by Lisa Lace
Thiago flattened the crop of hair on top of his buzzed sides. His jumpsuit had holes and patches of missing fabric that had snagged on distended branches on his way down. He winced at the slightest movement of his body.
Something was wrong with his shoulder. Excruciating spasms of pain stabbed at his tender limbs. As veins emerged on his neck and temples, he suppressed an agonized cry as he painfully stretched his arms out in front of him.
Slamming his eyes shut, he clenched his teeth to brace himself. He seized his grotesquely dislocated shoulder and forced it in the opposite direction. A tear fell out of his eye as a sickening crunch sounded and his shoulder snapped back into alignment.
As he held out his shaking arms, he observed his Arkadian genes start to work. The raw, open wounds visible through the shredded fabric of his jumpsuit began to heal. The cuts sealed themselves, leaving darkened traces of scars in their place.
He closed his eyes into focused slits as he analyzed the quarry-like environment. A thick fog of yellow smoke carrying the distinctive stench of sulfur rose from the ground. Steam hissed out from dozens of bubbling acid pits underneath them. On top of the acid pits was a single steel bridge wide enough to fit two tanks side by side. The old surface of the structure was covered with spacecraft scorch marks and tank treads leading to thick, sealed doors in a cavern opening.
Hercules was behind Thiago when the deafening sound of warning sirens shattered the silence. Thiago took a hesitant step backward. His head urgently whipped around in alarm. Hercules gazed back at him with apologetic eyes. His head bowed guiltily, and his legs slowly reversed through a tripwire on the ground.
The pair concealed themselves behind a series of rock formations, pulling their bodies into a tight embrace. Although space was limited, they did what they could to keep their feet stabilized on their patch of land. They shied away from the dangerous acid pits boiling around them. Thiago wrapped his fingers around the rock formation and tried to spy from a distance.
Grating screeches sounded when the heavy doors in the cavern entrance opened. A line of hovering vehicles resembling one-man sleds glided through the doorway, piloted by Noxx soldiers wearing matching uniforms indicating a low rank. Each sled had a mounted laser gun on the curved brush bow on front of the vehicle beds. The mouth of the barrels sparked with striking red bolts. They were ready to kill.
With Hercules' fidgeting head tucked under his armpit, Thiago pulled back his craned neck. He only needed a little space to keep watch. The Noxx maneuvered their sleds around the perimeter in circles. They were determined to find whatever had triggered the tripwire system.
Thiago licked his lips, kneading the creases of his moist palm with his thumb. Thanks to Eden, he had stumbled upon the holy grail of targets for all bounty hunters on the planet. People had searched for this location for decades. Without even meaning to, they had inadvertently found the infamous lair of the feared Noxx.
"All right, buddy. Here goes nothing. Are you ready?" Thiago whispered. He stroked the top of Hercules' head in an attempt to pacify the creature's restlessness. "Lay low for now and wait for my signal before you attack. Do you understand me?"
Hercules nodded enthusiastically in response. He mimed a zipped mouth with a leg held between his pincers. Thiago ripped off his sleeves and tossed them aside, exposing thick muscles on his arms. As beads of sweat raced down the length of his hunched back, he dove into his satchel and rummaged around for a sniper scope. He screwed the scope onto the base of his submachine gun, mounting the weapon against the edge of the flattest rock he could find.
Aligning himself behind the gun, Thiago gazed into the eyepiece. His view crystallized as he adjusted the scope with the parallax ring. The cross of the field slightly moved before he centered it on the closest guard. He was lingering by the foot of the bridge. Thiago slid his finger onto the trigger and tapped the sides of the weapon for good measure with his other hand. Taking one last, soothing breath to calm the thoughts in his head, he gently pulled back the trigger.
An annoying ringing erupted in Thiago's ears as a single bullet shot out from the mouth of his weapon's sizzling barrel. The first of four Noxx enemies was hit directly between the eyes. His vehicle spun off course at once; the front of the sled plunged into the side of the cavern walls before exploding into a flaming fireball.
Before the others could react to their unseen attacker, Thiago had readjusted his scope to aim at his next targets. He kept his finger half-closed on the trigger and gunned down another one. He proved to be resilient when Thiago missed the mark and accidentally hit his stomach. The thug knelt down clutching his midsection until a clean strike to the side of the neck finally rendered him motionless.
The third panicked and tried to flee, abandoning his vehicle. In his flustered state, the Noxx started to run away from danger but accidentally slipped into the acid pit. Unsettling screams of torturous agony made goose bumps spring up on Thiago's arms. The Noxx floundered in the pool until his screams died down and his body vanished.
Thiago tore his eyes away from the gruesome scene, but his distraction had already made him vulnerable to the last Noxx guard. He missed, hitting the arch above the cavern door instead. The goon's sled expertly swerved away from the crumbling debris above him. He slipped away to alert the others.
Thiago swore like a sailor. He tossed his submachine gun aside in favor of the laser magnum on his belt. Swinging his satchel back over his shoulder, he gave Hercules a quick nudge on the leg.
"Let's go."
They darted to the abandoned sled, which was still hovering by the doorway. Thiago grabbed two new puranium orb bombs, pocketing the glass balls. They pulsed with swirling blue contents. The pair raced to the entrance and retraced the steps of the Noxx goon. They ran down a small, dimly lit tunnel that stunk of sewage. Midway through the tunnel, the droning voices of multiple Noxx vehicles intensified. Five enemies in a crisp V-formation appeared at the end of the tunnel, hollering in their native language as they caught sight of the intruders.
Thiago clamped his hands on Hercules' sides, yanking him back as his legs slid underneath him. He spun Hercules around, whisking him off in the opposite direction. The Noxx began firing the mounted laser rifles on their sleighs.
The scrambling duo raced to avoid the red laser bolts. Thiago spotted a recess on the walls of the chamber and took cover, hauling Hercules in with him. Flattening his back against the wall, he pulled out one of the bombs and hurled the explosive sphere into the path of the enemy vehicles.
He closed his eyes, but it didn't help. There was a glaring white flash which temporarily speckled Thiago's vision with glowing blobs of dancing afterimages. A loud explosion followed which sounded like a collision of trains at full speed. They sneaked out of the wall crevice, fanning away the billows of blue smoke and toxic fumes.
Thiago fired his laser magnum, taking out each of the disoriented Noxx sitting dazed in their vehicles before moving past them. Hercules did his share of elimination. He cleared their path by sweeping alien bodies left and right like a rogue demolition worker equipped with a sledgehammer. After the pair fended off about a dozen additional Noxx, they finally arrived at the heart of the lair.
Thiago rapidly assessed the situation in the underground chamber. His eyes lingered on the vessels containing preserved victims. Was Eden in one of them? If she were, she would be stockpiled along the walls like a canned good in an evil supermarket. A complicated series of titanium platforms, winding staircases, and pedestals stood over the frothing lake of acid flowing freely underneath them. Before Thiago could carefully investigate the capsules, a different group of hovering Noxx sailed through the entryway across them.
The bright green bolts that jetted out of Thiago's weapon only managed to scrape the platform of the enemy closest to him before it exhausted its power supply. With the smirking Noxx careening towards him and not enough time to reload, Thiago had to act fast.
He flipped his weapon around and used it to club his
assailant on the back of the head. Hercules wrapped his pincers around the Noxx's neck, slashing his arteries before flinging him out of the hijacked sled. The pair clambered into the vehicle. Thiago took the driver's seat as Hercules clung onto the curved back of the chair.
Thiago pulled on a random lever. The sleigh lifted off the ground unsteadily. It tipped from side to side until Thiago became accustomed to the unfamiliar controls. His eyes widened at the sight of Noxx steadily closing the distance between them and beginning to open fire. He steered abruptly to the right, evading the line of laser blasts. He began flipping the switches to activate the mounted guns on his sled and his blistered fingertip pulled back a trigger. As he guided the beam of his platform's laser, the smell of singed alien flesh intermingled with the sulfuric air.
Then he heard the sweetest sound in the world.
"Thiago? Oh, thank God – Thiago! I'm up here!"
Thiago looked up, his heart jumping at the sound of Eden's voice. A steel cage hung suspended from the ceiling. It was only accessible by a single staircase that appeared to be at least three stories off the ground. The floor of the cage rocked wildly as Eden excitedly stomped her feet.
He bared his teeth in his wrath, finishing off the rest of the mob moving behind them. He accelerated away from the scene. Hercules gurgled delightedly behind him as they soared up to Eden's height. They hopped off the sled at the top of the staircase. Thiago didn't bother to stop the vehicle, which wasn't large enough to accommodate all three of them. It jerked forward once before plunging into the acid pit underneath them.
"Let's get out of here. I don't know where Malatov and Ardela are, but I think they're coming back at any moment."
"You're okay, Eden. Everything will be fine." He searched in his satchel and pulled out a mechanism resembling a spring clamp. As a puffy-eyed Eden waited in her cage, Thiago fastened the jaws of the tool around the lock. He twisted a knob on the device to activate it. Within seconds, a powerful laser in the clamp jaws began searing away at the metal.
With Thiago's attention completely absorbed with helping Eden escape, he didn't see what was happening behind him. He didn't notice the wounded Noxx guard moving up the stairs, but Hercules did. As the grunting guard swung a rusty spiked baton over his head, intending to decapitate Thiago, Hercules launched himself at the attacker.
Hercules latched onto the guard, and the grappling pair tumbled over the staircase railing. There was a loud crash and splash into liquid. In moments, acid covered the two bodies.
Thiago and Eden looked at each other in disbelief. For the first time in years, Thiago snapped. The broken man collapsed to his knees. He clutched the sides of his head as their heartbreaking cries filled the vast space of the cavern.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"We have to save Hercules!" Eden's words were drowned out by the roar of an animal-like sobbing.
As the pain of a thousand daggers twisted in his chest, it finally occurred to Thiago that the sounds were coming from his mouth. He was screaming in horror. He felt like a pillow covered his face.
More alarms started to go off in the chamber. They sounded like a symphony of foghorns. Thiago stopped looking at the ground, numbly observing the groups of Noxx pouring through all four entrances around them. He only broke out of his haze when he noticed the sneering faces of Malatov and Ardela among the mob of white scaly bastards. An adrenaline rush fueled with hatred and bloodlust drove him to his feet.
"Thiago! Get me out of here. They're coming!"
Thiago broke off the lock hanging from the cage and entered the tiny quarters. He refilled his laser magnum with clips of ammunition and fired at the hinges of the shackles. Eden's outstretched limbs fell from over her head. She yelped in pain as she slammed to the ground. Thiago snapped off Eden's cuffs, giving her a powerful hug before he set her free.
"Don't leave me again. I can't protect you if you run away. Can you move?"
"Yes. I'm sore as hell, but the feeling's slowly coming back to my legs."
"Here," said Thiago. He handed her a spare laser pistol from his satchel and the last orb bomb he'd collected from the abandoned sled. He took a moment to instruct her on how to operate the weapon.
He motioned to a switch on the side of the barrel and said, "The blue light's for stun, and the green light's for kill. Be careful with the orb. It's fragile, explosive, and dangerous."
"Okay, I got it," said Eden. The magnum shook in her hands as she slipped it into her belt strap. Peering over Thiago's shoulder, she gasped. Her eyes went round with terror at the Noxx guards gathering at the foot of the staircase. "Can we evade these guys?"
"We'll get them. Be careful." Thiago lifted Eden off the ground and started toward the open cage door.
"Thiago, wait." Eden pulled him down for a kiss. "Be careful, please."
Thiago paused. He tried to press his lips tightly together, but he couldn't help smiling.
"I will. Now let's get these bastards."
Eden threw away her useless heels. Her legs felt like lead underneath her as she ran after Thiago and she looked a filthy, bedraggled mess. Vast areas of her soiled halter jumpsuit were missing sequins. Inflamed alien bug bites peppered her dingy bare arms. The nest of coppery curls that ran past her shoulders had fluffed up from the humidity; it was untamable. Fortunately for Eden, there was no mirror, and discomfort was the last thing on her mind.
Thiago's aim seemed to improve in his trance-like rage. His barrel zeroed in on each of the Noxx running up the staircase, efficiently eliminating each target. Without looking behind him, he grabbed hold of two clips and put them into the chamber of his gun, reloading with mechanical efficiency.
Thiago and Eden started shooting in turns. One began firing while the other reloaded. Fallen guards toppled backward, creating an inescapable domino effect upon the soldiers behind them. As Thiago exterminated the last few attempting to crawl over their comrades' bodies, Eden sidled past them and down the stairs, knocking a few wounded guards over the railing along the way.
She was on a mission.
Eden made a beeline for Ardela. The beaming Arkadian woman stood with her spread legs locked and her arms folded across her chest. Her face looked primped for a red carpet, and her glossy pink hair stayed in place with two bejeweled hairpins. Even in the face of chaos, Ardela was as glamorous as ever.
Eden snorted, flicking away the sweat dangling off her nostrils. There was nothing more she wanted at that moment than to wipe the smug look off Ardela's face. The green bulb flashed on the nose of her pistol. But as Eden raised her weapon, Ardela lunged forward with a high kick and knocked the gun out of Eden's hands.
The weapon bounced on the ground and slid out of reach. Their eyes met for a split second before they both dove for the laser pistol. Eden knew her human strength wouldn't be enough to win against Ardela's Arkadian genes, so she had to resort to rough playground tactics. Eden sprang on top of Ardela and straddled her. She weaved her hands into the threads of Ardela's hair, immobilizing her bun as she pulled and twisted. Ardela shrieked. Tears fell from her eyes as Eden's fists tore off clumps of her hair.
Ardela shook her off, panting heavily. In her discombobulated state, she made the mistake of turning her back on Eden for one brief moment. Eden jumped at the chance, reaching for the orb bomb tucked away in her bra. She bit down on her lip and twisted the sphere to activate it. As Ardela turned back around, Eden stuffed the orb into her mouth. Finally, she gave Ardela a push.
Ardela's eyes bulged in astonishment. Her arms and legs flailed as she fell towards the acid pit behind her. Her cheeks ballooned and turned a ghostly blue before the orb detonated in her mouth. Body parts and jewelry rained into the murky yellow sea from above.
Gagging from the putrid stench, Eden whirled around, looking for Thiago. He was fighting with Malatov in a different struggle beyond the bodies of Noxx guards strewn across the floor. Eden watched as Thiago rolled on top of Malatov, jamming the barrel of his magnum between the Noxx's lips.
"Don't kill him!" Eden called out.
"Not now, Eden," Thiago hissed through clenched teeth. The marking on his forehead glowed a fiery red. "What about my parents?"
"He doesn't deserve a quick death," wheezed Eden as she ran up from behind him. She grabbed hold of his shoulder, squeezing. "Let the asshole rot in prison. We also need his face intact to collect the bounty."
Thiago struggled with himself as his shaking finger hovered over the trigger. He glared at Malatov's steely, unfeeling eyes blinking back at him.
His rational mind prevailed in a moment, and he let his body relax. He removed the weapon from Malatov's mouth.
"It's over now."
Thiago put restraints onto Malatov's wrists. He allowed himself one luxury, however. Thiago blew a glob of spit into Malatov's leering face before Thiago and Eden turned around, leaving the Noxx kingpin's empty threats behind them.
Chapter Thirty
THREE MONTHS LATER
"Why don't you set the ship to autopilot so you can enjoy a glass of bubbly?"
Thiago looked over his shoulder and smiled. Eden had noticed he was happier recently, and not a morose stick-in-the-mud like when she first met him. She entered the cockpit, carrying an expensive bottle of vintage Pasquin ale in one hand and a fancy goblet engraved with ancient Arkadian hieroglyphics in the other. She looked stunning in an emerald green dress which accented her eyes. The asymmetrical neckline showed off a hint of her delicate collarbone.
He let the computer take over the ship and swiveled around in his chair to face Eden. She uncorked the bottle and poured a golden liquid into the glass, handing it to him. Sensing something was wrong, Eden tipped her head to the side and frowned.
"Is something the matter, honey?" she whispered. She snuggled up to him, gently massaging the hard knots permanently lodged in his neck and shoulders.
