Hostage To The Stars: A Sectors SF Romance

by Veronica Scott

  He slid the portal open an inch and reconnoitered. “Damn.”

  “What’s wrong?” Her voice was a husky whisper.

  “Two guys, over by the trucks. Hopefully they’ll go inside before too long.”

  Sara crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her slender biceps as if she was cold, although the heat was growing intense in the jail as the sun rose higher. “Promise you’ll kill me if we get caught.” Her tone was intense.

  “It ain’t going to come to that. We’re getting out of here today.”

  “I want to believe you but I can’t take any more,” she said, tears slipping down her cheeks. “You have no idea.”

  He reached over to pat her shoulder. “I’ll get you to safety, my word on it. I’m thinking it might be time for a distraction for our hosts though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He doffed his thin backpack and knelt, pulling out two sweet miniature thermal explosive devices he’d picked up while selecting gear at the space station. “Thinking I’ll put a couple of these on one of their parked shuttles, blow it to the seven hells and while the locals are running around like suskadi with their heads chopped off, we’ll be heading for the hills.”

  “Won’t they chase us?”

  “Probably, but not right away. I’ll blow this building too. Umarri’s men will be confused and not only from the drugged tea.” He grinned.

  The two men, arguing half-heartedly, as if they’d had the conversation before, were headed inside.

  As soon as the coast was clear, Johnny said, “I’ll come back for you. Sit tight right here until I do, promise?”

  She gave him a thumbs up. Apparently reading doubt in his face about her probable compliance with his order, she said, “They only feed me once a day so I know for sure no one will come. I’ll wait. You’re the best thing I’ve seen in months, soldier. I’m not going anywhere without you. And your weapons.”

  “Good.”

  He emerged into the open, immediately moving to take cover behind stacks of crates and containers. It was fairly easy to work his way to the edge of the landing field proper and then he had to make careful moves to get to the nearest shuttle, hiding behind loaders and fuel trucks to do so. This was a decidedly old fashioned set up. As he was preparing to cross the final feet of open space to the shuttle, the hatch opened and two men emerged, wreathed in fragrant green smoke.

  Umarri’s got problems if his crews do drugs inside the shuttles. All the better for his plan. Those idiots wouldn’t be sure they hadn’t screwed up and caused the explosion.

  Stumbling, the man in the lead said, “Those freeloaders from the compound better have saved us something to eat.”

  “When can we return to the palace? What did Umarri say?” asked his companion.

  “Damn Shemdylann are late. Of course the aliens never stick to a schedule but they’re way overdue this time. Umarri was screaming this morning. No word from their captain either.”

  “Why does the boss keep sending more cargo here then?” The second man sounded upset. “He knows we’ve got nowhere to store it.”

  “I haven’t heard any complaints from you about having the woman here for a week.” The first pirate dug the other in the ribs.

  “Yeah, she’s been a bonus. Although the warlord won’t let us have any real serious fun with her.”

  “Maybe if the Shemdylann never come, he will.”

  But the second man shook his head. “If the pirates never arrive, he’ll be so mad he’s likely to kill us all. Men whisper over Umarri’s growing unbalance and the Sectors rescuing the other hostage last night sent him into a rage like I’ve never seen. We’d be out combing the hills today except the soldiers who pulled the raid were picked up by a fast moving flier and long gone, according to the playback on the scanners from our ship in orbit.”

  “Loose talk about Umarri’s state of mind will get you killed.” Throwing his arm around the other man’s shoulders, the soldier hustled him toward the barracks.

  Johnny emerged from hiding, requiring only a moment to affix the bombs to vulnerable spots on the shuttle, set the timers and step undercover again. He made it back to the jail in record time and slid through the door. Sara sat in the corner as far as she could get from the entrance and sprang to her feet, chains in hand as he entered.

  “Good thinking.” He nodded at her makeshift weapon. “Ready to make a run for it?”

  Dropping the shackles and wiping her hands on her torn pants, she said, “I wanted to inflict some pain if any of the bastards did walk in here. Retribution, you know?”

  “Completely understand.”

  He led her from the jail, slinking along the wall and moving to the rear of the building.

  The ground shook as the shuttle blew up in a massive explosion. Johnny slung Sara unceremoniously over his shoulder and descended the slope to the streambed. There was a second explosion as the heat and radiation from the burning shuttle touched off things in the piles of cargo waiting on the landing pad, or maybe the fuel truck which had been parked too close. Johnny didn’t care. Either way, the warlord’s men were going to be too busy to wonder about the cause of the explosions or to check on their prisoner. Running at a steady pace, he stuck to the canyon, wading in the shallow stream, and then climbed the ever steeper slopes.

  Silent, Sara held onto him as best she could. Once he’d reached his predetermined point high in the canyon, he set her on her feet in the lee of a boulder formation. Barely glancing at her, he said, “I’ll be right back. Stay put.”

  He patrolled a few hundred yards of the trail to check there was no pursuit. With his viewers, he saw the landing field becoming a total inferno, as more and more of the cargo caught fire. The cargo haulers were burning now and the jail was fully engaged in flames as well. No signs of any pursuit. He jogged to rejoin her.

  Using the boulder for support, she stood as he approached. “I can walk.” She retreated a few steps and put a hand to ward him off. “What’s the plan?”

  He eyed her for a moment. “I apologize for the rough treatment, ma’am, picking you up. We had to move fast.”

  Voice shaky but determined, she said, “I understand. Please don’t do that again without warning me, okay? I-I’m kind of jumpy. Did your distraction work?”

  “I believe so.” Grinning, he said, “It’s a beautiful sight, all those ill-gotten cargo containers going up in smoke. Partial measure of payback for Umarri’s crimes anyway.”

  “We’d better keep moving though, right?”

  He nodded. “I cached a few necessary supplies in a cave a few hours hike from here. We’re going to go to ground there for the balance of today, move again tomorrow morning.”

  She asked no questions, merely stood waiting.

  Figuring she was probably in shock or at the very least dazed, he said, “All right then, we hike. Let me know if you need to stop for water or to rest.”

  They made better time than he’d expected and reached his chosen hiding place in midafternoon. He dragged the camouflage away from the entrance and guided her inside, before replacing the branches and debris. Much as he hated caves and dark, closed-in places, this was the best shelter he could devise for them under the circumstances. He could deal with his issues.

  Sara stumbled to a flat rock and sat, leaning against the cave wall with her eyes shut, but startled as he walked toward her.

  Johnny put a shielded handlamp on a rock close to her and ripped his shirt free of his pants, as he noticed her shivering. Brow furrowed, she shrank away. “Just going to lend you my shirt, relax. I can handle the cold better than you can, miss. We can’t afford a fire so add a layer at least.”

  She put it on and rolled up the sleeves with a businesslike air. “Thank you for rescuing me. I should have said that sooner today. I think I’m in shock a bit. I’m having a hard time believing you’re real and I’m not going to wake up in a cell.”

  “Doing my job, no thanks needed. And you’re definitely not going to
wake up in a cell.” He dug food packets and a canteen out of his cached supplies. “Not the best meal in the world but it’ll restore your energy,” he said as he handed her the bars. “I’m Johnny Danver, by the way.”

  “Sara Bridges, but you know my name.” Head tilted and a slight frown on her face, she looked past him. “Where’s the rest of your team? When will the other soldiers be catching up to us?”

  “No team. I’m a one man rescue op.” He took a long drink from the canteen.

  Sara paused in unwrapping the energy bar. “The authorities sent you by yourself to rescue me?”

  “I’m kind of an informal rescue party,” he said. “Are you hurt? I have a field medkit.”

  “The bastards hit me a few times, including today. “

  “I heard you scream this morning. I’m sorry I couldn’t intervene sooner.”

  “The guards always wanted me to earn my food and water,” she said, closing her eyes and shivering again. “Umarri gave strict orders not to rape me,” she said while he struggled to frame the right question. “But there are…other things the men did.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll be ok. I can march.”

  He caught her wrist gently, rotating it in the light. “At least let me clean and treat these lacerations. You fought hard.”

  She sat absolutely motionless and tears leaked from her eyes. “I’ve been so scared every moment for the past two months. Or is it three now?”

  “About fifty days, near as I can figure.” Unable to bear the pitiful sight of her weeping and shaking, Johnny gathered her close, moving with deliberation, in case his touch was going to upset her more. He was on uncharted territory here but he could well imagine she’d be wary of a large man such as himself, unknown to her. Sara held herself stiffly at first, but didn’t reject the comfort he awkwardly offered, putting her arms around him and leaning into his tentative embrace. As she wept, close to a complete breakdown, he rubbed her back and whispered in her ear. “You did what you needed to do to survive, Sara. You’re tough and brave.”

  “Not as tough and brave as you appear to think,” she said a few moments later, sitting with her spine straight and wiping her eyes on the tail of his shirt. “I’ll be all right now, I promise. No more waterworks. The whole situation hit me at once. I’ve had to keep the emotions bottled up to survive, you know? Not let them see how terrified I was.”

  “I know.” He released her and moved a foot or so away. “Let me take care of your ankles while you sit and eat. Then I’ll do the wrists. How are your feet?”

  “Sore. Blistered.” She stuck out one foot and grimaced at the condition of her shoe. “Not the best footgear for mountain climbing, not like your combat boots. But I’m not complaining.”

  “I can’t do much about the shoes. I tried to take the easiest path I could,” he said. “Your feet will feel better after I treat the blisters and apply a coating of shieldseal. Sit back, try to relax.” He eased her shoes off.

  Taking a deep breath, Sara made a visible effort to relax. He kept his movements slow and explained what he was going to do before he touched her. Anger at the way she’d been brutalized burned inside but he maintained his calm demeanor. Her breathing evened out as he finished her feet and moved to care for the raw marks left on her ankles by the chains. She would have permanent scarring but he didn’t think she needed to be told right now. “How did you know where to find me?” she asked. “Who sent you? You said the Sectors but even I know they’d never send just one man.”

  “I was an advisor to a squad sent in to rescue Tresha Immer. She told us about you… so I came to find you.”

  “She tried to help me, tried to make them keep me with her as long as she could, pretended we were colleagues, but once the pirates figured out I had no value as a hostage, Umarri put me into a cell. Didn’t the sector governor ransom her?”

  “Apparently his wife was bidding against him.” Johnny smiled.

  “There wasn’t anyone to pay ransom for me,” she said. “My parents probably don’t even know I was kidnapped. I didn’t leave them a fixed itinerary or a timetable of check-ins. The warlord said he’d sell me to the Shemdylann slavers, but apparently the ship’s late in arriving. Overdue, lucky for me.” She studied him for a moment. “The other soldiers you came with, they were going to leave me, weren’t they?”

  He glanced up from what he was doing, wrapping bandages in a neat pattern around each of her ankles and met her eyes. “Yes.”

  Sara swallowed hard. “I got a quick course in the harsh realities of life when the pirate boarded the Star Swan and the crew wouldn’t help me, so I’m not too surprised. But why did you come for me?”

  “Special Forces don’t leave anyone behind. I’d never abandon a Sectors citizen at the mercy of these Farduccir bastards. Especially not a woman.” He shrugged. He hadn’t questioned himself when he heard there was a prisoner about to be left behind. Of course he needed to make his best effort to rescue her. “May I have your left wrist now?”

  She extended her arm to him. “I’m grateful. “

  “Once it was reported to Command that the warlord held another Sectors citizen, some effort would have been made.” He shook his head as he examined the rope burns and bruises. The warlord’s men had played rough with her more than once. She’d fought hard. “But not enough, I can’t lie.”

  “Not in time to do me any good.” She brushed fresh tears off her cheeks.

  “No. Not unless you have family with a lot of gravity. Or an employer with connections.”

  “Neither. No lover in high places like Tresha either.” He could tell what an effort she made to sound cheerful. “No boyfriend, much less one in politics. My family is ordinary people on an ordinary planet. Teachers. And I’m on sabbatical right now, from Sector 52 University. I took a year off to travel and study.”

  “What do you teach?”

  “The organization and retrieval of knowledge.”

  He pondered her job description while he took care of her injuries. “An archivist?”

  “Sort of. What’s our plan?”

  He sat back on his heels, reaching for the antibiotic. “That’s where things get a bit tricky.”

  “So no plan? We stay on the run on Farduccir forever?”

  He laughed. “Have a little faith, please - I can do better than permanent fugitive status on this world. I was deployed here before, about fifteen years ago, during the Mawreg push into the Sector, which is why Command wanted me as a consultant. I know where there are well-hidden caches of Special Forces supplies; including mothballed coms I hope we can use to call for extraction. Our gear stays viable for decades. There are people at home who will be making noise about retrieving me, so once I make it known we’re alive, an extraction mission will be mounted. We probably have a two to three week trek ahead of us to the depot though. I’m sorry.”

  She waved the canteen. “Never apologize to me for anything, Mr. Danver. I owe you.”

  “It’s Sergeant Danver actually, but you can call me Johnny.”

  “Do you have an extra blaster, Johnny?”

  He liked the way his name sounded on her lips. “Can you shoot?”

  “You can teach me, can’t you? I think I’ll be a lot happier if I have the means to defend myself.” She shuddered again. “Or kill myself because I am not returning to the warlord’s prison.”

  “I promise the situation won’t arise. My word on it.” He gathered his bandages and lotions, putting each carefully in its designated slot, and closed the medkit. “You’re all set. Any other aches and pains I should check?”

  “Bruises. They’ll fade.” She leaned against the rock wall and closed her eyes. "The warlord made it clear to his men I would lose my value if anyone got carried away and damaged anything permanently. He shot one man who was caught in my cell on an unauthorized visit. The only time I was happy to see my assigned jailers.”

  Johnny admired her ability to cope. He’d had intense training for what to do and how to survive if he w
ere to be captured and tortured. She’d been an unprepared civilian. Studying her face, he decided not to voice his thoughts. Sticking to the practicalities, he said, “We can try to steal a pair of shoes for you from a village as we go.”

  “I don’t want you risking your life unnecessarily to save me from blisters.”

  “Feet are highly important. A soldier needs his or her feet to be in good shape, protected.” He pulled an energy bar out of the pack for himself and sat carefully on a nearby rock, rather than next to her. Sara Bridges was a woman fighting a potentially crippling anxiety attack, and with good reason. He wasn’t going to make any move that might cause her to lose her hard-won self-control. “We’ll rest here today and tonight as well. Travel tomorrow.”

  She sat bolt upright, staring at him with raised eyebrows. “I can hike. Won’t the pirates be searching for us? Shouldn’t we get as far away as we can, as fast as we can?” Lowering her gaze, she bit her lip and spoke in a soft voice. “I’m not trying to second guess you. You’re the expert here.”

  “I understand the concern. Ask me anything at any time. I won’t be offended or irritated.” He didn’t want her to feel the least bit uncomfortable with him. Their survival might depend on how well they could team up. He needed her to trust him.

  Her expression less concerned, shoulders relaxing, Sara sat against the rock wall and took a few deep breaths. “Reassuring, thank you. So why are we going to stay here until tomorrow?”

  “I’m pretty there won’t be a search mounted for us. The landing field was an inferno last time I checked. Even the prison was on fire, so if we’re lucky Umarri will think you died. And I overheard some guys talking – the pirates believe the military all left with Ms. Immer. The workers will blame themselves for the fire today. They were pretty high.”

  “Hence no search.” She nodded. “Makes sense.”

  “Can you sleep?”

  “Will you be here if I have nightmares?”