“Why?” Traeger asked unmoving, still holding Bodhi up by the leash.
“We need to prepare for our next mission.” Hix’s tone was calm, as if he were trying to soothe a spooked animal. “Granger will be joining us as he needs to purchase medical supplies in the market, but we still need one more warrior.”
It was at that point that she realized Hix was trying to distract the madman in front of her. It seemed to be working too. With every second that ticked by, Traeger’s body relaxed in small increments.
“Chander mentioned his need for yaffa root not long ago,” Traeger replied causally, as if he were not having a conversation while holding a dog and a knife.
“Then it would make sense to offer the other position to Chander. Do you know where he is assigned today? I would like to inform him of the mission before his superiors give him another task.” Hix leaned against the door with one hip, his pose relaxed except for the muscles bulging in his arms.
Traeger dropped Bodhi heavily to the ground, the dog landing with a pained squeal. As the noise echoed through the room, Hix winced, his eyes flashing with emotion.
“Chander was scheduled to assist in the medical center.” Traeger glanced down at the dog still held close by the leash.
“Would you be able to inform him of our decision? I have been ordered to run our new Verge converts through sparring drills and report back on their skill levels.” Hix straightened, as if he were about to leave the room. Maggie felt a sharp bite of panic, almost making her cry out from behind the gag. Holding back her reaction, she was rewarded when Hix shot her a look that spoke volumes.
He was trying to lure his psychotic friend away from her room.
Traeger looked down at the floor, and his eyes locked on Bodhi where he limped in a circle, testing the length of his leash. Maggie froze in fear as he turned his attention to where she lay, his gaze filled with malice at the sight before him.
“Traeger.” Hix called the name sharply, drawing the focus back his way again.
“What?” Traeger snapped, his tone edged with anger.
“Can you find Chander and apprise him of the situation?” Hix repeated, his voice deadly calm.
“Of course,” Traeger answered with a shrug of his shoulders but making no move to leave.
“Now,” Hix persisted, gesturing to the door as if he was simply waiting for Traeger to precede him.
“But I was—” Traeger shook his head as if he were waking up. With a glance back at Maggie, he began to move to the door still holding the end of the leash in his fist.
“Leave the animal.”
Maggie held her breath at Hix’s order, anxious to see if Traeger would comply or not. She watched and prayed with everything inside of her that he would leave without protest.
“The animal has soiled this space,” Traeger said, his voice dripping with disgust. “The situation needs to be addressed before it is made worse. Do you not agree?”
Hix narrowed his eyes. “I will assign one of the newer Verge to clean up after the animal.” Stepping forward to clap Traeger on the back, Maggie watched as Hix firmly nudged him closer to the door. “Do not forget to tell Chander that there will be no time to visit the brothels during our mission. He will have leave for a fast stop at the market with Granger, but this is not a pleasure trip. Understood?”
“Understood,” Traeger nodded. “But first I must take care of this.”
Maggie’s breath caught in her throat as she watched him turn around and pull out a silver gun of some sort from his belt in one smooth motion.
“Traeger, NO!” Hix yelled. His command came too late. His words accompanied an electric pop as Traeger squeezed the trigger.
Maggie screamed behind the gag as Bodhi dropped to the floor. The shot left a blackened circle smoking just beneath where his collar looped around his neck. Kicking and bucking enough to shake the cot underneath her, Maggie was hysterical in her grief.
Hix grabbed Traeger by the front of his tunic and pushed him against the wall roughly. “Why?” he yelled, the sound barely audible over Maggie’s cries.
“Orders from Kell,” Traeger smiled, seemingly unconcerned with Hix’s grip on him. “Your request for the animal was denied and it was ordered to be exterminated.”
Maggie watched through her tears as Traeger shrugged Hix’s hands off his chest. “I volunteered to take care of it.”
“What is wrong with you?” Hix whispered, his expression one of confusion and disgust.
“There is nothing wrong with me. Unlike you, I follow the orders of our Prime leaders without question,” Traeger bit out. His gaze shifted Maggie, loudly crying on the cot. “It is too bad that I did not have further orders to take care of the human.”
“Go find Chander and make him aware of our mission tomorrow.” Stepping in front of the cot, Hix effectively blocked the unsettling stare that Traeger had focused on her.
Traeger turned on his boot heel and left without another word, leaving Hix and Maggie alone with the body of her beloved animal still smoking on the floor.
The moment the door slid closed, Hix rushed to kneel beside Bodhi. With tear-swollen eyes, Maggie watched as he gently checked for signs of life. When he looked up at her with sad eyes, Maggie choked out a cry. The gag barely muffled her grief.
“I am sorry, Maggie.” Hix said softly as he unclipped Bodhi’s leash from the burned collar. Winding it up, he stood to place it by her hip on the cot. “Shhh…I will keep you safe. I vow it.”
Hix worked the cloth out from between her lips, careful of the raw skin it had created in a short time.
“B-Bo-dhi,” Maggie stuttered, unable to catch her breath.
“Shhh,” Hix wiped her cheeks with gentle fingers.
“He killed Bodhi.” Maggie closed her eyes, praying it had all been a bad dream. Blinking them open, she looked into Hix’s face as he hovered above her.
“I am sorry. I came as soon as I heard he was in this section of the ship.” Hix thumbed away the tears still flowing from her eyes, and he looked to her with regret. “I will take care of him for you.”
Maggie nodded, her throat too tight to speak. Hix pulled a blanket from beneath her cot and gently wrapped Bodhi’s limp body in its folds. He turned to her as he cradled the burden in his huge arms.
“I must get back to the sparring room before Kell realizes I delayed acting on his orders,” Hix explained with a pained expression. “Do not worry, I will get you out of here. I promise.”
Maggie nodded despondently and felt as though all hope was lost.
“I promise, Maggie.” Hix said firmly, his jaw locked. “I may have failed to keep your Bodhi safe but I will not fail you. Believe in me.” Hix bowed shortly and left the room, taking Bodhi with him.
Maggie watched him go. His last words filled her with hope.
Chapter Seven
Hix stepped outside her door and stopped in the hallway to compose himself.
He had failed his little human. With his chest feeling tight, Hix rubbed the spot over his heart where it beat faster than it ever had before. Hearing the news that Traeger had been lingering in the storage area had scared him more than he could comprehend. His fear had not been for himself or even Maggie’s animal. No, the uncomfortable emotion had been focused solely on the safety of the human female.
The moment Hix had opened the door and saw Traeger, a rage had come over him. It had been a rage stronger than anything he had ever felt before, far exceeding the battle rage that overcame him on a mission.
He refused to think of what may have happened if he had been delayed by even a second. The idea made his stomach turn as if he had been over-imbibing. The one thing he knew was that he needed to keep Traeger as far away from Maggie as possible. Hix had never witnessed such hatred from his friend as he had witnessed directed at the human. As Skrammon, they were fighters, killing machines trained to disable and destroy without hesitation.
He had seen sadistic pleasures in Traeger’s eyes.
Hix looked down at the small bundle cocooned in his arms. There had been no reason for Traeger to shoot the animal, orders or not. Making his way to the incinerator located close to the docking bay, Hix realized how unstable Traeger truly was. As he loaded the small body of Maggie’s dog into the unit, he knew their time was running out on the ship. Traeger was not going to stop until he got his hands on Maggie and Hix refused to break another promise to the fragile human. As he disposed of the evidence of Traeger’s cruelty, Hix’s mind whirled with different escape scenarios.
After the unit finished its cycle, Hix resumed his path in the direction of the sparring room. The walk didn’t seem to take long, most likely because he was lost in his thoughts during the trek. Hix scanned his palm to enter the sparring room, finally coming to halt once he faced the group of new Verge recruits.
“I am Skrammon Hix,” he announced, using his original Phaeton designation to introduce himself. “Prime leader Kell has requested that I evaluate your fighting skills.”
None of the warriors standing before him said anything. Many simply nodded at his statement. “Break into pairs and run through the sparring routines.” As the warriors followed his order without question, Hix began to walk around.
Barely paying attention to the form of the fighters, Hix took the opportunity to run through possible escape plans. No matter how many different options he considered, he always ran into the same problem.
How was he going to get Maggie onto the shuttle leaving tomorrow?
The idea of placing them into a biocrate came to him, only to be tossed aside when he realized the size of the crate would call too much attention. Hix even considered tucking Maggie into one of the small empty spaces that ran beneath the corrugated metal flooring of the shuttle. That hiding place was not ideal but so far, it was the only one he could think of.
The more Hix tried to solve the puzzle, the more frustrated he became.
“Skrammon Hix?” The voice of one of the newer warriors interrupted his thoughts.
“Yes?” Hix gazed into a face that seemed years younger than he himself felt.
“I was hoping to be assigned to the bridge…that is where my previous training focused yet my orders have stated I am to work in the med center.”
“What is your name?” Hix asked, not knowing why a flight engineer would be placed in the medical sector.
“Reslor, sir.” Standing at attention, the warrior bowed.
“I will relay your concerns to the Prime commanders but as of right now you will be required to fulfill your orders until it is addressed.” Hix answered the best he could and was not surprised to see disappointment ghost over Reslor’s expression.
This was the main issue that Hix had noticed coming from the new recruits boarding Verge Prime. Many were disappointed with their ill-fitting rolls on their new home. Thrust into jobs they were uncomfortable or untrained to perform, the dissatisfaction of their new lives was apparent. If given the opportunity, he was sure most of the newer members would not hesitate to go back to their Phaeton brothers.
It was at that exact moment that Hix realized how he might be able to sneak Maggie onto the shuttle.
He needed the others on board the shuttle to be in on their escape. There was no other way around it. Now, he just needed to figure out how to do it.
Granger and Chander were fairly new to the Verge fold, both of them assigned to jobs that didn’t fit their designation or training. With careful words, Hix may be able to probe their satisfaction with their decision to join Verge ranks. Traeger, however, was a completely different story.
Hix felt sadness when he thought of how much his warrior brother had changed from their youth. There was no specific instance that Hix could blame for Traeger’s personality change. In their earlier days in the training houses, he had never caught a glimpse of the disturbed man Traeger clearly was. He realized that he was either an abysmal Skrammon warrior for letting a possible threat slip past, or Trager was a masterful manipulator having managed to hide his true self from those around him.
Either way, there was no scenario that Hix could see with Traeger helping with an escape. Not that it mattered. Hix was determined to not only get Maggie off the ship but also himself. This was not and would never be his home. There had to be other warriors who agreed with him. Hopefully with Chander and Granger were among that group.
Now that Hix had figured out a way to get Maggie on the shuttle, he needed to work out a way to get Traeger off of it.
Finishing his rounds monitoring the sparring partners, Hix made a few notes on the ship’s message system. After sending his fighting assessments to Kell, he released the men to return to their previously assigned duties.
Hix had a mission as he left the sparring area and planned on visiting Granger first to find out how well he liked this place as his home. It didn’t take him long to find him either. Granger drew Hix’s attention by causing a loud crash when he dropped the large box he was carrying down the corridor.
“Sorry, sir.” Granger apologized without looking up from where he kneeled beside the heavy box.
“I was actually looking for you, Brakken Granger.” Hix waited until Granger was standing with the package before he spoke and took note of the look in the warrior’s eyes at the mention of his previous designation.
“How am I able to assist you, sir?” Granger looked overly nervous, his eyes and demeanor both exhibiting signs of worry.
“Tomorrow we—”
“You are not replacing me on our mission, are you?” Granger interrupted, his question giving Hix a hint at what he was worried about.
“No, Granger.” Hix assured him to set his mind at ease. “I was curious to see if you knew what other supplies the medical center may require,” he said, coming up with an excuse quickly.
“Yes, sir.” Granger nodded as he adjusted the box in his arms. “When I last visited the med bay, I made a short list of items that they were low on or completely out of. It is quite a detailed list though and would require more credits than I personally have. Prime Kell encouraged me to disregard the supplies we needed unless I was able to purchase them myself.”
Hix narrowed his eyes. The question of a medical supply shortage was not only a surprise but also incredibly dangerous considering the large number of warriors living on Verge Prime that relied on care.
It was then that inspiration struck. He may not need to let the others in on his plan after all, which would be much safer if he could avoid it.
“I have credits that I can put toward the purchase of needed items,” Hix offered, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice as the plan was slowly piecing together in his mind. “We will need to take an empty biocrate to shuttle back whatever purchases are made in the sector.”
“That is a smart idea,” Granger nodded emphatically. “Some of the medicines on my ledger need to be temperature controlled and a biocrate will take care of that.”
“Then, it is decided.” Hix patted Granger roughly on the back. “I have a contact in the Pleasure Sector that may agree to haggle for us when bartering in the market.”
Hix and Granger walked down the corridor in the direction that Granger had originally been moving. “Really? If we could get better pricing, I might be able to purchase some of the more expensive medications.”
Hix shook his head at the excitement he could hear in the other warrior’s voice. If this is how Granger reacted at the possibility of simply purchasing meds, his skills were definitely wasted working in the docking bay.
“After you finish this task, I have another one for you.” Hix nodded to the box Granger was still toting.
“Yes, sir. What would you have me do?”
“I need you to check out a large biocrate from the med center…I have no time for the task as Kell is wanting a full report on the sparring sessions,” Hix fibbed, knowing it would look odd for him to check out the crat
e himself. “Will that be a problem for you?”
“No, sir. The warriors assigned to the med center seem to appreciate any help I can offer so far. If I explain that I need it to transport meds, they will gladly let me borrow a large crate.”
“Good,” Hix nodded with a smile. “Deliver it to my domicile this evening once you have retrieved it.”
“Your domicile, sir?”
“I will use it to transport down the gift needed to encourage my contact to help us with our purchases. He is a fan of kurra juice and I have a large stockpile to bribe him with.” Hix mentioned one of the more exotic drinks that was often used in bartering on their world. “Do me a favor though and do not mention our side mission to Traeger.”
Granger stumbled to a halt at Hix’s words. “Why, sir?”
“Traeger suffered from an addiction to the juice not long ago and I would like to keep him from the temptation,” Hix lied.
“What should I say is in it if asked?”
“Unless Traeger carries it, he will never know it is not empty. Arrive early at the bay tomorrow and we will load it onto the shuttle before he ever reports for duty.”
“Understood.” Granger nodded to a door to his left. “I simply need to deliver this and then I will head to the med center. The crate will be in your room later.”
Hix swiped his palm on the door sensor, opening it for Granger who had his arms full. “Do not forget to arrive early tomorrow. If all goes according to plan, Traeger will never know what the crate contains, and we will be on our way to the Pleasure Sector with no problems.”
“Yes, sir,” Granger replied, walking through the open doorway and out of sight.
Hix let out a deep breath. He had a plan to get Maggie down to the Pleasure Sector but now he needed to figure out the rest.
Chapter Eight
Maggie opened her eyes slowly, the salty crust on her lids making it almost painful to do. Her eyes felt like they were literally on fire. After Hix had left, Maggie had cried herself to sleep unable to get the vision of Bodhi’s death out of her head.
Warriors of Phaeton: Hix Page 5
