Dagger's Hope

by S. E. Smith

  “It will be alright. We’ll get them all out. I was going to go have a ‘talk’ with Arindoss,” Kali whispered.

  Jordan pulled back and shook her head. She wiped at her damp cheeks and nervously glanced at Sword who was standing silently by the door, listening to everything. Releasing a shaky breath, she wound her arms around her waist.

  “Arindoss is dead. Trig and I saw one of his security guards turn on him in the lower markets. Shortly after he was killed, a strange looking creature came and ordered the man to get rid of the body,” Jordan said, biting her lower lip at the memory. She haltingly explained what happened and described the Drethulan to Sword when he asked what the man who now owned The Hole looked like. “His eyes are large and black with no emotion in them. His skin is hard, with a yellowish tint, and has touches of black and red in it. I’ve heard him called by several different names. He is a horrible creature.”

  “A Drethulan,” Sword cursed.

  Jordan nodded, that had been one of the names she had heard. “He is the one that has been bringing in the creatures for those… for the fighters. He said it is more exciting and profitable, according to the information he has been sending out,” Jordan whispered. “Dagger and two other men are the only ones who have survived the fights so far this week.”

  “He will need to replenish his fighters,” Sword commented, glancing at Kali who nodded in agreement.

  “From what I’ve seen in the past couple of days, the… Drethulan, has been sending teams of men out to find new fighters. Two days ago, they attacked Trig.”

  “That may be why they attacked Razor and Hammer,” Sword replied, rubbing his chin as his brow furrowed in thought. “Trivator warriors are fierce and will fight to the death.”

  Jordan glanced back and forth, the sense of hope growing at the same time as a smile curved Kali Parks’ lips. The devilish gleam in them was her first warning that the woman was up to something.

  “Jordan, how good are you at sneaking around?” Kali asked, looking at her with a thoughtful expression. “Can you get inside The Hole unseen?”

  “Yes, I’ve been searching for Dagger and Trig. I stole an access key from one of the kitchen workers to get in originally. I’ve created a generic pass so I can move in and out without difficulty,” Jordan replied with excitement. “I have a good idea of where they are being kept.”

  Jordan pulled the small tablet she had brought from home out of the pouch hanging at her waist and swiped her finger over it. She tapped in several codes, pulling up a schematic of the huge complex.

  “This is the floor plan of the interior,” Jordan said, glancing at the diagram. “There are a few changes from the original design. I’ve marked those in red.”

  “Where did you get this?” Sword asked in surprise, gazing down at the holographic image.

  Jordan briefly glanced up at him and smiled. “I hacked into the Space Station’s building archives,” she murmured. “There are three levels under the complex that are used to hold the fighters. The first one isn’t in use right now. The second and third one are. I think that’s where they are holding the men.”

  Kali’s soft laughter filled the tiny room as she stared down at the image Jordan was displaying. “Jordan, you are a genius,” she exclaimed.

  Jordan raised troubled eyes to Kali and shook her head. “No, I’m desperate. I’ve been studying and learning the coding so that I could find Dagger. He’s there. I have to help him before… before they put him back into that cage again,” she whispered in a barely audible voice.

  “We will,” Kali assured her. “I have a plan.”

  Jordan’s eyes flickered to Sword when he winced at Kali’s words. She glanced back down at the image in her hands. Tears burned in the back of her eyes. She rapidly blinked, pushing them away. Tears could come when Dagger was safe. Then, she would cry, but it would be tears of happiness instead of sorrow.

  Chapter 6

  Dagger rolled until he was in a crouching position. He had been shot with a tranquilizer dart twenty minutes before. It was the only way the healer could check to make sure his wounds were healed. The guards knew that if they tried to enter the cell without him being sedated, that someone was going to die. Unfortunately for the guards, Kelman made sure they knew it wouldn’t be Dagger. No, he was far too valuable to Kelman and Talja. Instead, they knocked him out.

  Dagger listened as the healer muttered incoherently and clutched the few supplies he had against his chest as he scurried from the cell. A low, steady burning coursed through his system. He knew it was the remains of the drug the healer had shot into the vein of his neck. Rolling his head from side to side, he gritted his teeth and ignored the familiar burning sensation of the drug.

  Instead, he focused on Kelman. His eyes followed the pale figure of the mercenary as he stepped just inside the cell. Pulling on the chains restraining him, he flashed his teeth at the other male in warning. His eyes flickered to where Kelman leaned down to pick up a piece of white hair off the floor.

  “I kept the strands cut off from when I bought you,” Kelman said, rolling the short pieces of white hair between his fingers before letting them fall to the floor. “A shame that it was necessary to cut it.”

  Dagger didn’t respond. The fact that his hair had been cut short soon after his capture meant nothing to him. The fact that Kelman kept it did. It was another way the mercenary thought he owned him. The muscles in Dagger’s arms bulged as he strained to break loose of the chains holding him.

  Kelman glanced at the guards standing warily outside the cell. “Make sure he is fed. I want him ready for the next fight. He will be facing two of his own kind,” Kelman ordered with a chuckle. “Talja has outdone himself this time. He has three more. If you die, I will at least have a replacement.”

  Dagger’s head bent forward as he wrapped his hands around the chains and stood up. The sound of the metal creaking and groaning had Kelman stepping backwards several feet until he was safely through the door. The guard closest to him quickly stepped forward and slammed the thick door shut just as one of the links in the chain broke.

  Dagger didn’t wait. Swinging the long chain out, he caught the guard under the chin. The force of the blow shattered the man’s jaw. The guard’s body flew backwards into another guard that had moved in front of Kelman.

  He pulled the chain back into the cell, winding it around his palm. Kelman’s mocking laughter echoed through the dark corridor. The mercenary was smart enough to move away from the cell.

  “Knock him out,” one of the guards yelled.

  “No,” Kelman ordered. “Leave him. Send for more food. I don’t want anything to slow him down.”

  “How are we supposed to feed him if we can’t get close to the cell?” The guard demanded, glancing warily at Dagger before turning his gaze to Kelman. “What does it matter anyway, he hasn’t touched the last tray we left him.”

  “Figure it out,” Kelman replied with a shrug. “I don’t want anything to slow his healing. There is a match scheduled for tomorrow night. I want you to make sure he is ready for it, otherwise you will be taking his place.”

  The guard grumbled under his breath, but didn’t say anything else to Kelman. Nodding to the other three guards with him, they each grabbed a limb of the unconscious guard and picked him up. The guard glanced at his comrade’s gaping, oddly-twisted jaw.

  I’ll feed the Trivator, he thought with a nasty grin. I’ll feed him the remains of the Serpentian.

  Dagger watched them leave. Soon, darkness swallowed him in its shadows once again when all but one set of lights were turned off. He turned and braced his legs on the floor. Wrapping both hands around the chain holding his left wrist, he pulled. Only when he felt the satisfying give of one of the links and was able to wrap the chain around the palm of his left hand did he turn back around.

  He would be ready for the next guard who made the mistake of coming into his cell. He would kill them without mercy. Shifting backwards, he allowed the shadows t
o hide him once again from the view of the cameras.

  *.*.*

  “This way,” Jordan said in a low voice. “There is one guard at the far end. He runs the controls for the lower levels.”

  Jordan hoped Kali's plan worked. Kali and Cannon, along with three other species Cannon had returned with, were going to create a distraction while she and Sword found the others and released them.

  Sword scowled down at her and his lips tightened as if he already knew he wasn’t going to like the answer she was going to give him. “How do you know that?” He asked.

  “I delivered food to him yesterday,” she responded quietly.

  “You….” Sword started to say before the scowl on his face turned even darker. “Stay here,” he ordered.

  Jordan turned and pressed her hand against his chest. “No, I’ll go. He will sound the alarm if you do. I’ll take care of him,” she whispered, turning to pick up a discarded tray and cup from the floor.

  They were too close to succeeding to take a chance of something going wrong. She ignored the trembling in her hands as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the laser pistol. There was no way she would allow Dagger to suffer any more.

  Turning the corner, she ignored Sword’s angry hiss. Her stomach turned over when the guard from yesterday stood up and grinned when he saw her walking toward him. He slowly stretched before he opened the door and watched her with greedy eyes.

  Her fingers tightened around the small laser pistol. She refused to think about what she was about to do. Instead, she focused her thoughts on Dagger.

  Jordan vaguely knew she was answering the man’s questions, she could only hope the responses made sense because all she could think of was that she was about to shoot another living being. Dropping the tray, she raised the laser pistol in her hands and fired. Horror swept through her when she realized that her hands had been shaking so badly that she missed.

  A gasp escaped her when the gun was suddenly ripped from her hands and a hand wrapped around her throat, lifting her up off the floor. Jordan’s hands grabbed at the beefy wrist cutting off her air. She fruitlessly clawed as the fingers tightened even more. Her lungs began to burn and darkness began to fog her vision.

  “You shouldn’t play with weapons if you don’t know how to use them,” the guard growled.

  Jordan tried to kick out at the guard, but it was useless. She could feel her muscles beginning to relax and her hands fell to her side as the lack of oxygen took its toll on her. Pain exploded through her when the guard slammed her back against the wall. She couldn’t understand what he was saying over the buzzing in her ears.

  Relief flooded her when the hand around her throat suddenly vanished. Unable to stand, she slid down the wall. She watched as Sword turned the body of the guard around and sliced the blade in his hand across the guard’s neck. Her hands went to her throat and she closed her eyes when blood splattered outward.

  Jordan swallowed and rubbed at her bruised throat. She released a low cry and jerked when warm hands tenderly gripped her forearms. Her eyes popped open, her pupil’s dilated with fear, as she stared up at Sword.

  Sword stared down at her with concern. “Are you alright?” He asked quietly.

  Jordan nodded before forcing the words pass her tender throat. “Ye… yes, tha… thank you,” she choked out hoarsely.

  Jordan grasped the hands held out to her and allowed Sword to help her to stand. Turning, she kept her eyes diverted from the body of the guard.

  “There are no other guards that I could tell from here on. The guard here controlled the locking mechanisms to each section,” Jordan whispered.

  Sword nodded, stepping into the room that the guard left open. “I will take care of it,” Sword instructed. Jordan watched as he tapped through the security system. “I’ve found them. I’ll go to level two and release Razor, Hammer and Trig first.”

  “Have you… What about Dagger?” She asked.

  Sword glanced at Jordan’s worried face. “He is in the last cell on the left on the third level,” Sword replied. “I won’t leave him.”

  Jordan’s gaze turned to the screen on the panel. Only Dagger’s hands were visible in the grainy resolution. Relief and determination filled her. The thought of being so close to him, yet still apart tore through her. For the past two years, this had been the total, consuming goal in her life. Now, it felt almost surreal.

  “I’ll go release him,” she murmured, her eyes glued to the screen.

  Sword turned and gripped her shoulders in a gentle grasp. He stared down at her with a look of hesitation, as if trying to determine what he should say next. She turned her eyes to his shuttered gaze, knowing instinctively that he was trying to protect her feelings.

  “I don’t want you down there alone, Jordan,” Sword stated firmly. “Dagger has been held for over two years. He… he might not be sane after what he has been through. It might be necessary to knock him out.”

  Jordan’s eyes turned to the screen. She watched as Dagger stepped into the dim light and glared at the camera, as if he knew that they were talking about him. Her gaze ran over the long scar that ran along his right cheek before locking on the cold hatred in his eyes. A part of her knew that Sword was right, but another part knew that Dagger would never hurt her. He needed her, just as she needed him. She had made a promise to him two years ago, that if he didn’t come back, that she would find him. She had kept her promise.

  No, he would not hurt me, she thought with confidence. If anything, I might be the only one who can reach through the hatred.

  “Go, do what you have to,” she murmured in a soft voice. “I’ll make sure that you aren’t trapped down there.”

  Sword paused, unsure whether he should leave her or not. Finally making a decision, he nodded. “Stay here. Lock the door in case anyone comes. I will return in ten minutes,” Sword ordered and stepped out of the room.

  Jordan’s eyes flashed over the dead body of the guard before returning to Sword. “I’ll be okay. Go. I want to get out of here,” she assured him. “Just… free them.”

  Sword nodded again, closing the door behind him. Jordan waited until he was near the door with the spare set of keys that had been in the room. She pressed the button to release the first set of locks. Within seconds, he had inserted the key and disappeared down the stairs to the next level.

  Her eyes flashed to the screen where she could see Dagger still staring up at the screen, almost as if he was willing her to come to him. Making a decision, Jordan opened all the doors leading down before short-circuiting the system. The smell of burning wires made her nose sting.

  She turned and opened the door to the guard room. Swallowing back the nausea, she shut the door and walked over to the dead guard. He had his set of keys still attached to his waist. She knelt down and yanked them off before standing again. Her eyes swept the darkened recesses for the laser pistol he had taken from her. Spying it up against the wall, she hurried over and picked it up.

  She cast one last look at the screen through the window of the guard station before firing a single shot into the door panel, sealing it closed. A wave of calm washed over her as she inserted her key into the door. The moment it opened, she stepped through and headed down the stairs.

  Chapter 7

  Dagger tensed at the sound of footsteps coming down the steps. They were softer, lighter than the normal heavy steps of the guards. He moved back into the dark, waiting and watching. It may be a servant bringing the food Kelman had ordered. Whoever it was, if they came close enough to the cell, he would kill them.

  He froze as the keys clattered and the lock clicked. A menacing smile curved his lips. It might be a trap, but he didn’t care. He highly doubted that Kelman would allow an unprotected servant to bring the food. To date, only the guards had delivered it, and never alone. There was always a minimum of five or more.

  His suspicion that it was a trap intensified when a small, cloaked figured moved quickly down the corridor without turn
ing on any additional lights. He silently waited, studying the figure. There was something oddly familiar about it, something that tugged at his consciousness, telling him that he shouldn’t strike out.

  He ruthlessly pushed the feeling away. Gripping the chains clenched in his hands, he watched as the figure briefly paused to look over his shoulder before pushing the key into the lock. The moment the door swung open, he released the chains.

  A harsh gasp escaped the hidden form as the twin chains wrapped around its body. Dagger jerked on the thick metal links, pulling the stunned figure toward him. His hands wrapped around the fragile wrists that shot out as it tumbled forward.

  Twisting, Dagger jerked the arms up. A low growl escaped him when he saw the laser pistol in one of the gloved hands. He pressed his thumb against the nerve along the wrist, forcing the hand open. The laser pistol clattered to the floor next to his foot. With a slight kick, it slid away from where they were standing.

  “You should have used that before you came in,” he snarled in a low, icy voice. “How many are waiting for me?” He demanded, brutally increasing the pressure around the wrists.

  “Dagger,” a soft, familiar voice whispered.

  The husky voice seared through the haze of hatred, for a moment paralyzing him. He shook his head in confusion. He shifted until he was holding both wrists in one hand. Reaching down, he roughly pulled back the hood of the cloak hiding the face of the figure.

  Dagger’s mind rebelled, trying to reason that this had to be a trick or a product of his imagination. The last thought disintegrated to ash when the illusion of Jordan rose up far enough to press her lips against his. A shudder ran through him and a low groan escaped him at the soft, tender touch.

  The hand holding her wrists opened and dropped so he could pull her closer. He deepened the kiss, desperately clutching her warm body against his. His hands tightened on her waist, his fingers curling into her soft flesh as he fought for control.