Vengeance

by Raymond Cooper

  As I looked at them for a moment longer in the reflection, trying to pretend I was casually admiring the blade, I realized that they were staring straight at me. And in that moment, I heard Kysos' warnings echo through my mind again. I recalled what he'd said about Boygan sending assassins after me. And I had no doubts in my mind that the two men I'd caught in the reflection of my blade were just that – assassins. There to kill me.

  I quickly sheathed the blade and attached it to my belt, acting as if nothing was amiss. The shopkeeper grinned at me, flashing me a mouthful of dark, rotting teeth and I had to suppress a shudder.

  “You drive a hard bargain, Pirate Queen,” he said. “I might have a few more items though, that you might be interested – ”

  “What did you say?” I asked my eyes wide. “How do you know who I am?”

  He shrugged. “Everybody knows who you are. Don't worry though, your secret is safe with me,” he said and laughed. “Now, if you'd like to see – ”

  “Another time,” I said quickly and turned away.

  Keeping the two men in my peripheral vision, I stepped close to Xavix. My heart was racing and the knots in my stomach constricted painfully. Shit. I had no idea I was that recognizable.

  “Gemma,” Xavix said. “Your heart rate has increased to – ”

  “Not now,” I said. “We have a problem. There are two men back there I'm sure are Boygan's assassins.”

  Xavix straightened up and started to turn, but I grabbed him by the arm.

  “Don't look,” I hissed.

  “Well, how am I supposed to see – ”

  “You're not,” I said, pitching my voice low to avoid being overheard.

  “Shall I summon the authorities?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, let's not do that,” I said. “I'm trying to stay off the radar of law enforcement, Xavix.”

  “Right. So, what do you want me to do then, Gemma?”

  “I want you to wait here,” I said. “I'm going to run and try to lose them in the crowd. Wait for me here.”

  “Do your best to avoid destroying anything.”

  “Please. Like that ever happens,” I said, giving him a grin.

  Without warning, I took off into the crowd, weaving around people. I risked a glance back over my shoulder and saw the two men, both dressed in black, wearing cloaks with hoods pulled tight around their faces, in pursuit. They were closing the distance between us quickly and I knew I needed to come up with a plan. Plunging through the crowd obviously wasn't getting it done.

  I hooked a quick right, darting down an alley between two tall buildings. I ran about halfway down the alley and looked back just as the two men entered it. They paused at the mouth of the alley, staring at me. Onward they came, slowly and deliberately. As if they thought they had me cornered and were enjoying the moment.

  Darting to the door in one of the buildings, I raised my foot and kicked it. The door crashed inward with a sound like a bomb going off. The hinges tore free from the weak wooden frame, and fragments of it blowing into the darkened room beyond.

  Moving quickly, I crossed the open floor, looking for somewhere to go. It was dim and gloomy inside the building with shadows pooling everywhere. I stumbled over things half a dozen times, but somehow managed to keep my feet.

  I found a staircase on the far side of the room and took the stairs up two at a time, climbing to the next floor.

  “Don't run, Pirate Queen,” a voice echoed through the darkness. “Stay were you are and I promise to make this quick and painless.”

  “Keep coming,” I called back to them. “And I swear to you that I'll make it long and agonizing.”

  Looking around the second floor, it looked like a construction zone. There were tools, equipment, and supplies everywhere. I heard feet on the stairs behind me and knew time was running out. I wasn't going to make it to the next staircase before they caught me – I needed to hide.

  Ducking behind a tall stack of crates, I reached for my gun and froze, my eyes wide, a feeling akin to panic setting in. I'd gone out unarmed. My gun was back in the Umbra.

  I gritted my teeth, silently cursing myself for my stupidity and lack of foresight. I'd gotten too comfortable and complacent, fattening myself up on the food and drink in Old Town's market and letting my edge dull. A woman in my position couldn't afford to lose her edge. It was stupid. Worse than that, it was irresponsible.

  The sound of shuffling footsteps nearby drew my attention and got me to focus on the problem at hand. I'd chastise myself more thoroughly later. I reached to my other hip and drew the dagger I'd just bought, slowly and quietly out of its sheath.

  Judging by the sound of their footsteps, the two men had split up and were searching for me. I squatted down lower, got my feet under me, and readied myself for a fight. Their footfalls were soft and I was having a hard time tracking them. Leaning out slightly, I tried to peer around the corner of the crates I was sheltering behind to get a bead on them.

  I sensed, more than anything, the man behind me. Without hesitating, I quickly shoulder-rolled away from the crates. Which turned out to be the smart thing to do, since a split-second after I'd moved, I heard the sound of a blade being driven into the wooden crate I'd just been leaning against.

  Getting to my feet quickly, I faced my attacker. He'd pushed back the hood of his cloak, giving me a look at him for the first time. He had the green, scaly, reptile-like skin of the Ovandri. They were humanoid, but looked more like lizards than anything, as far as I was concerned.

  Casting a fast look around me, I couldn't see the second one. He was out there and I knew he'd be able to get behind me at any moment, so I needed to end this fight quickly. Lunging at the Ovandri in front of me, I feinted a forward thrust with my blade. He bit on the fake and moved into a defensive posture, parrying my blade to the side with his own.

  The sound of steel ringing on steel echoed around the floor of the building, which I knew would draw the attention of the other assassin like the proverbial moth to the flame. As the Ovandri parried my thrust, I was already spinning around him. In one fluid movement, I was suddenly behind him, blade in hand. I drove it forward and pierced the bottom of his skull, severing his spinal cord with one hard thrust.

  The Ovandri dropped to the floor like a dirty shirt, hitting the concrete with a wet sounding, meaty thud. Viscous yellow blood flowed from the wound, pooling around him.

  The sound of a shot echoed around the floor of the building, and when a chunk of the wooden crate beside me blew off, a surge of fear-fueled adrenaline flowed through my veins. The bullet that hit the crate sent a few chunks of wooden shrapnel into the air, opening a couple of shallow cuts on my cheek. Nothing major. And nothing I could concern myself with in that moment.

  I squealed and dove behind the crates as several more bullets tore into the wood.

  “Your buddy is dead,” I called out. “Unless you want to join him in a pool of blood, I suggest you put your weapon down and get the hell out of here.”

  “Mr. Boygan sends his regards, Pirate Queen,” came the hissed reply.

  I expected more shots to ring out, but everything around me fell silent. It was like I'd been dropped into a vacuum. Or as if the entire world had suddenly decided to hold its breath.

  I caught movement from the corner of my eye at the very last minute and spun away from the danger. But, when I turned back, I found myself staring straight into the barrel of the Ovandri's gun. I looked up and his scaly lips pulled back into a grim looking smile.

  “Not as clever as you thought you were,” he said.

  “Maybe not,” I said through gritted teeth. But I'm a hell of a lot meaner than you give me credit for.”

  With a flick of the wrist, I sent the dagger streaking straight toward the assassin. He howled in pain as the blade bit deep into the flesh of his thigh. Moving on training and instinct, I didn't give him a chance to recover. Before he knew what was happening, I was raining down punches on him, connecting with the Ondvari's s
caled face again and again.

  A shot rang out that made me jump, but it was a wild shot not aimed at anything in particular. The gun was still in his grip, but the Ovandri was doing all he could just to stay upright beneath my withering assault of punches.

  I drove my fist into his face again and another shot rang out. This time, I heard a metallic ping and whine as the assassin's bullet rang off of something. And from the corner of my eye, I saw a fire erupt in the middle of a pallet of supplies. I couldn't risk turning to see what was burning though. I had to keep fighting.

  I grabbed the handle of my dagger and yanked it out of his leg, drawing another howl of agony form the assassin. I slashed with my blade and the Ovandri danced back a split-second before I would have disemboweled him. He started to raise his gun again, and I lashed out with my foot. My boot caught him in the jaw and sent him staggering backward a few steps, another wild shot ringing out. And then I was on him in the blink of an eye.

  Bringing the blade up, I caught the hunched over Ovandri square in the throat. He gurgled, a wet sounding rattle coming from his mouth. The assassin looked up at me, eyes wide, knowing that death was imminent. Even still, he tried to bring his gun to bear once again and in one deft movement, I yanked my blade out of his throat and drove it through his wrist.

  The Ovandri let out a wet, gurgling scream of sheer agony and the gun hit the floor with a clatter. I lashed out with my foot once more and kicked him square in the gut. The assassin fell backward, landing hard on his ass. He held his hands to the wound in his throat, but yellow blood seeped out from between his fingers.

  A moment later, he fell over onto his back, a final death rattle escaping his lips. It was over. I'd survived the first wave of assassins Boygan had arrayed against me. I didn't have very long to revel in my victory though.

  The smell of smoke grew thicker and I turned, my eyes growing wide. The fire was growing larger –quickly growing out of control, in fact. I looked around, but there was nothing I was going to be able to do to stop it. My alarm only grew when I saw several large drums scattered amongst the supplies marked “extremely flammable.”

  I had to get out of there. This place was about to blow.

  With wide eyes, I sprinted for the staircase, bounding down them as quickly as I dared. The last thing I needed was to twist an ankle – or break a leg – by slipping and falling down the stairs. I made it to the bottom floor and was racing toward the shattered ruin of the door as I heard loud popping noises coming from upstairs.

  I made it outside and turned, sprinting down the alley as quickly as I could. I'd just rounded the corner and made it out into the bustling main avenue of the marketplace when the ground beneath me shook. The sound of the explosion roared behind me, drawing terrified screams and shrieks from the people in the marketplace. The air was saturated with the odor of smoke and burning chemicals as people ran away from the sound of the explosion.

  My breathing ragged and my heart still racing, I made it back to where I'd left Xavix. He stood there looking at me with a look I can only interpret as total judgment on his face. Or maybe, I was just projecting.

  “Well, if your goal was to stay off the radar of local authorities, I'd say you did a very poor job of it,” Xavix said.

  “I didn't start this,” I said, still trying to catch my breath. “Self defense.”

  “So, I take it by the exploding building and out of control fire, that you were able to dispose of the assassins,” Xavix said.

  I looked at the dagger in my hand and held it up to him, the thick yellow blood of the Ovandri still on the blade.

  “And you said this was impractical,” I said. “Came in pretty handy after all.”

  Xavix shook his head and looked up. I followed his gaze to the thick column of smoke rising into the sky. Sirens sounded in the distance, drawing closer in a hurry.

  “And this is why we simply cannot take you anywhere, Gemma,” Xavix said.

  “Smartass,” I replied and smirked at him.

  Chapter Twelve

  We made it back to the hangar without incident. If the local authorities had any idea I was involved with the building blowing up, they were taking their sweet time getting to me. I had a feeling that in all of the chaos and confusion, nobody saw or suspected me. Still, the fact that I was apparently so recognizable worried me. It worried me a lot.

  Xavix keyed in the passcode to the hangar and the door slid open, revealing the Umbra sitting inside. But, more than that, I saw a figure sitting on the ramp of my ship. The dimly lit hangar was murky and dim, and from where I was standing near the doorway, I couldn't make out who it was.

  All I knew was that nobody should have been in that hangar.

  A jolt of adrenaline immediately shot through me and I mentally prepared myself for another fight. But, then his voice stopped me in my tracks.

  “Heard a building blew up in Old Town,” Theron said. “Figured it had to be you.”

  Xavix looked at me. “See? It's not just me.”

  I rolled my eyes and walked into the hangar, unable to keep the smile off my face. Xavix closed the hangar door behind us and locked it. I practically ran over to Theron and threw my arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

  He seemed taken aback for a moment at first – he knew I wasn't the hugging type. But he rolled with it and happily hugged me back.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked, stepping back from him. “I thought you were off making babies.”

  “We'll get to it,” Theron said. “Eventually. We're both young. No need to rush things, right?”

  “She get tired of having you around and kick you out already or something?” I asked.

  Theron grinned. “Not at all, actually.”

  “Then what?” I asked. “Why are you here? I thought we agreed that you'd run your course with us?”

  “No, you agreed to that,” he said. “I never did.”

  “Theron,” I said. “I appreciate the thought, but seriously, you're under zero obligation to me – ”

  He shook his head. “It's not obligation,” he said. “But, Shyrna and I had a long talk – a few of them, actually – and we both agree that there's nothing more important than family. And like it or not, Gemma, you and buckethead over there are my family. If something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. And I'd always feel like had I been there, I could have done something to help you.”

  I reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. The feeling of gratitude that washed through me was powerful. Almost overwhelming.

  “Thank you, Theron,” I said. “I don't know – ”

  He raised his hand to stop me and shook his head. “That's what families do,” he said. “Families always have each other's backs. No matter what.”

  I truly was at a loss for words. As far as family went, I'd only ever really had my mother growing up. Of course, now I had Xavix, and he certainly counted as family. But, I was overcome by thoughts and emotions as I smiled at Theron. Relief. Gratitude. A thousand other things. I'd been alone so long that I wasn't used to anybody stepping up for me. Wasn't used to anybody really having my back. I'd been a lone wolf and had even convinced myself that I preferred it that way. That I didn't want or need anybody's help.

  But, standing there with Theron and Xavix, in that dimly lit hangar, with the smell of smoke from that building still wafting off of me, I knew that I was more than grateful for their help.

  “I'll warn you though,” Theron said. “If I come back missing limbs or anything, Shyrna is going to have your head.”

  “Fair enough,” I said and laughed.

  “So,” Theron said, clapping his hands together. “Do we have a plan yet?”

  I shook my head. “Not yet,” I replied. “I'm still waiting on word from Dyra.”

  Theron nodded. “She certainly seems to be taking her time.”

  “That she is,” I said. “But, I've not been sitting idly by – ”

  “No, she's been dodging a
ssassins and blowing up buildings,” Xavix cracked.

  Theron arched an eyebrow at me. “Assassins?”

  I shrugged. “Nothing I couldn't handle.”

  “Not without blowing up a building,” Xavix said.

  I looked at him. “Will you forget about the building?” I snapped. “It's not my fault. I didn't do it. Talk to the Ondvari. It was his gun. I didn't even have a gun.”

  “No gun, and yet you still managed to blow up a building,” Xavix said, his tone reproachful. “This is why we cannot have nice things, Gemma.”

  I was torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to smack him upside his tin head. Theron just laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

  “You know what?” I said to Xavix. “Just go into the ship. Go plug yourself in or something.”

  Xavix walked up the ramp and disappeared into the ship as I pulled a data pad out of my coat. Turning it on, I had to wait for it to boot up.

  “Assassins?” Theron asked again, a note of concern in his voice.

  “Boygan,” I said. “We've gotten under his skin pretty good, I'd say.”

  Theron whistled low. “Yeah, I'd say,” he said and pointed to the data pad. “What are you doing?”

  “Making contact,” I said. “Like I told you, I haven't been sitting idly by waiting for Dyra to call me.”

  The comms linked up and a moment later, the face of Hugo Kysos filled my screen. I looked at him, feeling my eyes widen in surprise. Theron grinned and nudged me in the side and I shot him an icy glare – which only seemed to make him grin even wider.

  “I certainly hope this is a secure line,” I said.

  “Of course it is.”

  “Correct me if I'm wrong,” I said. “But I was supposed to be talking to a man named Vokyr.”

  Kysos smiled. “Gemma, there's very little on Acrov that goes on, that I don't know about,” he said. “Especially when it comes to you trying to make contact with somebody on my payroll.”