Captive (The Survival Race)

by K. M. Fawcett

  Dammit. He had to get one of those boats. What else did he have worth trading? The woman’s backpack didn’t hold anything of value, either. “Is there anything I have that you want?”

  “Naga.”

  Well, ever since they left the incinerator plant he’d been planning on leaving the woman with the Tuniits. She couldn’t possibly travel any further in her condition. She was struggling as it was. The village was the safest place for both her and the child. Since she was already staying, might as well find out if she were trade worthy. Lucky had seemed to think so. Max took a breath. “How about the woman?”

  “Woman have something to trade?”

  “I’ll give you the woman for the boat.”

  “Woman stay. You come back with umiak. Take woman.”

  It took him a moment to understand Kaskae thought Max wanted to borrow the boat and leave the woman as collateral until his return. He shifted his stance and cleared the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. “I’m not returning.”

  “What you mean?”

  The surprise in Kaskae’s voice gnawed at Max’s conscience. Could he feel any more like dirt? “She can’t journey any further. She’s having a baby soon. She needs to stay here in the village where it’s safe.”

  “You stay. Build her shelter. Hunt for food. That is Tuniit way.”

  She wouldn’t want him to stay. No one here would. The Tuniits were a peaceful people. Having a beast in their village would only be trouble. “I’m not Tuniit. Can’t she stay with someone else?”

  Kaskae looked at him incredulously. “No Tuniit man take what not his. She belong to you.”

  “She doesn’t belong to me. She belongs to herself. We just happen to be traveling together.”

  “She not your woman?”

  “No.”

  “What child she carry?”

  “Well, mine, but—.”

  “Naga.” He waved his hand in Max’s face. “High People different from Tuniit. This I know. But you make life inside her. No Tuniit man keep her. She is yours.”

  How many times did he have to tell Kaskae that she wasn’t his? The woman could barely stand him. The only reason she was with him was because he knew how to escape HuBReC. So what that the child growing inside her was his? He didn’t even get to enjoy conceiving it. Damn woman fought him off when he’d tried. If she didn’t want him around to make the kid, she sure as hell wouldn’t want him around when the kid arrived. Max scratched his beard in attempt to calm down. “So what happens to a Tuniit woman if her man dies?”

  “Family make another match. Your woman no Tuniit family.”

  “I told you, she isn’t my woman. Look, I’m leaving tomorrow night without her. You can tell everyone I died and let her choose a husband. She’s beautiful. She’s smart. She’s spirited. Man, is she ever spirited. She’ll have ten guys vying for her attention in three sunsets. All I want to know is that she’ll be safe. That no one will hurt her or cast her out of the village.”

  Kaskae’s eyes twinkled with merriment and he nodded in understanding. “Ahh.”

  “What?”

  “Woman no belong to you. You belong to woman.” He slapped Max’s shoulder and walked away.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Regan knew exactly where he’d start his search. The conduit system to his left, engulfed by steam and darkness, away from the stench of the main incinerator plant, and out of view of the control booths made a perfect hideout. Now if only Ferly Mor would stop talking to these damn workers and unleash him, he’d get on with his job.

  The gray Hyborean reached down to unhook Duncan’s leash before his own. It’s about damn time.

  “Where are ye headed, lad?” Duncan called from behind.

  Regan didn’t answer. Why the hell did Ferly Mor bring Gramps anyway? The old guy had been pissing him off since they left HuBReC with his nonstop talk and nervous behavior.

  It agitated him. And he hated being agitated.

  If they hadn’t been with a master all day, he’d have decked the old man hours ago.

  As Duncan followed him through the maze of steam pipes, Regan thought about slugging him here, but through the white fog, something caught his attention. An unsightly structure of wood, metal, and other scraps pieced together to form a little hovel. This hole could only be the work of human hands.

  A twinge of disappointment shot through him. Surely it wouldn’t be this easy. He would have preferred a challenge. Something to sharpen his skills for the survival race.

  He reached for his sword but felt only his thermal gladiator suit. Ferly Mor hadn’t provided him with any weapons. It didn’t matter. His hands were just as lethal.

  He slunk to the shack and touched the doorknob.

  “Shouldn’t ye knock first, Regan?” Duncan shouted.

  Regan turned his annoyed glare on the old man. “Why would you give up our element of surprise?”

  Duncan’s shifty eyes looked everywhere else but at him.

  “Uh-huh. Thought so.”

  “Just dinna hurt the lass.”

  His pathetic pleading boiled Regan’s blood. Redirecting that energy, he forced down the door.

  A thin, old man in ratty clothes jumped from his chair, a book in hand. “What’s the meaning of this?”

  “You see a girl? This tall,” Regan held up his hand to his chest, “long hair, pregnant, and a body that screams ‘fuck me.’”

  The old guy looked from Regan to Duncan then back to Regan with distrustful eyes. “There’s no one here.” The man clutched his book in both hands. “I live alone.”

  “She was with a man. Dark hair, weird green eyes, scrawny ex-gladiator. They escaped HuBReC in a garbage truck.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about. Nobody’s been through here.”

  “Do you know who I am?” Most people trembled when he sneered. This guy didn’t. Dumbass.

  “I know your type,” he said with disdain.

  “Good. Then stand out of my way while I search this dump.” Regan strode through the tiny one-room shack taking in the knickknacks, books, decorative weapons, and kitchen knives hanging on the wall. “What’s behind this door?”

  “Bathing room.”

  “Keep an eye on him,” Regan ordered Duncan before entering the room.

  “Have ye seen the lass?” Duncan asked. “Her name is Addy. Is she well?”

  “What did these folks do to warrant a posse?”

  Regan stepped back into the main room. “That’s not your concern.”

  “Well, I haven’t seen anyone in months. You say they escaped in a garbage truck? Supposin’ those two fools got themselves incinerated?”

  Regan stopped when he saw the bottle of whiskey on the counter. Red-hot anger ignited in his veins. Taking a deep breath, he swaggered over to the old man then punched him in the jaw. The old man fell through a stack of books before he landed on the floor.

  “Regan, are ye mad? What’s gotten into ye, lad?”

  He picked up the tattered old man, and then threw him into the wall. “I hate liars.”

  “Regan.” Duncan grabbed him by the shoulders and tried pulling him away.

  Regan shoved him. “Stay out of this, Gramps.” He turned his attention back to the man. “Where are they, you worthless piece of shit? Tell me and I’ll let you live.”

  “I don’t know what you mean. I don’t know these people.”

  But Regan saw the lie in the old-timer’s eyes. He smelled the man’s fear oozing out with his blood. Inhaling the glorious scent, his adrenaline exploded, awakening him.

  “Perhaps you need your memory jogged.” Twice more he punched him in the head.

  “Stop, lad. He said he doesna know.”

  The man fell to the floor.

  “Oh, but he does.” Regan kneeled next to him. Using the man’s ratty shirt, he wiped the loser’s blood from his hand then glared at him. “And I won’t let up until you tell me what I want to hear.”

  The man hacked then spit i
n his face.

  Regan didn’t bother wiping it off. Instead, he beat the crap out of him until he lay motionless. Breathing hard and pumped up, every fiber in his body tingled. He felt awesome. Powerful. Alive.

  Life didn’t get any better than this.

  He turned to see Duncan pacing the tiny room wiping sweat from his brow. Why the hell did he have to babysit the old coward?

  “Is he dead?” Duncan asked.

  “Do you care?”

  “Regan, this is no’ the survival race. You canna go around killing innocent people.”

  “The hell I can’t. Your master wanted an alpha gladiator to track the female and the loser who took her. If he didn’t want me to do things my way, he would have just brought you. Of course, you couldn’t find your dick with two hands and a lightstick.”

  “Hrumph. Well, how are they going to be found now? Ye clobbered the man. Ye dinna find out if they were even here. They could have been incinerated. They could have escaped from the dump truck. They could have come through the plant, but never seen this man.”

  “Shut up. Do you know why I haven’t killed you yet?”

  “Ye keep telling me it’s because I make the finest whiskey in the universe.”

  “You mean this?” Regan snatched the bottle off the counter and threw it to Duncan who caught it clumsily.

  He examined the bottle, eyes widening. “This is my mark etched into the glass.”

  “So how do you think this asshole got it?”

  “Addy.” He closed his eyes and hugged the bottle. “Ye were here, lass.”

  Regan rolled his eyes before squatting next to his victim. Fisting the bloody man’s white hair, he jerked his head off the floor. “Where are they?”

  “Please,” Duncan said, rushing over to the man. “The lass may be in grave danger.”

  Could Duncan be any more annoying? The way he carried on, you’d think they were looking for Tess.

  “They left.” The old man gasped for breath. “Through the cooling vents. I don’t know where to. They wouldn’t tell me.”

  “See, was that so hard?” Regan let go and the old man’s head dropped to the floor with a thud. He turned to Duncan. “Take the bottle to your master. I’m sure he’ll recognize it and know we’re on the right track. I’m going to check out the cooling vents.”

  Regan stepped over the mess that was the old man and followed Duncan out of the house, but not before stuffing a kitchen knife into his boot.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Addy had slept in dreamless peace the rest of the day and through the night. When she awoke late the next morning, she shared the midday meal with Ahnah, Yakone, and Max, who seemed distracted with his thoughts. He barely spoke and didn’t make eye contact with her the entire time they ate. Though Max had informed her that Kaskae would supply food for their journey but not transportation, something more seemed to be troubling him.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked him when they were alone outside.

  “Nothing.”

  She folded her arms across her belly, tilted her chin down and cast her eyes up in an I’m-waiting-for-the-truth pose.

  “What do you want, woman?”

  “I want to know what the plan is.”

  “The plan is to leave tomorrow with or without transportation.” He looked past her into the distance. His eyes revealed more than distraction. He was annoyed, angry. “We’ll have to spend another night here. You need the rest anyway.” He walked off and joined a group of men, probably to see if anyone had an umiak available for trade.

  “Qatqain,” Ahnah said from behind her.

  Addy turned around. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

  “Qatqain. Come. I show you village.”

  Addy spent the rest of the day in Ahnah’s village visiting the woman’s friends. Everyplace she went, she was offered food, drink, and lively conversation even though she couldn’t understand anyone except Ahnah when she translated. The Tuniits were a hospitable people and curious about the newcomers.

  By the time darkness filled the sky, Ahnah had led Addy up an intertwining path in the Ice Mountain. They rounded a corner and stopped at what appeared to be a scenic overlook. Out on the horizon thousands of lights littered the ground and sky. From this distance, the spacecraft taking off and landing appeared the size of fruit flies. The two crescent moons hung like quotation marks over the Hyborean city.

  From here, it all seemed so peaceful. You couldn’t tell what was going on inside the city. You couldn’t tell whether there was another HuBReC. You couldn’t tell if a human was free, held against his will, or abused.

  Wind rustled loose powder over the ice.

  “It’s beautiful,” Addy said.

  “Yes.” Ahnah watched the city with longing. She blinked her eyes as if holding back tears.

  “You weren’t born a Tuniit.” Her English had been too good to have learned it from passing visitors. Though it was a little broken, she suspected at one point she had spoken it fluently.

  Ahnah didn’t look her way. She stared out at the distant city and shook her head. “Was born with High People.”

  “How did you come to live in the village?”

  “I was little girl when living with High Hyborean family. Hyborean children were good. They fed me. Played with me. One day, my family left and no come back. I was alone. So scared. Long time with no food and no water make me sick. Hyborean find and bring me to shelter. Next family take me home. Meet Cam. Good man.”

  From Ahnah’s dreamlike gaze and sad smile, Addy knew she pictured Cam in front of her right now. It was the same look she’d seen from time to time in her mother’s eyes when remembering her lost love.

  “But Hyborean children bad. Master bad. They hurt me. Cam protect, but they hurt Cam, too. One night we escape. Get lost in wilderness. A Hyborean find us. Cam hide me in snow bank and tell me stay, he come back for me. He run and Hyborean chase. I so scared being alone, I not come out from hiding three days. Cam never return.”

  Tears slid down Ahnah’s pink cheeks forming tiny crystalline trails. A familiar pain stung Addy’s heart. She, too, had escaped abuse. She also knew exactly what fleeing into a wide-open wilderness felt like. And she knew the pains of lonliness.

  “I came out from hiding to find food. But I was cold and tired and fell down in snow, dying. I heard wolves. They stopped nearby and Hyboreans took me to Tuniit village. I safe now.” She stared out at the city and wiped her tears. “Everyday I pray Cam safe, too.”

  The loss in Ahnah’s pained voice made Addy’s chest tighten. She wanted to cry for her new friend.

  Ahnah’s thick, furry glove flew to her mouth. “I no speak any of this before. Not even Yakone.” Fear and pleading sprang to her eyes. She was scared her husband would find out she still loved another man.

  “I won’t tell anyone. I promise. Truth is, you and I aren’t so different.” They both had been taken from their homes and thrown into a cold, heartless world alone. Both carried babies of men they didn’t love. Neither were free.

  Wrapping her arm around Ahnah’s shoulders and pulling her close had felt natural, as if they had been friends forever. When Ahnah rested her head on Addy’s shoulder and cried silently, she knew Ahnah had felt the same.

  A need Addy couldn’t explain rose within her. When she had come to this planet, she had constructed a dam to hold her emotional reservoir. But the amount of stress forced on that dam had weakened it to near-breaching point. Now, here—under a peaceful night with twinkling lights, both Hyborean and nature made, her arm around a Tuniit woman who was sure to understand—Addy could safely open a spillway to her reservoir.

  And did.

  She told Ahnah her story. All of it. From her abduction and HuBReC to the breeding box and Max. Addy told her about the pregnancy, Duncan and Tess, the Yard and Regan, Xanthrag and Ferly Mor. She told her about the escape, the incinerator plant, Lucky, and the days trekking the frozen wilderness.

  Countless lights landed a
nd took to the dark sky while Addy’s spillway became a floodgate.

  She left out nothing. She couldn’t. As soon as her mouth opened, her life story poured out, releasing the tension and ache in her muscles, making light her body and spirit, somehow fortifying her with renewed strength and optimism.

  What was it about a stranger that allowed a soul to purge?

  Meeting Ahnah had been a refreshing gift. “I’m sorry to have unloaded my story on you, but thank you so much for listening. It really means a lot to me. You’re going to make a great mother.”

  Ahnah’s embrace both warmed her soul and scorched it. How was it possible to love her new friend after knowing her for only a day?

  Addy turned her head in the direction of approaching footsteps. Light from an oil lamp cast a soft glow on a nice-looking older man. It was Yakone. He picked up his little pregnant wife and she snuggled into him, making him smile before he carried her away down the darkened mountain.

  Addy stretched, stood, and made her own way down the snowy trail, grateful Yakone had left her the lantern. When she neared the base, a shadow crept along the ice cavern’s wall on the path below.

  A shiver that had nothing to do with the frigid temperature danced on her spine. The shadow stepped through a beam of moonslight.

  What the...

  Why the heck was Max sneaking around the ice cavern’s entrance?

  She dimmed the lantern, hurried down the mountain, and followed him inside.

  Chapter Thirty

  Keeping a stealthy distance so he couldn’t detect the dim lantern light or her footsteps crunching over the hard-packed snow, Addy tailed Max through a maze of twisting, narrow passages of the Ice Mountain Caverns. When she turned the last corner, she saw Max nearing the rear entrance. Beyond the cave’s mouth, the moonslight glittered on a stark, snow-covered wilderness.

  “Going somewhere?” she called, her voice echoing off the ice.

  Max stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Yes.” There was no hint of surprise in his voice. If he had known all along she’d been following him, he obviously didn’t care.