The young man cast an oblique glance at Acielon. “Is he your new boyfriend? You never bring them around.”
Acielon nodded. “My name is Acielon.”
Fianna cast him a supplicating look. He understood. She needed privacy to confront her brother about hacking the information about Azura for Tarkan.
Acielon grabbed both chair arms and rose as steadily as he could, struggling to hide the great weakness that pervaded his entire body. He winked at Sheba. “Protect Fianna and Maksou. Right?”
The cat blinked. “Sheba protect.”
Acielon smiled for Fianna and nodded at Maksou. “I’ll be waiting in the hallway.”
Gratitude softened the corners of Fianna’s eyes. “Thanks.”
Acielon managed to remain straight as he walked out the door. He didn’t want Fianna to see him helpless. When the door closed behind him, he sighed with relief. He could barely walk.
He missed a step and grabbed the back of a wall bench to keep his balance. He must regain his strength. On Azura he would recover from such exhaustion in one night, but he was not on Azura. He only hoped this weakness would not become permanent.
He sat down on the bench and leaned against the backrest. The urge to sleep took him over. He closed his eyes... just for a few seconds, welcoming oblivion.
* * *
As Ragnar guided the floating gurney along the sterile hallway, he raised the collar of his white coat to hide the tips of his red wings tattoos. When he spotted the stranger, all but collapsed on a hallway bench, he smiled. “I see him,” he whispered through his com implant. “He looks passed out. It’s as if the universe wants to make our job easier.”
“It’s fate, boss.” Rollo laughed in his ear from the ambulance waiting outside. “The Guardian Angels of the universe are on our side for once.”
“There are no such angels.” Ragnar snorted. “And if there were, they wouldn’t care about louts like us.”
He stopped the gurney in front of the bench. The stranger showed no reaction. Out of his white coat pocket, Ragnar pulled a hypo spray and injected him in the neck. Nothing more natural in a hospital than an orderly helping an unconscious patient in need of care... except that the hypo spray contained a powerful sedative. This man would not wake up anytime soon.
Ragnar braced the stranger under both shoulders, but he weighed more than expected. So, he switched on the gurney’s levitating beam, and easily lifted his charge, then floated him horizontally onto the hovering gurney. Ragnar secured his limp patient with the restraints to make sure he would not fall or escape during transport.
The stranger moaned slightly but offered no resistance.
Ragnar guided the floating gurney along the corridor, all the way to the exit door, out of the hospital, and into the ambulance. He secured the gurney to the side of the vehicle, then he closed the back door and walked around the ambulance to climb into the passenger seat.
“Let’s go,” he told Rollo.
Rollo nodded. “Requesting emergency manual control.”
“Manual control engaged,” the vehicle’s A.I. chimed.
Rollo grabbed the joystick and the ambulance floated silently out of the brightly lit areas, and into dark, slanted tunnels leading to the lower levels of the station... the bowels where their kind resided. The slums of Byzantium-5.
Ragnar couldn’t repress a grin as he turned to Rollo. “Easiest pick up job ever.”
Rollo emitted a mirthful laugh that shook the entire vehicle. “You’re right about that, boss.”
Chapter Fifteen
After hugging her brother, so glad he would be whole again, Fianna sat in the visitor chair and considered Maksou on his hospital bed. He laughed as he scratched Sheba’s head. His roguish blond hair fell over his eyes. Only a few years younger than her, he looked so young and carefree. She liked that about him.
She initiated the medical scanner in her eye software.
The new skin on his facial burns from the explosion looked a healthy pink. The cuts and scrapes on his chest and arms had completely healed, so had his broken shoulder bones and torn muscles. No scars on his body. He looked brand new inside and out, like the little boy she’d sacrificed so much to protect. But he was no angel.
“I know that face.” Maksou pushed back his hair and smiled with irresistible dimples. “What’s wrong, sis?”
Sheba sat on her haunches beside the bed and licked her paws.
Fianna scanned the room and located several recorders. She turned off her eye software. “There is no privacy in here.”
Maksou snorted. “Yeah. This isn’t the slums, big brother is always watching.”
Fianna pushed a key on the signal scrambler at her belt. The blue light on her device pulsed. The wall display filled with static. It was working. Good.
“Now we can talk freely.” She took a deep breath to loosen her clenched throat. “Why did you help Tarkan escape the penitentiary? You could have died.”
“But I didn’t.” So much childish pride in his emerald stare.
“And why would you steal secret files from the Trade Alliance? You could have been caught.” She couldn’t imagine Maksou in prison with hardened criminals. “Worse, you gave Tarkan information on Azura, and the location of the crystal caves.”
Sheba stretched and yawned, then settled for a nap at Fianna’s feet.
Maksou closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. “How did you find out?”
“Tarkan was more than happy to give you up, when I arrested him on Azura. In his defense, he thought you had died in the explosion.” But Fianna refused to be derailed. “You are avoiding my question.”
Maksou chuckled and shook his head. “There is no fooling you, sis.”
“Why did you take such a risk when you can make an honest living? It’s dangerous and irresponsible.” Fianna waited for a response but only met obstinate silence. “And why help a dreadful criminal like Tarkan? His Dragons kill and maim for profit or convenience. I thought I taught you better values.”
“I don’t need another lecture!” Maksou avoided her gaze, staring down at the sheet. “Are you going to snitch on me to your law enforcement buddies?”
“Of course not.” How could he even think it? “FYI, they are not my buddies. They only tolerate bounty hunters out of necessity... to clean up their mess.”
“If you’re not going to arrest me, then let me make my own choices. I’m not a child anymore.” Yet, his stubborn scowl reminded her of that very child.
“All right.” Fianna took a slow, calming breath. “Would you care to explain why you do such irrational things? I just don’t understand.”
Maksou bit his lips then held her gaze. “Tarkan has been like a father to me since childhood. The Dragons are my family. We kept in touch after you abandoned me to become a bounty hunter.”
“I didn’t abandon you.” How could he believe that? “I found you an honest job and I needed work to repay the credits I borrowed for your education.”
“Still, you left me alone.” Maksou looked so forlorn.
She took his hand over the white sheet.
He snatched it away. “The Dragons were here for me. I owe them a debt of loyalty.”
“You don’t owe them anything! They only wanted to use your expertise.” Fianna struggled to keep calm. How could he be so mistaken? “Originally, Tarkan adopted you because he wanted to own and control me. I repaid all debts for both of us with my blood and tears.”
“And you think that gives you the right to harass the Dragons and apprehend Tarkan? Twice? Shame on you, sis.” Maksou looked away. “Besides, maybe you repaid him, but I never had a chance to thank him before now.”
Triblets. “Have you even thought about the consequences of your actions? That explosion in the penitentiary was reckless. Many could have been hurt... or could have died!”
Maksou shrugged. “But I was the only casualty. I made sure no one else was in the danger zone.”
Fianna barely controlled her anger. She
wished she could scold him like a child. “You are lucky the authorities believe the explosion was an accident, and Tarkan only jumped at the opportunity to escape.”
Maksou chuckled. “Because I made it look like an accident.”
“You are too smart for your own good.” Fianna sighed. “And stealing the files was dishonest.”
“These old archives were in dangerous hands anyway, and ripe for the taking. The Trade Alliance should have protected them better, but they didn’t know what they had.” Maksou shook his head. “Besides, there is no harm in harvesting natural resources on an unclaimed planet.”
“Unclaimed?” Fianna counted to ten in her mind. Raising her voice would not work. “The planet is inhabited. It belongs to the Azurans. Your indiscretion could unleash an all out galactic war. These people would suffer terribly. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not.” Maksou frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“The crystal is a commodity the Trade Alliance would go to war over.”
Maksou smiled like a smart-ass. “Don’t worry. I erased the original archives. The alliance doesn’t know anything about this.”
“Not yet.” But secrets had a way of unraveling over time.
Maksou crossed his arms over his chest. “I only gave the information to Tarkan.”
“And he told his Dragons... and who knows how many more they told?” Fianna shuddered at the implications.
“The Dragons won’t talk. Especially not to the authorities.”
Fianna seethed. How could her brother have so much trust in a band of savage plunderers. “It’s only a matter of time until someone blabs... especially if some crystal starts showing up on the black market.”
Fianna touched her pendant through the layer of synthleather. She’d better keep it hidden.
Maksou pinched his lips between his teeth and remained silent.
Fianna shook her head in frustration. “Besides, if I found Azura by following Tarkan, someone else could find it just as well.”
“What’s done is done, sis. What do you want me to do?” Her brother’s face softened in repentance, like when he was five. “I can see now it was a mistake. I’m sorry and I will be more careful in the future.”
He sounded sincere, but could Fianna trust him? She bit back a sharp comment. “Do you still have that information?”
“Don’t worry. It’s safe. I protected it with so many firewalls, no one will ever find it.”
“I hope so.” Still, it was out there in cyberspace.
A loud chime indicated new diagnostic information on the wall screen but the display only showed static. Fianna turned off her scrambler and the static cleared. The display read: Spine recovery eighty percent complete... total recovery expected in twenty-four hours... patient release scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
Fianna’s chest relaxed and she breathed better. “What are you going to do when you get out?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead. My habitat on the station is paid for the next month, but after three weeks in the hospital, I’m sure my job has already been filled.”
“Why don’t you come with me?” Fianna hoped he would. “I have a shiny new ship and plenty of work for both of us.”
Maksou grimaced.
Fianna wouldn’t give up. “I could use your skills locating criminals and catching them faster. More arrests, more credits for both of us.”
“I refuse to work for law enforcement.” Maksou snorted. “Besides, you, me, and your boyfriend on the same ship? I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” Fianna flinched at the stab of rejection in her chest. It stung more than she expected. “You don’t like Acielon?”
Maksou laughed. “I’m sure he’s a great guy, but I don’t need you bossing me around like a kid.”
“You call me bossy?” Fianna had heard this many times before. That’s why she worked alone.
Maksou shrugged. “I know you want to keep me safe, sis. But I need to make my own way in the universe.”
Fianna sighed. She couldn’t force him to do anything. Not even for his own good. “You will find another job. You have the right skills.”
Maksou grinned. “Thanks to you.”
Yet, she could tell his loyalty remained with Tarkan. She took his hand on the white sheet and squeezed it gently. “I wish you would use those skills for the greater good.”
“I will.” He squeezed her hand back. “I promise.”
“Tell me you won’t break Tarkan out of prison again... and you’ll never go near the slums again.” Fianna heard the authoritative note in her voice. She softened her tone. “Nothing good ever happens there.”
Maksou nodded. “If you insist, I promise that, too.”
“Good.” She believed his sincerity, but was he capable of holding that promise?
* * *
Acielon’s head hurt as it lolled against his bare chest. He shivered under the cold draft. His mind went in and out of focus. He struggled to lift his head and opened slitted eyes to a dim room. The stench made him want to hurl his lunch. A swallow of acidic swill rose to his mouth. Pineapple. He forced it back down.
He sat on a metal chair, wearing only pants, hands tied behind the backrest. A glacial draft from a vent fluttered dirty ribbons. His bare feet were solidly tied to the chair’s front legs. Good thing restraints kept his back upright against the backrest, because he wouldn’t have the energy to sit up on his own.
What happened to him? Why was he in this horrible place? He wished he could deploy his wings and fly away, but his powers failed him.
A tall man, with a shaved head and red wing tattoos peeking out of his vest neckline, walked into the room and angled the ceiling light to shine in Acielon’s face. “So, you are awake... we do not like strangers in these parts. Where do you come from?”
Acielon blinked and struggled to keep his head up. “Where is Fianna? Is she safe?”
“Don’t you worry about the little bitch.” The man released the light that swung slightly. Then he pulled out a short blade and juggled it from one finger to the next in rapid succession, in a convincing show of dexterity. He brought the sharp point close to Acielon’s left eye. “Tell me. Where did you find Tarkan?”
So, these louts wanted Azura’s location. Acielon could not lie, but he could hold his tongue. He clenched his jaw.
“So, that’s the way you want it?” The man pocketed the blade then pulled out a rod and smiled devilishly. “Do you know what this can do?”
Acielon had better not talk at all. He guessed that would not be pleasant.
At the push of a button on the rod’s handle, the tip glowed red hot. The smell of hot metal filled the small space.
The man crouched grabbed Acielon’s bare foot then brought the red poker next to the sole of his foot.
Helpless to avoid the threat, Acielon sensed the searing heat approaching his skin. He curled his toes and held his breath.
The red iron sizzled on contact and the stench of burnt flesh filled Acielon’s nostrils. The sudden searing sensation unleashed a long, sustained scream. Acielon realized it came from him. Pain. He’d never experienced this intensity before, even when shot with a blaster. In his weakened state, he could not escape the torment.
What a wicked world. Was the rest of the universe as vicious as this place? May the Formless One show them the light.
“Are you ready to talk now?” The man rose and flashed an evil grin full of sharp metal teeth. He enjoyed inflicting pain. “I’m just getting started.”
Acielon clamped his mouth shut.
The man circled Acielon’s chair then stood at his back and dragged a sharp blade across his chest, eliciting drops of blood. Did the man want to hurt him some more, or kill him?
Acielon felt the blade slicing deeper into his skin. He ground his teeth to refrain from crying out. He did not like this at all. No wonder humans feared pain. No wonder Fianna did not trust him at first, if this was how her kindred treated strangers.
Slowly and deliberately the man carved and flayed a long, narrow strip of skin. Acielon could no longer hold the screams. They came in a steady ebb and flow. In the agony of torture, he focused on Fianna, her smile, her lovely face. Would he ever see her again? Whether he did or not, even if he died here today, he was grateful for having known her. It was all worth it.
More pain racked him from the outside in. The man torturing him was shouting at him to speak, but Acielon closed his eyes and mind to the world around him. Soon, he lost any notion of where he was as his consciousness retreated inside a tiny recess of his brain. Please, Formless One, protect the woman I love from these barbaric beasts.
* * *
Fianna rose from her chair by the hospital bed. “Now get some rest.” She kissed Maksou’s forehead. “I’ll return tomorrow to take you home.”
Maksou smiled. “All right. See you tomorrow.”
Sheba rose and stretched, then followed Fianna into the hallway.
As the door closed behind Fianna, she scanned the empty corridor. “Acielon!” Where could he have gone? She turned to Sheba. “Can you talk to him?”
The puma scoffed. “Sheba not find... Acielon far away... or asleep.”
Fianna remembered how soundly he’d slept after healing her on Azura. “He must be exhausted.” Still, he wouldn’t vanish without a word.
She adjusted her eye software to scan the floor for foot prints. She would simply follow his steps. To her dismay, his latest tracks from Maksou’s room stopped at the closest bench... then no more. Triblets!
A widening hole in Fianna’s chest threatened to engulf her. What happened to Acielon? Did he make himself invisible? Or did he dematerialize to re-materialize somewhere else, as his people often did?
She forced herself to focus on the floor tracks. Robot wheels, mainly. But one foreign set of human footprints came along the corridor to the bench, stepped in one place, then went back toward the end of the corridor. Fianna walked along the suspicious tracks, hurrying her pace.
Angel Mine Page 17
