by S. E. Smith
Hannah let her head drop forward as she bit her tender lip where Mazzum bit her early. She was trapped between two insane murderers. If she didn’t find a way to escape before crazy number three showed up she was totally screwed. She would have to hope a chance came soon.
Mazzum looked over at where Bachman stood with his head down and grin. The human male was not so full of himself now. Mazzum looked down at where the human female was still tied to the tree and felt himself growing hard again. Her breasts were small but he found the darker tips very arousing. He knelt down next to her sliding a knife out of his boot. With a quick flick, it sliced through the rope. His eyes narrowed on the raw skin on her wrists. He would have to wrap her wrists before he tied her again. He did not want to have her too damaged. He liked the feel of her smooth skin against his fingers. He let one of his hands brush her breasts as he moved to her other wrist. He couldn’t hold back the chuckle when she jerked her shirt together, tying it tightly, as soon as her hands were freed. He pulled her into a standing position running his fingers down along her soft cheek. He noted with satisfaction she did not pull away from him as he did it. His eyes narrowed on the long scratch along her neck and his eyes flickered to the human male who put it there. He would have to die. Mazzum would wait for his older brother but even if Amurr was against killing the male it wouldn’t matter. He would still kill him.
“Move.” Mazzum said nodding his head to the northwest. “We have much to cover before it gets much darker. You both move to slow. Female, if you cannot move faster I will carry you over my shoulder.”
Hannah jerked her head in a stiff nod to let him know she understood what he meant. If she did not move faster, he would not only carry her over his shoulder but other things as well. Hannah pushed past Bachman without a word and started moving through the dense undergrowth with more determination. She did not want the bastard to ever touch her again. She didn’t think she would ever feel clean again.
That had been over three hours ago. It was dark now and she could barely see her hand in front of her face. Mazzum finally motioned for them to stop and Hannah felt her knees tremble with a combination of exhaustion and fear. Mazzum nodded to Hannah to sit next to a tree. She reluctantly slid down the trunk barely holding in a groan of despair. Mazzum nodded to Bachman to sit next to her. Bachman flashed Mazzum a look of pure hatred before he sat down next to Hannah.
Mazzum chuckled as he quickly tied them both up. “You are not so demanding now, human. But I did not like the look you gave me. Perhaps you need a reminder of who is really in charge.” Mazzum said with a ruthless chuckle as he tapped Bachman’s face hard.
Bachman flinched at Mazzum’s threat but didn’t say anything. Mazzum nodded in satisfaction. The human was learning who his real master was. Mazzum looked at Hannah for a moment before he said anything.
“Hold your hands out.” Mazzum demanded harshly. “You will not fight your bonds. I do not like to see your skin damaged. If you fight again, I will knock you out.”
Hannah sat still as Mazzum wrapped each of her wrists tightly with a length of fabric before he tied her wrists together behind her. Hannah sat still while he tied the remaining length to his own wrist. He then moved over to a tree across from them. Without another word, he closed his eyes.
Hannah stared up at the stars peeking through the canopy of trees above them. Throughout the night she listened to the soft snores of Bachman who finally fell asleep in the early morning hours. Several times she would look to where Mazzum was leaning against the tree across from them only to discover him looking at her. She would turn her gaze back up to the glimmer of sky.
She couldn’t understand why Mazzum wasn’t concerned with her talking to Borj until she overheard a comment by Bachman to one of Mazzum’s questions. Mazzum didn’t think she could talk to him since she was a human. Bachman told him humans couldn’t communicate telepathically. Mazzum spent every moment since they started out again asking questions about humans. He wanted to know how males protected the females, how many young they could have, what Earth was like, what ways could a human female take a male and how often before she became too damaged to accept any more. The questions were bad enough but Bachman’s answers to some of them were so horrible that it took everything in Hannah to not turn and confront him. When he described the things he did to other women, Hannah couldn’t help but be happy he had a taste of his own medicine. He was one sick son-of-a-bitch.
They didn’t stop again until a few hours ago and that was because it was too dark to continue. Hannah was thankful for Amurr’s threat. He was larger and appeared to be the leader of the two brothers. He also seemed meaner, Hannah thought in despair. Hannah knew she was running out of time. So far, her gut wasn’t telling her to do anything. She hoped her internal alarm would start giving her some type of signal soon because from the heated looks she was getting from Mazzum she wasn’t sure how much longer she could depend on Amurr’s threat to keep him away from her.
“Sleep, female. Tomorrow will be an even longer day and you will need your strength. As soon as Amurr is here, I plan to have you…many times.” Mazzum said quietly with a twist to his lips.
“Why are you doing this?” Hannah asked in a frozen voice. “What makes a man like you?”
Mazzum just grinned darkly. “Sleep, female. If you survive, I might tell you.” Mazzum said as he closed his eyes again.
Hannah knew she would get nothing else out of him. Closing her eyes, she sought out Borj needing his warmth to help her get through the night. She let her mind open and she pictured the pink sands he talked about wishing she could see it, feel it, and let it run through her fingers.
“Soon, my Hannah. Soon I will take you there and you will not only feel it as it runs through your fingers but I will love you among the silky grains. It is so soft you can sink down into it and sleep as if upon the clouds that drift across the sky.” Borj said tenderly as he imagined wrapping his arms tightly around Hannah.
“Tomorrow I am going to try to escape. We are moving uphill. I still can’t see anything but trees but I can feel the change in the ground. It is getting rockier. I think I can hear water in the distance as well.” Hannah sent an image of where they were to Borj.
“J’kar and I are following the ravine near the river. We will be coming upon a set of smaller waterfalls soon. We are continuing through the night. I can feel you are closer.” Borj assured her.
“Amurr will be meeting up with us in the afternoon. I’m afraid of what will happen when he gets here, Borj.” Hannah said sadly.
Hannah felt a wave of warmth surround her before what Borj was saying registered. “Amurr will not be meeting you, Hannah. He has been caught. Do not let Mazzum know. He may decide to change his plans. I do not want to take a chance of him killing you and disappearing.”
Hannah forced herself to remain relaxed. “Thank you. I love you so much, Borj. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you.” Hannah said softly.
“I love you too, ku lei. Rest if you can. I will be with you soon.” Borj said tenderly.
Hannah let her mind relax. She drifted off to dreams of pink sand, wild waves, and even wilder love making with Borj. As the night slowly faded to light, Hannah woke with a renewed determination to survive.
Chapter 18
Borj stood on the lower end of a series of small waterfalls. Further up ahead, he could see a larger fall. A deep ravine ran down where the river ran cut through the rock over time. Borj pushed his fatigue aside. Merrick, Core, Te’mar and his father were in position at different sites throughout the area where different falls were located. Borj was so deeply imbedded in Hannah’s mind he was seeing what she was seeing now. He refused to let her push him away or cut him off for any reason.
“J’kar.” Borj called out in a low voice. “Hold up.”
J’kar paused as he worked his way over a set of boulders. He turned waiting quietly as Borj stood still frowning. He was getting images from Hannah she probably wasn’t eve
n aware she was sending him. He saw the taller fall up ahead of them. They were climbing up a steep path leading up to the falls. He could almost feel the spray from the water as it fell around Hannah. The rocks were slippery. Hannah was in front. Borj watched as she turned. Bachman was behind her with Mazzum following up behind them.
Borj watched as if in slow motion as Hannah turned at a sound behind her. Bachman slipped on one of the stones. Mazzum moved to grip Bachman’s arm but suddenly he fell back a step with a stunned look on his face. Hannah’s eyes widened as she saw the knife wound in Mazzum’s side. Bachman picked up one of the rocks lying loose and struck Mazzum on the side of the head knocking him down and over the ledge of the narrow path. Borj lost sight of Bachman as Hannah’s eyes followed the falling body of Mazzum as it disappeared before whipping back to Bachman so fast Borj felt a moment of disorientation.
“What is it?” J’kar asked in concern sliding back down the rock to grab hold of Borj when he put a hand to his head to steady himself.
“Bachman just attacked Mazzum. He stabbed him and knocked him over the edge of the path. They are at the upper falls.” Borj said hoarsely as he saw Bachman was looking savagely at Hannah who was backing away from him. “He is going after Hannah.” Borj said in a panic.
“Let’s go.” J’kar said gripping Borj’s arm and dragging him after him.
Both men started moving quickly over the boulders, cursing as they had to find different ways around them at times. Borj could feel Hannah’s panic as she scrambled to get away from Bachman. J’kar was talking quickly into his comlink letting the others know they knew where Hannah was and they needed help.
Borj’s heart was in his throat as he saw Hannah made it up to an upper ledge. She was trying to climb up a section of rock when Bachman came up behind her and grabbed her, throwing her down onto the slippery ledge. Borj felt murderous rage build inside him as he saw the look in Bachman’s eyes as he stared down into Hannah’s. The bastard was going to die a long and painful death if Borj had his way.
Hannah watched as if in slow motion as Bachman stabbed Mazzum. Her instincts were screaming for her to get to the upper ledge of the falls. She didn’t know why but her gut was saying if she could get there she could get away. Hannah had been so focused on the feeling telling her to get to the top that she was almost oblivious to the two men behind her. She was moving with the easy grace of years of covering treacherous terrain. When she heard Mazzum cursing as Bachman fell again she thought this might be the break she needed. She was about to take off when something told her to look around. She never expected Bachman to have the nerve to attack Mazzum much less be successful at it. It was the look in Bachman’s eyes, though, that made her frozen limbs defrost. He had murder and revenge in his eyes.
Hannah turned as quickly as she safely could and began climbing. She had to get to the ledge up above. She knew if she did she had a chance to escape. Hannah felt a sense of triumph which quickly changed to horror as she realized the ledge lead to a steep climb straight up. She was about five feet up when Bachman grabbed her leg pulling her off the rocks she was trying to climb. Hannah hit the slippery ledge hard on her hip, crying out at the impact. She quickly scrambled up to stand along the edge.
Bachman’s grin was pure insanity. “Now that the bastard is dead it is just you and me, darling. I want to know how to get off this fucking planet and you are going to tell me.” Bachman said menacingly. “I hope you don’t tell me too quickly, though. I’m looking forward to ringing every…little…piece…of…information…from…your…delicate…little…body.” Bachman said slowly as he took a small, menacing step towards her.
Hannah glanced over her shoulder at the nearly forty foot drop to the basin far below where the waterfall fell into a pool of water before rushing down a series of smaller drops. Hannah looked back at Bachman with a small smile. Her gut was right. This was where she needed to be.
Looking at Bachman, Hannah tilted her head slightly to the side staring him straight in the eye. “You’ll never get off this planet alive.” Hannah said softly. “I’m glad Mazzum showed you what it is like to be helpless. At least you had a taste of your own medicine before you die. My one hope is you can experience what you did to my sister when you stabbed her. Only, I don’t think anyone is going to give a damn about you bleeding to death. Go to hell, Bachman. It’s where you belong.” Hannah added fiercely before she turned on her heel and jumped off the ledge.
Hannah felt a sense of freedom as her body fell through the air. She quickly tucked her arms to her side, drew in a deep breath, and braced for impact with the water below. As soon as her feet hit the water she spread them to stop her momentum. She felt the current grab her immediately and suck her down to the next set of small falls. She didn’t fight the current but let it take her body. She briefly broke the surface and drew in a desperate breath of air before she was pulled back under. She felt her body hit a set of smaller boulders but she was able to push off of them before she felt herself falling again. She hit the bottom and tumbled along it, the force of it pushing precious breaths of oxygen out of her lungs. Hannah pushed up with all her strength trying to slow her speed but the current was too strong. She forced herself not to panic when her body started screaming for air. On one of her tumbles, she was able to pull in another desperate breath. Hannah felt her body free-falling again before she hit another turbulent wall of water. Hannah fought to get oriented herself enough to know which way was the shoulder of the river. She struggled trying to stop her tumbling body. She felt the current rip one of her shoes off as it pulled her relentlessly downstream.
Hannah’s fingers grabbed one of the rocks when she was pushed up against it. She pulled her head above the water gasping. She grappled to get a better hold but between the current and the slickness of the rock, she could feel her grip loosening.
“Borj, I love you.” Hannah called out as a sense of peace started to settle over her as a combination of cold and fatigue sapped what little energy she had left. “I’m so sorry.” Hannah whispered as her fingers lost their hold on the boulder and she slipped under the water one last time.
Borj and J’kar were almost to the bottom of the first set of lower falls from the ledge where Hannah, Bachman, and Mazzum were when something told him to look up. His heart was in his throat as he saw Hannah standing on the edge of the ledge with Bachman moving menacingly towards her with a bloody knife in his hand. His heart actually stopped for a moment when he saw Hannah jump from the ledge into the falls. He watched in stunned disbelief as her delicate body hit the water below and disappeared only to resurface briefly as it was carried down one of the lesser falls.
“Go to her!” J’kar yelled out as he began moving rapidly towards Bachman. “I will get that bastard.”
Borj turned and began moving rapidly down the edge of the ravine they were following. He practically flew over the boulders, jumping from one to another as he fought to keep his eyes on Hannah’s body as it was being tossed about in the freezing, turbulent waters. He watched in horror as she slipped over another set of small drop-offs. He quickly rushed down the edge of the embankment, jumping onto one of the boulders over the water and slid into the water not far behind her. He felt his own body lose weight as he fell through the air. He surfaced fighting to see where Hannah was. He caught a brief glimpse before she disappeared again under the water. He fought to push himself faster through the water after her. Up ahead, he caught a brief glimpse of her clinging to a boulder. Borj fought his way towards her. He was almost there when he felt her soft words echo through his mind before she slipped away from him.
Anguish unlike anything he knew filled Borj. With a cry of denial, he fought against the current trying to keep him from Hannah. Borj kicked out frantically with a burst of energy driven by fear and adrenaline. He saw Hannah’s body roll limply in the freezing water. Reaching out, his fingers twisted in the material of her shirt. He felt it slip from her body as the ruined material came undone from the knot she h
ad tied. He reached out again with his other hand wrapping it around her cold arm. Pulling forcefully, he dragged Hannah’s battered body to his, wrapping his arm more securely around her slender waist.
Borj pushed exhaustively against the current until he was in calmer water. Once he was able to get his feet under him, he stood on shaky limbs and pushed desperately towards shore. Borj collapsed down onto the small pebbles lining the riverbank. He turned Hannah’s limp body over swearing when he saw her blue lips and sightless eyes. He felt frantically at her neck. He couldn’t find a pulse. He closed his eyes searching inward. He finally found what he was looking for. Wrapping the tiny sliver of light tightly with his own, he forced Hannah’s life force to stay inside her. He refused to let her go. If she went, then they would go together.
“Let me go.” The faintest of whispers brushed his mind.
“Never!” Borj said gently as he began pushing the water out of Hannah’s lungs and breathing for her. “If you go, then I go with you. I told you we are one. I will always be there for you, Hannah, in life and in death.”
“Tired.” Hannah whispered back as the tiny life force inside her flickered and dimmed.
“Then, rest. I will take care of you.” Borj said tenderly. “Sleep as long as you need but live…for us, for our children, for your family.”
Borj felt the moment Hannah took her first breath on her own. Her eyes slowly closed and her color slowly changed from the pale blue to a soft, translucent pale peach. Borj sank down onto the rough pebbles and pulled Hannah’s cold body into his arms. Pulling his damp vest off, he covered her gently. His eyes followed the telling bruises covering her breasts, arms, and waist. He gently touched the cut along her throat with a shaky hand. Rocking back and forth, he lowered his head until it rested against Hannah’s damp hair and cried silent tears. That was how his father found him a short time later.
