Chapter Thirteen
“Wake up, sweetheart. It’s time to leave.” Varga’s voice was a low rumble against her chest, and she stretched lazily, reaching for him even before her eyes opened.
“We don’t have time for that,” Saka snapped, and Joan’s eyes flew open, her face burning.
She had forgotten that they weren’t alone. Grabbing for the fastening to her coverall, she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that it was closed once again.
“I’m afraid your delightful body is concealed once more,” Varga murmured, dark golden eyes warm with amusement, and more heat rushed her face as she remembered climaxing in his arms.
How could she have let him do that? She darted a quick glance around, but no one was watching her as they stood and stretched. She did the same, her muscles warm and loose, with only that pleasant heat between her legs to remind her of what they had done. What he had done—for her.
She snuck a quick look at him, but he still looked amused, not upset, even though she remembered how hard he had been beneath her when he sent her flying. What a surprisingly erotic experience despite, or perhaps even because, of the need for silence. His hands had been so slow, so persistent as he kept her perched on the edge of the cliff for so long before finally sending her tumbling over with one long stroke. She shivered at the memory and saw his eyes heat, but even as she started to sway towards him, she remembered their surroundings again.
With a wry smile, she turned away and took her turn with the odd tasting water. When she turned back, she swayed, suddenly dizzy as the cave walls seemed to vibrate around her.
“Joan, is something wrong?” Varga’s arms closed around her, his voice anxious, and she smiled up at him.
“No, I’m fine. I’m just tired.”
He still looked worried, but he nodded. “I’m afraid this is going to be a hard journey.”
He wasn’t lying. Almost as soon as they started walking, she could feel her tired muscles aching. Despite the amount of work she had done for Ukhaan, it had not prepared her for this type of endurance trial. But the memory of her time with Ukhaan also helped to spur her on. Before she grew too tired to look around, she could tell that everyone else was also suffering. Even Saka had abandoned her complaints and just trudged along behind them.
It was too narrow to walk together, so she tucked her hand into the back of Varga’s pants and concentrated on following in his footsteps. Even George began to flag, whining unhappily at her feet. Over Varga’s objection, she tucked the small lizard inside her coverall. George chirped happily, then settled down against her stomach to sleep. At least one of them was comfortable. Her feet felt raw and her mouth was drier than the Sahara. Her back ached from the constant ducking to avoid low sections of the tunnel roof. How much worse it must be for Varga and Issar with their greater heights.
When at last she heard the sound of water, she would have sobbed with delight if there had been any fluid left in her body with which to make tears. Varga led her straight to the basin, and she was too tired to protest. The other females crowded in next to her, and she had to fight back the urge to elbow them a way. As soon as she could make herself, she lifted her head and gestured to Varga.
“Your turn.”
He gave her a quick look but didn’t argue, and that more than anything, made her realize that he must be equally exhausted. When he finished, she lifted George up to the basin. He lapped greedily, and she was about to make a teasing comment when a noise sounded from the tunnel on the other side. She froze and looked up at Varga. He tensed, hand dropping to where the weapon used to be.
He gestured silently, and they all slipped back into the tunnel behind them. He crouched at the entrance, watching as the noise came closer. It was an odd scraping noise, and it reminded her of a horror movie with the victim crouched in silence waiting for the monster to appear. She shivered, and Varga reached back and gently patted her leg, his touch warm and reassuring.
A little of her tension eased. She knew he would do anything he could to protect her.
He crouched lower, then she heard a splashing noise and he sprang forward. A startled cry from the cave was quickly choked into silence. Had something happened to him? She started to rush after him, but Issar blocked the way, peeping around the corner before sighing and waving her ahead.
She rushed into the cave and found Varga holding up a small frog-like male by his throat. An unpleasant odor filled the cave, and Varga looked disgusted.
“He urinated on me.”
“Well you probably scared him. Let him down, Varga. He doesn’t look very dangerous.”
Varga scowled at the small male. “I’m going to put you down. Do not make any noise and do not approach any of the females.”
The male nodded eagerly, his eyes bulging. As soon as his feet reached the ground and Varga removed his hand from around his throat, he started babbling, although fortunately he kept his voice low. “I do apologize. I thought you were one of the guards. But I promise I didn’t urinate on you—my skin omits a liquid when I feel threatened.” Big eyes blinked up at Varga. “You might want to wash it off. It can have an irritating effect.”
Varga swore again and moved over to the basin to rinse off the foul-smelling liquid covering his upper half.
“Are you all right?” she asked anxiously.
He nodded. “My skin protects me. It is merely offensive.”
“I’m truly sorry, your honor,” the small male said eagerly. “Please forgive my insignificant self.”
“Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
“I am Ahona, a humble worker in these great mines. I wished only to seek some refreshment before returning to work.”
“You mean you snuck away and left your fellow workers shorthanded,” Rummel said, glaring at Ahona.
“I’m sure my small contribution will not be missed. I’m afraid my meager efforts make very little difference.” Ahona ducked his head humbly, but Joan suspected that Rummel’s assessment was probably accurate. Still, she couldn’t blame anyone for wanting to take a break in this dreadful heat.
“Where were you supposed to be working?” Varga demanded.
“We are clearing away the rubble blocking the entrance to the new mines,” Ahona said eagerly, then shook his head. “It’s a terrible mess. There’s much rock to be cleared, and the guards are very impatient.”
“How close is where you are working to the end of the tunnel?”
“Just around the corner, although the area where we are putting the discarded rocks is between us. It was when I placed my small load on the pile that I noticed the entrance and remembered that there was a water station in here. I didn’t mean any harm. Truly.”
He sounded sincere enough but something about him bothered Joan. Maybe it was the way his eyes kept darting around, never settling on one thing but noticing everything. Varga didn’t seem worried. He shrugged, obviously dismissing the male, before addressing Rummel.
“How much of a problem is that going to be?”
“It depends. If most of the guards are focused on the workers doing the clearing, we might be able to avoid their notice.”
“They are, they are,” Ahona said eagerly.
“Are the lights working out there?” Varga asked
“They have portable lights focused on the clearing efforts. But only the emergency lights are working everywhere else.” Ahona looked suddenly sly. “I heard the quake took out the communication tower as well. The guards have to go up to the surface to communicate.”
Perhaps that explained why no one had come after them so far. Or perhaps they were simply focused on repairing the damage. She had heard Ukhaan speak of the new area often enough to know that it was very rich in ore. That was why he decided to proceed with the new tunnels, even knowing that it could be dangerous.
Varga frowned thoughtfully. “How often do they go up to the surface?”
Ahona bobbed his head. “Maybe once an hour? I’m not supposed to lo
ok at them, your honor. I try to keep my head down and focus on my work.”
Varga gave a disgusted grunt, but once again Joan wondered if Ahona was telling the entire truth.
“I don’t think we have a choice. We can only hope that they are too distracted to pay attention.” He looked over at Issar. “You lead the way, and I’ll cover the rear.”
Issar nodded grimly.
“Will you take me with you, your honor? Wherever you are going?” Ahona asked eagerly.
Varga shrugged, then nodded, and Joan fought back the urge to protest. He hadn’t asked her, but then again, he probably assumed that she would want to bring the small male along, just as she had brought along everyone else they met. But somehow, this time it didn’t feel right.
Rummel muttered something under his breath and she looked over to find him frowning at Ahona, but he didn’t say anything either and they all fell into line behind Issar. Taliane was immediately behind him, followed by Saka, then Polly and Rummel. Polly was panting, an almost inaudible whimpering coming from her throat, but she clutched Rummel’s shirt and followed him.
Ahona bowed and waved Joan in front of him, but she shook her head. She didn’t want him between her and Varga. He limped along after Rummel as she reached down and picked up George. He had been hiding behind her legs, obviously not impressed with Ahona either, and he chirped happily as she tucked him back inside her coverall.
Ahona’s head whipped around at the noise, and a disturbingly long tongue flickered out as he caught sight of George.
“A drongo? What a treat—they’re very tasty.”
She covered George’s head with her hand and glared at Ahona. “He’s not tasty. He’s my friend.”
“Oh, of course. My apologies, your honor. A foolish mistake on my part.” But despite his babbling apology, he looked hungrily at the place where George had disappeared.
She really didn’t want Ahona to accompany them now, but what could she do? She didn’t think she was coldhearted enough to send him back to slavery in the mines. And even if she had been, what if he turned on them now that he knew they were here? She settled for keeping a wary eye on him as she followed him, noticing that one of his feet dragged, creating the scraping noise she had heard earlier. Not a monster after all, but she shivered anyway.
Stepping from the small tunnel into the huge cavern that led from the ore transporter back towards the new mine was surprisingly hard. The space seemed huge and exposed, despite the dim lighting, and the bustle of activity was clearly audible although as Ahona had said, a pile of debris stood between them and the blockage.
On the far side of the cavern, the smelter glowed fiery red, adding to the suffocating heat. It was no cooler here than it had been inside the tunnels. Issar led the way along the far wall towards the huge transport shaft at the far end. He moved quickly and silently, but he checked constantly to make sure that they were behind him.
She couldn’t hear Varga behind, her but she could feel his reassuring presence. Every time she looked over her shoulder to check, he smiled at her, despite the hard mask covering his face.
Her nerves were as tight as piano strings, but they reached the far end of the great cavern without hearing any outcry. A large metal grate surrounded the shaft, and as they grew closer, she realized that there was no platform inside.
“Where’s the lift?” she whispered frantically.
“It must be on the surface,” Varga said reassuringly. “Do they keep it up there when they’re not using it, Ahona?”
“Oh yes, your honor, yes. Surely they do.” Ahona sounded even more nervous, and Varga frowned at him before looking at Issar.
“I don’t think we have any choice. It’s the only way to the surface.”
“I agree.” Issar shrugged. “At least there’s only one option.”
He reached out and slapped a large red button, and they all heard the faint grinding of the chains. Joan cast a nervous look over her shoulder again, but Varga gave her a reassuring smile.
“I know it sounds loud, but no one would be able to hear it unless they were right here.”
She suspected he was right, but it didn’t stop her from shivering. There was a small outcropping of rock to one side of the shaft, and Varga urged them all behind it. At least this way they wouldn’t be immediately visible if there was someone on the platform when it descended. She hoped.
The creaking increased, and she looked up to see the base of the platform far overhead. It descended with surprising speed, but to her relief, the sounds didn’t get any louder. When the top of the platform finally came into view, she shuddered and tried to fade into the rock. Two guards were standing there, chatting idly. They didn’t seem suspicious and she prayed desperately that they would head straight back to the blockage. Her pulse was pounding in her ears so loudly that she couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she heard one of them laughing, and the sound sent a chill down her spine.
The platform came to a halt, the gate lifted, and the two guards stepped out. They didn’t even glance in their direction, and Joan was about to sag with relief when disaster struck.
As the guards descended, Polly had tried to push herself further and further back against the rock. Somehow, she dislodged a small shower of stones. The clattering noise was loud enough that the guards turned in their direction. One of them gave a loud cry, and the other raised his electric whip. Varga raced forward, and to her horror, the whip landed on one of his scars. Golden fluid gushed out, and he crumpled to his knees.
“Varga!” She was already starting towards him when Ahona caught her arm.
His fingers were cold and slippery but surprisingly strong as he started dragging her with him.
“Look, your honors,” he said eagerly. “I found a female. I brought her along just for you.”
She tried to struggle as his words penetrated but the grip on her arm was no longer just strong—it burned. A fiery pain emanated from where he touched her, and a sudden wave of weakness swept up her arm.
“My arm…”
“I told you it was irritating,” he muttered maliciously, his face transforming to a humble smile as he approached the guards. “Just for you, your honors.”
There were two simultaneous roars. A black shape seemed to fly past her, and it took her increasingly foggy brain a second to recognize Issar. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as she watched him reach one of the guards and bury his claws in the male’s stomach. Varga was no longer on his knees. He had the whip in his hand, and he had it twisted around the other guard’s neck.
Good, she thought slowly.
The burning pain vanished from her arm, and she looked over to see Rummel bring a rock crashing down on Ahona’s head. She thought she should be relieved, but it all seemed so far away. The cavern began to spin around her, and the ground raced up to meet her. Someone caught her just before she hit, but she didn’t have time to wonder who it was before the world went dark.
Chapter Fourteen
Varga cast the dead guard aside and raced for Joan as she toppled to the ground. He knew he would never make it in time, but to his astonishment, Polly reached her first. Polly managed to break Joan’s fall, but both females hit the ground. As soon as he reached them, he snatched Joan into his arms with a grateful word to Polly. He frantically checked Joan for injuries, swearing at the sight of her swollen, blistered arm, the print of Ahona’s hand clearly visible.
He growled, searching for the small male, but his body was only a short distance away, his head smashed beneath a large rock while Rummel scowled down at it.
“Killing was too good for you, you bastard.” Rummel spat on the body, then went to help Polly. She was still sitting on the ground where Joan had fallen, her eyes wide and vacant, but she let Rummel help her to her feet.
Varga agreed with the older male, but he was too focused on Joan to care. “How can I help her?” he asked desperately.
“Get her on the lift,” Issar said grimly as a sh
out came from the far end of the cavern. “We have to get out of here.”
He hesitated. As much as he hated the Zameetans… “What if they could help her?”
“You would condemn her to return to a life of slavery?” Issar pulled him to his feet as he spoke and urged him towards the lift.
Taliane and Saka were already on the platform, while Rummel and Polly were only a few steps away.
“At least she would be alive. And I would never stop until she was free again.” He let Issar push him along, but he kept turning to look at the guards racing towards them.
“You would if they killed you,” Issar said bluntly. “And you’re already injured.”
“It’s only a scratch,” he said automatically, even though he could feel fiery pain from the wound and knew that blood was dripping down his chest. It had been sheer bad luck that the guard had managed to hit one of his scars—one of the few areas he was vulnerable.
Issar pushed him on the platform, even as he tried to decide what to do. It was difficult to think when his whole being was focused on the small figure in his arms. But before he could change his mind, the platform began to rise.
“She needs help,” he said desperately.
Issar frowned. “Do you have a medical bay on your ship?”
“Just a small automated one.”
“That should still be enough to put her in stasis until you can get her to a real facility.”
He couldn’t respond, terrified that he would lose her. Her body already seemed cooler in his arms, her breathing shallower. He thought she whimpered but when he leaned closer, he saw it was George, crawling his way out of her coverall. The lizard chirped anxiously, then to his horror, began licking the wound.
“No!” he cried, about to knock the small creature away, but Rummel caught his arm.
“Wait a minute. The swelling is going down.”
Afraid to believe, he kept his eyes on her arm until he was sure he could see a difference. Rummel was right. The inflamed red flesh was subsiding, even the blisters beginning to disappear. Thank the gods.
Joan and the Juggernaut: A SciFi Alien Romance (Alien Abduction Book 10) Page 9
