Hope is a Waking Dream

Chapter 9

Helo and Nika had combed the forest, looking for the Lantean for a month. Jenar's instructions had been clear. No one was to stop searching until Sheppard was found, dead or alive. Anyone found to be lazing around was shot on sight by the sadistic leader.

The assumption was that the pilot was dead. The amount of blood on the ground near where Faro and Gabe had injured the man indicated that unless he had help, the man's body must be rotting on the forest floor somewhere.

Luck was with them when they spotted the pilot near a stream in the forest. He was dressed in different clothes, the drab brown leather blending in with the shadows of the trees. His skin was darkened by the sun, and that unruly dark hair gave the man a feral look. He had a Genii weapon hooked in the crook of his arm and looked cautiously around him as he unclipped a canteen from his belt and knelt to fill his canteen at the edge of the stream rushing through a cove of young saplings.

The noise of the water hid the sound of Helo and Nika's approaching footsteps, and with a silent nod towards Nika, Helo leapt and ploughed into the man, knocking them both into the cold water of the stream.

Sheppard was stronger than his wiry frame would imply, and after a short struggle, the two men separated. Sheppard was crouched in the water, arms spread and a dangerous look in his eye. The weapon he had carried had disappeared.

Nika stood on the bank of the stream, casually pointing his gun at Sheppard's head, feet spread as he lazily stroked the gun handle.

"Don't do anything stupid, Sheppard," Nika said.

"Desperate times," Sheppard snapped.

Helo could see the man was irritated he had not heard them approach. Frankly, he was surprised Sheppard had managed to hide from them for so long.

"Easy, Colonel," Nika held his hands up, letting the gun hang on its strap. "We just want to talk."

"That's what the last guys said," the pilot replied.

Whirling into motion, Sheppard scooped up a heavy branch that had floated near to him in the stream and slammed it into the side of Helo's head. Helo dropped to his backside in the shallow water, temporarily stunned. Nika barely had time to bring his weapon up as Sheppard surged out of the stream, deadly intent in his eyes.

Nika and Helo had been warned that Sheppard was dangerous. This was precisely the reason Jenar wanted his team to hunt the man. Sheppard knew when to fight dirty, and he was whip-smart when it came to tactics. Nika was ready for him, though, and managed to fire his weapon as Sheppard rushed towards him. The bullet caught the man in the shoulder, spinning him and dropping him to his knees. Sheppard didn't stop, however. He pushed back up and tackled Nika in the legs, bringing both of them to the ground as they wrestled over the weapon.

Sheppard managed to get a good grip on the weapon with one hand on the handle and one on the barrel, and pressed it down against Nika's throat, grim determination in his eyes. Nika did not doubt the man was going to kill him as he gasped for air.

He was saved only when Helo appeared behind Sheppard's shoulder, bashing the man in the side of the head with the discarded branch. Nika watched Sheppard's eyes glaze over, but his grip did not lessen until Helo slammed the branch into his head two more times. The Colonel broke his hold and sagged on top of Nika, disorientated. Helo grabbed the man's shoulder and flipped him onto the ground as Nika sat up, gasping for breath. Despite the head injury, Sheppard fought Helo tooth and nail, and Nika pushed his own injuries to the side to help his partner, grabbing a flailing arm and pinning the man to the ground. Both men managed to hold Sheppard down with their heavier weight. Nika was nearly sprawled on the ground, one knee hooked over Sheppard's hips and his hands gripping the man's shoulder and wrist. Helo had managed to grab Sheppard's other shoulder and wrist and they took a moment to catch their breath as the pilot bucked under them, desperate to escape.

"He was going to kill me," Nika said, hoarsely.

"I saw," Helo panted. He pressed into the man's shoulder, looking him in the eye. "Sheppard, you need to listen to me."

The thrashing head stilled as panicked eyes flickered towards Helo's face.

"We don't want to hurt you," Helo said. "If you force us, we will, but we just need you to listen to us."

Nika lifted his hand from Sheppard's shoulder to wipe the sweat from his eyes, and Sheppard surged to life under the two men, using the opportunity to kick out at Helo, catching the Genii in the side and causing his breath to expel from his lungs with a whoosh. Nika couldn't hold the pilot by himself, and Sheppard managed to scramble away on his hands and knees before pushing to his feet and racing away.

Nika cursed, picking up his weapon and dashing after the man. He could hear Helo close behind him, his breath wheezing in his chest.

"Stunner," Helo ordered breathlessly, and Nika gave him a quick nod, drawing the smaller weapon from his belt. It wasn't a standard Genii weapon. He and Helo had procured it at a small trading outpost on another world and it had been one of the best things he had ever invested in.

He kept running, dialling the settings on the weapon and trying to keep an eye on Sheppard who was rapidly drawing away from them through the trees. Damn, the man was fast.

"Shoot him!" Helo shouted.

Nika fired, once, twice, three times. The third time hit home. They saw Sheppard crash to the ground, the momentum flipping him over as he tumbled to the forest floor. The two hunters caught up with him seconds later. Helo slid to a halt next to the pilot's prone body, panting for breath as he checked the man over, making sure that he was unconscious before quickly drawing a rope from his belt.

"Help me tie him up," Helo said to Nika. "He obviously isn't going to listen to us. We're going to have to make him."