Hack

by Annie Nicholas

  Both crew members exchanged glances. “They know each other,” the guard said.

  “Get behind me.” Hack released his hands from the restraints, grimacing at the discomfort. He’d learned a long time ago how to dislocate his thumbs. It was part of basic IIA training. Nanobots were not required for this skill set, though they were useful in controlling the pain. The handcuffs fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

  Both smugglers jumped.

  “What?” asked Jeannie

  Hack pushed her behind his body with one arm. Not thinking, he’d spoken to her in intergalactic.

  The smugglers exchanged another look after he spoke. That was right, boys. He wasn’t human, or restrained, and he understood their language. And they’d been planning to rape his mate. Hack audibly popped his thumbs back into place. Beating these two within an inch of their lives was going to feel good.

  His attack came reflexively, using the momentum of one strike to flow into the next, taking on both opponents as if they were one. Neither smuggler landed a hit before crumpling to the ground.

  To become an IIA agent required years of intensive training. In an agent’s last year, they chose their specialties such as technology like he had, but everyone received months of hand-to-hand combat. To graduate, the students had to pass these courses. Without Crypto’s help, Hack never would have made it.

  Without Crypto’s help, Hack wouldn’t have been able to save Jeannie.

  The realization stung. He owed his teammate much, starting with an apology.

  “Hack?” Jeannie whispered.

  He spun around. “What are you doing here?”

  “Rescuing you.” Sharp words as her eyes narrowed. “I saw you board the ship and followed. Then I saw them take you down.”

  “I let them take me down. There’s a difference.” He closed the distance between them and crushed her to his chest. She smelled of fear. “Sweet Jeannie.” She’d risked her life to save his. He never doubted her bravery but now he questioned her sanity. “You’re in grave danger.”

  She slapped his shoulder. “And so are you. Why would you want them to take you captive?”

  “Because they thought I was human and were going to sell me on the sex slave market.”

  Her upper lip curled. “And you were going to let them?”

  “I’m here to stop them. I was injured in the process which was how I ended up in your bed.”

  She cupped his face. “Let’s pretend I understand what you’re talking about and skip to the part of escaping alive. You can explain everything once we’re back at the resort.”

  Hack gripped her wrists. The temptation of his mate’s arms and the safety of the resort were hard to resist. “Jeannie, I failed my mission.” He swallowed hard.

  “Your mission to stop the slave ring.” She spoke quickly and moved to the exit, scanning the hall.

  “Yes. There is a shuttle with humans stolen from the cruise. They escaped when I was injured.”

  She turned to face him. “This cruise was the one we were on.”

  He nodded. “I have to save them.” If he explained more, it might corrupt the programming used to wipe her memory. He couldn’t risk her remembering everything now.

  Her eyes went wide. “How? I saw four others on the command deck. Who knows how many more there are.”

  “You know where the leader is?”

  She nodded.

  “Show me. Once I have control of the ship, I will place you in one of the life pods—uh, boats—and send you back to the resort. I’ll come for you once my mission is complete.” He would then take his time explaining the truth of the universe to her instead of the shocking way Cosmos Resort used.

  “It’s not far. The control room is on this floor.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Place her on a lifeboat? Jeannie didn’t think so, but decided not to argue with the pigheaded alien man. She wasn’t going to leave him alone with a ship full of slavers. He’d failed the first time probably because he was working solo. She wouldn’t let that happen again.

  “Wait.” She paused before exiting the room. “You said you were injured when we first met.” She hadn’t even noticed.

  “Struck by lightning.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “And you’re still alive?” His race was quite resilient.

  “I barely survived. This isn’t the time to discuss my healing abilities.” He gave her an encouraging push.

  “Are you completely healed?” She hadn’t seen any wounds or bruises when he’d worn that tiny bathing suit. Even now, he seemed fine.

  He stopped nudging. “No...”

  She harrumphed. “So you thought taking these criminals on by yourself when you’re hurt would work out better the second time around?”

  “The ship was going to leave the harbor and they had plans to kidnap another human from the resort. I couldn’t let that happen, Jeannie. Not again.”

  She rose on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his mouth. Hard and fast. She adored the alien. “Why are you risking your life for my people?”

  “It’s what I do.” He sealed her mouth with his. His tongue thrust between her open lips, caressing, making her open wider, and seducing her into tasting him. A phantom fire burned in her veins. His hand was in her hair, cupping the back of her head. His other hand lifted her to him, hard across her back, effortlessly supporting her weight. Her skin all but sizzled with lust as he pressed their bodies together.

  “How sweet is this?” A rough voice spoke behind her and she jerked out of Hack’s hold. The captain and his goons blocked the doorway.

  Hack swept her behind him, once more placing his body between her and the danger. Show no fear was the first rule of a shark engagement. She applied this tactic with assholes as well. “Jealous?” She crossed her arms and met the leader’s glare.

  “Of you? Yes. This one”—he pointed at Hack—“will bring in a very nice price. We passed you over on the first round.”

  Hack snarled an inhuman noise and punched so fast she only saw a blur. The leader’s scream turned into a gurgle and a gun went off. Claws protruded from Hack’s fingertips and the captain lay at his feet, throat torn out. The other slavers were already making tracks down the hall.

  She stared at Hack, at his claws.

  He clutched at his stomach, blue liquid leaking between his fingers. Skin pale, he stumbled against the wall.

  “No.” Jeannie clutched his shoulders. “No. No. No.” He’d been shot. “What do I do?” She knew basic first aid but this was beyond her know-how. Hack needed an emergency room and probably surgery.

  Hack leaned against her. “We need to radio for help.”

  “What about your healing powers?” She was sure he’d mentioned something about healing fast.

  “Compromised by lightning.”

  She tore off the Hack’s shirt and pressed it to his wound then shoved her shoulder under his arm, for once being happy she was short. Hack was heavier than he looked. As if he had bones made of cement.

  He might look human but he definitely wasn’t.

  They managed to find the command room where Hack sank into the closest chair. “My nanobots are sacrificing themselves to stop the bleeding,” he whispered.

  She gave him the side-eye. Had he just said ‘nanobots’? She wasn’t too sure what that meant.

  Releasing his hold on the torn shirt pressed to his wound, Hack examined the gunshot wound. Her knees went watery and she grabbed at the edge of the control panel for support. She couldn’t tell if it was better. It appeared like a blue mess.

  Bile rose in her throat. “Let me find the radio.” Her voice was hoarse. She scanned the panels and picked up a CB handset. “What channel?”

  Hack shook his head. “My team won’t know how to catch the signal with our equipment. The communication device we want will look like a silver stick. It could pass for what you call a pen.”

  “Shit.” She recalled seeing something like that. “The captain had one behind his ear.”r />
  Hack groaned as he tried to stand.

  She pushed him back onto the chair. “Stay here. I’ll move faster if I don’t have to support your weight.” She raced from the room before Hack had a chance to protest. His nanobots, whatever the heck those were, were healing him, but he looked in agony. From reading, she knew gut wounds could be fatal and painful. Well, at least they were for a human.

  The captain’s body was still in the hallway where they had left him, but there was no pen-like object resting behind his ear. When they had met, she’d noticed the pen-shaped transmitter because it was an unusual habit for someone of her generation. She checked the floor but found it clear of objects. There were no vents where it could have rolled into or rugs to roll under. Maybe he hadn’t been in possession of it when Hack had attacked. Then they were screwed because it could be anywhere.

  Jeannie stared at the corpse. She’d seen dead people before, like her parents, but that had been at a funeral and they were in a casket. Not this violent blood-splattered mess that used to be a person minutes ago.

  There was one place she hadn’t checked. She swallowed hard. The body. Reaching a finger inside his shirt pocket, she felt around for a metallic stick. Nothing. She searched his pants pockets. Logic said he was dead and there was nothing to fear, but logic hadn’t watched as many zombie movies as she had. The pants pockets provided his wallet and keys. No alien radio. With a sigh, she knelt next to the body and placed both hands on his side. She pushed and grunted and pushed some more until she rolled him over. He flopped onto his stomach. This wasn’t how she’d imagined her day ending.

  The pen radio had been trapped under him. It must have been knocked off his ear in Hack’s violent attack. The body had fallen on top. Hopefully, the communicator hadn’t broken.

  Cradling it in her hands, she returned to the control room.

  Hack monitored his internal scans. His nanobots fought a losing battle to save him, sacrificing their lives for his. Crypto would laugh at Hack’s sorrow. He didn’t consider any technology sentient. Trace kept his opinions on the subject silent. Hack had always had an affinity for tech. There wasn’t a circuit board he didn’t want to link with, so he mourned the tiny robots that gave the last of their strength to stop him from bleeding out.

  Jeannie strode into the room carrying the radio in her hands. “I think I found it.” She knelt in front of him.

  Hand slick with his own blood, he reached for the communicator. It slipped out of his hold. The world spun and darkness crept around the edges of his vision. He closed his eyes and the back of his head hit the wall behind him.

  “Hack.” Panic in Jeannie’s voice. “How do I work this thing?”

  “Toggle on the side. Press and hold.” His voice sounded far away. The communicator spoke in intergalactic, asking him how it could help him. He could sense Jeannie startle. “Frequency epsilon twenty-four radius six.” He had switched language so it could understand him.

  “Now what?”

  “The communicator is readjusting its settings.” He’d given it the shuttle’s comm direct link.

  The silver stick beeped.

  “Send message. Trace, Crypto, I’m injured. Need emergency evacuation. Nanobots down to one percent. Follow this communicator signal for location. End message.”

  Static blurted out of the communicator. “Hack! This is Trace. I’m on my way.”

  “Send message. Where’s Crypto? End message.” He couldn’t help but worry about the big guy.

  “Sent him to assess the situation at the transponder’s location. He’ll contact me as soon as he’s devised a plan to rescue the humans.”

  Crypto specialized in combat and weaponry.

  Hack only nodded, his strength failing.

  “Send message,” Jeannie said. “Hurry. He’s losing consciousness and I hear someone coming. End message.”

  “Who is this?” asked Trace. “Never mind. Take Hack and hide. I’ll be there in fifteen Earth minutes.”

  Hack blinked his vision clear. The sound of heavy footfalls approached the control room. The crew must have regrouped and found their courage. He wasn’t in any shape to fight.

  Jeannie rose to her feet and searched the room. She returned, holding a pipe wrench probably half her weight. She stood behind the door, wrench over her head.

  That was his mate. He couldn’t have felt prouder.

  A large male stalked into the room, gun aimed at Hack. The crack of a metal object meeting bone followed. The crewman fell to his knees and face-planted to the floor. The weapon skidded to a stop at Hack’s feet.

  “Time to go, love.” He carefully bent and picked up the gun.

  She wrapped her arm around his hips and supported his weight, but he kept the weapon ready in his free hand.

  “Where to?” she asked. She sounded breathless.

  “Are you okay?” He glanced at her flushed face.

  “This is my first alien fight. Well... My first fight.” She guided him out of the room. “I’m a little freaked out.”

  “Ah, bring us to the outside deck so Trace can see us.”

  “Is Trace the person we spoke to?”

  “Yes, he’s one of my team members. So is Crypto.” He wanted her to know their names in case he didn’t survive. She was already so frightened.

  Her silence weighed heavily on the air.

  “Penny for your thoughts.” He’d heard the saying while watching Earth entertainment and thought it quaint.

  The daggered look she tossed him was worth it. “Why do you all look human? I thought the universe would have been more creative.”

  Pain shot through his abdomen as he laughed. “Did you notice the amulets they are all wearing?”

  “I thought it was some gang symbolism thing.”

  “Stop making me laugh. It hurts.” He kissed the top of her head. A gang thing. He shook his head. She was adorable. “The amulets are hard-light holograms.” From the corner of his eye, he waited for any reaction. She’d known all this before her memory was wiped.

  “Are you wearing a hologram?”

  “I’m more complicated and we don’t have time to get into all that.” He didn’t want her running from him either. One small shock at a time.

  “But you’re not even the slightest bit human?” She eyed his blue blood.

  “I’m one hundred percent yours.”

  Her smile sparkled just for him.

  “Halt,” a voice rang out, followed by a shot that pinged off the rails lining the outside deck.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hack shielded Jeannie with his body. They were exposed, no cover to be had. He shot in the direction where he thought their assailant hid. “Over the rail.”

  She dug her nails into his arms. “Into the water?” Her eyes were so wide he could see the whites.

  “Go now.” He lacked the strength to lift and toss her.

  Jeannie climbed over without another question and jumped, feet first, into the ocean. There was no land in sight.

  He let off another barrage of shots before rolling over the rail, still clutching his stomach with one hand. With less grace than his mate, he landed on his side, knocking the air out of him. The salty water stung as it hit his wound. He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed inside his head. The gun slipped out of his hand, forcing him to open his eyes and try to grab it.

  Where was Jeannie?

  Shots followed. He watched the bullets arc through the water as he sank into the dark maw of the depths. Flaring out his gills, he took a deep breath. He still had his inner eyelid but his eyeball was formed like a human’s so he could see on land. His eyesight would still be better than hers though.

  The nanos no longer reported their status. He suspected they were all dead and he’d be trapped in this form forever.

  A familiar shape swam overhead. Jeannie dove, kicking, arms stretched out to him.

  He gripped her hands and pulled her to him.

  Her eyes went wide as he pressed his lips to he
rs and shared his air. It wasn’t the most comfortable way to breathe, nor the easiest, and wouldn’t sustain them indefinitely, but while projectiles peppered the water around them, this was their safest option. Normally, this wouldn’t have worked but he had both lung and gill systems.

  Jeannie relaxed into his hold. One hand circled the back of his neck and the other pressed against his wound. The pain didn’t go away but having his mate close eased it. He’d never dared dream of finding her. It had been so lonely since he couldn’t go home. That she was from a different planet made all his sacrifices worthwhile. He never would have found her otherwise. It was unusual for his people to mate outside their race, and it only made finding Jeannie all the more special.

  Did she sense their bond? That she allowed him to breathe for her and her tender caress said she might still accept him.

  The underwater buzz of projectiles disappeared since the ship still churned through the waves. It would take time to turn it back around to Hack’s and Jeannie’s position. This would give Trace a chance to reach them first.

  Hack kicked, bringing them to the surface. He closed his gills and willed his lungs to work.

  He gasped. Fuck, that hurt.

  “Babe, hang on to me. I can tread water for both of us. Save your strength.” Jeannie slid his arms around her neck, leaving her limbs free to keep them afloat.

  They were kissing close. Her gorgeous blue eyes stared into his. Ocean water beaded her eyelashes and pasted her hair to her head, leaving her face completely exposed. Nothing to distract him from her alien perfection.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  Her lips thinned. “That’s the gunshot wound talking.”

  “Maybe, but it doesn’t change how I feel.”

  “Hack—”

  “I need to tell you this. I might not have another chance.”

  She visibly swallowed.

  He rubbed his nose against hers. “My people can sense when they meet their fated mate. That perfect person that will make them whole and happy.”