There had been nothing but hate in Traeger’s eyes, and that hate had been aimed directly at him. Hix was confused having never before questioned their friendship.
Resuming his walk to the docking bay, Hix knew it would look odd if he did not report to Kell. After all, the warrior was his superior officer on Verge Prime and Hix did not want to arouse his suspicions. Nodding to the other Verge he passed along the way, Hix’s thoughts centered on creating a plan of escape. Not long ago, he had thought that those plans would include Traeger and any other warriors that were against the illegal sale of humans. Now, he knew that any escape would have to be limited to himself and Maggie. His trust in others was shattered after today.
Coming to the bay doors, Hix pressed his palm against the sensor for entry. Keeping his expression carefully neutral, he entered the small docking bay and scanned the area for Kell. The bay was practically empty with only a few intact shuttles docked within the space. Not unlike the rest of the ship, the Verge had a hodgepodge of refurbished tech littering the empty shuttle stalls as if simply waiting for assembly.
The more he looked around, the more Hix noticed the little things now that he was paying attention. It was more apparent than ever that the Verge were merely limping by. A handful of operational shuttles, dented biocrates that had seen better days, and random weapon parts that needed obvious repair were all the Verge had of value. Hix doubted they would be able to last more than another month or so with the supplies they had available to them. Regardless of their obvious struggle, the kidnapping and sale of human women was the wrong way to finance their survival. Kell and the other Prime leaders were not simply trying to survive either—they were wanting to overthrow the Phaetons. A feat Hix knew Kell would never be able to accomplish no matter how many females they sacrificed for their own goals.
Spotting him huddled in conversation with one of their ship’s mechanics, Hix began to make his way closer but paused only a few steps away.
Crossing his hands behind his back and planting his feet, Hix waited for Kell to acknowledge him.
“They will be arriving soon, and that shuttle will need to be running by that time,” Kell said to the mechanic as he pointed across the bay.
“But sir, I am still waiting on parts to arrive before it will be fully operational,” Kyron replied, looking down at the docking bay log. “It should arrive in the next shipment from the Pleasure Sector.”
“When is that shuttle scheduled?” Kell snapped, his face turning red at the mechanic’s words.
“According to the flight log it is not scheduled to make the run for another four cycles. If the buyers pick up crates sooner than that, the Prime leaders have instructed us to send a security shuttle down for payment.” Kyron shrugged as if the explanation was all that needed to be said.
“The buyers haven’t picked up the merchandise yet?”
“No sir, we received a transmission that they were stalled when Phaeton Two arrived in the area. According to our contact, the buyer is waiting for Two to leave prior to shuttling down to pick up the shipment.”
Hix swallowed back his disgust at the nonchalant way the men were discussing shipping humans as if they were nothing more than your standard goods. Keeping his mouth shut, he pretended to simply be waiting for Kell’s instructions like the good warrior he was supposed to be, but in reality, he was paying close attention to every word said.
“We cannot let the shipment sit there too long,” Kell argued with a shake of his head. “Is there a shuttle free to fly down and bring back the part earlier than four cycles?”
Kyron scanned the log, running his finger down the screen as his eyes followed the tracking. “We currently have three shuttles that are non-operational due to scheduled maintenance but one of them is marked to be finished tomorrow.”
At that bit of news, Hix perked up. If there was a shuttle scheduled to go planet-side, then there was a possibility that he might be able to smuggle both Maggie and him aboard. If they were able to get to Euphoria, he had a better chance of keeping his human safe. The planet would be able to keep them hidden until they figured out their next step.
Kell let out a frustrated sigh before his eyes moved to Hix. Narrowing his gaze, Kell waved Hix closer. “Your unit will be running a retrieval mission planet-side tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Hix nodded. His mind whirled with potential escape plans. “How many warriors do you require?”
“I believe that four should be sufficient,” Kell answered before tapping the flight log screen to close it out. “There will be no time for sampling the goods offered so pass that information along to the warriors you choose to accompany you. Your main objective will be retrieving the part needed and returning as quickly as possible, understand?”
“Yes, sir.” Just as Hix was turning to walk away, he was stopped by Kell’s hand on his elbow.
“Traeger will be your second in command on this mission.”
Hix bit the inside of his cheek to stop from reacting to that bit of news. Traeger’s presence on this mission was going to be an issue, especially if he was going to try to sneak Maggie and her small pet on board.
“Yes, sir. I will inform Traeger of our objective right now.”
“Do not waste your time, I will do it myself.” Kell tucked the log for the docking bay into the inside pocket of his tunic. “I require another task from you.”
“Yes, sir?”
“We have new warrior brothers that need to be greeted in the sparring room. Since you hail from the Skrammon caste, I would like a detailed analysis on their fighting abilities before they are given their new assignments on Prime.”
Hix bit back his immediate response to that order. For what purpose? None of the warriors he knew were assigned to positions that suited their abilities. In fact, the only warriors who had their skills considered regarding their duties were the mechanics in the bay. Knowing that there was no way to refuse a direct order from Kell without calling unwanted attention to himself, Hix nodded.
“Understood.”
Dismissed with a wave of Kell’s hand, Hix walked out of the docking bay. Replaying the conversation, he’d overheard earlier, he ran through the logistics of a possible escape plan.
Kyron had mentioned that the last shipment of crates was still waiting to be retrieved from the buyer. He’d need to act fast. If the humans were still contained in their biocrates, it meant that he might still have a chance to alert the Phaetons of their presence before the buyer arrived. If not, he didn’t want to even contemplate what would happen to them. One thing he held back from his conversation earlier with Maggie was that the black market for humans on the Pleasure Sector was virtually untouchable. The Phaetons struggled to keep control over the sale and trade of galactic beings and had only been able to interrupt one of the carefully guarded auctions over the years.
Normally, the various aliens were sold as slaves for manual labor. Their price only as high as the profit they could yield in the mining of precious metals until they ultimately died in the caverns and they were soon replaced with another.
Humans were a completely different story. Their fragility and soft skin made them sought after as sexual slaves to those who could afford their high price tag. An amount so high that most buyers would never be able to pay.
For the Verge to have a shipment containing not one, but multiple human females for sale, was astounding. It also posed an incredible risk. The temptation of stealing such a lucrative shipment was enough to bring out unseen enemies.
Humans were a dangerous temptation to many in the galaxy.
Years ago, the Phaetons had discovered humans existed when they had stumbled upon one of the sector’s infamous living auctions. Various species had been chained together, each waiting to be bid upon by buyers from all over the galaxy.
It had been reported that two human females had been discovered, abandoned by their sellers as they fled the Phaetons who had converged on the illegal auction. Hix had never seen the fem
ales himself, but it was rumored that their discovery was what influenced the Bridal Pact proposed by their race to Earth.
After returning most of the kidnapped lifeforms back to their home planets, it had been rumored that the human females chose to stay with their Phaeton rescuers. The result had yielded the first birth of a Phaeton-human hybrid. The child born from the breeding pair provided sufficient evidence to their leaders that procreation with the unknown species was not only possible, but also incredibly efficient. Unlike previous breeding experiments, the pregnancy and birth had been a completely natural occurrence without their medical interference.
That had not been the most important part of the news that had been trickling down through the Phaeton ranks. No, what was more noteworthy was that the child produced had been a female. The fact that they had successfully birthed a female sent a wave of hope flowing through the Phaeton race. Unable to clone females regardless of their scientific advancements, their species had become more and more desperate in the search of compatible females for breeding.
“Hix?”
Turning at the sound of his name being called, Hix was startled to realize he had walked all the way from the docking bay to sparring area while lost in his thoughts. Facing the Verge warrior who had called out his name, Hix relaxed when he saw it was Granger. The younger warrior had defected shortly after his own departure, citing his concerns with the Bridal Pact as his reasoning behind the decision. As far as Hix knew, Granger had been assigned to the docking bay regardless of his Brakken designation. Originally, trained to assist with in the med center, the young warrior struggled to fulfill his duties, and often sought help from one of the other warriors on shift.
“Sorry for the intrusion, sir.” Granger bowed shortly, an action normally reserved for higher ranking officers.
“Do you need assistance, Granger?” Hix normally didn’t mind the young warrior bothering him but today was a different story. He still needed to figure out a way to get Maggie onto the shuttle with him tomorrow and dealing with the inexperienced warrior was an unwanted distraction.
“I was moving some items to storage and ran into Traeger,” he blurted out, looking nervous. “While speaking to him, he relayed that there was a mission into the Pleasure Sector tomorrow.” When Hix simply nodded, Granger swallowed hard. “I would like to request a place on the team.” Granger stuttered out the last few words.
“You do realize we will not have time to visit the brothels, correct?” Hix watched as a blush reddened the younger warrior’s cheeks at his statement.
“Yes, sir.” Granger shifted from one foot to another and cleared his throat. “I heard that there was a healing oil often sold by the Carusians in the market.”
“And you wish to purchase some?” Hix raised his brows in surprise.
“Yes, sir.” Holding out his hands, Granger displayed the raw blisters that had formed along his fingers at the work he had been assigned in the docking bay. “The medical center on board is currently low on supplies and have been unable—”
“No need for an explanation, Granger.” Hix cut in before the younger warrior could continue. “You are welcome to join the mission if that is what you desire.” Hix realized he meant every word, knowing Granger would be more inclined to follow orders versus questioning them. A quality he would be grateful for when the time came.
“Thank you, sir.”
It was then that Hix remembered the first thing Granger had mentioned after stopping him in the hall.
“Wait. Did you say you saw Traeger in the storage area?” When Granger nodded, Hix felt his stomach drop.
Maggie was secured in one of those rooms.
Chapter Six
Maggie jerked under the restraining straps. Tears of frustration rolled from her eyes into her hairline where she lay.
“Do not worry. I do not want to hurt you…yet,” Traeger soothed. His tone was at odds with the words coming from of his mouth.
Maggie breathed heavily. Her panic was rising the harder Traeger pressed his hand over her mouth. She barely had enough clearance for her nose to breathe and felt like she was close to passing out. The only thing keeping her awake at this point was the terror she felt at what would happen if she took the easy way out and fainted.
When the door opened a few minutes earlier, Maggie had been startled to see Traeger there. That feeling of surprise had fizzled into one of dread when she caught a glimpse of the horror that awaited her in the dark blue of his eyes. Maggie tried to memorize every little detail possible.
This was a man that was not mentally stable in the least. The look in his eyes testified that he was the type to torture animals or children given the chance, and his closeness was enough to make her stomach turn.
How did Hix ever think that this man was a friend? Traeger was a sociopath, one that had her served up to him buffet-style with no way to escape.
Traeger sat beside her on the cot, making room for himself by shoving her over as far as the straps would allow. Running his eyes up and down her body, he kept one hand over her mouth as he skimmed her chest and waist with an open palm. When he stopped to painfully grope her breasts, she tried to pull back in pain only to be halted by her restraints.
Maggie whimpered, only to cut the noise short when her captor’s eyes met her own. With a disturbed smile, Traeger flashed his sharpened canines. He looked like a rabid animal ready to strike.
He was enjoying her fear.
She wasn’t an idiot. With her restraints in place, Maggie couldn’t physically fight back. With her mouth covered so firmly there was no way to shout for help…not that it would do her any good. Maggie hoped that playing the part of a dead fish would discourage Traeger, or at the very least maybe get her bonds loosened so she could potentially have a chance to fight back.
Maggie didn’t register the low growl at first—her fear of being raped by Traeger overwhelmed her senses. As the menacing sound grew louder and closer, Maggie looked out the side of her eye to see Bodhi advancing closer to the cot with his hackles raised.
Her heart dropped to her stomach at the sight. She hadn’t counted on her furry little protector or the fierceness he would use to try to defend her.
Traeger followed her gaze, turning his head to spy her small dog slinking closer and closer.
“I am curious why Hix would want to care for that disgusting creature.” Traeger tilted his head as he studied Bodhi. “It is not able to control its bodily functions and will soon stink up the entire ship. It is better to take care of it now to avoid any further mess.”
Maggie let out a whimper, trying to call his attention back to her and away from her dog.
Traeger didn’t take the bait. Letting go of the breast he had been squeezing, he reached into his tunic to pull out a long piece of cloth. When he went to wrap it around her head, effectively gagging her, Maggie’s heart raced. Seeing that he had come prepared for whatever he had planned scared the shit out of her.
“Do not worry. I will keep it clean.”
Maggie wrinkled her forehead in confusion. What the fuck did that mean?
Traeger pulled the cloth tight. Its presence threatened to trigger her gag reflex.
Traeger stood, placing himself between the cot and Bodhi. Her dog stood rigid with a stripe of fur sticking straight up on his back.
“Come,” Traeger ordered in a firm voice, pointing to a spot on the floor in front of him.
Bodhi stepped forward but didn’t relax his guard, keeping his eyes trained on every movement Traeger made.
With no warning, Traeger jumped forward, his boots landing heavily on the trailing leash Bodhi was still wearing. Effectively pinned down now, just like his master, Bodhi jerked and wriggled like a fish on the end of a line trying to get away.
Maggie cried out as much as possible with the gag biting into her mouth. Her heart broke at the sight of pure panic on her pup’s face as she watched helplessly.
Lifting Bodhi up by the leash around his neck, Traeger looked
back at Maggie as if he were holding up a prize kill. With wide eyes, she watched as Traeger pulled out a wicked-looking blade from a leg slit on his leather pants.
Tears streamed from her eyes, the bedding beneath her head soaked up the salty sadness. Closing her eyes tightly, Maggie shut out the vision of her poor baby as he whined and squealed dangling on his leash. She couldn’t bear to watch.
“Open your eyes, human.” Traeger commanded. His tone was one of excitement as he gave the order. When she didn’t automatically comply, Maggie felt a boot kick the cot underneath her, knocking whatever breath she had left in her body out in a huff. “If you do not open your eyes and watch, I will endeavor to make his death as long and painful as possible.”
Maggie gagged. The overwhelming need to vomit crept up her throat. Shaking her head, she kept her eyes closed tight. Her heart pounded so hard that the heavy beat throbbed painfully in her ears.
“Look at me!” Traeger screamed, hysteria rising in his voice.
Maggie sobbed but cracked her eyes open enough to see the horror before her. Once she finally made contact, Traeger smiled, victorious. Raising the blade, Traeger ran the flat side along Bodhi’s exposed belly.
Maggie kicked and bucked against the straps as Traeger chuckled.
Just as she expected him to plunge the blade in, the door behind him slid open. Framed in the doorway, looking fit to be tied, was none other than Hix. And, from the look on his face, he was not happy at what he found.
“Traeger!” Hix shouted, the surprise of his entry causing Traeger to startle. “Put the animal down now.”
Traeger turned, bringing the knife down and out of sight. “Hix? What are you doing here?”
“I was looking for you,” he rasped out, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Hix shot a concerned glance her way. As he scanned her up and down, she saw his mouth tighten when they landed on her disheveled clothes. During Traeger’s earlier groping, he’d lifted her tank out of the way, baring her lavender lace bra.
Warriors of Phaeton: Hix Page 4
