The king shook his head violently as his hand came up, directing his forefinger into her face to make his own point. She and the king seemed to be having a heated discussion, but either the sound wasn’t on or perhaps the DMR video providers didn’t think their conversation was important since the bloody battle was already over.
Jeremy’s communication device buzzed at his hip. He grabbed it and said, “What!” in a more belligerent tone than he intended.
Ignoring his foul mood, Drew said, “A message just made it through from Bravura.”
“Oh?” Jeremy said absently, his focus on the engineering monitor. “Where is it from?”
“It’s an official one from the office of Trade Governor Brawley.” Jeremy looked away from the screen as it flashed to black.
Trade Governor Brawley? Fuck. Now what? “Did you read it?”
“Nope. I didn’t even confirm we received it. I’ll leave that and the opening of it for you.”
“Fine. I’m on my way to the command deck.” He put his communicator back in his pocket.
Jeremy put his focus on Bergeron, who looked decidedly uncomfortable at the moment. “I’d like to have a further discussion on where you obtained that video, Bergeron. I’ll expect the link you used sent to my communication device within the hour.”
“Sir, I swear—”
“Don’t swear, just send me the information. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
Jeremy left engineering feeling a bit like he’d been the only witness to the unusual sighting of a ghost. Bergeron said he didn’t see Angelica. Although, perhaps throughout the battle, they hadn’t showcased her, only the man she’d been chained to. But if he’d watched the whole battle, surely he’d seen her in the arena.
Then again, perhaps the engineer hadn’t recognized her. She looked different without her hair flowing loose around her shoulders, but Jeremy would have known her anywhere. He’d had the privilege of seeing her fight in the simulator lots of times, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and ready for whatever virtual fight ensued. He also knew the way she moved when she battled. That was what her stance and bearing looked like in those few short moments of film. Like she was ready to do hard battle. Poetry in motion was a cliché, but it fit her. In the video, her hair was a bit longer and in a braided style going down her back, her honey-colored skin was more tanned. Seeing Angelica’s well-tended physical appearance was a huge relief. She wasn’t beat up, or hurt, or missing, or dead.
She was alive. Chained to a gladiator, likely deeply embedded within the Forbidden Zone. But she was alive.
Jeremy paused at the first bulkhead to breathe deeply a lungful of air to quiet the pounding of his heart. Angelica was out there. She was doing what she had to do in order to survive. Exactly what he would have expected.
Getting hold of himself and his volatile emotions, Jeremy headed for the command deck. He was even more determined to find her and bring her home.
Once Bergeron sent him the link, he’d trace it and discover what other battles she’d been in. Jeremy hadn’t ever wasted any credits on any illegal DMR videos, but if Angelica was in District Six battling for her life against mutant beasts, he was about to beg, borrow, or steal what he needed to find out exactly where she was.
And then he’d rescue her. Whatever it took.
Jeremy headed toward the command deck with renewed vigor, preparing to ignore any message from Bravura unless it came from Gray or Nathan. He would not be stopped.
Hopefully, Angelica continued her faith in him, realizing even after all this time that he’d stop at nothing—not even the Forbidden Zone in District Six airspace—to retrieve her.
Hold on, honey, I’m on my way.
Chapter Twelve
Parisa launched herself forward to disentangle the chain between them from the bear’s hind leg so Will could fight. She’d barely freed it when the tiger engaged, putting four holes in Will’s side. She hissed in a sharp breath as the claws made contact with his flesh. Will didn’t even seem to notice.
The lion, now alone on the other side of the arena, suddenly took interest in the action across the ring, and moved in their direction. Will had miraculously pierced the tiger’s side with his sword, but due to the angle in which they’d landed, he struggled to pull it out again to deal with the coming threat of the lion.
Parisa moved to hand him his back up weapon, but the lion was coming too fast for an exchange, even if Will could dislodge the blade. Thinking quickly, hoping her gamble would pay off in their survival, Parisa, shouted, “Will,” as she launched forward, arm extended and the spare sword pointed upward.
In a series of amazingly fortunate events, Will released the sword handle embedded in the tiger, he turned and they made eye contact briefly right before she landed onto her belly with the alternate sword in position. Will grabbed the handle, brushing her fingertips, and aimed it toward the belly of the lion as the animal descended.
Parisa let go of the alternate sword once Will had it, and immediately rolled her body twice to grab the other weapon still stuck in the tiger. They each had to have hold of a weapon or else the ever annoying “rules” of engagement were broken.
As her fingertips touched the slick metal of the sword’s handle, she watched as the lion finished its drop to land on Will.
She heard the animal roar in pain, and saw it swipe one large furry paw at Will’s head. Will managed to dodge the lion’s paw and kill the third animal, with a twist of the sword she’d given him in the nick of time.
Parisa took a moment in disbelief that her gamble had worked. The timing had been as intricate as it had been fortuitous. She couldn’t believe it had worked. Now all three beasts were dead. She hated that their animal foes today hadn’t been mutant creatures, but leave it to his lordship to think up something truly horrid for their last battle. She shifted her thoughts.
Were they free now? Could they leave this place of death and carnage? She desperately hoped so. Parisa tightened her grip on the handle of the sword still inside the tiger and removed it from the animal with a hard pull.
Will got up from the arena ground, pulling the alternate weapon from the lion’s body as he rose.
The chain between them was again trapped beneath the body of the lion. Will bent to free it. Parisa got up, sword in hand, and helped him until they were free.
“Is it over?” she asked in a quiet voice.
“I don’t know. I hope so.”
The crowd was near silent. What were they waiting for? The death of the lion had garnered a loud jubilant-sounding roar, then faded to nothing quickly. What else was there to do?
Once their caught chain was free, Will walked away from the carnage of the animals. The look on his face said he also wasn’t happy with today’s choice of beasts to destroy.
Will, disgust still etched on his face, turned his attention to the dais where Lord Harcourt was seated. “What now, Lord Harcourt? I’ve won forty battles in this arena. I want what you promised, freedom for Parisa and myself. Now!”
Lord Harcourt pursed his lips. “This battle is not yet over. Only round one is done.”
“Oh? So you’re changing the rules yet again? What a surprise.”
“Watch your tone, gladiator.” Lord Harcourt’s gaze briefly glanced in her direction, as if anytime anyone ever disappointed his lordship, it was automatically her fault.
“How many rounds this time?” Will sounded as disgusted as she felt. She had expected Lord Harcourt to go back on his promise to free them. She just wasn’t certain what form it would take.
“Only two rounds. You’re halfway to your freedom. If you dispatch the next two beasts, then your service and Parisa’s will be complete. You’ll be free to go.” I’ll believe that when I see it.
Even so, an earnest flare of hope rose up inside her chest. It would not be batted down despite her best efforts.
The doors to the arena opened up, the animals were taken out, and Will was given a new sword to fight wi
th. The double-bladed one again. Parisa was given another single-bladed, double-edged sword similar to the one they’d used in the first round.
In a rare display of public affection, Will walked into her personal space, drew her close, and kissed her soundly on the mouth. She heard but ignored the cheers from the audience, picturing Lord Harcourt’s likely disapproving stare instead. Which only made her kiss Will harder and more robustly.
The arena doors closed again, signaling the next match was about to begin. They were alone in the ring once more. Will stopped kissing her, but kept his arms around her as the two arena doors opened on the far side of the ring.
A line of slaves pulled a large wooden wagon out into the ring with a huge rope. Whatever was on it was shielded by a huge dark and dirty burlap cover. Then a second wagon was pulled alongside the first one. William released her with a final kiss to her forehead, and turned to face the coming threat of round two.
Parisa noted the deep grooves left behind in the arena’s dirt. Whatever was on the wagons was heavy. The edge of one cover suddenly flapped in the wind and Parisa saw what looked like gleaming metal beneath.
Were the animals shielded by metal? Unfair. She swiveled her head to look at Lord Harcourt, displaying her displeasure over what might be coming. His lordship stared back at her, drilling a steady gaze directly at her, only his expression was one of supreme amusement.
The slaves abandoned the wagons, running back to the door beneath the arena. The arena door slid closed as a loud squeal emitted from whatever was under the burlap cover. There was movement under the cover. Whatever destiny beneath was about to come into view. Parisa took a step closer to Will as a bad feeling settled low in her belly.
The ropes holding down the burlap suddenly snapped and one of the beasts for the round two battle rose up to greet the day. First one cover fell aside, and then the other, to reveal the contenders for today’s next fight.
All Parisa saw was metal, metal, and more gleaming metal. Two metallic beasts, shaped very much like oversized bears, stepped off of the creaking wooden wagon and stood like robotic sentries in the arena.
Any hope of survival in this final round of battle withered quickly in her soul. These bear beasts were similar in shape if not size to the white bear from the first round. Also, they were not hybrid or organic in any way.
Instead, they were oversized, mechanized robots. It was obvious they could transport themselves on two legs, but both mechanical beasts fell to all fours as she watched. Another loud squeal came from each of their wide rectangular-shaped mouths. A battle cry? Or perhaps a premonition of the sounds she and Will would make when these beasts eviscerated them with their steely, razor-sharp claws. It would likely only take one sharpened nail to do the trick.
Parisa took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for their subsequent screaming deaths.
* * * *
Jeremy stared at the forward display of the Stargazer’s command deck screen and pushed out a long sigh of frustration. Although, he should count himself incredibly lucky. A week ago they’d crossed over into District Six airspace without so much as a whisper of grief.
The command deck’s computer had flashed a silent alarm as they passed into outlawed space near a Border Control ship actively patrolling the boundary.
Jeremy would only admit to himself that he’d held his breath until they were well into the Forbidden Zone territory. He’d been braced in his seat, spine rigid and limbs unmoving, expecting an electronic capture beam to encase them in an inescapable net where they’d never see the light of freedom ever again, bringing an end to the search for Angelica before it even got started.
But nothing happened.
In fact, the ancient tech worked perfectly. No one knew their cloaked ship had crossed into forbidden space. No one saw them on radar. They were free to fly anywhere in the Forbidden Zone without being captured or confined.
Thanking his lucky stars, Jeremy had initially planned to systematically proceed to each of the largest slave planets in order of descending population to search for Angelica by trying to identify the arena she’d been fighting in.
At one time she’d had a personal transmitter embedded. All the Dalton Prime Corp employees did. But Jeremy didn’t hold hope it still worked in this outlawed place. It was rumored that any personal transmission devices were immediately destroyed in this renegade district. They’d search, of course, but couldn’t depend on that means to find her.
So they were left to identify, as best they could, the gladiator arena she’d been filmed in.
On the first planet alone, they’d found over seventeen different arena locations. However, each was nearly identical to the one Angelica’s had been filmed in. As if only one builder had been allowed to construct every gladiator stadium in the entire District Six galaxy. And Omar the arena builder had absolutely no imagination with regard to unique design. Every single fighting ring they found looked nearly identical to all the others.
Drew stood next to Jeremy as they hovered over the first planet’s final stadium arena looking for any hint that Angelica was here. He’d also scanned for her personal transmitter, but didn’t locate it, and didn’t truly expect it was still enabled.
While floating invisibly over several different arenas, they saw that the slaves were often kept in line with embedded electronic devices designed to cause pain, which also fried out any personal transmitters.
“This is going to take longer than I thought,” Drew said stating the obvious.
Jeremy pushed out another deep sigh of agreement. “We need something else to narrow our search, or we’ll be old men by the time we find her.”
“Yeah. Searching for a needle in a stack full of identical needles would probably be easier.”
Jeremy pressed two fingers to either side of his temples and rubbed, hoping the pressure would aid his creative brain. “Any suggestions as to how we should proceed?” he asked.
Drew picked up the handheld computer and scanned through the copy of the video they’d reacquired. Jeremy was tired of watching it, except for the part where Angelica spoke at the very end. That place in the hard-won video was probably worn out after his repeated views.
Once he’d finally wrenched the link from Bergeron, which had taken two more terse conversations, he and Drew had watched the video practically frame by frame, trying to discover a single identifiable clue as to where she was located. Nothing obvious had presented itself thus far.
District Six was vast, and every single planet had its own slavery market, with its own unique battle porn production bureau. In fact, each planet had many several slave markets and accompanying gladiator rings, each with individual film distribution.
Very frustrating when the goal was to narrow the search to one in the entire district.
“Maybe we need to make some more illicit video purchases,” Drew said casually, his gaze never leaving the small computer screen he studied.
“What?”
He glanced at Jeremy. “She’s been gone a while. Surely there are more than just the one video of Angelica in the gladiator ring, right?”
“Yes. That follows. What are you hoping to find?”
He pointed to a miniscule spot on the video’s upper corner next to the time clock. “That’s a number, right? Maybe it’s a code to let any fans who like this sort of shit the ability to buy more of it.”
“That’s actually a great idea.” Jeremy sat up in his chair. “Except that I’m broke.”
Drew rolled his eyes. “Good thing I don’t have anything to spend my hard-earned credits on then. Allow me to purchase more battle porn for you, Captain.”
Jeremy smiled. “Thanks, Drew. How many crew members could be counted on to shell out credits for something that’s illegal, that they don’t want, in order to look for something that might not even exist?”
“Pretty sure the answer is…just me.” He swiped through several screens, coming to one that advertised for more of the same kind of video.
Several buttons and swipes later, they stumbled on to a menu that listed battles by combatants.
“Look up Vidarr,” Jeremy said, remembering the crowd chanting the gladiator’s name as he roared with satisfaction, still drenched in wine-colored beast blood.
There were quite a few battle films listed with Vidarr’s name.
“Okay, here’s the one we have. See that number in the upper corner? It’s the same as here on the list.”
“William and Vidarr battle,” he read out loud.
“Let’s look for William next.” Drew scanned through the list and found quite a few. “Good God, there must be over fifty videos with his name listed.”
“Buy them all. I’ll watch them in my quarters while you keep scanning planet by planet.” Jeremy quickly calculated the average time of each video and multiplied it by fifty, figuring he’d be in his room for over twenty four hours straight if he only watched each film once.
“You know, watching too much video rots your brain. Plus, you’re going to burn your eyes out of your head if you watch them all in a row without a break.”
“I don’t care.”
“I suppose you don’t care about my dwindling credit balance either.”
“Nope.” Jeremy paused. “But I’ll pay you back. You know I’m good for it.”
Drew made the purchases and sent the videos directly to the computer in his private quarters without being asked. “I know you are. Happy battle porn watching.”
“Thanks, Drew. And let me know if you find anything relevant with your planet search.”
“I will. Let me know when your eyes burn out, I’ll be taking bets with our small crew on the time and date of when you drop from brain rot. Or you could let me help you go through all the footage.”
Sexual Memory [Dark Colony 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13
