Kenix nodded. Slowly we headed for the door. When we got out into the hallway the door swished shut cutting off my eye contact with Ayres. There were two guys waiting to escort us back to Baynar.
We got halfway down the hallway before all hell broke loose. An alarm went off, distracting the guards. Kenix reacted quickly, punching one man in the face, knocking him senseless to the ground. When the other guard advanced on him, Kenix spun around and kicked him in the side of the head. I stood there staring at the two unconscious men.
“What the hell are you doing?” Baynar would kill us both for this.
Kenix shrugged and grinned roguishly. “Plan C?”
A few seconds later Ayres joined us in the hall. I rushed over to him, noticing he was half dressed. He had on pants and boots and was pulling on a shirt over his bandage. “What are you doing up? You’re hurt.”
“I’m well enough,” he said. I knew that look on his face all too well—he was in warrior mode.
“Physician?” Kenix handed Ayres one of the guards’ weapons and had taken one for himself. They looked like mini ray guns.
Ayres nodded. “Not before he hit the alarm though.”
“You didn’t kill him, did you?” I asked.
“No,” Ayres said. “How many on board?”
“Six, I believe. Judging by the size of the vessel,” Kenix said. “Three are handled.” He looked down at the guards. He fiddled with his weapon and shot a laser bolt into each of them. “They won’t wake up till it’s all over.”
“And here I was hoping for a challenge.”
“So where are you going now?” I asked.
“To find Baynar,” Kenix said.
The ship was small so it didn’t take us long to retrace our steps to where Baynar had first teleported us. The alarm still sounded so he obviously knew something was up. When we reached the last corner, Kenix went around first. He jumped back in a hurry as a riot of laser shots swirled out—those ones set to kill, judging by the scorch marks they left. All of us flattened against the wall.
“You stay here.” Ayres gave me that look when I frowned at him. “Ready?” he said to Kenix.
“As I’ll ever be.”
Both of them started around the corner, ray guns blazing. After a firestorm of blasting lights and curse words, finally all was silent. “You can come out now,” Ayres called. Just as I was about to join them I felt a poke in my back.
“Don’t move,” Baynar’s voice came from behind me.
When I failed to appear or say anything, both brothers came looking for me. They stopped dead when they saw Baynar standing behind me.
“Let her go,” Ayres said. The look in his eyes scared even me.
“You can’t win,” Kenix told him. “There’s no one left on board alive to help you,” he lied.
“You can’t handle the ship and keep an eye on all of us,” Ayres said. “The moment you turn your back, you’re a dead man.”
“Not if I kill you both now,” Baynar said.
“No!” I cried.
“That’ll be bad for ratings,” Kenix told him.
“You wouldn’t want to kill your star attractions,” Ayres taunted.
“You’re right. I can stun you though.” I felt Baynar’s weapon shift around slightly. While he concentrated his attention on keeping watch on the brothers and fiddling with the settings on his gun, I reached down. Slowly, I lifted my foot and withdrew the long thin blade from my boot. Holding the hilt in my hand I quickly flipped the blade upward so it rested hidden against the inside of my arm. I locked eyes with Ayres. He’d seen what I had done. Instead of aggravation, I saw the look of hope on his face. His lips even curled into a smile.
“What’re you smiling about, idiot?” Baynar demanded. “Are you thinking about Drone? Why don’t you tell him how delightful it is, Kenix? I’m sure you enjoyed your stay immensely.”
“Actually, I’m wondering how you’ll enjoy spending your last days playing for survival on Taleon?” Ayres said. “That’s where I plan to send you when we take your ship and leave you to rot.”
Baynar laughed. “What a fool you are. As you can see, I’m the one making the decisions here. You’ll be the one to rot until your brother wins your freedom—if he doesn’t manage to screw it up.” His other hand came up to fondle my hair. “I wonder what will happen to your little Amanda, spending days alone with your brother? Relying on him for...everything?”
Ayres, angry now, took a step forward. Baynar shifted the gun in my back. “That’s far enough!” When Ayres took another step, I struck. Raising my arm, I turned the blade. With all the strength I could muster, I stabbed it into Baynar’s thigh.
He screamed in agony.
Ayres leapt forward and grabbed the hand I stretched out to him. He threw me into Kenix who shoved me behind his back. Peeking around his bulk I saw Baynar grapple for his weapon. He was on his knees now and lifted his head just as Ayres punched him in the face. Baynar dropped like a stone.
“Shit!” Kenix said. “That went well.”
Ayres stared at me for a moment, perhaps making sure I was unharmed. Satisfied, he turned his attention to his foe. He grabbed Baynar and tossed him over his shoulder. “Let’s get him and the others to the transporter.”
“So you really mean to leave him on Taleon?” Kenix asked.
“Yes. Something tells me the bloodthirsty crowd on Calixtus won’t intervene.”
“Too bad we can’t stick around and watch that,” Kenix said.
We entered the room with the transporter and Ayres laid Baynar down. He then led me to a chair and made me sit. Once seated, I realized I was shaking.
“We’re going to get the others,” Ayres told me.
“There may still be a few roaming around,” Kenix reminded him. Ayres shrugged.
“They’ll all be meeting the same fate soon enough,” Ayres predicted. “We won’t be long, all right?”
I nodded.
Not much later, six men were piled together on the floor of the transporter and beamed down to Taleon’s surface.
“Won’t they be in for a shock when they wake up?” Kenix said with a chuckle.
Ayres kneeled down before me and took my hand. “Are you sure you’re all right, Amanda?”
“I think so.”
“Kenix and I are going somewhere safe across the galaxy. We’re both hunted men now. We can’t return to Calixtus.”
Kenix shrugged. “I knew once I escaped Drone I’d be on the run. It beats the alternative.” He gave me a wink and left the room.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be. I will not miss Calixtus. We were wrong to use your world, your people, just as we’re wrong to use Taleon and the Varlings. We have no right.”
“What changed your mind?” I asked.
“You did. Getting to know you, to...love you.”
“What?” Did I hear him right? I got the feeling those words were as alien to him as I was.
He leaned forward and kissed me. “I said I love you. I meant to tell you before I passed out. Now, what I’m wondering is whether you wish to return to Earth? I can’t guarantee you’ll be safe there from my kind.”
I was still trying to wrap my head around the idea that he loved me. “You’re afraid they’ll use the device in my head to track you down.”
“They may try. They may also want to use you in the next tournament. I hear you’re quite popular.”
I noticed the gleam in his eye. “But, Baynar’s gone. Everyone thinks you’re dead,” I reminded him.
“If Baynar isn’t rescued from Taleon, there will always be another asshole to take his place. You can bet he’ll tell the world what happened here—at least, his version of it. It’s just a matter of time before Calixtus knows I’m alive.”
He could never return home anyway, since he was supposed to be rotting on Taleon like the rest of the contestants that lost the game—the ones who survived. “So you’ll spend your life on the run?”
; “Like Kenix said, it’s better than the alternative. The choice is yours, Amanda. I know Earth is your home.”
Was it? I’d been controlled and manipulated since I was a child. How long would it take for someone to hunt me down and use me again? Not that I’d be hard to find, locked up helpless in the loony bin. Even if Ayres dropped me somewhere else, what would I do? I had no skills. What I did have was a device in my head that might possibly make me unsafe anywhere on the surface of Earth. Would I be safe anywhere in the galaxy? Would Ayres?
He seemed to read my mind. “Where we’re going, it’ll be impossible to track us...especially if we’re together,” he added.
“You don’t leave me much choice,” I said.
“You always have a choice.” Seeing the determination on his face, I didn’t quite believe him. After all, he’d said ‘you’re mine’.
“What do you want me to do?” Part of me still feared he didn’t want me by his side.
He smiled. “I want you with me. Always.”
I smiled back. So, what was it to be? Life on the run on Earth, or a life of adventure zooming around the universe? Who knew what was destined for me next? This time, however, I would be the one deciding my fate. No longer would I be a pawn in anyone’s game. The thought was frightening. Terrifying actually. But look at what I’d already faced and still come out alive. Plus I wasn’t alone anymore. At my side would be the man I’d grown to love. Together we could do anything.
“I’ll go with you.”
“You won’t regret it, Amanda. I’ll keep you safe,” he vowed.
And as he hugged me tight, I somehow knew he’d keep his word.
SURVIVOR PLANET II
by
Juliet Cardin
Chapter 1
Being clandestine was imperative. And since the blasted curtain in the living room was practically see-through, I'd have to make do peeking between the slats of the blinds in the bedroom. Upstairs I rushed, my breath beginning to puff more from excitement than exertion while I got into position. My vantage point was perfect. From here, the entire block laid spread out before me like a smorgasbord. My eyes fastened on my neighbor's house. It was just after midnight and everything was dark and eerily quiet. Scanning the sky, far off in the distance I detected a tiny bluish light. The closer it came, the more it grew in size. My gaze flashed between the house and the light in anticipation. Almost as if there was a large beacon on the roof, the light aimed straight and true to its destination. Now as it approached, I could make out the circular shape of the object emitting the light. Indeed, the entire craft seemed haloed by the iridescent glow. I'd seen the ship several times, but never did it fail to awe and amaze me. Such power!
My tongue flicked out over my dry lips while I held my breath and watched. I reached down to rub my sweating palm on my jeans. My other hand clenched, steadily holding the blind just enough for me to peek.
Not much longer now.
The ship had come to a complete standstill, practically right over my neighbor's backyard. Mesmerized, I watched as a wide beam of light suddenly pierced the night sky and shined through the window of the house across from mine. Moments later, a shape emerged. Transcending the house, my neighbor floated in the beam of light which slowly drew him upward. Toward the ship he moved, slowly and helplessly, still unaware of the danger. And then, awakening from his slumber, his body bowed and thrashed about. His head darted back and forth between the ship and the safety of his bedroom, no doubt in disbelief. His mouth opened as though to yell, or curse, or cry, but no sound emerged. Seconds later he disappeared. The ship, done with its dark deed, sped off into the night sky and disappeared.
For a moment or so I watched and waited. The street remained silent and unaware of the dastardly event. One of its own had been snatched away, right from his home, his bed, and none was the wiser.
In the morning, his wife and teenage daughters would awake and find him gone. The police would arrive, an investigation would be launched. Everyone would have their own theory. When questioned, most of the neighbors would report the man as being mean, petty, and vindictive—growing more so over the years. When they asked me, as I knew they would, I'd be ready. Ready and willing to tell them how miserable and unpredictable my neighbor was. As time went on and nothing surfaced, he'd be suspected of running off, as disgruntled husbands tend to do. Or maybe someone had a grudge and lured him away? Who could say?
Not I.
I let go the blind and padded out of the dark room, a broad grin stretched across my face. My quarterly quota had been safely delivered into my nemesis' hands. My safety was assured...at least for another three months. It being just the middle of October, I had a little time before I must seek out another.
And seek I would.
I would find the perfect candidate to play specimen for the Akkadians—creepy, green, long-armed, long-fingered malevolent beings. Just the thought of their big, black, soulless eyes made me shiver.
Tomorrow being Sunday, I'd relax. Monday would be soon enough to start casting out my net in search of another. Someone who was mean, and cruel, or just someone I didn't like, or who was in my way—someone who had it coming.
Better them than me.
I didn't feel guilty. There'd be no sleepless nights for me. The ones I chose would better serve humanity as living, breathing guinea pigs for a superior race. The Akkadians were satisfied to take my offerings and leave the rest of the population alone.
And as for my neighbor and the other misbegotten souls I'd sent to suffer...they could rot for all I cared.
After a dreamless night, I awoke to a sunshiny day. Brisk, but bright—just the way I liked it. It was Sunday, and generally I'd sip my morning coffee in my jammies, but considering guests may soon be arriving, I put on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Sure enough, an hour later two cops arrived next door. I guess old what's-his-name was missed after all. As I expected, they did a routine check of the neighborhood and interviewed the surrounding neighbors. When one of them came to my door I was more than ready for him. My face was set to display the shock and concern I should dutifully feel when confronted with the fact that someone from my street had disappeared right out of his bed in the middle of the night.
But when I answered the knock at my door and was greeted by a tall, handsome hunk of sexy muscles in a uniform, I was only capable of gawking in surprise.
"Sorry to bother you, Miss," Mr. Hotness began, "but my partner and I are talking to the neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. Rainey. Sometime during the hours of eleven and seven this morning, Mr. Rainey went missing."
"What? Oh...no," I stammered.
"I understand this may be distressing for you, Miss. You know the Rainey's, I presume?"
"Ah, yes. I do. How...terrible." Stop staring and act disturbed, dolt!
The officer smiled at me with beautiful, even, white teeth that sparkled against the glow of his bronzed skin. How the hell does anyone get a tan this time of year? Wow, he was super cute, and tall—at least six-four, seeing as he was about a foot taller than me. His hands were big with long, tapering fingers that were wrapped around a pen and a notepad. His head tilted to the side while he seemed to ponder me, seeing if I'd break down in fretful tears. On his head rested a police cap, under which I saw dark hair in a buzz-cut. A snug, blue, unzipped jacket revealed a massive chest barely restrained beneath the blue uniform shirt. My gaze lowered, feigning sadness, and checked out his tight pants—blue as well—tucked into calf-high black boots. He was rocking that uniform.
"Would you mind answering a few questions?" he asked, his voice deep and utterly masculine.
"No. Not at all. Please, come in." I moved back from the door to allow him into the entranceway. He seemed uncertain, as though he should just get my statement and move on, but seeing him hesitate, I fanned a hand before my face. "I think I need to sit down."
A wonderful look of concern crossed his face. "Of course," he agreed. He tucked away his pen and pad and reached out to take
my elbow, helping me down the short hallway to the living room. Once he had me settled comfortably on the couch, he sat down beside me. "Would you like a glass of water?" he asked, as though entertaining a guest.
I waved off his concern like a trooper. "Oh, no. I'm fine, really. You were saying my neighbor disappeared? Do you suspect foul play?" I arched a practiced brow.
"We're not ruling anything out as yet. However, we've uncovered no signs of forced entry or a struggle."
I dropped my head a little and looked up at him conspiratorially. "I'm not one to spread gossip of course. But I'm sure you must have heard some things about Laric, my neighbor?"
He shrugged noncommittally. "What can you tell me about him?"
"Well." I pretended to be properly shocked. "I've heard he's somewhat of a player."
"You mean he likes women? Steps out on his wife, does he?"
My lips turned down in mock disgust. "Not just women I've heard."
Mr. Hottie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
I nodded.
"Though his wife will deny it, I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time he's disappeared."
"Hmm."
Now I had his full attention. And seeing the way his eyes slipped ever so slightly to appreciate my full breasts, I intended to keep it.
Chapter 2
His name was Ariston—a little funky, but it suited him. After his shift ended this afternoon he was going to pick me up and take me out for dinner. What an unexpected bonus handing over this quarterly quota had turned out to be.
"Thanks, dip-wad," I said, peeking out the bedroom window at the now silent street. While my neighbor's wife undoubtedly wrung her hands in worry, I knew deep down I'd done the woman a favor. No more would the dolt stand in his big picture window, hands on hips, glaring at anyone who dared park their car in front of his house. No more terrible online tweets about how big the assholes in his neighborhood were. No more false waves and questions about how my day was, when I knew he'd been pacing a hole in his floor swearing about how one of my dates arrived blaring music from his car stereo. I silently hoped they'd probe him till his ass fell clean off.
Survivor Planet Series 2-Book Box Set Page 12
