by S. E. Smith
“He is the one that has been bringing in the creatures for those… for the fighters. He said it is more exciting and profitable, according to the information he has been sending out,” Jordan whispered. “Dagger and two other men are the only ones who have survived the fights so far this week.”
“He will need to replenish his fighters,” Sword commented.
“From what I’ve seen in the past couple of days, the… Drethulan, has been sending teams of men out to find new fighters. Two days ago, they attacked Trig. They didn’t want me as I was too small but Trig fought them.”
“That may be why they attacked Razor and Hammer,” Sword said. “Trivator warriors are fierce and will fight until the death.”
Kali’s mind turned with ideas. Her eyes flickered to Sword before turning back to Jordan. They needed warriors, she needed to get inside. A smile curved her lips.
Men always underestimated a woman, especially ones that were small and fragile looking, she thought as she bit her lip.
“Jordan, how good are you at sneaking around?” Kali asked as a plan began forming in her mind, taking root and growing. “Can you get inside The Hole unseen?”
“Yes, I’ve been searching for Dagger and Trig. I stole an access key from one of the kitchen workers,” she replied. “I have a good idea of where they are being kept.”
Kali watched as Jordan pulled a small tablet from a pouch at her waist. She swiped her finger over it and tapped in several codes. Before long, a schematic of the huge complex appeared. She stepped closer looking at it. It was the plans from the original construction of the building.
“Where did you get this?” Sword asked in surprise.
“I hacked into the Space Station’s building archives,” Jordan murmured as she moved through the diagrams. “There are three levels under the complex that are used to hold the fighters. The first one isn’t in use right now. The second and third one are. I think that’s where they are holding the men.”
“Jordan, you are a genius,” Kali laughed in delight.
Jordan shook her head. “No, I’m desperate. I’ve been studying and learning the coding so that I could find Dagger. He’s there. I have to help him before… before they put him back into that cage again.”
“We will,” Kali said with determination. “I have a plan.”
Sword winced at Kali’s words. If her plans involve what he was thinking, he was definitely going to be a dead man. Not only would Razor kill him, but Dagger and Trig, for exposing the women to danger. He knew the brothers well enough to know that they were very protective of those they cared about.
Yes, he thought as he listened to Kali. And it is going to be a very long and painful death.
Chapter 29
“Lady Kali,” Cannon murmured as she tightened the cuffs around his wrists and neck. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Kali said, looking at the three other creatures that he had returned with. “Are you sure we can trust these guys?”
Cannon glanced over at the Raftian, the Trusset, and the Jawtaw. Each male was dressed in the dark uniform of The Hole’s security personnel. Cannon knew each of the males from previous missions. The Raftian, a small but fierce reptilian species, was working undercover on a slave trading issue. The other two were working on missions as well.
“We can trust them,” Cannon said.
“If you say so,” Kali murmured. “Now, Jordan will lead Sword down to the lower cells and release the prisoners there, while Race takes care of making sure the transport is ready to leave the moment we get out. I’ve captured you and need to sell you so I can return to my home world.”
“The Dreluthan will not believe that you captured a Trivator warrior,” the Jawtaw grunted out.
“Yes, he will,” Kali replied.
She tightened the strap holding her switchblade. She would have to remember to thank Destin for this small gift. It had been his, but she found it in the items he had packed for her before she left Earth. A sense of comfort came from knowing that a little piece of her brother was with her in this upcoming mission.
“How? You are too small and weak,” the Raftian hissed out. “You could not overpower a Trivator.”
“No, I couldn’t,” Kali replied. “To defeat an enemy, sometimes you need to use your brains over brawn. Never underestimate the power of a woman on a mission. Just make sure you follow the plan and we might just make it out of this alive.”
“Might?” Cannon snorted. “Even if we do, Razor, Trig and Dagger are going to kill us for bringing you here. Not to mention Hammer just for the fun of it.”
“Quit belly aching,” Kali muttered as her own stomach fluttered at the thought of Razor’s reaction to what she was about to do. “He’ll understand.”
“He will understand what?” Cannon asked as he rolled his neck.
“Nothing,” Kali muttered before turning to the other three men. “Are you ready?”
The Trusset grinned. Well, its lips opened to reveal rows of jagged teeth so she assumed it was a grin. The creature didn’t really speak as much as make a series of clicking and popping noises that the other men appeared to understand. The translator in Kali’s ear didn’t so she was left to communicating through the other men.
The group stepped out of the small area Jordan had been using and moved down the narrow alley toward the entrance to The Hole. Kali hoped that Jordan and Sword were able to get down to the lower sections. If everything worked out tonight, The Hole might be shut down permanently before it was over.
*.*.*
“This way,” Jordan said in a quiet voice. “There is one guard at the far end. He runs the controls for the lower levels.”
“How do you know that?” Sword asked.
Jordan turned dark, haunted eyes up to his. “I delivered food to him yesterday.”
“You….” Sword bit off what he really wanted to say. “Stay here.”
“No,” Jordan said, pressing her hand to his chest to stop him. “I’ll go. He will sound the alarm if you do.”
She glanced around. Seeing a small discarded tray that had been left by one of the cell doors, she picked it up, ignoring the dust and what looked like dried blood that covered it. Instead, she wiped it off as best she could with the end of her cloak and placed a dented cup on it.
“I’ll take care of him,” she whispered in a trembling voice.
“Jordan,” Sword hissed, but she had already stepped around the corner and was walking down the long corridor.
*.*.*
Jordan’s hands trembled as she carried the tray. She knew the guard had seen her. He rose out of his chair in the small control room and stretched. Her fingers tightened around the small laser pistol she held in her hand as he stepped out of the door. She had never killed anyone before and the thought of doing so made her sick to her stomach. The only thing keeping her going was her memories of Dagger locked in battle in the cage. She couldn’t let him go through that any longer.
“What do you want?” The guard demanded.
“I… I brought you refreshments,” Jordan responded hesitantly. “I was told by the man in the kitchen to bring it.”
She lowered her eyes when the filthy male rubbed the front of his pants before rubbing his hand across his mouth. She knew what she would see, the same look that was in his eyes yesterday when she had delivered his food. If it had not been for a small group of guards bringing two other men down, she didn’t want to think of what the male would have done to her.
“No interruptions today,” the guard sneered. “I want something more filling.”
A shiver of distaste ran through Jordan at his lascivious laugh. Her hands trembled so violently that the cup on the tray rattled. When she felt like she was close enough, she dropped the tray. The laser pistol shook as she pointed it at his chest and fired.
The guard roared out in pain. Her hands had been shaking so badly that she hit him in the shoulder instead of his chest. In rage, he reached out
and gripped the pistol. He twisted it away from him at the same time as his other hand wrapped around her throat.
“You shouldn’t play with weapons if you don’t know how to use them,” the guard growled. “What type of species are you? I have not seen your kind before. It doesn’t matter, I’ll show you what happens when you miss.”
Jordan’s slender hands desperately gripped the man’s wrists as he lifted her by her neck and slammed her back against the hard, stone wall. She choked and tried to kick him, but everything was beginning to turn dark. She stared into the furious eyes, fighting to break away from the long, forked tongue that slowly slipped out from his mouth.
“Lucky for me, I don’t miss,” Sword said as he slid a long blade through the male’s side. “And I know how to use a weapon.”
Jordan slid down the wall as Sword jerked the body of the guard away from her. Her hands went to her bruised throat even as she watched Sword turn the male and slice through his neck. She turned her head and closed her eyes as blood splattered outward.
She jerked when she felt a pair of warm hands tenderly grip her forearms. She looked up with frightened eyes at Sword as he knelt in front of her. Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears before she determinedly brushed them away.
“Are you alright?” He asked quietly.
“Ye… yes,” she forced out. “Tha… thank you.”
Sword’s eyes softened and he held out his hands to her to help her up. He noticed the way she kept her eyes averted from the guard’s body. He also felt the trembling that shook her slender frame. The thing that really moved him was the determination in her eyes. He glanced down at her wrists. They were bare of any markings. He did not know if this female belonged to Dagger. Her insistence on finding him made Sword believe that she might. If she didn’t, he might claim her for himself.
“There are no other guards that I could tell from here on,” Kali whispered hoarsely. “The guard here controlled the locking mechanisms to each section.”
“I will take care of it,” Sword said.
He guided Jordan into the small room containing the control station for the holding cells. Within minutes, he returned with the keys to the locking devices for all three levels. Fortunately, the cells used an older model that did not require a passcode to unlock. It depended on a manual release. Unfortunately, it meant he needed to go to each level and pull the release on specific cells at the end of each corridor. It was a double safety standard in case the prisoners escaped, they would be unable to get out of the lower levels.
He flicked through the vidcom until he found the cells holding Razor, Hammer and Trig. They were on the second level. All the other cells were empty except for two other males. He flicked down to the third level. Each cell was empty except for the very last one. A dark figure sat in the shadows. Only his hands were visible. The rest was hidden in the darkness. Dagger.
“I’ve found them,” Sword murmured. “I’ll go to level two and release Razor, Hammer and Trig first.”
“Dagger?” Jordan asked in a fearful voice.
“He is in the last cell on the left on the third level,” Sword replied, glancing at Jordan. “I won’t leave him.”
Jordan glanced down at the screen to the vidcom. She saw the dark figure. His hands clenched and unclenched as he sat shrouded in the shadows.
“I’ll go release him,” she said.
“I don’t want you down there alone. Jordan, he has been held for over two years. He… he might not be sane after what he has been through,” Sword said hesitantly. “It might be necessary to knock him out.”
Jordan watched the figure rise up. Dagger stepped into the dim light and glared at the camera. A long scar ran along his right cheek. Cold hatred glared back at her.
“Go, do what you have to,” she murmured. “I’ll make sure that you aren’t trapped down there.”
“Stay here. Lock the door in case anyone comes. I will return in ten minutes,” Sword said, stepping out of the room.
“I’ll be okay. Go. I want to get out of here,” Jordan replied as her eyes flashed over the dead body of the guard. “Just… free them.”
*.*.*
Kali waited silently outside the thick double doors; a confident mask of calm on her face. She was thankful she had learned to hide her true feelings. Cannon would have bundled her up and had her back on the Journey before she could say her name if he knew how scared she was under it.
“He will see you now,” a heavyset female grunted.
Kali ignored the nasty grin on the female’s face. The receptionist had the face of a toad complete with large moles and bumps that looked a lot like warts. Kali strode into the main office of the Drethulan, not turning around as the wart-face bitch closed the door behind them, sealing them inside.
She noted that there was another male besides the Drethulan in the room. He was tall and thickly built with black hair and brilliant dark violet eyes. His features were surprisingly humanoid. He watched them as they entered, a speculative look in his eyes as she stopped and held his gaze in challenge. The trace of a smile curved his lips upward as he bowed his head.
“I will leave you for now, my lord,” the man murmured, straightening up.
The Drethulan ignored the male as he walked out of the room. His eyes were assessing Kali and the four males behind her. The dark eyes blinked slowly as she folded her arms across her chest.
“I heard you were looking for fighters,” Kali announced in a determined voice.
“And you have one to sell?” The Drethulan replied, his dark eyes following Kali’s hands as she placed them on her slim hips and tossed her head.
“Yes!” She hissed. “The bastard thought I wouldn’t care if he cheated on me!”
The Drethulan glanced at Cannon’s pained expression. He noted the stun collar around his neck and the ones connected to both wrists. His eyes flickered back to him and then to the three guards that stood behind him. All three belonged to The Hole’s security team. He did not know each of the guards yet, but knew that they would never have been able to get into the building without an access key.
“You expect me to believe you captured a Trivator warrior on your own?” He hissed in distrust.
“Kali,” Cannon began.
Kali swiveled and looked up at Cannon’s face. “Don’t you, Kali me! I saw you! I saw you and her!”
“Kali, I don’t…” Cannon began, but stopped when Kali turned her back on him.
“I drugged his drink last night,” Kali cried out in rage and hurt. “He thought he could sleep with me after being… after being…” She lowered her head and sniffed before raising angry eyes to the Drethulan. “No male will treat me like that and live.”
For a moment, silence froze the room before the sound of a rusty chuckle slowly built. The Drethulan stepped closer to Kali and ran his eyes up and down her. He dismissed her as being a profitable commodity. She was too fragile to be used as a whore and too dangerous to keep for himself. Though maybe the Kassis warlord would be interested. He focused his gaze back on the cuffed male standing behind her.
The Trivator warrior was a different story. With four of them, his profit level would substantially increase. He walked around Cannon with a slow, measuring look. He liked the fire in the male’s eyes. He would be deadly. He might even be able to sell his body to some of his more affluent female customers.
“A hundred credits,” the Drethulan said.
“Two hundred,” Kali countered. “I have to pay to get off this rock.”
The Drethulan’s mouth tightened before he nodded. “Two hundred,” he agreed, knowing he would get his credits back with interest from the fights.
Kali held out her hand for the credit chip. The Drethulan snorted and returned to his desk. He inserted a chip and transferred the credits onto it. Walking back around the side of his desk, he handed Kali the disk.
“What species are you?” He asked with assessing frown. “I have not seen your kind before.”
“No, you haven’t,” Kali replied over her shoulder as she turned back to Cannon and ran her hand up his chest. “I’m not from around here. Goodbye sugar, I hope you get what’s coming to you.”
Kali knew this part of the plan had been the hardest for Cannon to accept. Kali slipped the key into the lock of the cuff around his neck at the same time as he pulled the key for the ones on his wrists from the waistband of her pants.
The Raftian had warned her that the cuffs would be scanned to make sure they were active before Cannon would be allowed into the complex. In fact, it had been checked twice. Once upon entering and again by the wart-faced receptionist who insisted on testing it. The bolt, even on the lowest setting, had knocked Cannon to his knees with a low groan.
They could not take the chance of Cannon being disabled and defenseless. The plan was for Kali to release the cuff around his neck while he freed his hands, then find a safe corner while Cannon and the other men killed the Drethulan. She had been more than happy to stand back when she found out the damn guy could shift into a large deadly worm creature when angered.
“Good luck,” Kali whispered as she brushed her lips next to Cannon’s ear in a display of affection. “He has a pistol in the left drawer of his desk.”
She still had her arms around Cannon’s neck when the double doors to the office burst inward. Her eyes froze on Razor’s furious face. Time stood still as they gazed at each other before speeding up as the Drethulan roared out in rage.
Kali felt her body being lifted at the same time as Razor, Hammer, Trig and Sword swept into the room with a terrifying war cry. Cannon swung her around and tossed her toward the Trusset who caught her and set her gently in the corner with a wink. Kali pressed her back up against the wall as the Drethulan started shaking and expanding.
This was nothing like what she was used to fighting. Her hand went to her stomach as it turned when a putrid smell poured from the creature. She covered her nose and mouth trying to minimize breathing it in. It was no use, her stomach rolled in rebellion.
