Sora closed his eyes. He wanted to make the right decision. He wanted to lead his crew into the right decision because they earned that. They earned support and they earned justice. They hadn’t seen much of that and he had to obtain that for them.
Nonetheless, he didn’t feel qualified to make the correct decision. He didn’t know if he had the capability or even the right.
“Trok,” Ursun said. Sora opened his eyes to see Ursun still leaning on the opposite end of the table, tapping the table. He motioned to Kit, who still eyed the entire crew.
Sora glanced at each member of his crew. His people. They earned support and they earned justice. He had to obtain that for them. He no longer had a choice. However, he refused to lead them into another mistake. He refused to lead them into another loss. If Kit or Ondon had ulterior motives, they wouldn’t just lose ground in their fight. They could lose one of their own.
Just like they lost Viktor. Sora noticed an actual ache growing in his shoulders.
He looked at Ursun and his left hand twitched. “We—”
“Ursun,” a female voice interrupted as the double doors swooshed open. Sora craned his head to see the green-haired guard. “We have a situation in the holding cells.”
“Handle it,” Ursun said, raising his voice and frowning. “We’re in an important meeting.”
“Sir, it’s Felicia Malone,” the woman said. She pointed at Sora, Scout, Nait, and Naos. The ache disappeared as the four exchanged blinks. “She needs to see the four of you. She has a hostage.”
2
Scout shoved her fist into the rusted door, shoving it open and charging into the holding facilities. Most cells only held small piles of dust and dirt rather than people, so her eyes only glanced at them to make sure Felicia hadn’t thrown her hostage in one. They looked clear, so she sprinted toward Felicia’s cell at the end of the wide room.
Nothing else looked different along the way. The gray walls seemed untouched by anything other than rust and the occasional dent. No burns in the floor or ceiling panels. The sole television screen still sat evenly on the wall. As Scout neared the purple force field at the end, she threw her hand onto the wall to stop her sprint. She pressed her hand into the metal to stop herself from toppling.
Felicia stood on the other side of the force field with her hands on her hips. Her leather suit didn’t look tattered and her hair, although ragged and longer than before, still had the same upright style. Her face still held the neutral but smug expression that Scout despised. None of this indicated a struggle.
Most importantly, Scout didn’t see anyone else in the cell.
“Thought you said she had a hostage,” Scout said, pushing her pistol into its holster and turning around. Sora, Naos, and Nait did the same, turning to face the guard at the end of the line. “Wrong meeting to cry wolf in.”
Scout didn’t know if she should have gratitude or anger. Vel Aath or whatever her name was agreed to check back in another time, but the woman gave Scout the creeps. Granted, Scout may need creepy people if she truly wanted to stop Bettina. Taking her down still came as the top priority, no matter who they dealt with. They just had to act smarter than they did with Bosnan.
“She does have a hostage,” the green-haired woman said, pushing past Naos and Nait. She pointed at Felicia. “It’s serious. Be patient and let her explain.”
“Let her explain?” Naos said, growling and puffing out his chest, which still didn’t have as much tone as he thought. He glared at Felicia. “The woman’s words are her most dangerous weapon.”
“As charming as you were when I saved you from the electric chair,” Felicia said, raising her voice and chuckling. Scout curled her left fist and Felicia winked at her. Always a game to the crime lord. “I am afraid that Miss Praxa isn’t crying wolf, Tian. I do have someone in my custody, but I only wish to negotiate on simple terms.”
Tian. Only Felicia called Scout by the name that her parents gave her. She thought of herself as Scout, but only because of Bettina. The crew used it as an endearing term, but merely hearing her given name brought the question to Scout’s mind. Did she really still define herself by this dictator? After all that she’d escaped and overcome, did she still give her that power? Could she even take that power away?
Scout shook her head and hit her thigh. One word had already sent her into thoughts that she hated having. She wouldn’t let Felicia get inside this time.
“Felicia, I thought we were done with this,” Sora said, scowling and moving to Scout’s side. “No more nonsense. We have bigger—”
“I thought so, too, and yet, I am still in this cage,” Felicia said, pointing with both her index fingers to the ceiling. “I have been more than patient with you, but once again, you force me to take action.”
“Patient?” Nait said, scoffing. “We saved your butt when we really shouldn’t have. You’re lucky to be in there.”
“If you do have a hostage, where are they?” Sora said, taking a step forward. His finger twitched on the rifle at his side. “Who are they? No negotiating. Just tell me and then let them go.”
Felicia tilted her head to the right and stuck out her lips. “Always in such a rush, Sora. First, tell me, how is the situation in the outside world? Are your new friends helping you overthrow the government? I always told you that pirates were scum, but perhaps you can convince me other—”
Scout groaned and spun around. She couldn’t listen to Felicia anymore. It would only make her go to a place that she didn’t want to go. She beckoned to Nait and Naos as she walked away. She spotted them lifting their feet to move her way out of the corner of her eye.
“Jaskia Paine would like an update, as well,” Felicia said.
Scout grabbed the wall again, bending over farther than before. She dug her nails into the metal, ignoring the pain as she kept her legs upright. She glanced behind her to see Nait whirling around and rushing for the force field, while Naos’ eyes widened and he looked from Nait to Scout. Scout turned to face Felicia again, pushing past the nausea that burst into her mouth.
Jaskia. That name hit her harder than Tian.
“What do you mean?!” Nait said, stopping centimeters away from the force field and raising his fist. “What do you mean?!”
“Nait, this is what she wants,” Sora said, reaching and grabbing Nait’s arm. Nait snarled at Sora and yanked himself away, fully focusing on Felicia. He put his fist back in the air. Sora put a hand on his shoulder, but again, Nait shoved it away.
“I’ve got this, Sora,” Nait said. He flashed his teeth at Felicia. “How do you know her name? Say something!”
Sora glanced at Scout, sighing. She reached his side and pointed her head toward Felicia. Naos tapped Scout’s shoulder and she looked back to see him shudder. She waved his worry away and motioned for him to stay put. She didn’t need one of Naos’ freak outs on top of Nait’s.
“Felicia, answer the question,” Sora said, lowering his voice. He glanced from Scout to Nait.
“It took some research, but after knowing the three children as well as I do, it wasn’t too hard to use old resources to discover the fourth,” Felicia said. She held up two fingers and beckoned to someone behind them. “Bring Kurt on the screen, will you?”
Scout pulled her pistol out, ready to shoot whatever stood behind them, but she only saw Praxa activating the television. Nait didn’t take his eyes off Felicia, but Scout made eye contact with Naos and felt their blue eyes intermingle as the realization hit them both. She wanted to fire the pistol, but she needed to exercise more wisdom before that. Then she could fire it.
“Ursun won’t be happy when he hears that you aided one of his prisoners,” Scout said, glaring at Praxa. “You compromised your whole business by letting her use this to talk to people off-world.”
“One of your prisoners,” Praxa said, scoffing. Her face held a look of complete relaxation. “As a matter of fact, she only corresponded with one person.”
“Jenn and I have become
quite well-acquainted over the last month. I’ve offered to assist her with some personal matters once I am out of this crater,” Felicia said, narrowing her eyes at Sora. “I am always good to my people, remember?”
First, the dots on the screen formed a man with shaggy brown hair, green eyes, and scruff on his chin and neck. He had a muscular build, but black armor covered the rest of his body. Like Praxa, he looked relaxed, but his face seemed stoic. Scout couldn’t read it, which she didn’t like. The man, presumably Kurt, polished a silenced pistol.
The right side of the screen formed next. Normally, Scout would’ve lashed out after seeing the cuffs, but the woman on the bed took her attention. Her blue hair had grown and the bags underneath her eyes indicated exhaustion. Scout frowned at the small scars across her cheeks and the outlines of her ribs beneath the torn clothing. All different than she remembered. However, the small eyelids hadn’t changed.
“Jaskia,” Nait said, letting out a gasp and falling to his knees. Naos ran to his side and tried to pull him up, but he wouldn’t budge. Scout saw the water growing inside Nait’s eyes. “Can she hear me? Is she okay?”
“Puberty still hasn’t done much for your voice,” Jaskia said, opening her eyes. Her voice sounded raspier than Scout remembered. She groaned as she glanced at her stomach, which sported a bandage. “Should’ve known you guys would get me captured and shot.”
“Jaskia,” Nait repeated, gulping. “I never thought I’d…I don’t know, I just…”
“Nait, come on, man, get up,” Naos said, tugging his arm. “We still gotta get her here. She’s in trouble.”
“Shot?” Scout said, narrowing her eyes and glaring at Felicia. Sora stood between the two, casting Scout a wary glance. She didn’t focus on him but gritted her teeth at Felicia. “You’re lucky she’s alive. What do you want?”
“For your sake, Tian, I insisted that Kurt bring her alive,” Felicia said, smiling. Scout gritted harder. “Mr. Jervada will be mere here in hours with your long-lost friend. The deal is simple: Release me and you get her.”
Sora shook his head at Scout, but again, she ignored it. “If we refuse?”
Felicia tilted her head back and forth. Scout wanted to knock the mockery into the wall. “Well, I don’t partake in needless executions, unlike your old master…”
Scout raised her fist but restrained it from slamming into the force field. Not only would it hurt, but it’d show Felicia that she gained ground. Now that Felicia couldn’t manipulate her or Sora, she’d tapped into Scout’s compassion for her friends to try and get another hold on her. She wouldn’t let it happen.
Still, Scout resented the fact that she once called Bettina her master. Never again.
“…so, I suppose that I will have Kurt keep Jaskia elsewhere until I find another way to escape,” Felicia said, freezing and locking onto Scout. All mockery and false cheerfulness faded as her face hardened. “Which, of course, I will. Then, I can use this child for other purposes.”
Scout swallowed and her body trembled. She understood Naos’ initial reaction a little better now. She couldn’t negotiate with this woman anymore. She looked at Sora, shuddering again. She frowned and stared at his brown eyes.
“I don’t think this is my decision to make,” Sora said, looking to the floor. “I can barely make any decisions right now, but definitely not this. When I met you, I promised you that we’d save your friends. How we do that is on you.”
It wasn’t the leadership response Scout wanted. She needed a take-charge response right now, or maybe she just needed someone to fall back on. Either way, Sora’s mentality didn’t help.
Nait pulled himself off the ground and Naos squeezed his shoulder. Nait snarled at Kurt before grimacing at Jaskia. “We’re gonna get you out of there, Jask. Whatever I have to do. I promise.”
“This isn’t the time to play catch-up, kid,” Kurt said in a monotone. He didn’t look at any of them, continuing to polish his pistol. “Make a decision before I cut the line.”
Scout knew she needed to take a deep breath, but she ignored that need. Shock and emotions flew around the small group, throwing out most logic. She needed to free Jaskia and keep Felicia contained. She needed everyone to calm down. None of those actions would take place here and now.
“Once Jaskia is on the planet, we’ll move forward,” Scout said, blowing out what little air her lungs still had. She looked from Kurt to Felicia. “No foul play, no gun firing. We just need her here in person.”
Scout didn’t give the crime lord a chance to respond. She looked at Sora and glanced at Jenn Praxa, who looked unconcerned. “Let Ursun know that his own guard aided our enemy. Maybe that’ll wipe the smug look on her face.”
“You can’t just keep a woman locked down here forever. Ursun doesn’t stand for that,” Jenn said, shaking her head. “Doesn’t matter what she’s done. Here, it’s about more than good and ba—”
Scout marched away, drowning out whatever Jenn spewed. Naos would take care of Nait and Sora would take care of Felicia’s new helper. She just needed to get out of this room.
The rusted door still hung open, but Scout shoved her fist into it again as she sauntered past. A new crumple formed from the anger that slammed into the metal. Scout didn’t want Felicia to see that anger, but she couldn’t hold back forever. She hadn’t felt anger of this intensity since the monster had pinned her on the Bombard. Still, the anger crept in and took hold, like a drug that still had the same potency no matter how long one remained clean. The anger that her ‘master’ bred into her through all that she’d done.
Scout fought past the anger before, but right now, she didn’t want to. She wanted to use it. She wanted to use every ounce of that anger to free Jaskia.
Selas’ fingers ran across the central communicator, typing in the frequency that sat in front of his face over the last three days. As soon as the frequency appeared on the screen below, though, the events transpired in the way that they had in days prior. Selas’ fingers left the keyboard and his eyes blinked at the text below the frequency. He exhaled. All actions followed the same sequence day after day.
The words “Incoming Message” flashed beneath the frequency. Again, the same sequence as the days before, and Selas only needed to hit a button to finally listen to the message. Still, after all that he had faced, he couldn’t face this.
He knew the message held nothing good. Only darkness. He finally escaped darkness and he didn’t want to expose himself to it again. Perhaps he should, but he didn’t want to.
“You’ve been in here more than Kossk lately,” Fi said, shattering his concentration. He didn’t take his eyes away to look at her. He only felt the tickle of her cold breath drift over his back as she reached his side. “Before that, you didn’t know what this room looked like. What’s going on, Taban?”
Selas chuckled. He still hadn’t adjusted to the crew using his true name, yet Fi adjusted seamlessly. It brought a hint of light to his day.
“Many things, Fi,” Selas said, looking away from the screen long enough to run a finger across her bony right cheek. She didn’t look amused. “That meeting alone is enough to want some solitude.”
“The meeting is why I came looking for you,” Fi said, clearing her throat. She grabbed his hand as he lowered it back to his side. “Something perturbed you. At first, I thought it was because you spoke of everything we’ve done, but then you rubbed your temples. You haven’t done that since you were Talek Dano.”
Selas sighed. After everything, it came as no surprise that Fi noticed, especially considering her bounty hunter instinct. However, he preferred that she wouldn’t notice movements that others would find trivial. It made it easier on him when she didn’t notice, because then, only he carried the weight. He could shove that weight away.
It also came as a relief that she noticed. Finally, someone helped carry the weight. That help gave him the most freedom he had experienced since childhood. He hadn’t felt Anziar since the Bombard. Fi made a fair poin
t: He hadn’t soothed any aching or mental distress since Anziar took control.
When that woman spoke on the condition of the Nebula, he didn’t feel the aching of Anziar. Still, he felt an itching reminiscent of that aching. An itching that called to the ingrained history of Anziar.
“The discussion hearkened back to all that we’ve seen,” Selas said, squeezing Fi’s hand. “It is difficult to explain, Fi.”
“Difficulty is not the same as reluctance, Selas,” Fi said, fixing her black eyes on his face. Once they settled there, blinking ceased. “The most explanation I’ve received was from Anziar. You owe me more than that.”
“Now, now, don’t use that card,” Selas said, tossing a sheepish smirk onto his face. “Sora helped, remember?”
“Is he still inside you? When Kit Vel Aath spoke, did you feel him?” Fi said, ignoring the humor. “Can he come back?”
Selas sighed again, glancing to the screen that held the new message. He heard the roar of thunder. The blue swam in and out of his vision as the storm raged. He felt the raindrops trickle down his nose. He wanted to rub his temples, but not because he felt Anziar. Selas only knew that pain and resistance. Whether or not he felt Anziar’s presence, the pain and resistance worked like instincts. Natural instincts that he couldn’t escape.
“I haven’t felt or heard Anziar since the ghost ship,” Selas said, looking back at Fi and squeezing her hand again. The fact that his touch didn’t perturb her soothed his other sensations. “No longer do I hold him at bay through a mental tug-of-war. When I touch people, it doesn’t awaken their fears and doubts. I didn’t merely overpower him. You and I cast him out.”
Unleashed Page 4
