Saved by Venom: 3 (Grabbed)

by Lopez, Lolita

  The moment they regained gravity, Venom was out of his seat belt. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “That’s what we’re going to find out, Captain.” Exceedingly calm, the medic called for backup. Still unconscious, Dizzy was carefully taken out of her seat and placed on a stretcher. Venom followed the medics as they carted her to the small exam-and-treatment area off the main cabin. He knew better than to ask stupid questions or get in the way of the medics. Standing back, he chewed his thumb and watched the men assess her.

  For a brief moment, she opened her eyes and struggled against the straps holding her onto the exam table. Venom stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar, it’s okay. Be still. Let them help you.”

  One of the medics flashed a light in her eyes. That was when Venom noticed her eyes were literally jumping as they tracked the movement of the light beam. He had never seen anything like it.

  “Hit her with a sedative and an antiemetic.” The lead medic gave his order and then turned to Venom. “It’s vertigo but I suspect there are other complications we can’t see. She needs a full scan.” He touched the scars under her collar. “Any idea what this is?”

  “She said she was in the embassy bombing.”

  “Shit.” The medic punched the video communication link. “I need to speak to the captain.”

  A moment later Zephyr’s face appeared on the screen. “What’s wrong? They’re telling me one of the brides is sick.”

  “Affirmative. How close is the Mercy?”

  “Not close enough,” Zeph replied. “They pulled the medical installation out of its lower orbit for repairs and maintenance. The Valiant and her medical bay are closer but it’s going to be two hours at least. I’ll ask for emergency clearance for docking but it could be three hours if we don’t get it. Do I need to radio for a dart?”

  Venom’s chest tightened. The darts were small, incredibly fast spacecraft used for immediate evacuations of critically ill patients.

  “Negative,” the medic replied. “Her vital signs are good. We’ll keep her sedated. She has a stable airway. I would have preferred a quick transport to the Mercy but it’s not serious enough for a dart crew.”

  “Keep me updated.”

  “Will do, Captain.” The medic tapped the screen and shot Venom an apologetic look. “Hope you didn’t have big plans for your honeymoon.”

  Venom didn’t find the man’s attempt at humor very funny. Sick with worry, he stared at Dizzy’s unconscious form on the too-big exam table. He was taken back to the memories of Menace’s wife Naya bleeding out on that dirty warehouse floor. After she had survived a tricky and very long surgery, she had looked so frail and pale in the hospital bed aboard the Mercy. He didn’t like the thought that his first few hours with Dizzy had required medical intervention. He prayed this wasn’t an omen for their relationship.

  After the longest two hours and seventeen minutes of his life, Venom followed Dizzy’s stretcher into the Valiant’s infirmary. To his surprise Vicious and Raze waited in the lobby area. He was glad to have his friends close by when the medics forced him to stay behind as they wheeled her into a trauma room for proper assessment.

  Raze grasped his shoulder. “Are you all right?”

  Venom nodded. “I’m worried about her.”

  “From what I could see, she’s a pretty little thing. What’s her name?”

  “Dizzy.”

  Raze’s lopsided smile eased some of Venom’s tension. “Dizzy? Really? And she has vertigo?’

  Venom groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t even think that’s why her family gave her that nickname. I just assumed it was short for some longer name.”

  Vicious chuckled and slapped his back. “She’ll be fine. We can treat simple ailments like that. If her people weren’t so stubborn and would accept our offers of hospitals and clinics, she could have had that fixed as a child.”

  Vicious wasn’t saying what they were all thinking. The rules of the Grab required medically defective brides who couldn’t be fixed to be dropped back on their worlds. That specific clause was written so broadly and could be interpreted so many different ways that it caused problems for quite a few couples. Vicious and Hallie were currently among them.

  As far as Venom knew Hallie still hadn’t conceived. He had heard from Menace that the pair had been dragged in for testing. Apparently Vicious had been so furious about the way it upset Hallie that he’d threatened to retire immediately if anyone on the medical advisory board so much as looked at Hallie the wrong way again. There were rumors that General Thorn, a five-star general and member of the war council, had intervened and gotten the couple a waiver.

  Venom wouldn’t be that lucky. He didn’t have friends and mentors on high like Vicious. If Dizzy couldn’t be fixed…

  Fuck that. His thoughts turned angry. They would have to take her from his cold, dead hands. He had claimed her. He had collared her. He wanted her.

  Clearly trying to keep his thoughts occupied, Raze asked, “How was it down there? Cold as hell?”

  “Freezing,” Venom replied and followed his friends to a seating area. He glanced at Vicious. “I’m going to write an official report for you and the rest of the Grab committee. What I saw down there today was appalling.”

  Vicious’ jaw tightened. “Tell me.”

  As he described the women in their thin outfits and without proper footwear, Vicious’ expression grew dark. Hearing about the poor security didn’t make Raze very happy.

  “I told you something like that was going to happen, Vee.” Raze shook his head. “I know you all think I’m paranoid and a worrier but that populace down there is ripe for rebellion. Once we start building this new base the shit is going to hit the fan. Repeatedly. We have to increase our SRU teams and get our military police better trained in riot procedures.”

  Duly chastised, Vicious nodded. “Come to my office in the morning. Clear your schedule. We’ll get on this immediately.”

  Risk, a trauma surgeon who had worked the front lines for years, came out of the exam area and approached them. Venom jumped to his feet. “How is she, Risk? Can you fix her?”

  “Calm down, Venom. You’ll get your honeymoon. Just not tonight. We’re prepping her for surgery. It will be minimally invasive—lasers and sound waves.” Risk touched his ear and the area behind it. “We’ll go in here and work on the vestibular system. If you want to see the scans I can walk you through the procedure.”

  Venom waved his hand. “No, I trust you to do what’s necessary.”

  The surgeon pulled a white bride’s collar from the front pocket of his scrubs. “We had to take it off for the procedure. It’s an airway issue.”

  Venom gripped the collar. He shot Risk a warning look. “Your men better not get any funny ideas about my woman. I’ll kick every ass in this place if one of you tries to claim her while she’s uncollared.”

  Risk held up his hands. “Easy, Venom. We have no intention of taking your bride. Everyone knows that she belongs to you.”

  Venom nodded but he wasn’t totally convinced. The competition to get on the Grab lists every quarter was harsh. The rules of their society made it possible for any man to steal away a new bride within the first thirty days that she was on the ship.

  “I’m having them scan this area on her neck.” Risk touched the spot on his own skin. “The suturing there isn’t as primitive as what I’d expect from someone on her planet. I have a feeling she’s been treated by us before.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me.” Venom noticed Raze and Vicious’ confused looks. “She said she was caught in the embassy bombing. I think she took some shrapnel to the neck and shoulder.”

  “That’s what it looks like to me,” the surgeon agreed. He extended a tablet and a stylus. “You know the drill. Scan your chip and sign if you give consent for her treatment.”

  Venom did what was necessary. “How long will it take?”

  “We’re waiting on some blood test results to
check for any allergies she may have to our pharmaceuticals.” He glanced at his watch. “I’d say you’ve got a three-hour wait before you’re called back to recovery and four before they get her into a private room. I don’t expect that she’ll need to stay in the hospital longer than a night.”

  Venom didn’t like the idea of being separated from her for so long but there was nothing else to be done. “If she wakes up before I see her, let her know I’m waiting. I don’t want her to think I’ve abandoned her up here in this strange new place.”

  Risk’s expression softened. “I’ll make sure she knows you’re here.”

  Alone with Vicious and Raze, Venom sank back down onto his seat. He tucked the collar back into the front pocket of his shirt. His fingers brushed something small and hard. So consumed with worry for Dizzy, he’d totally forgotten about his run-in with Devious. Hell!

  Meeting Vicious’ gaze, he said, “Man, this place sure could use a visit from the janitor.”

  Surprise contorted the general’s face. Understanding the silent code for the Shadow Force operatives on the Valiant and the guard ship Arctis, he said, “Well, there have been some issues with the cleaning crews since Orion shuffled the order of things aboard the Valiant.”

  Venom got the message. Terror, the head Shadow Force operative in this sector, had been punted to the Arctis eight weeks earlier. Orion, the sky fleet admiral and the commander of the Valiant, had been furious when Terror had contravened a direct order to carry out one of his secret missions. The admiral had thrown Terror off the ship under threat of venting him into space if he didn’t comply.

  “Let me call down to the janitor’s station and see what we can do.” Vicious rose from his seat and left in search of a secure connection. As far as Venom knew, Pierce—another covert operative—was still aboard the Valiant. He had caught a glimpse at the man a few weeks earlier.

  Raze shot him a questioning look. Even though he trusted Raze with his life he didn’t dare divulge whom he had seen or what he had been given. “I can’t, Raze.”

  “I understand.” And he did. There would be no weirdness or bad blood between them over this secret.

  When Vicious returned, he lowered his voice. “They’re sending a cleaning crew. It might be a while.” He checked his watch and frowned. “I wish I could stay, Venom, but I have a meeting with Orion in twenty minutes.” Vicious squeezed his shoulder. “Keep me updated on your bride. I hope the surgery goes smoothly.” With a smile, he added, “Expect a dinner invitation from Hallie in the next few days. You know how she is about these things.”

  “Thank you for coming. I appreciate it.”

  After Vicious left, Raze drew Venom into a conversation about how they would conduct riot training and which soldiers might be good for SRU recruitment. His mind drifted from the task at hand to Dizzy. Was she in pain? Were the surgeons going to be successful? Would she suffer with troubling side effects?

  “Ven?” Raze spoke loudly and broke through his thoughts.

  “Sorry. What did you say?”

  “I asked what you thought about extending an invite to Mayhem to try out for the team.”

  Venom was taken aback by the suggestion. “Has he been cleared for duty?”

  Raze nodded. “I watched his fitness trials last month. He’s in exceptionally good shape. That bionic leg is amazing. Unless he’s wearing shorts, you’d never know he lost the real one in an explosion.”

  Venom rubbed his jaw. “He’d be the first amputee on an SRU team. Our work environments are less than ideal. Do you think he’d be at a disadvantage?”

  Raze shrugged. “Everyone on the team has strengths and weaknesses. I don’t think Mayhem would put us at risk if that’s what you’re asking. He’s a damn good soldier. He’s fought like hell to get cleared for active combat duty again and should be given the chance to show what he’s capable of doing. He proved himself at Sendaria. I wouldn’t think twice about having him on the Alpha squad.”

  “I wouldn’t either. I worry about the others in SRU. They might not be so accepting. The competition is fierce to make our teams. Mayhem will have to meet or exceed the standards of every other man who tries out for a spot. We can’t have the men whispering behind his back that he got special treatment because of his leg.”

  “He won’t,” Raze promised. “He’ll understand that we’ll be riding him harder than the others. He knows what’s at stake for all the other injured soldiers suing to be allowed back into combat duty rotations. I have no doubt that he’ll excel at every level of the tryouts and training.”

  “Then let’s put him on our shortlist.”

  Movement near the entrance of the medical bay caught Venom’s attention. He spotted Pierce pushing a janitor’s cart. Dressed in green coveralls with his cap pulled low, he was easy to overlook—and that was just the way these Shadow Force guys liked it.

  Because of his SRU work Venom knew most of the operatives working this sector. They often overlapped on missions and shared intel but their identities were a secret he closely guarded.

  Venom picked up an empty coffee cup that had been left on one of the tables in the waiting area. He carried it to the trash can in the corner but purposely dropped it. When he bent down to retrieve it, he swiftly pulled the memory device from his pocket and tucked it into the empty paper cup. He dropped it in the trash and returned to his seat. Briefly he met Pierce’s gaze before glancing to Raze.

  “So what do you think about increasing our team sizes by two men?” Raze stretched out his legs and carried on their conversation. There were enough medics and other soldiers filing in and out of the infirmary to require them to keep up appearances while Pierce cleaned the lobby.

  “If we’re going to be handling crowd control or heading off riots, we’re going to need the extra bodies.” Venom ignored Pierce’s progress and turned his full attention toward Raze. As the second-in-command of the SRU in this sector Venom’s opinion mattered. “After what I saw today I’m concerned about the next Grab. There were enough citizens outside that flimsy fence to cause serious issues. Zeph and his ship’s crew would have been able to cover us from above and provide a place for retreat but it would have been tense until more ships arrived.”

  “It may be time for us to take control of security at the Grabs.” Raze looked less than excited by the prospect.

  “It’s going to agitate them. It’s probably what the Splinters want.”

  “Probably,” Raze agreed, “but we can’t put innocent women in harm’s way and our soldiers and airmen too. They need to know they’re protected. And frankly I don’t give a shit what the people down there think. They’re getting a hell of a lot more out of our treaty than we are. Think of the small number of brides they’ve sent to us and the huge amount of resources we’ve sunk into protecting their backward little planet.” Raze shook his head. “To hell with their feelings.”

  Venom eyed his friend with some surprise. “No, no, no, Raze. Tell me how you really feel.”

  Near the trash can, Pierce snorted while changing out the bag and wiping down the silver can. Venom had to give it to him. When he played a part he played it well.

  “All I’m saying—” Raze stopped as Risk entered the waiting room.

  Venom leapt to his feet. Even though Dizzy’s procedure was probably considered minor his stomach clenched like a fist. He hated that her first experiences with him were so miserable. “Doc?”

  “The procedure went perfectly,” Risk said with a reassuring smile. “We inserted some drains to keep fluid from building up again in that area. We’ll want her to come in periodically for scans to ensure that she’s not forming new calcium deposits.”

  “Is she still sedated? She’s not feeling any pain?”

  Risk shook his head. “She’s out like a light. We’ll keep her sedated until it’s safe for her to sit up and move around.” He checked his watch. “Probably eight or nine hours. Feel free to grab lunch or run errands. We’ll take care of her.”

  “
No.” Venom’s hand brushed the pocket holding her collar. “I’m staying with her.”

  “I’ll grab some things for you from your quarters,” Raze offered. “I’m your emergency contact, right? I have access to your new space so it’s no problem. I’ll get Cipher to bring you lunch so you can stay with your bride.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “No problem.” Raze backed away. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

  When Raze was out of earshot, Risk stepped closer. “When we scanned your wife’s neck we found some of our synthetic blood vessels in place. They’re all in perfect working condition so don’t worry about that. We ran the serial numbers. It looks like she was patched up on the Indefatigable.”

  Venom frowned. “That’s the warship we replaced when we were deployed here.”

  The surgeon nodded. “They were the ship in orbit when the bombing happened. One of the medics working in the OR was on that rotation. He remembers about two dozen citizens of The City being brought onboard for treatment. He didn’t remember her but it was a mass casualty incident so that’s not unusual.”

  “I’m surprised the officials in The City allowed their wounded to be evacuated and treated.”

  “That’s the thing,” the surgeon’s tone grew almost conspiratorial. “All of the victims who were brought here worked at the embassy or had a connection to some of our men stationed there.”

  “But Dizzy would have been just a teenager. She couldn’t possibly have worked there.”

  “Exactly,” the surgeon said. “When we ran her blood samples, the computer kicked back a rather surprising result.”

  His heart sped up as he feared the very worst. “And what was that?”

  “Half of her DNA is Harcos. She’s one of us.”

  Venom stared at Risk as he tried to process that information. “But that’s—”

  “Impossible?” Risk shrugged. “Before today I would have agreed. I mean, she’s much too old to have been part of the current Grab scheme on her planet. Clearly her mother had access to our men two decades ago. The Harcos blood in her comes from her father’s side.”