Hungry Planet

by Michelle Marquis

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  Whiskey Creek Press

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  Copyright ©2007 by WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

  * * *

  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

  * * *

  THE HUNGRY PLANET

  by

  Michelle Marquis

  WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  Published by

  WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

  Whiskey Creek Press

  PO Box 51052

  Casper, WY 82605-1052

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  Copyright © 2007 by Michelle O'Neill

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  ISBN 978-1-59374-946-0

  Credits

  Cover Artist:

  Editor: Louise Bohmer

  Printed in the United States of America

  Other Books by Author Available at Whiskey Creek Press:

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  The Love Machine

  Her Alien Lover

  The Android's Kiss

  Dedication

  To H.P., Louise, and last but not least Jan.

  Chapter 1

  Beth Shaw scanned the cabin to see how the other prisoners were taking the ride. There were three others—two vicious looking white men and one black woman. The men were both heavily muscled and tattooed. The woman looked to be somewhere close to Beth's thirty-two years. Her black hair was cut short and she wore the weathered expression of someone who'd seen a lot of misery in her life. Well, lady, here is one more for you. Like the men, the woman was muscular, and Beth felt as if she'd come to a dinner party terribly underdressed.

  The force from the shuttle's descent pinned her to the seat. She was sure they were going to crash. The cabin lights blinked on and off once then went off for almost a full minute before flashing back to life again. She dug her nails into the padding of her armrests, mutely cursing the handcuffs that kept her arms locked down. An unexpected dip sucked her breath away. When they leveled off, she took a few deep, calming breaths trying to slow her heart rate.

  The shuttle hit another air pocket and dropped a terrifying four feet. Beth's mind exploded in panic. Leaning over, she looked out the window to see if they had broken through the clouds. Great puffy blue clouds engulfed them obscuring her view of the planet below. The sight of the atmosphere was so surreal it made her feel as if she was shrouded in a magician's spell.

  A hard right roll shifted her in her seat and she clenched her teeth so hard it made her jaw ache. A shriek from the shuttle's metal plates filled the air as they protested under each maneuver's intense pressure. The engines whined as they struggled to remain functional, causing the entire shuttle to vibrate. Beth caught a glimpse of something large moving fast outside her window and gasped. Only a few feet from their wing flew another shuttle, rocking back and forth as it fought to gain altitude. Their shuttle boomed from the close contact as if it had been struck.

  One of the men inside the cabin was screaming obscenities, no longer caring how cowardly he sounded. The others, including their armed guards, sat like mannequins, their faces pale with fright.

  Their shuttle was obviously out of control, banking to the right and going into a horizontal spin that made her stomach turn. Beth pushed back into the seat cushion as they sped toward the planet's surface. I'm dead. There is no way the pilot is going to be able to land this thing. As if in response to her thoughts, she felt the force of the engines give off an ear-shattering roar and the shuttle stopped its spin. But it didn't slow their rate of descent.

  The first ground strike was a bone-jarring bounce that sent them ricocheting off the planet's surface and back into the air. The impact broke the shuttle in two, with the aft section hitting again a moment after break up. The shuttle body filled with an avalanche of sand and flying debris. Beth closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to protect them. When she finally stopped being flung around, she realized they'd landed on their side and she was still attached to her intact chair.

  The taste of blood filled her mouth and she ran her tongue along her teeth to make sure they were all in place. After careful inventory, she realized the only injury she'd sustained was biting her lip. Unbelievable.

  Twisting her wrists, she managed to break off the seat arm and slide her right arm free of the cuffs. To free her left required more effort, and Beth spent the next twenty minutes hammering at it with a nearby metal rod from the landing gear. Once off, she squirmed out of her seat, dusting off some small bits of debris.

  Every muscle in her body ached as she stumbled from her piece of the ship. She looked around for other survivors and saw the other woman from the ship gripping her leg. Beth stumbled over to the woman and crouched by her.

  The woman hissed through her teeth, while holding her injury. Beth hoped it wasn't broken. “Try not to move,” she said.

  Beth looked out over the barren landscape. “Well,” she said thoughtfully. “I don't think they're going to send anyone to help us, so we're going to have to try and make it to the station on our own.” Placing an arm around the other woman, Beth helped her to her feet and led her over to a section of the ship's intact hull. The woman leaned against it.

  "Wait here while I check around.” Beth walked over to other sections of the ship, scattered around the desert. A few still housed some seats. The two male prisoners were dead, one still chained to his seat and the other torn into three gory pieces. Little was left of him but a carcass of bloody meat. She wondered if maybe they were luckier than she was.

  Next, Beth made her way over to the cockpit, which lay torn in two only a few yards from the rest of the debris. Both pilots were dead in their seats, peppered by sand and wreckage when the cockpit was breached. She lifted the pilot's sidearm and checked to make sure it was loaded. Opening a storage box nearby, she grabbed as much ammunition as she could fit in her pockets.

  As she made her way back over to the other woman, she noticed a man approaching from about half a mile away. Even from this distance she could see how tall he was. He moved with the lethal beauty of a seasoned predator, his pace was an easy loping stride. His dark hair was loose, running a little past his shoulders, and he was dressed completely in black leather. He was also heavily armed, with guns strapped to his hips and a holster under his left arm. The hem of his trench coat billowed behind him like a villain's black cape and Beth instinctively held her gun up as he drew closer.

  "Jesus,” the black woman murmured, squinting as she watched him. Beth couldn't tell if she was referring to their visitor or praying. “He doesn't look very welcoming."

  Beth double checked the ammunition in her revolver and estimated his dist
ance. “No,” she said. “I think you're right. I don't think he's here to help."

  Beth watched as the man advanced. He walked with a steady relentless stride and pulled his trench coat back from his guns as he neared shooting range.

  The woman closed her eyes and leaned her head back, holding her wounded leg as if it would make the pain go away. “I thought weapons were forbidden here,” she said, distracted.

  "I don't think anyone pays attention to that rule,” Beth said, fixing her sight on the man's head. “Stop right there!” She shouted when he'd come within range. “You take one more step, I'll kill you."

  The man held his hands out in a patronizing show of surrender. Then he reached slowly into his jacket and pulled out a copper badge. He held it up for them to see. He was still too far to clearly make out what it said but it looked official.

  "Come forward slowly,” Beth directed him. “And keep the badge in the air so we can see it."

  The man advanced until he was about three feet from them. “I'm here for Beth Shaw. You know her?"

  "It's a marshal's badge,” the black woman said. Her tone indicated she was still holding on to some hope for salvation.

  Beth kept her weapon trained on him. “What do you want with her?"

  "You Beth Shaw?” he said with a toss of his head. His voice was a thick baritone, a dangerous, commanding voice. “I've been sent by Doctor Jason Masters to escort you back to the Space Station.” His dark glasses showed nothing of his eyes.

  Beth hesitated then lowered her weapon. “I'll need some help with her,” she said, gesturing to the woman. She looked up at him and he was pointing his gun at the woman.

  "I don't need her,” he said, “only you."

  Beth's mind scrambled to find the words to stop him. “If you kill her, I won't go with you.” He paused and she thought about raising her gun and pointing it at him, but decided that would be a mistake.

  He walked a few steps closer, and pulled his sunglasses off. Beth had never seen eyes so grey. They were ghostly eyes, filled with the cold detachment of death. In that moment, she knew he didn't care about killing or dying. Each one was the same to him. She felt a chill roll down her spine and decided to exercise extreme care in dealing with him.

  Beth turned her attention to the woman still holding her leg on the ground. She tried to get the woman on her feet but she was too wounded to stand. “Help me,” she said to him as he watched her.

  He hesitated for a moment, then holstered his weapon and came over to help her. “It'll be faster if I carry her,” he said. Beth stepped back.

  Crouching down, he wrapped one arm around the woman's legs and lifted her over his right shoulder in a fireman's carry. Beth was impressed by his strength. The action appeared effortless to him.

  He started off toward the station taking long, heavy strides. Beth had to jog to keep up with him. “No one else survived,” she said more to herself than to him.

  He grinned darkly. “Lucky for them."

  "What's your name?"

  The man stared at her. He seemed to be studying her, absorbing her. “Magnus Stone.” He pulled her out of the way of a large black scorpion about the size of her foot. “You need to watch where you're going."

  Beth thanked him and caught a glimpse of digital numbers tattooed on his neck. They weren't like the ones she'd received or seen on the other prisoners. She decided to ask him about them when she got to know him better.

  "How long have you worked for Doctor Masters?” she said trying to pry information from him.

  "I don't work for him. I'm doing him a favor,” he said. “He paid me to get you to the station alive. How you get to the medical clinic from there is your problem."

  Beth felt an icy blast of air gust down from a low-lying mountain range nearby. She shivered and thought how odd it was that this desert planet should be so cold. Since the crash, she'd average the temperature at somewhere in the lower sixties. Not exactly cold but not desert hot either.

  "How long have you been here?” she said.

  "Seven years.” The woman over his shoulder moaned in pain but he ignored her. “What's your sentence, Beth?"

  She grimaced at hearing such a familiar name come from someone she barely knew. “Life,” she said.

  He smiled, flashing a mouthful of straight, white teeth. “Good for you,” he said with an acid tone. “That shouldn't take long at all."

  Chapter 2

  The animal was awake inside him and clawing for release. His cock had taken on a life of its own, filling the front of his pants and his mind with lust. God what he wouldn't give to fuck her. Nurse Beth Shaw certainly was a handsome woman and much younger than he'd imagined her to be.

  Watching her as they walked, he took in her long, lean body and thick blonde hair. Her eyes were the lightest green he'd ever seen. His cock became impossibly hard and he tried to think of something else until they reached the station.

  She kept her eyes on him and he could smell her fear, like a nameless phantom, between them. The other woman lay over his shoulder; the wound in her leg making her groan with every step he took. He wondered if it was broken. If it was, she might be crippled for life, especially with the shortage of doctors.

  They walked into the station, and gathered a few curious glances from the locals. Quite a few whispered offers to Magnus, thinking him Beth's pimp. With every offer she overheard, she cast a wary look his way.

  He understood her mistrust. She had few reasons to trust him.

  Beth had given up the small talk about a mile back. “Where are we taking her?” she said finally.

  He glanced at her to read the emotion behind the question. Did she really care what happened to this total stranger? He guessed that was part of being a nurse. It was her job to give a shit about everyone else. “There's a small clinic by the main entrance. I was planning to take her there. That's her best chance, even if it is a little..."

  Beth squinted at him. “A little what?"

  Magnus stopped by the large metal door of the clinic and lowered the injured woman to her feet. He scanned the crowd behind them for danger. “A little crude,” he said. He hit a green button on the wall and the door slid open, revealing a crowded waiting room filled with sick and injured. There was a wide variety of people, both human and alien, and he could read the dismay on Beth's face.

  She turned to him, a muscle moving in her jaw. “We can't leave her here,” she said as Magnus walked over to the reception desk to check the woman in.

  He gave all the information he knew to the receptionist. A moment later he turned to Beth. “I think you'd better concentrate all your energy on worrying about yourself, Nurse Shaw. Believe me, she's going to be a whole lot better off than you are.” He turned, leaving the woman, and stalked out of the waiting room with Beth following close on his heels.

  "What does that mean?"

  He shook his head. “You'll see when we get to the clinic,” he said. He stopped in the main concourse and examined all the hotel signs. He glanced at the massive entrance gates to the spaceport and watched the amber caution lights flash. The gates were getting ready to close for the night. He'd have to stay the night. Damn.

  He turned his attention back to Beth. “Good luck finding a guide out to the clinic. I'm sure you'll find someone in the morning. You should spend the night in one of the local hotels. They're probably not what you're used to, but they beat waiting out here all night for the blast doors to open."

  Beth opened her mouth and stared at him in shock. “What? Where are you going? Are you leaving me here?"

  Magnus folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah, I'm leaving you here."

  "Wait. What do you want to take me all the way to the medical clinic?"

  He smiled and leaned against the wall. She had no idea what she was asking. “I want sex—lots of it. And, before you agree too soon,” he said, stroking his chin, “you should know I like it rough and dirty."

  Beth turned an interesting shade of pale. He
almost laughed at her. She licked her lips. He turned to walk away.

  "No, wait,” she said. “Okay, okay ... I'll do whatever you want. Just please help me get there."

  He stared at her, trying to decide if she meant it. “Good, then let's get a room.” He started making his way over to the Double Moon Hotel, and watched her balk, out of the corner of his eye.

  Magnus stopped. “What?"

  "Where are you going?” she said.

  "To the hotel."

  "Are we starting tonight?"

  Magnus grinned. “Yes, ma'am. You bet your sweet ass we are.” The alarm for the massive double doors sounded and they began to close. “Are you coming, or do you plan to spend the night out here? I'm sure no one will bother a good-looking girl like you."

  Beth clamped her mouth closed and began marching over to the hotel. He casually walked behind her, admiring the smooth movement of her hips.

  The hotel was typical for an Ackron-Nine Space Station, with bright neon lights announcing its vacancies. The entrance was littered with shady characters looking to score some forbidden deals for quick credits. Beth was close behind him. He could feel her nervousness as a pulsing uneasy energy that touched his skin.

  As he made his way inside the lobby, Beth drew closer to him. He suppressed a smile. He wanted her so bad his cock was throbbing in his pants.

  The clerk, a heavy man with a few days’ growth of grey beard, lumbered over and kept his gaze on the desk. “How many nights?” he said, tapping a pen on the counter.

  Magnus looked down and leafed through the guest registry. It held many repeated names. “Just one,” he said, not looking up. He tossed some credits on the counter and turned to watch the entrance while the man fetched the key. Beth was standing next to him with her arms folded across her chest. She seemed to feel no one would notice she was female as long as she hid her breasts.

  Her right eye twitched. “Did you get only one bed?” she asked.