their Searchers to other places. So far, in spite of all that had happened, we had still been extremely lucky. I whispered to Tonie, “We spend another day then we need to get the info to Fred.”

We dozed a little all day. Finally the night came. I took the rope and explained to Tonie the best way to get me out. She’d haul me up a little at a time, I would brace my back and feet against the sides, while she rested and re-gripped.

It worked well—she only slipped once, but I was locked in place. I climbed out after checking the area. She then hauled up the packs. I finally tied a bunch of knots in the rope, wound the rope around me, and backed up to a tree and dug in. She slowly climbed out and we were soon on the way.

My splinted arm caused hell trying not to hit things in the night, as we worked our way back to the little cave where we left Henry. No one was there. May be good or bad.

We settled into the back and Tonie was stuck helping me do everything. She brushed the trail out and set camp and we bedded down for the day. We both took a light sleeping pill, as our entire clock system had been messed up. We slept all day and after eating that night we struck out to find Seymour, then, if possible, James’ mother.

It wasn’t Seymour but someone was there. We identified ourselves and waited. Soon the man himself was there. “Hum, still alive? Interesting, I heard they blew the whole mountain to pieces,” he said.

“They did. Broke his arm too,” Tonie said.

“Well, the others made it so I guess ya can come in too.”

“Not staying, just the day, then we are gone,” I told him.

Another mine tunnel. Big one, four shacks inside.

I filled them in on all I knew and told them to warn everyone to arm up and find new locations if possible. The entire underground had been compromised from the top down. He was thoughtful. “Well, we got 12 miles of underground salt tunnels and such here, much not known. We can relocate and I’ll leave a few surprises behind. I won’t tell you anything more, safer.”

I made a big decision. “Look, send a runner here in a week and have them wait. Tell any other HQs or hold outs as well.” I was pointing to a spot on the map. “You got a long-wire transmitter?”

“Of course but we aren’t supposed to use them,” he said.

“I know. Move your people today, set your traps and let me know. I can’t wait, they are going to try to take the underground out without warning. I wish to mess up those plans,” I told them.

“Smart kid, um, John, is it?” he asked.

“Yes.” About then Henry showed.

“My God, you’re both alive! I heard the explosions, thought for sure they, well, never mind.” He smiled as Tonie gave him a hug. His leg was all bandaged up and he was limping, but differently.

“They pieced my leg back together. Good folks here. Both girls have fellas now too.” He grinned big time.

“Great to hear,” Tonie told him. “Now, get everyone moved out while we sleep. Gonna create some more stink tonight.” She smiled and he just nodded his head.

Because of my arm I got a bunk all to myself. Tonie was in the one next to me. We both took a pill and were soon out. During the day the group literally moved a small town— there were now a lot of people involved. When we woke even the bunk house was stripped of usable items, everything was disconnected and ready to move. Nice thing about rock floors, the skids slipped easily along. Putting in new plumbing was a pain, but you can’t have everything.

We talked to Henry and told him our plan. He said it was worth the risk if it saved a few lives, but we were close enough to Fantasia it would be minutes before they were swarming all over this area.

“I know, we were showed two different escape routes out.” I then shook his hand. “Well, you take care. We’ll stop back after the war, I promise.”

Soon he was gone, all were gone, except Seymour.

He shrugged. “Not sure I should say anythin’. Got my butt whipped last time.”

Tonie said, “We were strangers and you endangered your group last time. Now we are friends, it is different.”

“Well, still ain’t sure,” he said, but smiled. “Okay, I take the transceiver when you’re done, and run. When I pass Henry he is going to seal the tunnels and set all the traps. That’s all.”

“Okay then, wait here, grab and run as soon as we say so,” I had told him.

The sonic long-wire transmitter was developed for rock hounds; it was perfect for mining planets. Originally developed to find cracks, fissures, and ore deposits it was found to be an excellent means of communication as well. Sonic waves traveled through the rock of the planet, a long-wire picked up the weak emancipations from the rocks. Dad never fully explained the amplifiers but I knew it worked. I could talk to the other side of the planet if it had a transceiver on.

Since the war we all had them on, some had recorders, others, people listened to. HQ said it would say when to start to fight. Figured I’d let them know.

I turned the transmitter to max sonic output, and waited until the L.E.D. was green. I picked up the mike as Tonie squeezed my hand. “Attention all underground forces, attention all underground forces. Call to arms, call to arms. This is Johnathan Frasier, this is Johnathan Frasier. Uncle Vincent Frasier is an Earth spy, kill on sight. Main HQ compromised by Earth and destroyed. All HQs have been turned out, leave or defend, leave or defend, weapons full, weapons full, leave or defend. Johnathan Frasier out,” I finished, and was about to turn it off when Tonie took the mike.

“This is Tonie Castillo of Nellville—kick their asses! Kill the bastards. Crazy Henry sends his love to all.” She smiled, everyone heard of Crazy Henry.

As I got ready to turn it off there was suddenly chatter all over. Most were things like “Understood compromised,” or, “About time!”

I turned it off. Seymour ripped it apart and boxed it and was at a dead run. I took Tonie’s hand and we moved as fast as the packs and my arm would let us, but we were a lot faster than when we started.

We made the two right turns we were showed, then the single left into the narrow tunnel—it led to a very narrow crack where we had to take the packs off. It supposedly led to a crack in the mountain out the west side so we’d have to travel back around but it was believed all the north and east would be well guarded.

As I neared the entrance I held a 45 and was dragging the pack along as I squeezed through the opening. I finally was out on the ledge and just started to turn around when the bright light of a Searcher turned on in my face. It had been parked there, so I didn’t hear it.

The 45 barked twice and it was no more, but I knew we were compromised. We re-entered the crack and we headed back as the explosions deep inside started going off. We were trapped. I made it back out to the crack face, it was about a ten foot drop to the ground. I dropped the pack, then Tonie’s, and I held her with my good arm and lowered her. She jumped the remaining few feet.

I tossed her my 45 and crouched as low as I could and dropped. I slammed my bad arm but it had healed enough it wasn’t too painful. We snatched up the packs and ran for the woods. I heard Searchers coming from all directions.

We dropped into a little wash and moved about 80 feet to some fallen trees piled and trimmed, where someone had set them to be hoisted out. I said to Tonie, “Gonna be hell now, try to run or fight? I figure 20-25 Searchers are about. We have to kill every one of them to move.”

“What the hell, we did our jobs. Let’s fight.”

“Okay,” I said, as she kissed me.

We laid out clips and the pistols. I set up the SAW and turned on the TI scope. They knew we were here someplace. Rockets were going off randomly as Earthers thought they saw things moving.

I had Tonie move about twenty feet down from me, near the end of the logs. “Duck back toward the center if they fire missiles at you,” I told her.

“Yes, John,” she said sarcastically.

I took the SAW off safe and started killing bats as of old. A flick here, an image there. The exhausts were brighter than the Tiger Bats. I think I was just killing off the fourth one when Tonie found some in her range. As soon as we started firing we were ducking missiles as the Searchers started to converge on our position. I told Tonie to keep the back clear, our vulnerable spot. She was doing a good job but then I heard her 9mms bark—she was out of rifle ammo. I was down to the last two clips but we had destroyed most of the Searchers. Then I saw one behind us. I grabbed the 45, no time to turn, I saw the missiles launch, Tonie dove, I dove and rolled and fired off the cuff. I destroyed one missile while I was trying to hit the Searcher. The other hit near Tonie and I brought up the 45 and blasted the thing to dust. Tonie didn’t move or answer my shouts.

I started to head toward her, but a Searcher light caught me from the front. I dived and fired the 45. Luck held, it exploded.

I grabbed the SAW and took out two more before I finally heard silence. I got to Tonie, she was out, but breathing, and her heart was beating. I found a big knot on her head. The missile blew in the wood and a large chunk hit the side of her head.

She slowly was coming to. “We kicked their ass Dav—err John.” I felt she’d be okay. I grabbed the tin of pills and gave her one to stop headaches—she’d definitely have one.

I got her on her feet and we gathered our stuff—low on ammo now, her rife was out. We were lighter anyway. I inserted the last clip in the SAW and refreshed the 45s and her 9mms, I had two more clips of 45 and she had 3 of 9mm.

We ran south as best we could, then back east. I saw Searchers all over as we moved; they were on the prowl, but I heard good sounds, near and far—rifles, shotguns, gel blasts. People were starting to fight back. It sounded wonderful!

We held up the day in a basement of a building that used to be a library. Tonie now had a real black and blue knot on her head and she yelped when she touched it. We slept as we could, tired but feeling good. We were finally doing something.

Over the few days heading back I made a bee-line for the ammo bunker. We restocked all the ammo and I added the 50 cal and four LAWs to the stack. Fred could use them. It slowed me down, but we made it back.

Mother was ecstatic and Fred smiled a little. Soon as we were unloaded, I gave all the info we had to Fred. He was busy, all were busy, the sonic transmitter hadn’t been quiet since our call. Yes, they heard and Fred had taken precautions.

Not all the news was good. Earl had been slow getting his people mobilized—they were mostly wiped out in a surprise attack. The survivors had joined Fred, as had two other HQs that came to reinforce and fight, too small on their own. Safety in numbers.

I told Fred I had sent word to all we met to have a runner go and wait; I told him where and why. We had no new HQ, Fred was now going to be a coordinated clearing point. He just didn’t know it yet. The spot was a half-mile away, where we found Michel.

The 4 LAWs went to a floating front group that was actually seeking out the Earther vehicles. I heard it didn’t take long to find good targets.

Tonie and I spent several days recuperating and resting. Milda came by at once of course, she looked at us both, nodded, then left to do some bomb making.

The chatter on the long-wire said major damage was being inflicted. Earthers had asked for reinforcements from someplace. They were denied them so far.

In a week I dispersed all the remainder of the LAWs to a second fast attack group with one purpose in mind—destroy as many Earther ships as they could. I wanted to go, but they had to re-break my arm and reset it. Our field expedience wasn’t any good. Tonie came by, Milda was there talking to me and acting as nurse. She saw Tonie and finally brought it up: “You two are now an item, aren’t you?”

Tonie shrugged. “No promises made, if that is what you mean, but yes, he has been deflowered, Sis.”

“Ya, I saw the look the second you came back. It’s okay, honest. Got to get these bottles to Fred, he makes bombs out of them. I’ll be back in a few, we can change the bandage then.” She picked up three empty water bottles.

“Okay, thanks, Milda,” I said.

After she left, Tonie kissed me and said, “I am going with the second strike force. I know the way to the old HQ and we’ll attack from there. Wish you were going.”

I looked her in the eyes. “Tonie, will you accept my promise of life commitment?” I had thought hard, it was love, the lust was out there in the dirt someplace.

“No, John, I can’t. Well, unless you do like Crazy Henry.” She kissed me and left.

“What does Crazy Henry have to do with anything?” I hollered, then it dawned on me what she meant. “I’ll ask,” I shouted again.

She popped her head back in and smiled. “Then yes, John, I will.” Poof, she was gone.

Fred came in a few minutes later. “They are leaving. Twenty-eight from here and over a hundred from around this area. They will meet with others, thanks to you coordinating the groups. You don’t know it yet, but you are now the hero—you and Tonie. Word spread you two took out hundreds of Searchers, blew up the entire corrupted HQ mountain, killed fifty pirates, and saved tens of thousands of people. Even took out the Earth’s presidential lover.”

“Ninety percent of that is bull and the ten percent exaggerated beyond belief,” I told him.

“I know, but Crazy Henry is on the long-wire telling of your grand exploits and how if a mere 17-year-old can do it, anyone can. We needed, and now have, heroes. Be proud, you really did do some amazing things.”

“All luck and you know it.”

“No, skill and luck is what life is about; enough skill and you can make your own luck. You made quite a bit. Rest, Milda will be back to change the bandage. Sorry, had to operate on your arm. I don’t think Tonie told you it had broken the skin originally. It got infected, had to be re-break, realigned, and scraped down. You’re out of action for a few weeks at least.”

“I know, Milda told me.” He got up and started to leave when I blurted it out. “Would I be wrong to ask Milda and Tonie to both commit?”

“Honestly?” He stopped and stared at me. “You don’t know them. They had the same dad, but different mothers. Henry isn’t the only one who had two wives, and I know a dozen that married real sisters, one even married a widow and her daughter. Miners are funny folks. As long as there is no danger of inbreeding, we leave it up to the folks involved; that’s why we don’t hold to fancy weddings and such. No, it ain’t wrong, but it is up to you three if it will be right.”

I think I understood. I started to say thanks but he went on.

“While we are discussing that, is it okay with you if I ask your mother to commit? I wanted to ask before but, well, you know. She is still afraid you’ll wind up disapproving,” he said.