by Linda Mooney
Cooter rubbed his hand over the several days’ growth on his face. “From where I’m sitting, it looks like we have the upper hand, as long as the D’har doesn’t learn about those little tube weapon thingies you mentioned. Where does that leave us? For you to challenge him, and we throw a coup while you’re fighting? Or wait for him to best you, and then show our hand?”
The man was trying to integrate himself back into their midst, maybe because he’d realized his mistake in removing himself from the group. That he’d be safer if he remained with them, despite his intense hatred. Regardless, Kyber knew it wouldn’t be wise to assume the man had suddenly changed his fur and decided to side with them all for the sake of his personal safety. Cooter was and most likely would always remain strongly anti-Seneecian. He may be willing to side with Kyber now, but that didn’t guarantee he’d remain a strong ally. Reluctant, yes. A possible turncoat, definitely.
There was also the rising suspicion that the man would try to overthrow him once the D’har was dethroned. Since three Terrans had possession of Dox’s new weapons, as opposed to one Seneecian, the tactical odds were in their favor.
“I need to best him,” Kyber answered. “Until I can prove superiority, the D’har’s rule will remain absolute. I need to show myself capable. Otherwise, anything else would be futile. Even with Dox’s tube guns, the D’har and his men have their own blasters.”
“Any idea how much power those pop guns retain?”
“It can’t be much. They said they fought the underground creatures on their way to the temple. They’re expecting Dox to recharge their weapons and those we discarded, which would make them nearly invulnerable.”
“Or so he thinks. Has this sneek ever heard of the element of surprise?”
“As long as the others remain mum, we have that advantage,” Kyber admitted. He glanced around. “What have you been eating?”
“I made it up to the garden a couple of times. I need to make another trip. I’m flat out.”
Kyber pointed toward the door. “We reached a nonagon, a series of apartment-like enclosures at one end of that tunnel.”
Cooter nodded. “I’ve seen it. Big open area?”
“Yes. Each apartment has the ability to provide sustenance. That’s where the D’har is located. We noticed there were three tunnels leading away from the area. One leads to the garden, and one leads to an underground lake that contains two massive creatures. The third one we’re not familiar with. Have you investigated it?”
“Yeah. You won’t believe what I found in there.”
“Let me guess. A power supply?”
Cooter stared at him in surprise. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of freaking technology, but I have no idea what it means or what it does. My main field of expertise is in security.”
“Is there any food? Or any processors that produce food?”
“I found a bunch of containers with food in them. Whether or not they produce it, I don’t know,” the Terran repeated. “How can you tell just by looking at it?”
“In the apartments are certain glyphs which indicate food and water, as well as a bath and a bed.”
“You’re shitting me.”
Kyber fought to hide his smile. “Did you notice any symbols at the end of this tunnel, where you discovered the technology?”
“Yeah. A bunch of them. Some are lit and some aren’t.”
“How close are we to that source?”
“How close?”
“As opposed to following these interconnecting tunnels over to the main corridor leading up the gardens?”
“Why in hell should we walk all that way when we can reach the gardens from that storage room?”
Kyber frowned. “Storage room?”
“That’s what I call that big open cavern with the cylinders and all the technology. The storage room.”
“We can reach the gardens from there?” Kyber asked, needing clarification. “Is there another tunnel leading from there?”
Cooter grinned. “Better than that. If you think these holographic walls are amazing, wait until you step on one of their platforms and find yourself smack dab in the middle of that garden.”
Staring at the man, Kyber almost shook his head. “The garden has to be thousands of meters above us!”
“Yep, I know. But there’s a portal in that place that’ll take you there in one step.” The man chuckled. “If you think you can walk, let me show you. It’ll blow your mind.”
Chapter 21
Threat
The brown and yellow Seneecian known as Kleesod came to check on Kelen and the doctor. “If the female is secured, you both will come with me,” he ordered.
Kelen eyed the blaster in the alien’s hand. “And if I refuse, what are you going to do? Shoot me?”
The Seneecian pointed the weapon at the wall and fired. Chunks of rock exploded outward and debris filled the apartment, making it hard to breathe. Calmly facing them, the creature repeated, “You will come with me.”
She didn’t argue. She knew the next time the blaster fired, it would be aimed at someone instead of a wall. For the time being, it would be prudent to back down and wait for the right opportunity.
She had already decided she had to get away from the D’har. The Seneecian gave off some very weird vibes, to the point where being around him almost made her sick to her stomach. She had no idea where she’d go. Her only thought was to head down the tunnel toward the gardens because Sandow had told her that was the direction Kyber had taken when the D’har banished him.
Together, she and Sandow left the apartment. Outside, Massapa watched as they were marched over to an apartment two doors over. In front of that door, Tojun and the one called Verin stood guard. Kleesod placed a hand to Sandow’s back and shoved him inside. Kelen hurried to follow. Massapa quickly bound their wrists behind their backs before they were forced to join the others who sat huddled to one side of the room. Then Massapa and Kleesod took their places by the door to prevent them from escaping.
Kelen glanced at the physician, who slowly shook his head. Obviously, the D’har and his men didn’t know about the rear exits to the apartments, or they’d post someone on the opposite side of the room. She glanced at Massapa, who kept his gaze averted. First the tube weapons, and now the secondary exits—clearly Kyber’s men were keeping their secrets safe. Why, she couldn’t begin to guess. Neither could she tell how long they would remain mum.
There was a pounding on the door. Massapa opened it without asking who was there and the D’har strode into the room. Behind him, Tojun led Mellori inside. The ex-engineer was shoved over to where they were seated on the floor.
Kelen stared at the Seneecian commander. She grudgingly had to admit that the creature had a very aesthetic appearance, with his pure white fur and dark gold uniform. His presence was almost palpable, as if it could resonate against the walls. Although he was a bit shorter in stature than Kyber, he was more filled out. If he and Kyber were to go after each other in bare-knuckled combat, they’d appear evenly matched.
She did a mental head check. Dox and Gaveer were the only ones not present. It would make sense for the D’har to keep the little man under guard. Kelen was thankful that at least he wasn’t being watched over by one of the D’har’s men. Until they showed their true colors, she had to assume they were as much her enemy as their commander was.
The D’har advanced toward the group of bound Terrans. Stopping in front of Fullgrath, he glared at the injured man.
“Who speaks for you all?” Shifting his gaze to Sandow, he bared his teeth. “Who is in command now?”
“We told you earlier. No one is. We function democratically.” Kelen tried to keep her anger in check and her tone civil.
“Where’s Dox?” Jules asked. He looked to Mellori, who silently shook his head.
The D’har chose to ignore the question and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Since there is no one among you who I can direct my orders, I’ll addr
ess you all together. This is my pronouncement. I declare you all jeevitt. You are the spoils of war, for me to deal with as I see fit.”
“He asked you where Dox is,” Fullgrath interrupted.
Again, the D’har pretended the man hadn’t spoken.
“You will be kept in this room until the time I decide to release you. You will be given food and water, but you are not allowed to leave. Your restraints will remain in use at all times, except when you are given food. During feedings, you will be released one at a time to eat, then retied before the next person eats.”
“Why won’t you tell us where Dox is?” Kelen demanded again.
She wasn’t expecting the hand to hit her across the cheek and jaw. The unexpected slap knocked her onto her side as it stunned her. Both Jules and Sandow started to protest, but were quickly silenced when Kleesod aimed his blaster at them and hissed.
Blinking back tears, she managed to sit up again, with a little help from Fullgrath. Her face burned, and not all of it was from the blow the D’har had dealt her. She wanted to curse him, but caution prevailed. If she and the others were spoils of war, there was no telling how far the Seneecian would go.
The D’har bared his fangs, fully extending them in a threatening gesture. “The prisoners will not speak without permission. Is that understood? Do so again and I’ll have you shot to suffer, but not to die. Continue to disregard my commands and I’ll have you shot multiple times, until you learn better.”
A loud psst! caught their attention. The D’har looked over to where Mellori was moving his head.
“Why not go ahead and kill us outright?” the ex-engineer challenged.
The D’har grinned. “That is not our way, skint.”
A pounding on the door interrupted them. It was Gaveer. Kelen noticed the Seneecian glancing inside at them as he delivered his message.
“Letting you know the first weapon is almost fully charged, as you requested, D’har.”
The D’har followed him outside, presumably to return to where Dox was at work. As soon as the portal closed behind them, Mellori leaned in.
“Dox is recharging their blasters, but he’s doing it at a trickle. At this speed, it’ll take hours before all the weapons are at full capacity,” he informed them in a soft voice.
Kelen kept her eyes on Kleesod, who remained by the door, and Verin, who stood on the opposite side of the room. Both Seneecians didn’t appear to mind if the Terrans spoke to one another. Apparently they believed their prisoners were too secured to cause any problems. Massapa appeared unaffected by the turn of events and casually stood a couple of meters away, his hands crossed over his chest.
Or there could be another reason why the leniency.
“Why don’t they just kill us and be done with it?” Jules whispered.
Fullgrath grunted. “It’s gotta be a power trip kind of thing.”
“I agree,” Mellori said. “The D’har believes he’s invincible, now that Kyber’s out the way.”
At the mention of Kyber’s name, an invisible hand reached inside her chest and squeezed. Kelen bowed her head and fought to breathe. More than that, she tried to eradicate images of him being attacked by eye worms, or some formless shape that howled as it tried to kill him.
Fullgrath, who sat next to her, noticed her silent agony and leaned over. “He’s going to be okay, Kel. Kyber’s a survivor. If anyone can get us out of this predicament, he can. We just gotta have faith.”
“He’s wounded, Sid. He’s weak, and he has no weapons.”
“Hey. Buck up, Lieutenant. The guy didn’t get to be a Por D’har by being a pansy.”
She snorted, a tiny smile emerging. The ex-weapons master always knew how to raise her spirits. The man was the crew’s unofficial cheerleader. Giving Fullgrath a wink, she gave a nod to Jules.
“I’m wondering why the Seneecians are allowing us to talk to each other.” She shot a quick look at Massapa and discovered the creature intently watching her. An unidentifiable expression crossed his face, but it was difficult for her to figure out what he was trying to tell her.
“Yeah,” Jules agreed. “You’d think they’d expect us to keep our mouths shut, in case we try to plan some sort of escape.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what they want us to do.” Sandow voiced what Kelen had been thinking.
“Why?” Jules questioned.
“Because they don’t like the D’har,” she announced. “They want Kyber to be their commander.”
“I think they’re scared of the D’har, too,” Mellori added.
Kelen glanced back at Massapa as she kept her head down. “There’s nothing we can do as long as we’re tied up…is there?”
Fullgrath re-crossed his legs and grunted in pain. “I don’t think we can expect them to help us if and when we do try to take down the D’har. That commander is holding those guys hostage, the same way he’s holding us prisoner. They don’t dare do anything to piss him off because, on the rare chance a Seneecian ship does find its way here, once they get back to their home world, their lives are screwed. Their careers are screwed. Hell, I wouldn’t doubt if punishment extends to their families.”
A loud thumping on the panel signaled someone’s return. Verin opened the portal and the D’har entered the apartment. The commander’s face was flush. His blue eyes almost sparkled, but something told Kelen the man wasn’t happy. He was agitated. Irritated. And maybe looking for a way to blow off steam. Her body went tense with expectation.
The D’har’s gaze scoured the huddled group of Terrans. He stopped to focus on Kelen, then walked up and stood over her.
“My recently released Por D’har made it clear you have no aversion to pleasuring our kind.”
“Put your hand on me again, fuzz face, and I’ll remove your balls with my teeth.”
He reached down, grabbing her upper arm and jerking her to her feet. A hard shove toward the door made her stumble, but Kelen regained her balance. Standing defiantly, legs slightly parted, she didn’t try to mask her anger.
“You are jeevitt. You will obey me,” the D’har growled at her.
“You’re full of shit if you think that’ll fly with me.” She kept her head down, her eyes forward, in a posture she hoped he would assume as threatening. She knew that if it came down to the worst, she wouldn’t be able to fight him. Inflict some damage, yes. Maybe get in a few good kicks, some scratches, and a bite or two. Oh, how I would love to take a chunk out of him. But in the end, she knew she’d lose. She’d already accepted the inevitable. She just wouldn’t go without a fight.
The D’har never gave her threat a second thought. He charged toward her, lifted his hand again, and brought it down hard against the side of her face.
Pain exploded like a fireball of white heat and light. She was unaware of flying sideways, until she collided with the wall. Blood filled her mouth. In the background, she could hear the noise her crew members made as they yelled in protest, but their words were thick and indiscernible.
A hand grabbed her by the shoulder. The doorway slid into the floor, and she was shoved out into the middle of the nonagon. Behind her, the D’har continued to prod her, herding her in the direction of the next apartment. Whatever the Seneecian had planned for her, he intended to do it in private.
Kelen tried to resist, but the strain on her arms caused by the restraints binding her wrists behind her back had robbed all feeling from her hands. She had difficulty focusing. She had greater difficulty believing this creature would leave her alone once he was done with her. A shudder of revulsion went through her at the thought of him using her repeated times. Or, more disgusting, handing her over to his men for their entertainment.
Keep strong, Chambliss. Be resilient. Be a survivor. You can do it.
The apartment door dropped down, and a hard blow landed between her shoulder blades. Falling forward, she hit the rocky floor on her stomach and chin. Her teeth slammed together, sending more shards of agony through her bruised face. When sh
e came to rest, she noticed she’d left a trail of blood from where the skin had been peeled away from her chin.
The D’har straddled her. Grabbing her again by the upper arm, he rolled her onto her back. Kelen stared up to see the Seneecian grinning maliciously at her. As he bent over to bring his face closer to hers, she spit out the clot of blood she’d held in her mouth. It struck him on the side of his broad, flat nose and left cheek, and splattered into his eye.
The D’har roared in anger. Lifting his hand, he extended his claws and brought them down across her breasts. Kelen screamed as her blouse shredded upon contact and the talons raked over her skin. The cuts weren’t deep but blood welled, covering her chest with its warmth.
He reached for her again. Kelen shrieked again, but this time she managed to tuck her legs, getting her feet above her hips. As the Seneecian swiped at her again, she gave a hard kick. It caught him in the chest and sent him staggering backwards with a grunt. Taking the momentary opportunity, she rolled sideways toward the doorway. If she was lucky, if she was very, very lucky, she might be able to get to her feet and make a run for it. She had no idea how fast the commander could run, but she was willing to bet an adrenaline-boosted Terran might be able to elude him. If only for a short time.
She managed to bring herself up on one knee when the D’har advanced on her like a demon. She tried to get to her feet, but her head continued to spin, keeping her off-balance. Resolutely, Kelen watched as the D’har descended with his teeth fully extended.
There was a puff of smoke, a flash of light, and the faint sound of something discharging. She stared in shock as the D’har abruptly paused. His body went rigid, his eyes unfocused, and then he dropped face-first onto the floor.
Behind him, Dox stood with his arm extended, a small device held in his hand. As he looked up from the frozen figure, he gave her a quick smile.
“Hello, Kelen. Let’s go.”
“My hands…”
The little man hurried around to her back. She felt a couple of tugs on the bindings, and she was freed. Kelen gasped as pins and needles raced up and down her arms, when Dox grabbed her by the waistband of her pants and tugged.
