Qwalm kicked his third attacker, downing him. The other two were already down, both bleeding from Qwalm’s kicks.
Reva fired her pistol at the last standing Skallan. He bolted with stun darts flying past him. I aimed for him, but he ran around a corner and out of sight.
The other Skallan lay on the ground with a dart in his leg. In Reva’s state, she’d been lucky to hit anything.
I checked my steel arm. A slight scratch marred its surface, but otherwise I was unharmed.
Qwalm helped Akar to his feet. Blood dripped from Akar’s nose.
“Good job, Krys.” Qwalm bowed his head to me.
“I should have been quicker on the draw.” Good thing I’d had Qwalm.
“I got one of them.” Reva’s words came out slurred.
“You want to take them in?” I asked. The Skallan with the broken wrist fled down the street while one of Qwalm’s tried to limp away. The other three hadn’t risen.
Qwalm grabbed his datsheet and scanned their faces. “They’re not wanted. I’ll file a complaint. Besides, they’re just drunk robbers.”
I hadn’t realized our attackers were drunk. Then again, Qwalm had a better nose.
Qwalm yawned.
Our attackers weren’t the only ones who had too much to drink.
Our team made it to the car. I climbed behind the stick before anyone could complain.
Being unfamiliar with the hover, I had to drive slowly. By the time we made it to the hotel, my four passengers were asleep or passed out.
I shook Qwalm awake. He dragged Urkot to our rooms while I herded Akar and Reva. Akar’s nose still bled. After how little help he’d been, I didn’t care. I got them all in their beds, then settled into my bed.
No wonder Dad hadn’t worked with Akar and Reva’s team. Would it be better of I struck out on my own? I imagined going back to sleeping on the street and trying to bring bounties in on my own. It wasn’t safe, not until I gained a bit more experience.
By the next afternoon, my team recovered from their hangovers.
“You want to spar a bit, Krys?” Qwalm paced the rug he slept on, his tail swishing. “You did well last night, but if you’d been fighting two people, they’d have got you.”
“Sure.” I’d been exercising regularly, but I hadn’t practiced fighting enough.
Akar peered through the door. “Go easy on the kid.”
I shot a glare at him. I wasn’t a kid. Lot of help you were in that fight, I wanted to snap.
Urkot came into the room, probably wanting to see us spar. Reva sat on her bed and watched, her eyes narrowed, appraising me.
I turned my steel side toward Qwalm. He came at me and slashed with his clawed hand.
I blocked with my cybernetic arm.
He struck at me with his foot. I sprang back. Even my cybernetics wouldn’t be able to take a Torf’s kick. Qwalm kicked again.
I retreated.
“You’ve got to stop running away,” Qwalm said. “You get backed into a corner.”
“If I don’t, you’ll kick me.”
“Then dodge like you did with the Skallan.”
Knives were one thing. Huge clawed feet were another.
Qwalm struck at me. I tried to dodge, but his claws scraped against my cybernetic leg. I darted away.
This time, Qwalm didn’t let up. He charged with his chin lowered to protect his throat and his claws upraised. Never fight what you can shoot, Dad always said.
The words did me no good. I threw myself sideways, onto my bed.
Qwalm sprang onto the bed. One of his feet landed on my chest, a blow that would’ve crushed ribs and torn my gut if he’d been fighting me for real.
Without thinking, I swiped at his leg with my cybernetic arm, catching both of them.
Qwalm squawked and tumbled from the bed. I pounced on him before he could rise, pinning him to the floor. I grabbed his throat with my cybernetic hand.
“Good job,” Qwalm said.
Akar clapped. “Not bad, girl.”
I released Qwalm. He rose and winced as he stood.
“Did I hurt you?” I stared at his leg. He’d taken it easy on me, but I hadn’t taken it that easy on him. If he’d kicked instead of pinning me, he could have split me open.
Qwalm tested his leg. “It’s only bruised. You did well. You’re fast, but you need to stay on your feet.”
“I think I’ll shoot Torfs,” I said.
Qwalm chuckled. “Good idea. Humans are bad at close combat. We’ll keep training more whenever we have the chance.”
He had a point. We Humans had no natural weapons, though I had a few unnatural ones from my time with the pirates.
“We’ll do what we can to keep you out of the fighting,” Urkot said. “You’re not old enough to be a hunter.”
I resisted the urge to draw my claws. Maybe Akar was old and experienced enough to treat me like a kid, but Urkot wasn’t.
“Last fight I remember, Qwalm and I saved your drunk hide.” I glared at Urkot. “I wouldn’t mind seeing who’s the better hunter here.”
“Sure, kid.” Urkot stepped toward me.
I readied myself. Qwalm had held back. Urkot wouldn’t, but neither would I.
How much training did Urkot have anyway? He had studied at a hunter academy, but so had I. It all came down to what sort of experience he’d gotten outside the academy.
He strode toward me, his fists lifted.
I stood my ground.
Urkot experimentally swung his fist at me. I ducked the slow fist and punched him hard in his ample belly. He let out an oof of air and slapped a fist into the cybernetic side of my head.
Sparks shot through my vision.
Urkot kicked at me, a high kick aimed at my stomach.
I dodged back and tried to grab his foot. I missed. His foot grazed my stomach.
“You should give up.” Urkot smiled.
I waited for him to attack. This time, when his fist swung, I blocked it with my cybernetic hand.
Urkot swung his other fist. It connected with my stomach.
I stumbled back.
Urkot advanced. I swung my real fist into his side, then followed through with my cybernetic fist to his chin.
Urkot fell. I pounced on him and grabbed his throat. I kept my claws sheathed. Something made me want to keep them a secret. “I win.”
“Ouch,” Urkot said. “Did you have to hit so hard?” There was a venom in his voice.
I let him go and backed off. “You hit hard too.” I rubbed my stomach and coughed. I needed to do better next time, but I had beaten him. It wasn’t luck either. He was slow, even if he hit hard.
“Keep practicing,” Reva said. She still had her usual cold look. I’d hoped she’d be a little impressed with me taking Urkot on. “It’s time we head to Lokostwa and show the freaking pitbait there that we don’t take kindly to them messing with Karzils.”
With the use of a slur to describe Free Kin, my taste of glory turned to a weight in my chest Maybe the criminals on Saddat deserved punishment for their crimes, but many of the ones on Lokostwa hadn’t done anything wrong. It wasn’t right to go after them to get revenge for what a few pirates had done by accident.
CHAPTER TEN
Cost
Because Akar, Reva, and Qwalm had elite status, they were able to get us to Lokostwa without paying for it. We disembarked from the civilian liner we’d taken and stepped onto the now familiar yellow dirt of Port City's spaceport. I glanced at the ships around us, most of which were freight ships, other than the line we’d come on.
“We’ll split up,” Akar said. “Reva, take Urkot.”
“Why do I always get stuck with her?” Urkot whined.
“Because I’ve got the highest pay grade.” Akar folded his arms across his chest and looked at me. “On second thought, Reva, take Krys. I’ll take Urkot. Qwalm can go on his own. He’ll get closer to Torfs that way.”
I stiffened a little. I’d have preferred going with Akar. He t
reated me like a kid, but at least he wasn’t hostile like Reva.
Reva grabbed my real arm. “Come on, girl.”
I pulled away and followed her. We came to the busy marketplace. Most of the people milling about were Torfs or Gorkam. Because we'd landed in Port City, there were also Skallan, Humans, Chix, and an Elba or two.
Reva slid her fancy new datsheet into my hands. “Scan their faces. If one of them comes at you, I’ll back you up. Don’t go for anything less than a thousand, unless it’s something from a pirate crew.”
I nodded. Just like with Dad. I played the innocent child while the firepower backed me up. Then again, could I trust Reva to back me up if things got bad?
I darted through the crowd.
A light tan Torf wore a scarf that covered her cheeks. I held up the folded datsheet and scanned her face. The datsheet scanned so fast, and from a distance far enough that the Torf didn’t see it happen.
Wanted for association with Free Kin radicals, the datsheet read. 50 coin.
I moved on. One like that would have to be hauled to the local Ordained ministry and released if she paid a fine. I’d leave her for the local hunters who didn’t have to worry about blowing their cover. It wouldn’t pay to haul her to Saddat or Chibbink.
After scanning dozens of faces, the datsheet lit up on an older male Torf. Free Kin Radical with known associations to terrorist cells. 1250 coin.
I darted away from him and watched as he went about his business. Was this worth it? Melsha had been so kind to me, even though she had no reason to show kindness to a hunter, and her crimes had been similar. I moved on without taking the guy. I’d find someone else, someone like Nerrini.
A young Skallan darted through the crowd. This one had bright green scales and new clothes. He had to have coin. I followed him. It was entirely possible he was some business owner’s kid, but it wouldn’t hurt to scan him.
He weaved through the streets and hurried into a building. I peered through the building’s dusty window. Guns hung on the walls. A Skallan his age who hadn’t been through an academy couldn’t legally own a modern projectile weapon. Not that people on Lokostwa cared about illegal weapons trade. I backed away from the shop and waited for him to exit.
After a short time in the building, the Skallan stepped outside. I held up the datsheet and scanned his face while he looked at something on the other side of the street.
Nazar, son of Otton, captain of the Nightslayer. Wanted for piracy, thievery, murder of one hunter, slave trafficking. Crew member of the Nightslayer. Age 15. 6,000 coin.
I tailed Nazar. As he walked, he began looking around more. A few times, his golden gaze moved past me.
I pretended to be interested in a stall selling some sort of rough gemstones.
A young Elba with red fur and black stripes stepped from one of the alleys. Nazar bumped shoulders with the Elba. The Elba stood taller than me but shorter than Akar.
The pair darted into an alley. I followed after them. They were trying to lose me before heading back to their ship.
I took stock of the weapons. Nazar had a pistol, but he could have hidden other weapons under his loose white shirt. The Elba had a long knife. He wore no shirt. I figured it was a safe bet he didn’t carry other weapons, though his claws were sharp.
There were fewer people in the alleyways. They’d realize I hunted them, so I’d have to strike soon. Is this right? The two were both young, too young to deserve the pits. I wouldn’t wish the pits on Klate, so why would I send these kids there? For all I knew, they might not even have committed the crimes listed.
A presence moved behind me. I turned, my hand on my pistol.
“How much are they worth?” Reva whispered.
Any hope of backing out of this vanished. “The Skallan’s six thousand. I don’t know about the Elba.”
Reva licked her lips like she wanted blood, not money.
The pair walked around a corner.
Reva ran after them, her hand on her pistol. She bumped into a Gorkam, who scrambled out of her way.
I raced after Reva and we rounded the corner.
Nazar and his companion, who had only made it a few steps, spun to face us. Reva drew her pistol and fired. Before he could reach for his pistol, Nazar fell in a heap.
“No!” The Elba slammed into Reva. Her pistol went flying. A knife gleamed in the Elba’s hand. The pair tumbled to the hard-packed dirt in a pile of fur and fury.
Reva twisted the Elba’s hand and plunged his own knife into his shoulder.
With one arm, Reva blocked his claws then kicked the Elba backward. He fell to the ground and clutched his bleeding shoulder.
Reva scooped up her pistol and leveled it at the bleeding Elba. The knife, still in her left hand, dripped blood. I hadn’t even see her pull it out of him.
“Stop!” I shouted. The Elba wasn’t going anywhere.
Reva’s eyes narrowed.
I hurried between her and the Elba, who barely looked at me. His face wrinkled in pain. Blood leaked between his fingers.
I pulled a bandage and tube of salve from my pack.
“Give me the datsheet,” Reva demanded.
I handed her the datsheet. I eyed the Elba’s belt. Did he have some sort of tracking chip like Melsha’s?
Reva scanned the Elba’s face. “He’s an escaped slave, only worth two hundred. Must have dyed his tattoos. Leave him.” Blood dripped from four long scratches on her arm.
“He’s a person.” I reached for the Elba’s shoulder.
He growled.
“Move your hand,” I said. “I’m trying to help.” I held out the bandage.
The Elba let me peel his bloody hand away from the wound. The wound went deep but didn’t appear to hit any bones. The bleeding could kill him before he’d have to worry about nerve damage.
I squirted some salve in the wound then wrapped the bandage around the wound. It was a smart bandage so it could tighten to reduce blood flow. Hopefully, it would keep the Elba alive. He lay still. I peered at the belt, but it didn’t have a buckle or anywhere to hide a chip.
“I got two.” Reva held the datsheet up to her mouth. “I might need backup. They’re pirates.”
I glanced at the Skallan. He’d fallen in a position so he saw what happened.
Within a few minutes, Qwalm arrived. “Looks like you had some trouble.”
“Krys insisted on wasting a bandage on that thing,” Reva snapped.
Qwalm lowered his head to me. It wasn’t much of a bow, but it showed respect. “We’ll take him to a doctor before we give them to one of the shippers.”
Reva smiled slightly. “I’ve got a better idea. We use him to see if that Skallan knows anything.”
“No.” The Elba pushed himself into a sitting position. He swayed.
Reva grabbed his bad arm and yanked it behind his back.
He growled, more from the pain than anything.
Qwalm shoved Reva away from the Elba. “I’ll handle him.”
“Traitor,” the Elba gasped. “No true Torf would ever side with the Company.”
“Can you stand?” Qwalm asked, ignoring the accusation.
The Elba glared with eyes the color of spring sky.
Qwalm grabbed his good arm and pulled him to his feet. “If you don’t want cuffed, you’d better behave.”
The Elba growled. Considering he couldn’t stand without Qwalm’s aid, the growl wasn’t very threatening, not when he couldn’t have been any older than fourteen.
Reva and I hoisted Nazar between us and followed Qwalm, who dragged the Elba to some sort of hospital. From the look of it, it wasn’t a very good one, not with the amount of dirt on the walls.
A Gorkam stood at the door. By its large size, I guessed it was a female. “Bounty?” she asked.
“Needs patched up.” Qwalm helped the Elba into the hospital, which had a low ceiling and metal walls covered in rust. Dust covered the floor.
The nurse pulled off the bandage. “Clean woun
d.” I couldn’t read her expression enough to know if she sympathized with the pirates or not. She worked fast, applying a numbing gel, then gluing bits of the flesh together. She finished the operation. “Thirty coin.”
Reva counted out the coin, using the less valuable bendsteel to get the correct amount.
By then, the paralysis was wearing off Nazar.
Reva cuffed Nazar and we headed for the spaceport.
Akar and Urkot met us at the edge, a spot we’d chosen where the locals weren’t likely to congregate.
“How much?” Akar grabbed Nazar’s chin and turned his head.
Nazar snapped at Akar, his white teeth flashing. “Hands off, hunter.”
“Six thousand,” Qwalm said.
The Elba glared at Akar. “I hope you think of the innocents you sent to the pit when you spend that bloody coin.”
Nazar bumped his shoulder against the Elba’s good one. “It’s okay. We’ll get out of this.” Nazar’s words came out confidently enough I almost believed him.
A chill shot through me. Was he expecting his family to rescue him like Klate rescued Melsha? At least this time, we’d be leaving our bounties with the shippers instead of escorting them to Saddat.
Reva shoved her way between Qwalm and the Elba. She grabbed him by his bad shoulder and threw him to the dirt.
He snarled in pain.
Nazar thrashed in Akar’s grip. “Leave him alone!”
Reva crouched and prodded the Elba’s shoulder. She used her foot to pin his good arm down, then looked at Nazar. “Tell me who you sell to here and I’ll leave him alone.” Reva smiled as she spoke, enjoying her control over the helpless Elba.
I tensed, anger burning in my chest. I’d threatened to not feed Nerrini, but I’d never take things this far and not with a kid.
Qwalm let out a low hiss. His hackles lifted slightly, telling me he sided with me on this brutality.
“Don’t talk,” the kid growled between clenched teeth.
Nazar looked at the ground. “It’s in Darkmine. I don’t know the dealer’s name. Dad doesn’t take me there.” He looked at me. “Please, leave him alone.”
“Any other pirates dealing with the crew?” Reva asked. She reached to prod the Elba’s shoulder again.
Hand of Steel Page 9
