by Lolita Lopez
Chapter Eleven
Menace worked his jaws in a rhythmic motion, smashing the citrus-flavored gum between his teeth as they waited for the fixer Vicious had arranged via Hallie’s contacts on the planet. It had been some time since he had been on a live mission off the Valiant but the old, well-honed instincts never really died. He had easily adjusted to the eerie yellow-green night vision projected by the tactical glasses he wore. Keeping the nose of his weapon down, he stayed on alert, ready to raise it and fire at the first sign of trouble.
The life-sign sensor on his wrist shot a signal to Cipher who waited back on the ship Zephyr had expertly and silently piloted into the small clearing outside Harper’s Well. As the tech expert on the SRU team, Cipher monitored various streams of information including team positions, radar bursts of the surrounding vicinity and radio traffic from the Guardian, a small gunship currently in the airspace nearest them. The tech specialist was also a damn good shot and frighteningly good at improvising explosive devices on the fly.
Up and to his left, Venom had taken a sniper position. One of the top three shooters in the entire Harcos force, Venom was exactly the kind of man Menace wanted watching over them. He had seen Venom in action during the Sendarian siege eleven years earlier. The man had gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep the enemy away from the gated city and buy enough time for much needed supply drops to reach their pinned-down forces.
Twenty yards in front of him, Raze waited to make first contact. His relaxed posture hid the tension Menace was certain the SRU team leader felt. The most skilled negotiator Menace had ever met, Raze often fooled people with his easy smile and gentleness. At a moment’s notice, Raze could become one of the most deadly soldiers imaginable.
“Two incoming life signs at the perimeter mark.” Cipher’s calm voice filled Menace’s ear. The specialist spit out a positional reading and Menace adjusted his body accordingly. “Contact in ten, nine, eight…”
“Stop there,” Raze loudly and clearly ordered. “Hands in the air. Face away from me.”
Two members of the SRU team who Menace wasn’t very familiar with came forward from their positions to secure the two and bring them forward. Cipher activated the small hovering lights they had set up earlier to illuminate the area. Menace pushed his night vision glasses on top of his head and blinked a few times to clear his vision.
His gaze fell to the young woman first. She had pale-blonde hair that hung to her waist and wore loose-fitting pants and a tunic. He pegged her age in the same range as Naya’s. From this distance, she looked pretty. He hoped Flare would approve.
The man caught Menace’s attention next. Though he looked short next to Raze, he was actually tall for a Calyx male. He held a bag in one hand. Menace thought it was the woman’s at first but she gripped a brown one tightly.
“Menace.” Raze’s voice dinged in his ear. “Come on up.”
Menace crossed the distance with quick, hard strides. At Raze’s side, he nodded at the woman. “Ma’am, I’m Menace and I’ve been charged with escorting you safely to Flare.”
She offered a meek smile. “Thank you.”
He reached for her bag. “Let me take this for you.” He pointed to the man’s hand. “Is that yours also?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s for someone else.”
“Someone else?” Menace’s chest tightened. Was another woman hoping to hitch a ride?
“The name’s Dankirk.” The man offered his hand but Menace frowned at it. “Right,” he said quietly and dropped his hand. “Look, a friend of mine was taken during the Connor’s Run Grab. I’d like to get her bag to her.”
Menace wavered. Most women usually brought a small bag to the Grabs and those bags were taken to the processing line so they could join their owners on their new ships and homes. Sometimes bags were lost or left behind. Naya hadn’t had one with her but the woman who had packed that one probably missed it a great deal.
With a sigh, Menace reached for the bag. “What is the woman’s name?”
The man, Dankirk, started to hand it over. “My friend’s name is Naya.”
There was no suppressing the jerk of surprise that shook him. He held tight to the bag’s handle. “Naya?”
“Have you met her? She’s about this tall and has dark hair and brown skin.”
“I’ve met her.” Menace yanked the bag out of the man’s hand and crooked two fingers at him. “You. With me. Now.”
Dankirk didn’t hesitate to follow but kept a safe distance. When they were in as much privacy as could be found in the clearing, Menace asked, “How do you know Naya?”
The man chortled. “I think the real question here is how the hell do you know her?”
“She’s my wife. I Grabbed her.”
The man’s eyes widened. “You?”
“Yes.” Menace narrowed his eyes. “You have a problem with that?”
“That depends,” Dankirk replied. “Have you hit her? Are you going to hit her?”
“I’ve never harmed a woman in my life. I don’t plan to start with my wife.”
Dankirk studied him a moment. “She’s very important to me. I need to know she’s safe.”
“She is.”
“I want her to be happy. Fuck knows she never found happiness here.”
Menace wondered if this was where Naya had learned her rather bad habit of cursing. “I plan to do everything in my power to make her happy.”
“You better.”
Menace wanted to chuckle at the man’s empty threat but the look on Dankirk’s face stopped him. It was clear he felt something very strong for Naya. A painful sensation twisted his gut. What if this man had been waiting for Naya to reach the safe zone so he could whisk her away to the colonies? “Does she love you?”
The man laughed, the sound harsh and angst-ridden. “Not in the way you’re thinking and not in the way I’ve always wanted. I’m sure you’ve figured this out, but she’s not exactly the kind of girl who falls in love or trusts easily—and with good reason.”
“Her family—”
“They’re shits. Even her sainted father,” Dankirk added. “I know she remembers Tom as being her hero, but he was the farthest thing from it to anyone else who knew him. With all his debts and shady dealings, he made it impossible for her to have a normal life after his death.” Dankirk inhaled a sharp breath. “The best damn thing that ever happened to her was being Grabbed by you. Don’t fuck that up for her. She’s got a new life, a new start. She deserves it.”
Taken aback by the intensity of the man’s remarks, Menace remained quiet and let it all sink in. “I’ll take care of her. You needn’t worry.”
“Do you promise?”
“She is precious to me. I give you my word that I will protect and care for her.”
This time when Dankirk extended his hand, Menace grasped it. Dankirk slowly retreated. He waved at the woman Menace had been entrusted to ferry back to the Valiant. “Good luck, Penny. I’ll make sure your mama knows you made it safely.”
“Thanks, Danny.”
Holding Naya’s bag, Menace rejoined the small group and gestured for Penny to start walking. Menace flanked her while Raze and his two men led the way back to the waiting ship. Once he got the young woman safely buckled into her seat, he handed the bag to Venom. “Take this.”
Venom’s eyebrows shot up but he accepted the bag all the same. “What do you want me to do with your wife’s bag?”
“Search it. I don’t want any questions arising about the procedures followed to clear her things. Let Cipher scan it.”
“Sure.” Venom disappeared out of the seating area to the cargo section where Cipher had set up shop.
Menace dropped into his seat and tugged the various belts into place. Secured, he waited for the flashing light to turn solid green to indicate takeoff was imminent. He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Penny’s fists were so tightly drawn her knuckles had gone white.
Worried she was going to s
troke out from fear, he reached over and touched her arm. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. There will be a few minutes of uncomfortable pressure as we zoom through the atmosphere. Before the gravity boosters kick in, there will be a few seconds of weightlessness.” He grabbed the puke bag stuffed into the sleeve above her head. “If you need to vomit, use this.”
“Th-thank y-you,” she stammered. She took the bag with shaking fingers. Her teeth rattled together so hard he feared she might break one of them.
“Would you like a sedative? There’s still time to administer an injection before we lift off from the surface.”
“N-no,” she said with a determined shake of her head. “I just need a mo-moment.”
He held her wide-eyed, panicked gaze. “You’ll be fine. Take some deep, calm breaths. I’ve heard some people like to close their eyes and count silently. That might help.”
She shot him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
In the next instant, the light in the passenger area turned bright-green. The ship vibrated and gained speed. Next to him, Penny squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the puke bag. Across the aisle, Raze eyed her with some concern. Menace second-guessed his decision to offer the sedative. He should have just given it and asked forgiveness later.
When they reached outer space, she squeaked. He expected her to blow any second, but she got a hold of herself and managed not to lose it. Twenty minutes into their three-hour trek to the Valiant, she’d calmed enough to relax. Half an hour into it, she worked up the courage to speak.
“You were part of the Connor’s Run Grab?”
Menace nodded. “Yes.”
“You’re happy with your wife?”
“Very.”
“Danny told me all about the woman he was taking the bag to,” she said with a gentle smile. “From what I gather, she’s really amazing.”
“Yes,” Menace said softly. “She is.”
Penny laughed. “I bet she wasn’t afraid to climb on a ship like this and fly into space.”
“No,” Menace agreed. “I don’t think she was afraid of the flight.” He didn’t mention that she was more terrified of him.
Penny seemed to understand. “It’s not an easy thing, leaving behind everything you’ve known to make a new life with a strange man. Especially when that strange man belongs to the race that filled the grim tales of your childhood,” she added. “You know, go to sleep or the sky warriors will snatch you away and make you their slave. Stay out of the woods or the Harcos will find you and take you to one of their ships where they’ll use you as a guinea pig.”
While Menace wondered how the hell his people’s kindness toward the people of Calyx had been twisted into such gruesome tales, Raze asked, “What is a guinea pig?”
“It’s a small animal that existed on Earth and was used in experiments by the scientists and doctors there. Our ancestors who fled the world of science experiments gone awry wrote about them.”
Raze frowned. “We don’t experiment on humans.”
“You would say that, wouldn’t you?” Her teasing smile made Raze chuckle.
“Yes, I guess I would.” Raze unbuckled his harness and rose. “I’ll be in the back with Cipher.”
Still smiling, Penny opened her bag and took out a small square wrapped in white paper. “It’s a sweet bread. Would you like a piece?”
Menace held up his hand. “No but thank you.”
Penny nibbled silently and sipped from a metal bottle she had retrieved from her bag. Watching her eat left him feeling uncomfortably aware of the ways he had failed Naya on her trip to the Valiant. He hadn’t even thought to offer her a drink or something to eat. After running and fighting him, she had probably needed both. No, he had been more concerned with getting her to be quiet and sit still.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Menace stretched out his legs. This experience with ferrying Penny to the Valiant was proving more pleasant than the transport ship ride he’d shared with Naya. There were no weeping brides and no sex-starved males tapping feet and drumming fingers on armrests.
“Are you friends with the man I’m joining?”
Menace glanced at Penny. “Not really.”
“Oh.” She looked surprised. “I thought—”
“I owed him a debt of honor. Picking you up and bringing you to him without incident is my way of settling that debt.”
“Um…I guess that’s nice.”
Menace chuckled. “That’s one way of describing it.”
She returned her items to her bag and closed it up. He realized that she was fishing for information on her potential mate. “I believe our pilot, Zephyr, is familiar with your soon-to-be mate. Once we reach cruising speed, I can see if he’d be willing to speak with you about him.”
“I’d like that.”
An hour into their flight, Menace walked her to the front of the ship and showed her an empty seat behind the two pilot chairs. “Zeph, this is Penny.” Fully aware of the pilot’s Lothario reputation, he clapped the man on the arm. “Remember she’s taken.”
“Unlike you land corps boys, we sky corps men don’t go around stealing other men’s wives.”
Menace let the zing about the Arctis bust-up slide. “I’ll be in the cargo bay with Raze. Buzz me when she’s done.”
“Will do.”
He found Raze and Venom sorting through the items packed into Naya’s bag. He scanned the bench where they’d laid out her things. Clothing, a small notebook, a pair of boots, a belt…and a gun.
Venom must have seen the shock register on his face. “It was loaded but I’ve rendered it safe.”
Menace picked up the small pistol. It had been a long time since a weapon like this had been in general circulation. His grandfather had used these in his first campaigns but they’d been phased out of the military by the time the old man had retired. Menace had a few of these old models in his personal collection and fired them for fun on occasion.
“I have to confiscate it.” Venom gestured toward the weapon. “Normally I’d hand it over to you since that’s your purview, but I thought you’d like to avoid a conflict of interest issue.”
“Understood.” He inspected Naya’s sidearm. She’d kept it clean and ready for use. He spotted the T scratched into the metal. A little lower an N had been etched into it. Realizing the weapon had sentimental value, he said, “I’ll petition to have it returned. I’m sure she’ll want it back since it belonged to her father.”
Raze flipped through the notebook. Photographs fell out and drifted to the floor. Menace knelt down and gathered them. They were pictures from her childhood. He couldn’t help but smile at her gap-toothed grin and wild hair. She looked so happy, so carefree. What had happened to that little girl to make her into the wary, mistrusting woman he knew?
“I can’t make heads or tails of this.” Raze handed it to Cipher. “It’s in code.”
Cipher thumbed through it. “Yes, it is. What do you think, Menace? Do you want me to crack it?”
The idea of reading Naya’s secret communications left him feeling uneasy. “No. She’s just paranoid enough to code her day-to-day diary entries. What she’s written in there is none of my business.”
“Unless it is,” Raze replied carefully. “That man is part of the Red Feather, their dissident group, and he called her his friend. If she was a member of that group and if this book details her work with them, I’m sure Terror will want to know.”
Menace snatched the book from Raze’s hand and stuffed the pictures inside. “The Red Feather is on the neutral list. They’re not our enemies. I won’t go digging through my wife’s diary entries, entries she’s gone to great lengths to keep secret, to give Terror more homework.”
“It’s going into my report, Menace. I have to cover my ass.”
“Cover away,” Menace said and began packing away her things. “The rest of the bag was cleared?”
“Yes,” Venom confirmed. “The firearm?”
Menace handed it over. “Make sure it
goes into the safe in the armory or the one in Vicious’ office. If that’s taken, I can’t replace it for her.”
“I will.”
Menace trusted Venom to keep his word. His earpiece chirped and Zeph told him Penny was ready to take her seat again. With Naya’s bag slung over his shoulder, Menace returned to the cockpit. Back in the passenger area with Penny, he made an effort to answer her questions and engage in her need for chitchat. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief when they finally docked.
After walking her through the immigration processing station, Menace escorted Penny to the infirmary. Flare had a private room in the orthopedic section. To Menace’s surprise, Admiral Orion waited in the hallway outside Flare’s temporary quarters. Menace snapped to attention and saluted the superior officer. “Admiral.”
“Menace.” He gave an at ease and smiled at Penny. “Welcome to the Valiant, ma’am.”
“Thank you, sir.” There was no mistaking the nervousness in her soft voice. “And it’s Penny.”
“That’s a lovely name.” He glanced at the closed door. “Well, Penny, I understand you were told of Flare’s current condition.”
She nodded. “His leg is badly injured. He’ll need multiple surgeries and may walk with a limp.”
“You’re not averse to these issues? I only ask because, in our culture, an injured male isn’t highly sought-after by brides.”
Penny sucked in a shocked breath. “That’s awful!” She lifted her chin. “I don’t care if he’s in a chair for the rest of his life. Those kinds of things don’t matter to me.” Then, a little calmer, she added, “My brother contracted the water sickness when he was seven. He hasn’t been able to walk since then, but he runs a very successful mill and has a lovely wife and children. His life is very happy.”
Menace decided then and there that Dankirk had a good eye for matchmaking. Vicious had spoken briefly with the man but left the selection of Flare’s potential bride to him. He’d chosen well.
Orion looked relieved. “I’m glad to hear that you feel that way. Flare will walk again. It’s just a matter of time and physical therapy. I know you were told there was a chance you might be going back to Prime with him, but a new medical station is expected to arrive within the next month. You’ll move there while he undergoes his treatment. Once he’s completed that, his situation will be reassessed. It’s likely he’ll be moved into a training position.”
