Bladen hurried along the sand, the day already heating up as the sun rose across the game. His injuries and the heat made him vulnerable, and he hated feeling weak.
Bladen tracked the trails of Grace and Tyran until the sun was directly overhead. He’d covered a lot of ground when abruptly the tracks vanished by a flat piece of rock.
He circled the area, looking for signs they’d changed direction, but there was nothing. The tracks simply ended as if they’d walked through the rock face.
Bladen inhaled deeply. He couldn’t smell any fuel in the air or remnants of the foul lizard-like stench of Fraken who’d been there recently, suggesting Tyran and Grace hadn’t been collected by a ship. That was a good sign; it meant Grace was still in the game and Bladen would be able to get to her.
He did another slow circuit of the area before returning to the blank rock face. It looked too pristine, with no dents or chunks taken out of the rock. Bladen pulled out a short throwing blade and tested a long thin crack that ran up the left side of the rock. The blade inserted into the crack, and Bladen was able to use it to lever out a piece of rock. As he did so, the whole rock face trembled, and another crack appeared. Bladen jammed his fingers inside and pulled, uncovering a metal door behind the rock.
Using his blade, he twisted open some of the screws holding the door in place and then used the blade again to lever the door open. As the opening got wider, Bladen discovered an unlit tunnel in front of him.
He smiled grimly to himself. This had to be a Fraken entrance point to get into the game. He tucked away the short blade and drew out a longer one. This must be where Grace was. And he was going to find her.
Chapter 13
Waking up with a start, Grace sucked in air, her throat protesting as she did so. She sat up swiftly and looked around. A sense of dread ran through her at the unpleasantly familiar surroundings. It was another featureless, cold, grey cell, just like the one she’d been in for a month as the Fraken kept her prisoner before sending her into a game.
Her hands went to her throat, and she felt around the flesh, feeling how hot and tender it was where Tyran had squeezed the fight out of her.
There was nothing in the cell, but on the other side of the wall, a large chunk had been carved out and metal bars inserted into the stone.
Grace climbed to her feet and tiptoed to the bars. On the other side, there was a medical laboratory and inside the room was a Fraken guard dressed in black body armor and two aliens she recognized as Deorg. They were thin and tall, with blue skin and large dark eyes.
The desire to cough overwhelmed Grace and she shoved her hand over her mouth as she ducked out of sight. She sputtered into her hand, her lungs burning as she did so.
After the coughing subsided, she checked through the bars again and jumped back. Standing in front of them was a Deorg.
He smiled kindly at her. “I see you’re awake. Would you like some water?” He held out a container.
Although Grace’s throat was dry and sore and she longed for a drink, she didn’t trust this alien enough to take anything from him.
“Get away from the prisoner,” said the Fraken, as he strode over to the bars.
The Deorg instantly backed away, his gaze averted from the Fraken. “I was just checking our patient is well.”
“She’s no concern to you,” snapped the Fraken. He glanced over at Grace.
Instinctively, she backed away from the bars. “What am I doing here?”
The Fraken clicked his teeth at her, and his tongue slid out of his mouth. “You have the option of being sold as a slave or eaten as my meal. I’m hungry, so I will have you as a snack later.”
“He won’t,” said the Deorg quietly. “You’re here under our observation.”
The Fraken snarled at the Deorg and raised his lightning stick.
The Deorg cast a fearful glance at the Fraken before nodding at Grace and turning away.
Grace felt her grip on reality slip as memories of her time in the Fraken cell flooded over her. She shook her head, determined not to let her fear take over again.
“Where’s Tyran?” she asked the Fraken.
“Receiving orders,” said the Fraken. As he curled his taloned fingers around the lightning stick, Grace could see he was missing fingers.
“If I’m here, does that mean my time in the game is over?” asked Grace.
“You’ll know soon enough,” said the Fraken. “Just be glad you’re still alive. If I’d discovered you in the game, I wouldn’t have been so gentle. You’d have been begging for death by the time I’d finished with you.”
“Then I’m glad it was Tyran who found me,” said Grace, “and not you. I'd have passed out because of your nasty lizard breath.”
The Fraken approached the bars and hit them with his lightning stick. “Don’t think you’re safe because you’re in there. Once we get what we want from you, you’ll have no value to us.”
Grace felt her bottom lip tremble and bit down on it hard, trying to hide her fear. “I won’t tell you anything.”
“You will,” said the Fraken. “Or we’ll kill you.”
“Then I’ll die,” said Grace.
“Brave words for such a pathetic creature,” snarled the Fraken.
The door at the back of the medical lab slid open, and Grace felt sick as she saw Tyran enter, accompanied by another Fraken, also dressed in body armor. He was the tallest Fraken she’d ever seen and had an unpleasant sneer on his face as he spotted Grace.
“Open the cell,” said Tyran. “We’re here to take the prisoner.”
The Deorg hesitated by the desk he stood at, and his long fingers fluttered across his chest. “I’ve not run the tests you requested. I need more time.” He shot an anxious look at Grace.
“Your tests are not important,” said the tall Fraken. “She comes with us.”
“Yes, of course.” The Deorg hurried to the cell and unlocked it. He pushed the door open and strode over to Grace. “I am sorry about this. I tried to delay as long as possible. But the Fraken are keen to speak with you.”
Grace squinted at the Deorg. Was he hinting that he’d been trying to help her? “What are they going to do with me?”
“Sadly, anything they want to,” said the Deorg. “If you want to make things easy on yourself, tell them what you know. They enjoy inflicting torture and are happy to use it whenever they get the opportunity.”
“If I tell them everything, they’ll kill me,” whispered Grace. “And they’ll know what Bladen’s doing.”
The Deorg tilted his large round head to the side. “You’re working with the Vorten?”
Grace nodded as she held out her hands to be unlocked from the shackles around her wrists. “I guess I am.”
“What’s keeping you?” snapped Tyran. “We need to extract the information quickly.”
“I’m checking the patient’s general health,” said the Deorg.
“Stop wasting our time,” said Tyran. “Bring her out here. Or I’ll come in and get her myself and punish you both.”
“I’m coming out,” said Grace quickly, not wanting to be at the mercy of Tyran’s cruel grip again.
“Good girl,” sneered Tyran. “I knew you’d start behaving yourself after I gave you a lesson or two.”
Grace gritted her teeth at the thought of Tyran touching her again.
“This will help.” The Deorg slid a needle into Grace’s arm before she had a chance to stop him.
She yanked her arm away and scowled at him. “What was that?”
“It will make the pain less intense.”
Grace stared at the Deorg. “Why are you helping me?”
The Deorg stepped back and glanced over his shoulder. “It’s only a small mercy I offer you but is more than the Fraken will ever show you.”
Grace felt herself relaxing and her mind grew foggy, but she fought against it. “I don’t want to be unconscious. I need to know what’s happening to me.”
“If I have to ask
again,” said Tyran, “I will come in and rip out both your throats.”
“Go,” said the Deorg, as he gestured to the open cell door.
Grace stumbled forward, her hand over the injection hole on her arm. Why was this alien helping her? She shot him a curious look as she stepped shakily towards Tyran.
He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her towards him. “I do hope you enjoyed your stay with us. Your next experience will not be so pleasant.”
Grace swallowed bile as she saw the Fraken behind Tyran smirk and click his teeth together.
Tyran yanked Grace through the medical lab and into the room next door. It was empty, apart from a long flat bench with arm restraints and a table covered in sharp metallic instruments.
Grace twisted around and tried to get out of the room as her fear overtook her. That bench was meant for her, and there was no way she was going to get on it.
“You’re not going anywhere.” Tyran shoved her back into the room. “This is going to be your final place of rest.”
“I have nothing to tell you.” Grace felt sweat slide down her spine.
“Restrain her,” said the Fraken.
Tyran shot him an irritated look. “She’s your prisoner.”
“And you work for us, so do as I command you.”
Tyran growled low in his chest and shoved Grace towards the bench.
Grace lunged at the medical equipment and grabbed a scalpel, gripping it between her fingers as she held it out. “Let me go.”
The Fraken lowered his lightning stick and glared at Grace. “Control the prisoner.”
Tyran smashed the scalpel from Grace’s hand and held her wrist so tightly she felt the bones creak. “That is of no use to you. You wouldn’t be able to do us any damage with that.”
“I’d like to try,” gasped Grace.
The Fraken laughed as he watched her struggle in Tyran’s grip.
Tyran squeezed harder and smirked as Grace gasped in pain. “Why don’t you lie down like a good little pet, and this will all be over quickly.”
“Or not,” said the Fraken. “I plan to extract every useful piece of information from this prey.”
“I have nothing to tell you,” said Grace. “I don’t know anything.”
“You humans are stupid,” said the Fraken. “But I’m sure there’s something inside that head of yours we can make use of.”
Tyran patted the bench as he let go of Grace. “Up you go. Unless you want me to lift you.”
Grace held her sore wrist to her chest as she looked around the room, desperate for any way to escape. But the only way out was the door, and the Fraken was standing in front of it, blocking her way.
The Fraken walked over and prodded her with his lightning stick. “Now.”
Grace licked her lips and climbed onto the bench.
The Fraken shoved her down, and Tyran restrained her as her hands were strapped to either side of the table.
As the Fraken leaned over her, Grace could smell his rank breath. “What plans does Bladen have for leaving this game?”
Grace narrowed her eyes as she glared at the Fraken. “I know he’s going to get out.”
“But how?”
“He never told me,” said Grace.
“He probably doesn’t trust you enough to share important information like that,” said Tyran.
Grace shrugged, not liking the idea Bladen didn’t trust her. “Even if he did tell me anything, I wouldn’t share it with you.”
The Fraken grabbed Grace’s face and picked up a blade from the table. He pressed it against her throat. “Give me a different answer.”
“I don’t know anything.” A tear slid from Grace’s eye, and she wished she could swipe it away, hide the fact she was terrified.
The Fraken collected the tear on the end of his talon, scraping it close to Grace’s eye as he did so. “Are you crying because you’re about to lose your own life or because you’ve lost your warrior?”
“He was never mine.”
“If only you’d give up your secrets, you might be able to see him again.”
“You’d never allow that,” whispered Grace.
The Fraken hissed gently. “We can be a merciful race when we choose to be.”
Tyran laughed at that comment. “That’s something I’ve yet to see.”
“Silence!” yelled the Fraken.
“Yes, boss,” growled Tyran and turned his back on the Fraken and began examining a blade from his weapons belt.
“Tell me the plan,” said the Fraken to Grace. “Tell me now, and your death will be fast. You will not even see it coming.”
“Go to hell,” spat Grace.
The Fraken smiled at her. “I’ll see you there.”
***
Inhaling deeply, Bladen caught a faint smell of Grace in the tunnel as he walked along, his senses on high alert for any Fraken. He ducked into a doorway as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. As much as he longed to attack every Fraken he’d seen since entering the tunnel, he needed to keep a low profile until he found Grace and could get them both out.
The Fraken passed without noticing him, and Bladen let out a soft sigh before sliding back into the corridor, still focused on Grace’s scent. She had to be close, and he could smell her fear mixed with her feminine smell.
And she was right to be terrified. The Fraken would use any means at their disposal to get information out of her.
He ducked into another doorway just before a troop of a dozen Fraken passed. They moved with purpose, and Bladen imagined they’d been given instructions to hunt him down if they’d discovered his body gone from the game.
Bladen continued walking but slowed as he heard quiet voices in a room to his left. The door was ajar, and as Bladen peered through the opening, he saw two Deorg working in a medical lab. They were alone, their heads bent close together as they spoke softly.
“The woman will not last long,” one of the Deorg said.
“What I gave her will help,” said the other Deorg. “But perhaps I shouldn’t have assisted at all.”
“You did the right thing.”
Bladen knew they were talking about Grace. He shoved the door open, shut it swiftly, and strode toward the Deorg, his blade raised. “Tell me what you know about Grace. Is she here?”
The Deorg both whipped around at the sound of his voice.
Bladen raised a finger to his lips. “I don’t want to harm you, but stay quiet and tell me what you know about the human woman who was brought in here.”
The taller Deorg took a small step towards Bladen, his hands raised. “You are the warrior in the game.”
“Where is Grace?” Bladen grabbed the Deorg and shook him. “Tell me what you’ve done with her.”
“She’s alive,” said the Deorg. “But she’s being interrogated.”
“Where did they take her?”
“We thought you were dead,” said the other Deorg.
“As you can see, I’m not,” said Bladen, barely sparing him a glance.
“We are glad to see that,” said the Deorg. “I’m Bartan and my friend you are shaking is Phlan.”
“I don’t care who you are,” said Bladen. “Just tell me where Grace is.”
“We will,” said Bartan, not struggling in Bladen’s grip. “But you are badly injured. Let us help you.”
“No time,” said Bladen.
“If you don’t get treatment, you could die,” said Bartan. “And you need to be strong to help your friend.”
“Why would you help me?” asked Bladen, shooting a narrowed-eyed glare at the two Deorgs.
“We work with Urel,” said Bartan.
“That’s right.” Phlan nodded swiftly. “We have been on the inside for almost a cycle, giving Urel information about the Fraken.”
“You work with us?” Bladen hesitated, knowing the Deorg were forced into helping the Fraken. Could these two be allies?
Phlan nodded again. “And we want to assist you.”
“Treat me later.” Bladen dropped his hold on Bartan. “I need to help Grace now.”
Bartan hurried away and returned with a container of water and two pills. “These will help. Just a temporary fix, but they will boost your energy.”
“You can trust us,” said Phlan. “We did what we could to help Grace. I gave her a pain prohibiting injection before she was taken by Tyran and Laires. It will block the pain receptors in her brain and mean she is less likely to die in agony.”
Bladen grabbed the pills and downed them. Instantly, the pounding ache in his leg eased. “She is not going to die.”
“I hope that’s true.” Bartan shot Phlan a worried look. “I liked her. She showed courage when she was in the cell. Many prey simply cry and beg for mercy, but Grace was quiet.”
“She’s strong,” said Bladen. “Show me where she is.”
“She’s in the next room,” said Phlan. “But you need to be careful. Tyran and Laires are in there. And in your current poor health—”
“I’ll be fine,” growled Bladen.
Phlan inhaled deeply, and his gaze ran over Bladen. “You have an infection?”
Bladen backed away towards the door. “It’s nothing.”
“Wait!” Bartan dashed to a metal cabinet and unlocked it. He brought out a large syringe full of a silver liquid. “Nanobots. They’re the only thing that will help heal your sickness.”
Bladen hated the time he was wasting but knew Bartan was right. “Do it.” He extended his arm, and Bartan jabbed the nanobots into him.
“You will feel the effects immediately,” said Bartan. “They’ll treat the worst of your injuries first and then see to the rest of you.” He waved a hand at Bladen’s bruised and bloodied body.
Bladen nodded a quick thanks and yanked open the door. He checked outside before sliding back into the corridor. He hurried to the next room and pressed his ear against the door. He could hear muffled voices inside, including the sound of a quiet female voice. His heart stuttered in his chest; it was Grace.
Bladen slipped his hand over the access panel, but the door didn’t open. He grabbed a knife from his belt and was about to slam it into the access panel when he heard footsteps.
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