by S. E. Smith
There were some good ones, too, he had to admit. He had respect for the difficult task the human military was having trying to control their people. Still, he thought it better to keep a distance from the humans as much as possible, especially with their tour here almost completed.
“We’ll find her,” Saber promised before turning to look up at the dark sky with a scowl. “Why did we have to get stuck in a region where it pisses down on us all the time?”
A gruff chuckle escaped Dagger. “Because you were the one who decided it would be fun to try to introduce Jag to the human nurse that wanted to thread your skin together when you got cut during our mission six months ago, Saber. You should have known better than to piss off your commanding officer,” he retorted. “I’ve found more blood this way. We’d better find your missing warrior soon while we still have the scent of her blood to follow, Hunter, or we’ll be doing it the hard way. I don’t relish trying to look in every hole that she could hide in.”
“How was I supposed to know that she was vicious? She was a healer! Aren’t all healers supposed to be gentle?” Saber grumbled and shook his head, slinging water droplets everywhere. “I still don’t think it warranted being sent here. I heard that a place called Hawaii was nice.”
“Well, you won’t get to find out,” Dagger said, glancing down to see if he could find the faint trail again. “Personally, I can’t wait to get off this rock. Our time is almost up here. I’m ready for a change.”
“What are you going to do?” Hunter asked distractedly. He paused and frowned when he saw the faint outline of a bloody palm print on the side of the brick building. Touching it, he raised his fingers to his nose. “This is hers.”
Dagger shrugged. He didn’t know what he would do when his tour expired in a few months. He might enlist into the same division his older brother Trig was assigned to or go off on his own. He didn't have much to tie him to Rathon. He had a home there, but hadn't spent more than a dozen nights in it in over ten years.
Hunter was scheduled to return to his duties back on Rathon. Maybe Saber would join as well. After all, the three of them had made a great team over the last ten years. With Hunter gone and their required duty completed, he and Saber could do some exploring. There was a new star system that had joined the Alliance and he wouldn’t mind seeing what it was like.
Hell, it would even be nice to return home for some real female company. It had been four years since he’d had a chance to be with a female that could match him in the bedroom. The human females were pleasant, but the two he spent any time with had done little to heat his blood. He was beginning to think that would never happen.
“Probably join up with Trig,” Dagger replied with a shrug, frowning when he couldn't find any more tracks. “Saber, do you see anything?”
“No, her tracks have disappeared again,” Saber bit out in frustration, walking in a slow circle before stopping to glance around the rubble of buildings littering the area. “She must have doubled back again. She’s good at doing that.”
“No,” Hunter murmured, looking at the pile of concrete lying at a forty-five degree angle across the road from them. “She is here. I can feel it in my gut.”
“Yeah, but where is here?” Dagger asked, running his hand through his long white hair. “There is a mountain of rubble that she could be hiding in.”
He watched as Hunter walked ahead of him, his eyes focused on the ground. He crossed the road and knelt, looking at something on the ground. Dagger followed behind him, noticing the slight heel indent in the dirt as well when he got closer.
He almost called out a warning when Hunter suddenly disappeared down a narrow opening between two large slabs. When Hunter didn’t reappear, he glanced at Saber and shrugged. Stepping up to the dark recess, he saw that it actually slid downward. He could barely make out Hunter’s figure in the darkness below.
Ducking his head, he stepped onto the thick slab of concrete and slid down until he was standing next to his friend. A moment later, Saber was standing next to him. He shook his head in amazement. In the confines of the enclosed area, he could smell the blood of the female mixed with additional scents. He had to admit, Hunter’s female was smart.
He nodded when Hunter held up his hand before signaling them that there were more humans in the area. He could hear a soft murmur of voices and caught the faint glow and the scent of a fire. Moving silently, he flanked Hunter’s left side as they moved toward the group.
*.*.*
The area was littered with trapped vehicles. Some of the vehicles were crushed from where parts of the building had collapsed, while others remained intact, trapped in what was now an underground tomb. They moved through the dark area with ease, heading for the faint flicker of light. Stepping around a thick concrete support, all three of them froze for a moment as they took in the heart-wrenching scene in front of them.
Nestled in the corner between the thick walls of the underground parking garage and a dark blue transport on the other side were two human females. They both appeared to be very young. One sat beside the makeshift fire pit constructed of building debris while the other lay on the hard ground. What was heart-wrenching was the realization that this cold, dark and stark area was their home.
Dagger’s eyes swept over the first figure before settling on the second. He drew in a swift breath and stared at the female lying weakly on the makeshift pallet on the cold concrete floor. He had been totally unprepared for the sudden onslaught of emotion that hit him when he saw her pale, heart-shaped face.
She was facing his direction, giving him an unobstructed view of her pain-filled eyes. It felt like he had been struck in the chest. In fact, his hand actually started to rub at the discomfort. He watched the small figure of the other female rise with a steaming cup in her hand. She quickly moved to help her companion who struggled to sit up.
His eyes were arrested by the sheer delicate beauty in the female that was leaning weakly against the other young woman, as if she didn’t have the strength to do so on her own. The firelight highlighted her delicate bone structure as she gazed at her companion. In the dim light, he could see dark bruises marring the pale skin of her right cheek when the other woman brushed her hair back from her face. Fury churned inside him, making his eyes glow with a dark, dangerous light.
He watched as she turned to smother her cough. It was obvious that it left her even weaker. A sick feeling washed over him as he wondered if this was the female Hunter was searching for. He hoped not.
The thought of his friend claiming the fragile human made him almost double over as another wave of emotion hit him… jealousy. The strange primitive instinct to protect and care for the female gripped him tightly in its grasp as she struggled to keep from sinking back down to the pallet. It was obvious that she was both ill and hurt.
Dagger glanced at Hunter to see his reaction to the scene in front of him. He almost fell to his knees in relief when his friend glanced at him with a dark frown and shook his head. He nodded when Hunter raised his hand and held up two fingers before raising a third one.
Dagger breathed a sigh of relief. There were three females. Three! Neither one of the two was the one Hunter was searching for. Dagger turned his attention back to the two by the fire. His eyes narrowed as he watched the younger one help his female to sit up again when she started to slide back down.
Mine, he thought in stunned disbelief. My female.
Dagger barely registered the softly spoken words as the two women talked. His eyes were glued to the pale face, trembling hands and fragile form as she moaned and closed her eyes in pain. It took every ounce of discipline he had to remain still. His body shook as he fought to remain in position. He couldn’t compromise the mission. He repeated that over and over as he clenched his fists.
“Are you still hurting a lot, Jordan?” The young female asked with concern. “Maybe Jesse found some medicine for you when she was out tonight. I think your fever isn’t as bad as it was earlier.”
&
nbsp; “I’m… I’m okay, Taylor,” Jordan whispered in a low, husky voice. “Where is Jesse? It shouldn’t take her this long.”
“She said she had a cut she needed to clean,” Taylor replied as she slid her arm around to balance Jordan when she started to slide back down onto the pallet. “She’ll be back any minute. You need to eat. This will help you get stronger.”
Glazed hazel eyes blinked and a weak smile curved the female named Jordan’s lips as the younger girl held the steaming cup up to her mouth. He didn’t miss the way her hands trembled as she weakly took the nourishment. His body jerked forward in protest as her softly spoken words ripped through him.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be strong again,” Jordan whispered, dark despair making her words echo with sorrow.
Dagger had to strain to hear Jordan’s soft words. When they registered, the unfamiliar wave of alarm and a fierce determination to help her gripped him. He could hear the pain and exhaustion in her response. A cold fury burned in him at the human males that had hurt her. He had no doubt that is what happened as he stared at her face.
“Don’t!” Taylor hissed, holding the cup up to Jordan’s lips. “We promised each other we would never give up. It is okay to feel down. You deserve it after… well, you deserve it, but don’t ever give up, Jordan. We need you. I need you.”
“I can do this,” Jordan whispered. “You need to eat too.”
He watched as the young female called Taylor, reluctantly handed the battered cup of soup to Jordan. He felt his body start forward when the cup shook in her hand. She needed immediate medical attention.
All thought of the mission, the need to find the other female, disappeared from his mind as he watched her. He ignored Hunter as he moved off into the darkness. With a determination born out of confusion and concern, he silently stepped forward.
She will be safe and strong once again, he thought as he stepped into the faint light cast by the fire. I will make sure that she is.
*.*.*
Jordan didn’t want to admit to her little sister just how weak she was. There was no way that she would be able to continue if they should have to move again. She was pretty sure that at least one of her ribs had been broken when the man had attacked her the other night in the alley.
Bitter tears glittered in her eyes. She had made a stupid mistake. She should have realized that Jesse wasn’t behind her. If she had waited…
No, she thought in resignation. If I had waited, both Jesse and I would have been attacked and Taylor would have been alone.
Jordan tried to still the trembling in her hands. She didn’t think she would ever feel warm or full or safe again. She felt… dirty, both inside and out. A small part of her wanted to just give up. She felt like if she could just lie down and close her eyes, she could just let go and never wake up again.
Her eyes flickered to Taylor. If it wasn’t for her older sister, Jesse, and Taylor, she would. She was tired of running and of being scared and of always being hungry and exhausted.
She was… Her eyes widened when a black, menacing shadow moved out of the darkness. Golden yellow eyes glowed in the dim light cast by their small fire. In the back of her mind, she registered that there were two separate shapes moving toward them, but her eyes were locked with the pair staring at her.
Long white hair hung down past the man’s shoulders. He was dressed all in black, making it even more difficult to see him. She knew immediately that he wasn’t human. He was too confident, too muscular, and even more dangerous than the ones they had encountered on the streets over the last few years.
No, this was a killing machine, a Trivator warrior, an… alien. Her hand began to shake uncontrollably, spilling some of the precious liquid in it onto the blanket wrapped around her legs. Her eyes grew wider as he continued to approach them, a low growl escaped him, causing her to begin to pant in distress.
“What’s wrong?” Taylor asked, turning around.
“Run,” Jordan forced out, never taking her eyes off of the men walking toward them. “Find Jesse and run, Taylor. Now!”
A low cry escaped Taylor. Jordan dropped the cup of soup and tried to rise in an effort to give Taylor time to escape. She paled and almost fainted at the pain running through her at the movement. Opening her mouth, she was about to order Taylor to run again when her little sister erupted into a flurry of rage.
The years of playing softball helped when Taylor grabbed several pieces of the concrete they were using to bank the fire and threw them. Low curses escaped one of the huge men when a piece caught him in the stomach. Jordan tried to push off the ground again, only to fall back onto the pallet with a loud cry of pain.
The sound distracted Taylor, giving the male she was hitting a chance to rush her. Her loud curses filled the underground garage when he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. That didn’t stop Taylor. She wildly kicked out and slammed her head back against the man’s chin.
“Ouch! You little shrewta,” the man growled. “Stop before you get hurt!”
“I’m not the one going to be hurting,” Taylor promised as she kicked her heel into his shin again. “Let me go! I’m going to tear you apart! I’m going to barbeque your remains and feed them to the wild dogs. I’m going to…”
“Enough,” the male holding her grunted when she snapped her teeth at him. “You are a bloodthirsty creature.”
“Let her go,” Jordan pleaded, lying on the pallet violently shivering. “Please, she is just a child. Please don’t hurt her.”
“She is no child,” the man replied with a hiss. “She is a vicious creature with sharp teeth! That hurts! Let go of my arm. I will feed you real food.”
Jordan couldn’t understand what Taylor was saying. She had her teeth buried in the man’s arm and was growling like the old dog they used to have. She started when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she released a low squeak of fright before crying out again when she tried to move away. Her eyes filled with tears of pain and she moaned as she wrapped her arm protectively around her ribs.
“Please,” she begged hoarsely, gripping the hand that moved to touch her bruised cheek. “Please, don’t hurt her.”
The face gazing down at her, the one that looked so fierce and menacing just moments before, softened. The dark yellow-gold eyes still glowed, but instead of burning fury, they held concern. Unable to hold her head up any longer, she let her head fall back to the backpack that she was using as a pillow.
“Relax, little warrior,” he whispered, glancing at where his friend was still trying to get a firm grip on the other female. A slight smile curved the corner of his lips when Saber released another loud curse. “I think it is my friend who may need to be rescued.”
Jordan’s eyes flickered to where Taylor had slipped out of the man’s hold and was now on his back with her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist. She would have been more worried if not for the look of exasperation on the man’s face as he twirled around in a circle trying to get his hands on her little sister again.
Turning her head back to the man staring down at her, she bit her lip. A shiver shook her as the cold, pain, and reaction started to set in. Her eyelids fluttered closed for a moment only to pop back open when she felt a warm, rough palm against her bruised cheek.
“Who did this to you?” The man demanded in a low voice.
Fear, despair, and shame filled her and she closed her eyes again. Suddenly, everything was too much, the pain and the feeling of being powerless to protect Taylor and Jesse hit her hard. Her body and mind were shutting down on her. Between the beating, the lack of food, and her inability to help protect those she loved, she felt more of a hindrance than ever.
“Just don’t… hurt them,” she whispered, turning her face into his warmth as the shivers from the cold and her fever began to uncontrollably shake her body.
“Saber,” Dagger growled in impatience. “This female needs immediate medical assistance.”
“So do I!” Saber snapped back before he winced as the teeth that had been gnawing on his arm a few minutes before now attached to his ear. “Son of a… Will you stop?! You’ve drawn blood again. We are trying to help you!”
The teeth attached to Saber’s ear and the hands around his neck disappeared as if the piranha on his back suddenly vanished into thin air. Turning, he glared at the tiny female’s back as she darted around the fire and fell to her knees next to the one lying on the pallet.
“Jordan,” Taylor cried out when Jordan didn’t respond. The hint of fear thickening it. “Jordan, oh god. You have to help her.”
“We need to leave,” another deep voice said. “This one is injured and needs medical attention as well.”
Dagger nodded when he smelled the blood from the limp figure in Hunter’s arms. He looked up into the dark eyes of the small female that had attacked Saber. She gazed back at him in fear, but there was something else in her gaze as well. A touch of hope and a silent plea for help.
“We will get medical assistance for your companions,” he promised.
“Sisters,” Taylor whispered, rising to her feet and looking back and forth between Jesse and Jordan. “They are my sisters, my family, the only ones I have left since Dad was killed.”
“Saber, call a retrieval transport,” Hunter ordered with a sharp look at his friend. “We will return with them to the compound.”
Dagger noticed that Saber cast a wary look at Taylor and nodded. He grinned when he saw Saber rub his throbbing ear before he touched the comlink at his collar and muttered into it in their native language. Dagger’s eyes were drawn to the half dozen teeth marks on Saber’s arm. His friend was right, the young human was a vicious little thing.
*.*.*
Dagger jerked awake when he heard the sound of footsteps approach. Rolling onto his stomach, a low feral growl escaped him as he rose to his feet. His hands wrapped around the chains at his wrists, twisting them to test their strength. They had replaced them while he was in the cage.
