Valkyrie Hunter
Chapter 53

The words ‘clown’ and ‘car’ came to mind. I felt as ridiculous as those old time vids with clowns all piling out of a tiny car. I sat in the passenger seat while a Valkyrie drove looking too large for such a tiny car. She was cramped into the driver’s seat her head bowed down by the roof and the rest of her body hunched over the console. Her seat was as far back as she get it and she was muttering curses as she went. For some obscure reason Nidbjorga insisted I have a driver to get me as far as she could. She must have known her driver wouldn’t fit but there it was I having to endure a stream of curses. I should have taken my chances and walked. It would have been funny if the situation hadn’t been so dangerous. Finally the Valkyrie pulled over to the sidewalk with an audible sigh.

“This is as far as I can go,” she said indicating a junction ahead. “Go left and the checkpoint will be right in front of you.”

“What do I do when I get there?”

“Just drive and don’t stop for nothing. We’ll keep them busy.”

The Valkyrie opened her door and contorted herself to get out. I’d swear blind I was sure I heard several bones crack.

“Go with the Mother,” she uttered and hobbled into a side alley.

I skimmed across into the driver’s seat taking time to reset everything. The Valkyrie popped out from the alley and made several ‘get a move on’ gestures. I took the hint and drove around the corner.

Ahead of me I could see a checkpoint with several armed Valkyrie. Rebels I guessed looking at their patch work armour and weapons. The actual checkpoint itself consisted of sand bagged emplacements. From what I could see they were there to keep anyone from entering the city but not leaving. I wasn’t sure but to me I seemed a tactical mistake. I took a deep breath and drove towards the checkpoint as if I was supposed to be there. One of the guards stepped out her hand raised and if she was about to make a traffic stop. The gesture I was familiar with one I’d used as a Traffic Security Officer on Earth hundreds of years ago or what it seemed like to me. Suddenly I accelerated. The Valkyrie leapt out of my way clutching at the weapon strapped to her chest. Before she had a chance to use it a burst of gunfire from behind me had her toppling over dead. The checkpoint was a series of ‘S’ bends wedged between a set of warehouses. I drove through expecting each moment I was there to be hit by a hail of bullets. There was nowhere for me to go but forward. It seemed obvious to me that Nidbjorga’s Valkyrie were hitting this checkpoint with everything they had in their arsenal. The warehouse to my right exploded sending flames leaping high in the air. Suddenly I was through the checkpoint behind me. At that point the city ended abruptly. It went from buildings to open countryside in the blink of an eye. There was no gradual change. I sped on my foot flat to the floor easing every ounce of speed out of Anhild’s ground car.

Two huge structures flanking the road rose out of the early morning mist. Anti-ship towers. Huge forbidding structures bristling with defences and each topped by what I could only describe as old-fashioned battleship turrets. Like those on those old vids of world war two. Deadly rail guns that could knock a starship out of the sky. At the moment the towers were silent but even from the road I could see a faint glow around them. Their shields were active and waiting to spring into action. The road I was following joined a four-lane highway passing directly between the two towers. I found myself having to slow. The road ahead was pitted with divots. Rounds from point defence rail guns. I certain they’d be turned on anything that tried to go up the road or in my case down it. With a tense breath and gritted teeth I negotiated the damaged road and as soon as I felt it safe enough I accelerated. There was no response from the towers I’d got away with that one. My luck could only hold for little more.

The road was long and deserted. I passed empty villages and abandoned farms but I kept up the pace never slacking. After a while I started develop cramp in my foot and an uncomfortable feeling in my bladder. My mouth was dry as much as I wanted to stop and have a rest I couldn’t. What worried me was how longer I could keep this up I wasn’t sure which would give out first the car or me. The reason I was managing to keep this punishing pace up was mute testimony to Anhild’s expertise. Every moment I expected to see rebels pass up at every off ramp I passed. It looked as if the Elder’s comms blockade worked both ways otherwise I’d be hip deep in trouble. Something I don’t know what had me glance in the rear mirror.

“Shit!” I swore I was being followed and from the looks of it they were gaining. As fast as I was going I was no match for the ground cars following me. There was no way I could avoid a confrontation. I had to be ready but I knew I was at the edge of exhaustion. I glanced in the mirror seeing that both my pursuers were packed to gunwales with rebels. It was surprising with so many Valkyrie in those ground cars that they were actually catching up to me. It would be inevitable I’d have to fight. The question was would I have enough stamina to do so. I certainly wasn’t just going to surrender. I was sure that was my Valkyrie blood talking. I’d take a few of the enemy with me. I couldn’t let them find what I was carrying.

Suddenly out of the grey cloudy sky a shuttle dropped into my path forcing me to slam on the brakes. I felt the seat restraints burning into my shoulders and belly as my body carried on going forward while the ground car skidded to a halt. Ground cars weren’t fitted with motion dampeners like ships had. I was feeling the full effects of motion and gravity. The ground car’s nosed dipped sharply threatening to flip the whole thing over onto its roof. The skid marks on the road echoing the one I probably made in my panties it had been that close. I breathed deeply trying hard to steady my shattered nerves while my heart threatened to burst from my chest. A second shuttle dropped out of the clouds landing behind me. With nowhere to go I released my restraints and grabbed for my coil assault gun, which had slid under the console on the passenger side. For a moment my vision blurred. I was close to mental and physical exhaustion. I fumbled the door open with my gun in hand I exited. The shuttle door slid open disgorging several Confed armoured troops. In my current state I was unsure whether they were Confeds or just better armed rebels. I raised my weapon and went to move forward. Unfortunately my legs betrayed me and I pitched face first onto the surface of the road. I lost my coil gun and my vision dimmed. I tried to get up but something or someone grabbed me. I panicked and lashed out my first hitting something solid. The next I felt something sharp in my neck and blackness took hold.

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