“I’m looking for a gamer who’s gone missing. You know her as Warrior Princess.”
“What about her?” crimson devil asked.
“Do you know her?” Iska took a menacing step toward him.
The gamer raised his gun. “Easy now. I can shoot you out of this game.”
“I have unlimited lives, dirt bag. If you shoot me, I’ll come back and end your time in here, maybe outside of the game as well.”
“That sucks,” one of the other soldiers muttered.
Iska raised a hand. “I won’t if you tell me where Warrior Princess is.” His gaze remained pinned to the crimson devil soldier.
“I haven’t seen her for about a week,” the soldier said. “She prefers fantasy role-play to aliens. She said it’s a little too true to life these days. She’s not keen on shooting our allies.”
The soldiers shared a laugh.
“Fine, but you saw her. Did she say there was some new game she wanted to try out?”
“Not that I know of. She’s obsessed with the ogre and dragon slaying one. She’s racking up points for the big win, like we all want. That chick is on fire, though. She always plays an awesome game.”
“She does,” Iska growled. “So, no mention of a new game?”
“No, but I’d play with her in anything. She’s hot.”
The soldiers bumped fists and laughed.
Iska resisted the urge to kill them. “Think carefully. She said nothing about a fight game that’s actually real?”
“Huh, no way. That would be too weird.” The soldier shook his head. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not messing around,” Iska snarled.
“I might know what you mean.” The soldier with a bare-breasted woman painted on his helmet lowered his weapon. “You’re talking about True Fight.”
“True Fight?”
“Sure, it’s super-secret. The word in the gaming arena is that there’s a new alien on the street when it comes to games. They’re not playing when they create their games. They want an all-inclusive real-life fight situation.”
“That’s what I’m looking for. How do you get into True Fight?”
The soldier shrugged. “You don’t.”
That wasn’t an acceptable answer. “There must be a way in.”
“It’s invite only. You need an access code to watch the games. Participants get sent a level to access that takes them into the game itself.”
“It sounds cool,” crimson devil soldier said.
“It sounds like someone’s sick joke,” Iska said. “Do you have the code?”
“No way,” the soldier flaunting the bare breasts on his helmet said. “I don’t move in the right circles to get access to something like that.”
“Why would you even want to?” Iska asked.
“It’s the next level of gaming.”
“Where people die?” Iska snorted and shook his head. “You should try joining the forces for real if you want to kill for a living.”
“Whatever, man. That’s all I know.”
An explosion sounded behind them, and the soldiers raised their weapons in unison.
“Let’s move out. We’ve got incoming,” crimson devil soldier said.
Iska watched them go. They raced off like a group of virgins chasing a naked guy who carried a cupcake.
He needed out of these games. He wouldn’t find Avril here. What he needed was a way into this True Fight.
He left the game and slammed his fist into the side of the holo suite booth.
“Your mission was not a success?” Dingbat asked.
“That’s the understatement of your fucking life,” Iska huffed.
“Your warrior maiden proves elusive.”
“That she does.” Iska needed to focus. Avril was out there somewhere. She could be injured, and she’d definitely be in trouble if this game was as real as it sounded.
Iska left the booth with Dingbat by his side. He strode along the corridor, heading toward engineering. That place was full of gaming geeks. Someone in there might have heard of True Fight and know a way in.
He slowed as he saw Avril’s boss, Vegas, walking toward him with a small dark-haired female by her side. “Have you got an update on Avril?” Iska’s words came out tense and abrupt.
Vegas’s eyes widened a fraction. “I was about to ask you the same thing. I hear you’ve been looking for her.”
Iska shrugged. “I figured I’d help out. I wanted to make sure everything was okay after I didn’t see her that evening.”
“After you failed to show up for your date, you mean.”
“Something like that,” Iska said. “So, has she been found?”
“No. It’s like she never came out of the holo booth. We can’t figure it out. The logs show she played for hours without a break.”
“That’s not so unusual,” Iska said. “I’ve played with her in the past. Avril could easily go all night and only take a couple of short breaks. That girl is obsessed with her games.”
“She does enjoy them,” the dark-haired human next to Vegas said.
“This is Nell Saunders,” Vegas said. “We all work together.”
“You’ve played with Avril?” Iska asked Nell.
“Sometimes. I like to game.”
“Station security has put out a galaxy-wide alert for Avril. She can’t simply vanish like this,” Vegas said. “If she’s left the station, for whatever reason, we’ll find out soon enough.”
“She hasn’t vanished. She’s still in the game,” Iska said.
“That’s impossible,” Vegas said. “We’ve checked every game on the station. She’s in none of them.”
“I’ve been doing the same and persuading gamers to talk to me. There’s a new game, something called True Fight.”
Nell gasped. “You’re serious? True Fight is real?”
Iska grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. “You know about it?”
Vegas looked at Nell. “What’s True Fight?”
“Some sick fucker’s idea of a good time,” Iska growled. “Humans are being grabbed from virtual reality games and put into the real thing.”
Nell nodded. “You’re right. There are all kinds of rumors about it, but that’s basically it.”
“Who’s running these games?” Vegas asked.
“Someone mentioned the Vincole could be involved,” Iska said. He wasn’t going to drop his sparring buddy in it, but he wasn’t holding back on the information sharing, in case Vegas or Nell could help.
Vegas scowled at him. “Why am I not surprised to hear their name? It wasn’t so long ago they were trading humans at alien auctions. It seems they’ve changed their focus, but they’re still after us.”
Iska focused on Nell. “You said you game. Help me figure out how to get into True Fight.”
“I’m not so sure you should,” Vegas said. “I don’t want anyone else going into this game until we know what we’re dealing with. I’m not convinced Avril is even in there.”
“I am.” Iska’s gaze remained on Nell. “Help me. Fuck, if you don’t want to help me, then help Avril.”
Nell bit her lip and nodded. “I got an invite a couple of weeks ago but didn’t believe it at the time. Since then, I’ve been doing my own investigations into what True Fight is.”
“Then we need to go. You need to accept that invitation, so we can crash the party and break some heads if we need to.”
“Not a chance,” Vegas said. “I can’t risk either of you getting lost inside this True Fight game.”
“I don’t work for you, lady. You don’t give me orders,” Iska snapped.
Vegas glared at him. “We’ll alert the authorities and let them deal with it.”
“No way. They’re as effective as one-legged old maids at an ass kicking contest,” Iska said. “By the time they’ve had a couple of long, tedious meetings, sorted out a rota, and scuttled around up their own butts for a week, Avril could be dead.”
Vegas’s fa
ce paled. “This game can’t be that dangerous.”
Iska bared his teeth. “I’m telling you it is.”
Vegas’s wrist comm pinged an alert. She looked at it and groaned. “Dammit. Diadora is insisting on a meeting.”
“Do you think she knows something about Avril?” Nell said.
“She couldn’t care less about Avril. She’s worried the reports won’t be done on time. I need to deal with her before she blows a gasket.” Vegas looked at Nell. “No playing the hero with this True Fight game. Go to the authorities, tell them what you know, and let them handle it.”
Nell nodded. “Okay, you’re right.”
Iska kept his mouth shut until Vegas was out of earshot. He applied pressure to Nell’s elbow. “There’s no way in hell we can leave Avril in this game. She could be injured.” He stopped himself from saying more. She might be an amazing fighter in a virtual reality world, but she was the opposite in real life. Someone like Avril wouldn’t last long in a sick, twisted game like this.
Nell blinked her large eyes slowly. “I still have the invitation to join. It should be valid.”
“Let’s do it.” He marched Nell along the corridor back to the holo suite booths. He kept his anger penned in as best he could. He’d save it for the son of a bitch who took Avril.
“Might I suggest you be kinder to Nell?” Dingbat ran along beside them.
Iska flicked him an irritated glare. “Since when did you care about being kind?”
Dingbat’s sensor glowed bright green. “Since spending time with Heather.”
Iska groaned. “Do you have a crush on her or something? Bad luck, buddy. That Picar got in first. You won’t stand a chance.” He increased his pace.
Nell broke into a jog to keep up with him. “It’s fine. We need to see if Avril is in this game.” She looked down at Iska’s hand on her arm. “I wouldn’t mind getting the circulation back in my hand, though.”
Iska dropped his hold and mumbled something that might have been an apology.
Once they were at the holo suite booths, they found an empty one and hooked into the virtual reality world.
“Here’s the invitation.” Nell shared her screen with Iska.
Miss Saunders, you are invited to join an elite group of gamers in a new immersive game environment. Your skills and abilities qualify you for the next level of gaming.
This is a one-off opportunity for you to become a legend in the gaming community.
Click on this link and enter the next level of gaming.
“Were you tempted to go in?” Iska asked, noticing Nell roll a small pink stone between her palms.
“I was curious,” Nell said. “Who doesn’t enjoy a new game?”
Iska’s top lip curled. “You didn’t think it weird that this message popped into your inbox? It could be from anybody.”
Nell tilted her head back and studied Iska’s face. “I would have done my research. I wanted to learn more about it.”
“Avril didn’t get an invitation. She was snatched from a game without her permission. I’m sure of it.”
Nell pressed her lips together. “I didn’t realize how serious these games were. I figured it was a new type of technology that allowed enhanced experiences in fighting. I read in Alien Weekly about a new type of—”
“I don’t care about that.” Iska gestured at the virtual reality headsets.
Nell placed the stone she held in a pocket and grabbed one up. “I didn’t think people were being taken without their consent. I’ll go in and see what I can find out.”
“No way. I’ll go.”
Nell shook her head. “I’m the only one who can access this link using a fingerprint identity check. If you try to go through this link, it won’t work for you.”
“Just get us in.” Iska strapped his headset on as Nell logged in. What was it with these gaming nerds, so obsessed with the latest tech and never thinking about if it was a good idea to click on links that took you into who the fuck knew where?
“I will guard the booth while you rescue Avril,” Dingbat said.
“You do that,” Iska said. “Anyone causes you any shit, you bite them.”
Dingbat growled and held up his paw for a high five.
Iska shook his head. Heather’s upgrades were seriously questionable.
“This is it,” Nell said. She linked their headsets. “Are you seeing it?”
The black screen dissolved in front of them to reveal an enormous expanse of wasteland.
“I am.” Iska inhaled deeply, disappointment settling in his gut. “But this is just a game.”
“That level access could be what we need.” Nell pointed to the glowing archway in front of them.
“Nell Saunders, welcome to True Fight. Step through to the next level to enter the new generation of immersive gaming.” The female voice that spoke sounded warm and encouraging.
“Let’s do it.” Iska strode toward the archway.
Nell touched his arm as she hurried along next to him. “Shouldn’t we see if we can get data on what’s on the other side?”
“There’s no time for that.”
“We could be walking into anything.”
“Then you stay here.”
Nell shook her head as they reached the archway. “I should come. You might need backup.”
Iska smirked. “I don’t know how I’ve managed so long without you guarding my butt.”
Nell opened her mouth then shut it. “Point taken.”
Iska didn’t have time to massage her dented ego. His gaze shifted to her. Nell was no fighter. If she came with him, he’d have to make sure she didn’t get killed.
He grabbed her and wrapped an arm around her neck. “Don’t fight, and this won’t hurt.” Iska squeezed her airway as she kicked and dragged her blunt nails down his arm, her efforts not managing to get through his fur.
After a moment of squeezing, Nell slumped forward in his arms.
“You’ll be fine,” he whispered in her ear as he tucked her behind a rock.
When Nell woke back in the holo suite booth, she’d have a headache and a sore neck. Dingbat would watch out for her until he returned with Avril.
Iska raced to the archway and stepped through.
Time froze for a few seconds, and when he emerged on the other side, his senses told him everything had changed. As he looked around the lush forest environment, he saw everything was real. This was no game. In here, if you fought, you got hurt.
He paused as a distressed cry echoed through the trees. That didn’t sound human. Whatever it was, it was in pain.
In the distance, Iska saw the plume of a volcanic explosion. This new world was a dangerous place, and Avril was in it somewhere.
He looked over his shoulder to where the archway into the game should be. It had vanished. He was trapped in this game with no clear way out.
Everything Iska had worked for over the last decade was on the line. The chance to score a huge bounty, the opportunity to show his family he was worth something, maybe even his ambition to find a mate. He couldn’t dwell on what he could lose. He needed to get Avril out of the danger he’d put her in by being selfish.
Iska hunched his shoulders as he began to walk. Now he was here, this was a mission he wasn’t going to fail.
Chapter 13
“Stay back. I don’t want to hurt you.” Avril backtracked as a small goblin-like creature snapped at her feet.
Ever since Rachel had been snatched by the pyro dragon, Avril had been running, following anything that looked like a path that might lead her out of the game.
She had no clue what she was running from exactly but needed to put as much distance as possible between her and that monstrous dragon, the dragon who was now picking bits of Rachel out of its teeth.
Sweat ran down Avril’s back, and her eyes stung as she kicked at the creature that had jumped out in front of her.
She’d never seen anything like it, not in real life. It looked like one of those TV grem
lins that liked to mess with people’s lives. This one seemed intent on taking chunks out of her legs with its sharp teeth.
The goblin creature ducked under her poorly-aimed kick and attached itself to her leg.
Avril shrieked and pried it from her flesh, earning a bite on her finger as she levered its jaw open.
She tried to ignore the guilt punching at her as she threw the creature into a nearby bush. “Stay away from me, or I’ll...” Actually, she had no clue what she’d do. Run away and hope it couldn’t keep up? Scream and draw the attention of something even worse?
The creature ignored her plea and raced through the bushes. It leaped from a crouched position and aimed its teeth at her face.
On instinct, Avril pulled back her arm and slammed her fist into the creature’s head. She’d done this move so many times in the training studio, when she’d been perfecting moves to use in games. This was the first time she’d used such a technique in real life to hurt another being.
The creature made a strange gurgling sound as it slammed to the ground. It didn’t move.
Avril let out a shaky sigh of relief and sank back against a tree. Her gaze didn’t leave the creature, and she remained alert in case it attacked again. These things might have the ability to regenerate. Anything was possible inside this horror show.
“Congratulations, Warrior Princess, on your first True Fight kill. You receive thirty new points,” a male voice said over her head.
After a few gulps of air, the guilt she’d been holding in flooded over her. This creature was real, and she’d just killed it. Avril had killed to save herself. She didn’t want points for that. This wasn’t a victory.
Avril dropped to her knees and checked the creature for a pulse. It was dead, and this game didn’t bring dead things back to life.
The realization hit as to how serious her situation was. If her attacker had been deadlier, she might not have survived. It could be her lying on the ground, her future vanished with one slice of a talon or blade.
Anger shredded through Avril’s guilt. Fight or die. Those were her two options, and they were lousy. This was not a game she wanted to play.
She shifted away from the creature, not wanting to be reminded of what she’d done, and took a moment to check her injuries. Other than a couple of small bites, she had no real damage. The puncture wounds from the pyro dragon had clotted and no longer leaked blood, but from the dizzy waves that ran over her, Avril figured she’d lost a fair amount of blood.
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