Reaper Inc.

by Thomas Wright

  He asked, "What did he say?"

  "Something about killing you if you don’t stop."

  "Oh, is that all? Well I don’t understand what he said so I’ll keep going and let’s see what happens. We are hostages, right? Do they think we would just be happy to go along for the ride?"

  "You know what will happen."

  "Aren't you supposed to be helping me and keeping me from getting in trouble? Isn't that why you were tagging along?"

  "That was the plan. Now there is no plan. You are on your own."

  "I bought you a new dress. That should be worth something."

  "It will be worth something to whomever gets to wear it. It is not looking like it will be me."

  "Could you at least ask these assholes to bring me some water?"

  "Sure, move out of the way."

  Colonel Dakkon stood in front of the com and pushed one button. She said something in a language Ben’s translator bots didn’t know and then she sat down on the bed.

  "Someone should be along shortly." That was the only good thing that came of her using the com for him. They did show up quickly. There were four of them. One had two containers of water. They crowded in the small room and the colonel sat back against the wall trying to hide her seven foot frame."

  "It takes four guys to bring us water! What did you say to them? They look angry."

  "I don’t remember, something about their mothers and sisters and sex with wild beasts."

  "That would do it I guess." Ben could see a fifth person standing outside."

  "You need to let them win, just curl up on the floor."

  "You don’t like me, do you colonel?"

  "Considering I am a prisoner against my will and may never see my family again because of you, I would say you are correct." The angry crew had enough of listening to them and three of them began to throw wild punches and kicks. Ben just covered up and took it. The space was so tight they couldn’t get any real power behind their attack. Ben had a couple of new aches to add to the list but it wasn’t bad at all as beat downs go.

  Colonel Dakkon handed him a container of liquid he hoped was water. It didn’t taste great and had an oily feel to it but it was something. She stood in the doorway watching him. Her laser pistol pointed at him. Ben didn’t know what she was thinking. He started inching his way towards her. She knew what he was doing and let him get just shy of arm’s reach.

  Colonel Dakkon said, "She is going to stun you again if you don’t get away from her."

  Ben closed his eyes and inhaled deeply and let it out then it repeated three more times.

  "She doesn’t smell like Andrea but that still doesn’t mean it’s not her. Say something to her in some different languages. It doesn’t look like she understands what I am saying."

  Colonel Dakkon said a number of phrases all sounding like different languages but Ben didn’t know regardless. He figured he was about to get shot if the colonel was insulting her. She backed out of the room, shutting and locking the door, never even acknowledging anything the colonel had said.

  A few minutes later, she returned with a crewman and food or something that passed for food. Ben was famished, after a few bites he was thinking it wasn't bad, just had a chemical or maybe preservative taste. She stood in the door again watching them eat, weapon pointed and ready. Ben cleaned his plate and leaned back against the wall taking the last swallow from his drink. He was looking at her when the room began to spin and his vision became blurry.

  "Colonel, there are drugs in the food," he said as his head rolled to the side. The colonel just looked at him then at his captor. Ben rolled on over, having lost control and hit his head on the floor. The black-haired one was smiling but stopped when she noticed she was being watched. The colonel heard the rattle of chains coming towards their room. It must be time to leave the shuttle, she thought.

  Chapter 21

  Ben woke with his face in what felt like dirt but smelled like shit. A huge hairy foot kept nudging him, it rocked him into consciousness. He raised his head slightly and blew, trying to get grit off his lips. Pulling his elbow under him, he started to raise up when the foot knocked him onto his back. Something that looked like a giant hairy hippopotamus stood over him saying something, what it was, he had no clue. Rolling away from it seemed like the best idea so he did and after two rotations, hit what felt like steel bars. He used one to pull himself up to a sitting position, pulling his knees up to protect his body. He looked around at what seemed like bad horror vid. "Ben and the Pit of Shit" would have been a good name, he thought. He heard the rumbling of the deep bass voice again. Reaching above his head, he began to pull himself up.

  "Don’t stand up!" he recognized the voice. He turned in his sitting position to see Tawniz in the cage directly behind him.

  "Ok, I assume you understand his language." Ben asked over his shoulder, keeping one eye on hippo man.

  "I understand enough and I have been awake longer to have had the rules explained to me. You sit until you prove yourself in the arena or in your cage."

  "I take it since you’re standing, you chose option two."

  She laughed for a second. "I did but I wouldn’t advise you to try. They put you in the champion’s cage. They are the favorites and the winners. Some are angry you are there and haven’t earned it."

  "I didn’t ask to be put in here with them. They had to see that."

  "The one standing in front of you is curious about it. He knows there is a reason the keepers want you dead. He has decided to see how it plays out if they don’t kill you. It is an insult to the champions and the keepers must have thought they would tear you apart."

  "Do they know who you are?" Ben asked.

  "I do not believe they do. But they will find out. It is you that they know. They put out the bait and knew exactly what you would do. Who is the human female you abandoned all reason to chase after?"

  "She looked like the woman I loved, I saw her clearly for a second and it was her or somehow exactly like her. I know she is dead and it had to be some kind of trick but I couldn’t help it."

  "Black hair, blue eyes, that is your Andrea?" Tawniz asked.

  "Yes, how do you know?"

  "You have been stunned and drugged too many times in such a short period. You forget many of us know about your loss. She has been here twice while you were unconscious. She just stood and looked at you saying nothing."

  "It can’t be Andrea. There is no way she could have survived." Ben heard the giant in front of him rumble what passed for words in his language. Tawniz was quiet for a second then replied.

  "He says the female doesn’t know you. He could see she was curious and studying you, her facial expressions didn’t show recognition." The conversation ended, boots on stone echoed in their direction. Two guards escorted a third wearing a hooded cloak. They stopped at the door to Ben’s cage. The other beings moved back to the back of the cage, not wanting any part of them. Ben just sat, heal resting against the bars. The cloaked figure saw Ben sitting and then looked slowly at the rest. No one could see its expression but they knew it wasn’t happy. He pointed at Ben. The hand had long boney fingers with long fingernails filed to a point and capped in sharpened metal. The guards, weapons drawn, opened the cage door and motioned Ben to come out. He didn’t move.

  "Come in and get me, chicken shit," Ben taunted. The guards pointed their weapons at him. "Go ahead asshole, pull the trigger." The hooded figure said something menacing and they shot one of the champions. Two blasts to his chest. Another command and they pointed over the top of his head at a new target, Tawniz. To her credit, she stood defiantly staring laser beams right back. Ben knew without looking who they would shoot next and stood up. He walked to the cell door and was struck with a pistol in the head. He went down to one knee. His wrists were shackled before he cleared the cobwebs and pulled to his feet. The guard prodded him with his pistol to walk.

  It felt like he had walked half a mile. The yelling and cheering became lou
der. The smell hit him next. Death, rot, shit, vomit, then he was heaving at the stench. Usually throwing up would block other smells from reaching your brain but not this time.

  Ben knew exactly what was going on. He didn’t know but felt the human version of arena death matches were cleaned to some extent. This was horrific and would demoralize any honorable warrior. One of the guards stood behind him with its pistol in the base of Ben’s skull while the other unshackled him. They shoved him into the nightmare.

  Ben watched as a number of carnivores of all different sizes fed on the remains of the fallen. Somehow all at once, they smelled him and turned to look in his direction. Each took a slow deliberate step in his direction. Ben looked around for anything he could use to defend himself. There was a club made of something he didn’t know. He picked it up and waited. Whoever was in charge let the beasts get within ten feet surrounding him before a whistle sounded and they all turned and ran to a waiting cage. The largest, about the size of a mastiff, continued to eye him. Ben took a step forward, letting his club drop in a back swing. Two more quick steps and he had it swing in a upward arc, catching the beast under the muzzle, lifting its body up. He reversed his swing to come down on top of its skull but it had fallen over squealing then whimpering. He knew this wasn’t the adversary they had chosen for him but might as well start setting a precedence.

  A door flew open at the far end of the arena and some alien species he had never seen before came running, screaming, face contorted in anger. The yelling didn’t stop as it ran not slowing straight at him. Ben stood still and waited, and relaxed to a loose grip on his club. His pissed off attacker was boney with big ears and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Large black eyes never left Ben as he continued on his collision course. Ben side stepped spinning and swung the club with both hands. The alien tried to adjust but it was too late. The club connected with its chest and the crunch told Ben he had hurt it severely. It went down in a heap, rolled ten feet and stopped. Ben started walking towards it when laser blasts hit the ground near him. He turned and walked back about fifteen feet. He decided it was time to look for another weapon.

  ****

  Tawniz felt their cage lift; she gripped the bars as it started moving. She watched three others move in the same direction. The cage of champions still sat unmoving. Time for the new prisoners to earn their place. She looked at all the beings in the cage with her and knew they wouldn’t survive more than two rounds at best. Those who challenged her were easily defeated and the weak never even challenged her in any way. They will die in their first battle. The machine placed the cage near and in line with a doorway. On either side of the door were large openings in the wall so they could watch the battles out in the arena. She saw Ben searching amongst the dead for something most likely a good weapon. She saw him strip a body of a sword and the harness then a belt with a knife. He picked up a handmade club that lay on the ground next to him and began searching again. She heard a gong sound and a door opened to let an Allith warrior out into the arena. Three hooded figures walked out and sat in the seats that could only be meant for the ruler of where ever they were.

  Tawniz knew of Ben’s hatred for the Allith and again felt there was more than met the eyes with their captors. She saw Ben looking at the Allith then up at the three hooded figures, the tall one in the middle moved his hand and the other two removed their hoods. The black-haired, blue-eyed female sat motionless as did the other. Tawniz did not know the species and yet it looked like three species she did know combined. The result was a very thin bipedal that had humanoid, serpent and Allond features. She saw Ben look at it for a brief second before turning to stare at the human female. The Allith warrior looked briefly at the trio and had no reaction. He began to stalk cautiously in Ben’s direction coming at him from behind. She began yelling his name to try and draw his attention to the danger advancing from behind.

  ****

  "Andrea!" Ben yelled. Walking towards where the trio sat. "Is it really you? Look at me!" She continued to stare off into the distance, never looking at him. The other one was a different story. She watched the Allith getting closer, anticipating the killing she felt was inevitable. Her body quivered in excitement. She couldn’t control it.

  "Don’t you remember me?" No reaction, except he saw her hand go from relaxed to gripping the arm of the chair. The other one looked like she would pounce on him. He heard his name and the sound of running feet. He dropped like a drill sergeant had yelled for fifty. The Allith hit the steel wall head on and stumbled back disoriented. Ben pushed up, got his feet under him and swung his club at the Allith warrior, catching it in the shoulder. His next attack went for a knee, he struck it three times till he felt a satisfying crunch. The overhead axe swing missed the Allith's head and landed high on the shoulder. It hobbled back in retreat with Ben swinging a non-stop onslaught at various key locations. He heard its elbow crack and saw the arm go limp. Time to slow down and not burn out.

  ****

  Everyone in Tawniz's cage was trying to watch the fight. Some fought for prime standing room but none would touch her. Some were very impressed that the human could even live through the first few seconds let alone have an advantage and seem to be winning. She felt the touch on her arm.

  "That is your companion?" the small alien asked looking up at her. Tawniz nodded.

  "I was assigned to watch over him and keep him out of trouble."

  "It seems trouble found him regardless of your efforts."

  Tawniz nodded again. "Yes, it seems so."

  Chapter 22

  "What do you mean you cannot find them!" the General yelled at his team.

  "Sir, there are some witnesses who saw the human give chase after another being that was wearing a hooded cloak. Colonel Dakkon was distracted by a diversion in the street. The witnesses say a fight broke out but when the enforcers arrived, there was no one fighting and most of the witnesses had drifted away about their business. A shop owner saw the colonel run in the same direction the human fled."

  E'Aria asked, "Did you find any evidence of a fight later as you tracked them? Any blood or damaged property?" The Allond officer just stared at her, evidently debating whether he had to answer her or not.

  "Answer her now!" The General stepped towards his officer.

  "No. we found no evidence of any struggle. It is as if they both vanished. We have a theory but we cannot discuss it in their presence."

  E'Aria looked at her aunt Alona, the prime minister and Senator Sims. "We will wait out in the corridor general, while your man makes his report. They walked out of the room and down the hall a short distance.

  "Ladies, I apologize but I am going to have to go prepare for the conference tomorrow. I believe the Allond to be doing an excellent job in their search for Benjamin and my standing around will do no good. The general is sincere in his efforts and has one on his own missing as well. Prime minister, I will see you tomorrow at the opening address. Good night, ladies." They watched Senator Sims walk away towards their group quarters in the palace.

  "We have been here two days and he goes off and vanishes with his escort. How can one human be so much trouble?"

  Alona said, "E'Aria, you sound just like a human. You use their slang and speak it as if you were born to it."

  "I know, I will have to practice speaking like a princess some day so you and father will be so proud of me."

  "You know you let your emotions cloud your judgment of Benjamin. He did want to go to the planet to check the beacons. There is nothing wrong with that. He would not like himself too much if he left people needing help without trying and you, more than anyone, should know this. He jumped out of a ship to save you. What happened to Andrea wasn’t his fault. She was a trained officer. It goes with the job and lifestyle that they have led. You and your bridge crew all knew it might be a trap and you let them go. There is plenty of blame to go around. This abduction, which is what I believe happened, was a setup. I don’t think they wanted the colonel but she m
ust have got too close." Alona finished letting E'Aria think.

  "He is still a pain in the ass just like you." Her tone was softer, teasing her aunt for defending Ben. "I don’t feel him and I miss him already. We have been angry with each other for weeks and I blamed him for everything. Even so, I could always feel him and knowing he was there was something."

  "I know dear, and I know even if he is angry with you, he still loves you. It could be that his captors will find out what a big pain in the ass he is and bring him back." Alona laughed and E'Aria cocked an eyebrow at her aunt.

  ****

  Ben backed away from the Allith as it limped after him with its arm hanging limp. He didn’t rush his retreat and the Allith didn’t seem to want to rush him. Ben looked over one shoulder and should have waited to step back until he looked over the other. The upper torso of something caught his foot and tripped him up. It was sloppy and he knew better. If the reptile killed him, he deserved it.

  The Allith saw his chance but moved too slowly to capitalize as the human had already rolled away and was swinging the club as it stood up. It hit him in the same shoulder that had been hit twice. He roared in pain and tried to advance faster. One arm broken and one he couldn’t lift to strike out with, he leaned forward snapping his jaws. The human stepped forward and swung his club right into the jaws which closed instinctively on it. The Allith pulled from side to side trying to dislodge it from the human.

  Ben let the Allith have his club knowing it would take its snapping jaws out of play for a few seconds. The Allith jerked it free and in the same motion, Ben pulled the sword from the scabbard on his back. He swung with both hands cutting deep into its neck but not anywhere close to cutting through. Its jaws opened, letting the club fall free and Ben let go of the hilt as the Allith staggered back, blood running down its torso and arm. Ben picked up his club and swung two handed. This time, it landed with a crunch to the side of its head. It fell, one of its legs twitching and clawing as death throw spasms took over. He walked over and brought the club down like a sledge hammer which stuck for a second inside the Allith’s head. Ben lifted the bloody club and turned towards the seats. He breathed heavily but evenly.