“I can help.”
“I’ve dealt with creatures like this before,” said Thunde. “Worse even. You’ll only get in the way.”
“You know I can throw a blade,” hissed Jessie. “It’s better if there are two of us. If it focuses on me, then you can distract it. It might confuse it and give us both a chance to get out.”
“It could also anger the beast and make it more likely to strike without warning.”
Jessie opened her mouth to protest, but the monstrous bear shifted closer and issued a threatening snarl.
“We’re running out of time,” snapped Thunde. “I’ll draw it away to my right, you slide around and get out. I’ll be able to focus better if you’re not by my side.”
“I don’t want to be in your way,” muttered Jessie, a stab of rejection piercing her heart. “Fine, I’ll get out. But, if I think you’re in trouble, I’m coming back in.”
“Very well.” Thunde’s gaze was fixed on the bear. He bent his knees and shifted away from Jessie.
She longed to grab hold of him and keep him by her side. But Thunde was an experienced fighter, and she didn’t want to get in his way and cause any problems.
“When I say, you run,” said Thunde. He was several feet away from Jessie, still stalking the bear, his gaze fixed on the creature.
“Okay,” whispered Jessie.
“Now.” Thunde took two strides towards the beast and slashed his blade in the air.
The bear roared and reared onto its hind legs, batting away Thunde’s attack with a wide paw.
Jessie ran against the opposite wall, dashing towards the exit. Even though the cave was small, the way out seemed like a long way away. She didn’t dare look back, just in case the bear was turning towards her.
“Hurry,” roared Thunde.
Jessie pumped her arms and legs, feeling a blast of icy wind on her face as she got to the opening. A heavy weight smacked across the back of her head and she went sailing through the air.
She landed in a pile of snow and heard a growl of anger from Thunde as she tried to get to her feet. But the ground felt like it was swaying, and Jessie staggered and fell. Everything was blurry, she couldn’t see straight, and the back of her head felt warm and damp.
Blowing out air, she tried to force her vision into focus and shake the ringing from her ears. Everything would be all right in a second. Ice cold seeped through her trousers, and Jessie’s fingers grew numb as she lay there. Her hand felt like a lead weight as she moved it to the back of her head to check the damage from the attack. When she brought her fingers away, they were covered in blood. A wave of sickness rolled over her.
Jessie tried to stand again, but this time, the ground seemed to buck violently, and she fell, letting out a choking sob as she did so. This time, she didn’t get up.
***
Thunde ducked under the wild strike of the bear’s paw. He’d watched in horror as Jessie had been struck. She’d almost gotten out, but the bear had turned at the last second and swiped her off her feet. She’d flown through the air, arms and legs flailing. After that, he’d lost sight of her as the bear blocked the way and focused its aggression on him.
Thunde bared his teeth and crouched down. He had to get to Jessie, and this bear was in his way. He strode forward and slashed at the bear with his blade.
The monstrous bear reared up again, its roar reverberating around the small cave.
Thunde aimed his blade at the bear’s stomach, slashing across its chest, and drawing blood.
The bear dropped to all fours and charged towards Thunde. There was hardly enough room to get out of the beast’s way, so Thunde sidestepped and slashed the blade across its front legs. More blood appeared, but still, the bear kept coming.
As hard as he tried, Thunde couldn’t focus on the fight. He needed to make sure Jessie was safe. If she was dead, he wouldn’t rest until every Fraken had paid for her death in their own blood.
He placed his back against the wall and slid towards the opening, attempting to manoeuvre the bear out of his way and get to Jessie.
But the bear lumbered towards him again, and Thunde had to duck and roll, striking his blade along the side of the bear’s body as he did so. He was still trapped. There was still no way to get to Jessie.
Thunde continued moving, inching towards the opening. He glanced out of the cave, and as he did so, the bear struck. It grabbed his arm and shook him. Thunde felt teeth tear through his tough skin and stabbed at the beast to get it off him.
The bear recoiled and reared onto its back legs, blood dripping from its middle and sparks of damaged electronics tracing across its fur.
Thunde rolled his shoulder to check the damage to his arm. The muscles were still usable, despite the bite. He raised his blade and stalked towards the bear. He had to finish this fight.
As he reached the bear, blade poised for a killing blow, his collar activated, and a blast of pain shot through his neck, bringing him to his knees.
The bear loomed over Thunde, its teeth exposed and saliva dripping from its mouth as it sniffed him, and a low growl rumbled through its body.
Another blast of pain hit Thunde as his collar activated again. He could barely move; it was so intense. He raised his blade, not even certain where he should be aiming, and the bear swiped it from his hand. Thunde’s limbs shook, and his brain rattled in his skull. His fingers trembled as he tried to pull another blade from his harness. Every limb felt like it was on fire, and his neck burned.
“Jessie,” he breathed out, just as the bear raised a paw, its lethal claws aimed at his throat.
An explosion of fire poured over Thunde’s head, and the bear roared in agony and vanished from sight.
Thunde tried to move, tried to get to his feet, but every limb ached and shook. The wound from the bear’s teeth throbbed along with the rhythm of his racing heart. He fumbled for a blade from his belt, but fell backwards, his hands falling to his sides as his strength left him. His last thought was of Jessie. He had failed her.
Chapter 18
Jessie prodded the low fire in front of her. She was desperate for more warmth but knew the Fraken would be watching for any signs of life in the game. As far as they knew, Thunde was dead and she was buried under the snow, and that was how she wanted it to remain.
She looked over at Thunde, who was still unconscious. Finding reserves of strength she didn’t know she had, Jessie had dragged herself back to the cave after the bear had hit her. She’d seen it about to rip into Thunde and knew he wouldn’t survive such an attack. The only weapon she’d had was the fire by the cave entrance. She’d grabbed two flaming logs and used the last of her strength to smash the back of the bear’s head. And it had worked; the fire had damaged the electronic components in the bear’s spine, and it collapsed.
She’d done likewise and had sprawled on the floor for several minutes as she fought the pain in her head and burned hands.
Dragging herself onto her feet, Jessie had severed the rest of the bear’s spine with the blade Thunde had dropped. It wouldn't trouble them again.
She glanced over at the body of the bear. It lay slumped near the entrance, its head facing towards her. She wished she had the strength to drag it outside but barely had enough energy to move around the cave. Dragging an enormous bear was out of the question.
Jessie was worried about Thunde. The bite on his shoulder was not healing. She’d used a Healing Stick, but the blood still ran freely. And she knew he’d favored his right arm when he fought. If they ran into more challenges in the damaged state they were both in, they’d be in trouble.
After treating her own burns and cuts with a Healing Stick, Jessie moved back to Thunde’s side and began checking him for other wounds. The bear could have bitten him somewhere else, and she’d need to treat that wound as well. Jessie couldn’t risk him getting an infection. He needed to be on his feet as soon as possible if they were to stand any chance of getting out. But it was more than that. She wanted him fit and well and by her
side. Now Thunde had shown her he cared, she didn’t want to let him go.
Jessie slid her hand over his arms, being careful to avoid the shoulder wound. She moved her hands over his chest and slid them around under his back. She tried to ignore the tingle of pleasure that ran through her as she felt Thunde’s muscles. She was examining him for injuries; that was all.
She checked his legs and feet but could find no additional damage.
Her gaze rested on the collar around his neck and she flinched. There were fresh burn marks on his skin. Had the Fraken shocked him when he was fighting the bear? Jessie’s teeth clenched as she gingerly touched the collar. He couldn’t be expected to fight through the pain from his shock collar and defend himself against a mutant bear. That must be why they did it; they wanted to bring down Thunde, wanted him punished for not killing her.
Jessie wished she could take off the collar and treat his injuries. In fact, she wanted to rip both the collars from their throats and destroy them. But Thunde said it was impossible to get them off.
With a sigh, Jessie returned to the fire and warmed her hands. She pulled open Thunde’s bag and took out some water. As she did so, her fingers brushed against a small laser pen. She pulled it out and examined it. They had similar things on Earth, used for cutting through metal, but this one looked different. Perhaps it was some kind of weapon. She pressed her finger on the side of the laser pen and a narrow jet shot out. For something so small, it was powerful.
Jessie eased the panel off the side of the laser pen and inspected the workings. Excitement thrummed through her chest. If she could figure out how to adjust the strength of the laser, she’d be able to cut through the collars. She’d have to be careful; too strong a blast, and it would slice straight through skin. But if she adjusted the vibrational frequency, she was certain she could sear through the metal.
An hour later, and after several tweaks, tests, and adjustments, Jessie had it figured out. The laser pulsed out in a steady, strong stream, its vibration altered to disrupt and soften metal without slicing straight through it. She turned and looked at Thunde, who had not stirred the whole time she’d been testing the laser pen. If this worked, he’d be free of his collar for good. But if it went wrong she could kill him. Thunde was already suffering because of the shocks and the injuries from the bear.
Jessie walked over and sat next to Thunde. She rested a hand on his chest; his breathing was deep and steady. Sweat bloomed on her forehead as she pressed the laser against Thunde’s collar. “Here goes nothing.”
She hit the activation button and moved it slowly up the side of the collar. Nothing happened, the metal remained solid. Letting out a disappointed sigh, Jessie removed the laser pen and fiddled with the setting, increasing the power a tiny degree. She re-applied the laser and slid it along the metal. This time, she felt the laser vibrate in her hand, and the scent of melting metal filled her nose. It was working.
Jessie switched off the laser pen and placed it down. Although it hadn’t completely cut through the metal, the collar was now soft, and she could twist it with her hands, but it wouldn’t break. She grabbed the laser, increased the setting once again, and re-applied it. This time, it shot through the metal and seared across Thunde’s skin.
Jessie dropped the laser, a gasp of horror shooting from her mouth.
Thunde’s eyes flicked open, his gaze unfocused.
“It’s okay, it’s just me.” Jessie touched Thunde’s arm.
Thunde sat up, his gaze wild. He lashed out with his hand, and Jessie flew backwards and smashed into the rock wall.
***
Thunde’s neck was on fire. It felt as if someone had been prodding him with a red hot blade. And whoever it was, they would pay.
He grabbed his neck, feeling the injury with his fingers. But something was different, he couldn’t feel his collar. It must be a mistake; his collar couldn’t be removed.
And where was the bear? The last thing Thunde remembered, it was about to bite him. He shook his head as the memories of the fight returned, his vision still blurry. There had been a shower of sparks and then nothing.
Thunde dragged himself to his feet, using the wall to support him. His head throbbed, his shoulder screamed in protest, and his neck burned. His gaze rested on Jessie, and his breath shot out of him. She was face down and unconscious.
Thunde swallowed against the horror crawling up his throat. What just happened? He recalled striking at his attacker as he’d come to. Had he hit Jessie? He struggled over to her and sprawled onto his knees. As he rolled her over, he saw his hand mark imprinted on her cheek, long red streaks of his fingers staining her skin, and blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth. He could have killed her with one strike.
He groaned as he pulled Jessie into his arms. She was so vulnerable. What was he thinking, getting close to a human? He should stick to the warrior women on Vorten, the kind who couldn’t be hurt.
Thunde stroked Jessie’s hair gently. She’d changed something in him. She’d shown him that being small was not a bad thing. She’d stood up for herself, and was always willing to try. But look where it had gotten her. She’d been injured by the person who was supposed to protect her. He’d been an idiot thinking anything could happen between them. He needed to keep Jessie safe and get her out of the game, but that was all. He couldn’t keep risking her life. And he should never have mentioned she join Axen and the others on this crazy mission.
It was better for Jessie if he had nothing more to do with her. As he looked down at her pale face, he struggled to harden his heart. It had to be this way. He’d just proven to himself that he couldn’t protect her, and it was far too easy to harm her. She needed someone she would never fear, who could never damage her, and who would be able to keep her safe.
Thunde's eyes burned as he continued to stare down at Jessie. She had to live; he couldn’t be the reason she died.
Jessie’s eyes flickered open and a lopsided smile spread across her face. “You’re free.”
Chapter 19
“What do you mean?” Thunde placed his fingers over the red mark on Jessie’s cheek.
“Your collar,” said Jessie, noticing the way Thunde avoided her gaze. “I got it off.”
Thunde raised a hand and ran it over his neck, hissing in pain as his fingers aggravated the burn marks. “I thought I was dreaming that.”
“You weren’t.” Jessie struggled to sit up, and Thunde hitched her under the arms until her back rested against the wall. “Although, I didn’t expect a slap for my hard work. It felt like the bear had hit me again.”
“I didn’t mean to do that,” muttered Thunde.
“I know,” said Jessie, as she saw the shame in Thunde’s eyes. “If I thought for a second you did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’d be stabbing you with one of your blades. But you were out of it. And I did shoot a laser at your throat. You were right to wake angry.”
“That’s no excuse for hurting you.”
“I agree; no one likes being hurt.” Jessie took hold of Thunde’s hand. “But it was a small price to pay to get your collar off.”
“How did you do it?” Thunde raised his gaze to hers.
“I used the laser pen in your bag. I had to adjust the settings, play around with the vibrational frequencies, but it melted the metal enough so it would break. And now, you’re free. You never have to wear that collar again.”
Thunde stared at her in silence. “That’s clever.”
“Having brainpower is almost as good as having big muscles.” She squeezed his bicep and then blushed at the feel of the hard muscle under her fingers. “Although, your fighting arm muscles aren’t going to be up to much for a while. I’ve not been able to heal the bear bite properly.”
Thunde nodded. “I’ll use my other arm for now.”
Jessie pressed her lips to Thunde’s neck, being careful to avoid the burns. “Everything is fine. I’m not mad at you. I wanted to get you free of that collar so you’re no
longer a slave to the Fraken.”
“Thank you.” Thunde gently stroked her sore cheek.
“Now, you need to do it for me,” said Jessie.
Thunde shook his head. “I’ll burn through your throat if I get it wrong.”
“I’ll tell you what to do. Put it on the lowest setting possible, and you can try that. I had to adjust it several times to get through the metal, so it might not work the first time.”
“I don’t want to risk hurting you.” Thunde refused to take the laser pen Jessie offered him.
“You won’t be,” said Jessie. “You’ll be helping me. If we both get out of these collars, the Fraken won’t have any idea where we are or even if we’re still alive. They already think we’re dead and our bodies are lying in this cave. But they will check, won’t they?”
“They will.” Thunde stared at Jessie’s collar. “But I can’t risk hurting you again.”
“I trust you,” said Jessie. “Besides, what choice do we have? We need every advantage we can if we’re going to get out.”
She saw Thunde’s fists clench, but then he nodded. “I’ll try. But if it hurts you, I’m going to stop.”
“Agreed,” said Jessie. “And we still have a few medical supplies left, so if my neck does get burned, you can heal me.”
“How do you know how to adjust our technology?” asked Thunde, as he accepted the laser pen.
“I’m good with tech stuff,” said Jessie. “I had a lot of spare time on Earth, so used to tinker with things. I even built my own solar paneled bike. It wasn’t all that reliable because the sun was often blotted out by nuclear clouds, but I had a lot of fun putting it together. I tinkered with your laser pen until I figured out the frequency to soften the metallic elements in your collar.”
“It’s more than I could do,” said Thunde. “And you’re sure this is safe?”
“It’s not completely safe,” said Jessie. “But we need to get the collar off. Start at a low frequency, and we’ll go through the settings until it works.”
“If you feel any pain, let me know,” said Thunde. “I will stop straightaway.”
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