The settlement nearest the massacre ruins. Dread filled Darvk.
~ * ~
Pacing up and down the length of the cell, Tenia stretched and swung her arms.
With a distant look in her eyes, Reya sat back against the wall with her arms and ankles crossed.
“Do you think they intend to starve us to death?” Tenia stopped at one wall, pivoted to retrace her steps.
“At least we have water from that filthy bathroom. I guess that’s something.”
“We’ve been in this cell for two days and no one has come near us.”
Reya transferred her gaze to her sister.
“I hope Darvk’s all right.” Coming to a stop, Tenia chewed her bottom lip worriedly. “And the others.”
“I’d be more worried about us right now,” Reya said dryly.
“As you should be.” They jerked their heads up at the words but no one opened the door.
“You can’t see me, but you can hear me.”
“Cormac,” Reya said coolly. “Too scared to come in?”
“I’m not a fool.”
“Are the traders alive?” Tenia’s fists clenched in dread at the possible response.
“If the outlaws haven’t gotten to them, yes.”
A cold hand clutched her heart. Oh please, oh please…
“We reach Oslow in five days. As per orders, you’ll both hang.”
Tenia suppressed a shudder. Not only did she not know about Darvk and the others, but the thought of hanging…
“Stand against the far wall, food will be brought in.”
“Very merciful of you,” Reya drawled. “I’m deeply touched.”
Appetite dulled by the thought of a noose around the neck, Tenia followed her sister to the far wall. The door to the cell opened just wide enough for a loaf of bread and two green apples to be thrown in, then it clanged shut again.
Reya’s eyebrows rose ironically. “Who the hell was that, Cormac? There wasn’t even time for us to see his face.”
“Eat. Your next meal will be tomorrow.”
“Maybe the bread is poisoned?” Tenia picked it up.
Silence. Cormac was either gone or not answering.
Picking up the apples, Reya studied the skins then shrugged. “Do we have a choice?”
They needed food to keep their strength up. Plus, going by Cormac, they were to arrive alive.
Reya brushed off the apples and handed one to Tenia. “Don’t worry, it won’t kill us. Cormac needs us alive and well for the hanging, otherwise he won’t get paid by whoever hired him.”
Sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, Tenia bit into the apple. The fresh flavour burst upon her tongue, and she took another bite. Leaning her head back against the wall, she chewed slowly.
Reya sat beside her, knees bent, one elbow resting on a knee as she ate her apple.
After the meagre meal, Tenia stared at the opposite wall. If she tried hard enough, she could replace the cold, barren cell she was in with a much better image. Vivid blue eyes in a rakishly handsome face filled her mind, the memory of strong arms and warm embraces making her chilled flesh warm. She could almost feel his sensuous lips and hot breath on her neck.
Darvk. Was he all right? Or had the outlaws gotten to him? What of Cam, Jase, and Maverk?
Shaking her head to dispel the images of Darvk helpless and at the mercy of roaming outlaws, she got to her feet and resumed pacing.
Settling against the wall, Reya stretched out her legs and crossed her ankles. They had a long wait ahead of them.
An hour later Cormac’s voice filtered into the cell. “A visitor is arriving to see you two.”
Tenia looked towards the door.
“Lucky us,” Reya drawled.
“You’ll be interested to know that this visitor is the one who wants you both dead so badly.”
“We’re deeply honoured.” Reya stood slowly. “Send him - or her - in.”
“You’ll see him in due course, warrior, but first we’re going to ensure you don’t do anything stupid.”
Hearing a hiss, Tenia looked up to see white gas pour into the room from openings in each corner of the ceiling. Immediately she dropped to the floor, Reya following simultaneously.
“Well, hell!” Tenia cursed. “This is not what I’d call a fighting chance!”
Reya looked at her.
Tenia’s throat went dry at the cold knowledge in her sister’s eyes. There was no escaping this, nowhere to run.
“Hold your breath for as long as you can,” Reya ordered softly.
The gas drifted lower.
Lower.
Covered their faces, filtered through to the cold, dirty floor of the cell.
There was no fresh air now, only the white gas.
Heart pounding, lungs bursting, Tenia tried to hold on, clenched her teeth, but finally she could hold her breath no longer and she exhaled hard, inhaled desperately, and sucked down the gas. A dark haze filled her vision, the world tilted, and with a groan she went limp.
~ * ~
“’Tis so quiet without the lasses.” Cam poked gloomily at the food on his plate.
“Aye,” Garret agreed. “I didn’t realize how I was so used to having them around.”
Jase pushed his steak around the plate. “I fear we won’t get to Oslow in time to save them.”
“If anything happens to them, I don’t know what Darvk and Maverk will do.” Cam gave up trying to eat.
Gloomily, they looked at each other.
~ * ~
Darvk walked down the corridor to Tenia’s cabin. With a heavy heart he opened the door and entered, smelling the faint scent of jasmine.
It was clean and tidy, the bunk neatly made, a pale blue nightgown folded and lying on top of the pillow. Going over to the bunk, he picked up the nightgown, holding it up to his face and breathing in the clean, sweet fragrance that was uniquely hers.
With a groan he slumped on the edge of the bunk, crushing the soft cotton in his fist. “Tenia, I’m coming, my darling.”
His heart felt as though it would break at the realization that he loved the golden-haired warrior, that he might be too late to save her; too late to tell her that he loved her.
Gently he laid the nightgown back on the pillow and left the cabin.
~ * ~
In the control cabin, Maverk stared at the radar screen in frustration. He’d contacted every ship in the vicinity, but no one had seen the bounty hunters’ ship on their scanners due to the blocking device the hunters used. All the Daamens could do was get to Oslow as fast as they could, and pray that they were on time.
~ * ~
Ankles and wrists chained, the sisters stood side by side and surveyed the plain room. Tenia’s gaze came to a stop on the four men standing near the table watching them.
Cormac was there, cold grey eyes flickering over them. Beside him stood two men in flowing white robes, their faces hidden by material masks attached to their hoods. A fourth man stood on the other side of the table watching them warily out of dark eyes. Whipcord lean in tight-fitting black pants and full-sleeved shirt stood Sinya.
Reya stared straight at him. “I hope the reward was worth it.”
His eyes flickered at the scathing remark, but he didn’t answer.
“So, you have indeed caught them,” the shorter of the two masked men said. “Well done.”
“As I said I would,” Cormac said. When the short man made to move closer, he warned quietly, “They are not to be trusted.”
A mirthless laugh met this. “None of them are to be trusted! The golden-haired one looks like her father except for those damnable eyes. Colour of her bitch mother’s.”
Chains rattled as Tenia stirred restlessly at the insult to her dead mother. “And proud of it,” she hissed.
The bounty hunters standing nearby didn’t move, their gazes watchful.
The short man remained unfazed. “The older one has the bitch’s fiery hair, but the eyes of the father. I’ve wa
ited a long time for your capture.”
“We were stolen.” Tenia regarded him contemptuously. “Not captured.”
“Outlaws can’t be stolen. I have you both now.” He paced in a wide circle around them before stopping in front of them to ask, part tauntingly, part curious, “What do you say to that?” When neither Tenia nor Reya bothered to reply, nor showed fear, he made an impatient sound. “It doesn’t matter what you think.” Disregarding Cormac’s frown, he stepped forward, tilting his head to study the warriors staring down at him expressionlessly.
Suddenly he swung his hand aound while, snarling, “You should never have been born!”
Anticipating such an action, she swiftly ducked the blow, dropping one shoulder to barrel into him, knocking him flat. Falling with him and twisting away, she rolled into Cormac’s legs, bringing him down.
Reya lunged back into the bounty hunter behind her, cursing the short chains that hampered her movements. The rectangular box he carried clattered to the floor, and they both dived after it.
“Alen! Shaque!” Cormac roared, flinging himself atop Tenia and pinning her to the floor with his body. “Get Reya!” Narrowly avoiding her snapping teeth as she tried to bite him, he fisted his hand into her hair to hold her head back against the floor. “Damn it! Abra, help me!”
Within seconds the unequal struggle was over, the Reekas on their feet, their arms held tightly by the hunters. They were all dishevelled and breathing heavily.
Panting, helped by his masked comrade, the short man struggled to his feet and shook a fist at Tenia. “You whelps will die!”
“Come on, little man!” She spat at him.
Placing his hand on the man’s shoulder, Cormac jerked his head at his hunters. “Take the women back to the cell but leave them chained.”
Without showing any emotion - Tenia was starting to wonder if anything really fazed them - the hunters roughly led the warriors away to the cell and shoved them inside. The sisters landed jarringly on the hard floor, the door slamming shut behind them.
Wincing a little, Tenia lifted her head to spot her sister lying on her side. “Are you all right?”
“I’ve been worse.” Reya rolled onto her knees. “You?”
“I’ve had better days.”
Struggling to their feet, they stood facing each other.
“You’re bleeding.”
Reya touched her tongue to the corner of her mouth. “Split it a little when they threw us in. Nasty graze you’ve got there.”
“Huh?” Tenia glanced at the large red graze pinpricked with tiny dots of blood on her upper arm. “Oh, that. Floor’s a bit rough to land on.”
Inspecting the chains and bracelets on her wrists and ankles, her sister said in disgust, “Pick-proof. Just my luck.”
Tenia regarded Reya. “That short man, he’s someone high up, isn’t he?”
“Undoubtedly, because he was very careful to keep covered, as were his companions if you noticed.”
“Kind of hard to miss,” Tenia replied dryly.
Reya rubbed her hands thoughtfully, the chink of the chains loud in the cell. “I couldn’t even see the colour of his eyes. I have no idea who he is.”
They stood for several moments, wracking their brains, trying to place the short man.
When nothing familiar came to mind, Tenia shuffled over to the wall and eased herself down, bending her knees to rest her wrists atop them.
Reya followed suit, and silence filled the cell.
Chapter 9
Two bounty hunters stood one on each side of each chained warrior, holding onto their arms as they descended the ramp. Six bounty hunters stood guard, watchful and wary.
If Tenia hadn’t been so grimly aware of what awaited her and Reya, she’d have found it amusing that the Reekas’ reputation was tough enough to warrant such heavily-armed guards.
Unfortunately, the picture of a noose swinging in the wind was reality, as well.
A long hover platform stood nearby carrying two cages, each six foot high and four foot wide, with solid floors and heavy iron bars on the roof and sides. The doors stood open.
“Put them in.” Cormac didn’t flinch as the warriors started struggling. “Now.”
The sisters used their weight and elbows against their captors, pulling this way and that, snapping with their teeth, kicking out with their legs.
Swearing, the hunters struggled with them, finally getting them up and into the cages. The doors clanged shut ominously.
Coming up on her knees, Tenia gripped the bars while she sought out her sister. There was only the briefest glimpse of her before a heavy canvas was thrown over the cage, casting her into darkness. With a sigh she sat on the floor. The hover platform lifted and started to glide smoothly along.
Tenia knew when they entered the settlement of Oslow, for the murmurings of the people could be heard, questions being hurled at the hunters who didn’t reply.
She wasn’t surprised. This pack of bounty hunters was composed, emotionless. Cold and brutal. There was no doubt that if the short man had wanted them dead instead of alive to hang, she and Reya would have been killed on sight without a twinge of remorse on the parts of the hunters.
With relief, Tenia felt the hover platform come to a halt. The canvas was uncomfortably hot. A rusty squealing and the rattle of chains sounded, and she looked up to see a huge iron hook come through the opening in the canvas, then a man’s hand guided it to hook into the heavy iron ring in the roof of the cage.
As the cage lifted and swayed to the sound of rusty squealing, she grabbed onto the bars. The canvas was whipped off, and she blinked at the sudden bright light. Only as her eyesight adjusted did she realize where they were - in the market square of Oslow, surrounded by gaping settlers.
Less than ten feet from her was the other cage containing Reya. Both cages were being winched up gigantic iron poles, coming to a swaying halt twenty feet up in the air.
“They’re girls!” someone called.
Cormac stepped forward. “These are Reeka warriors.”
Stunned silence greeted this, then a roar went up.
“Murdering harlots!”
“Why’d you bring them here?”
“If they escape-”
His laser fired into the air, the crackle silencing the crowd who shifted and moved back uneasily.
“These outlaws won’t escape.” His cold gaze swept the crowd. “They will be guarded day and night by us until they are hung.”
“Hung?”
“When?”
“Where?”
“Today the gallows are going to be built. It will be finished by tonight, for nothing fancy is needed. Tomorrow they hang.”
A roar of approval swept the crowd, bloodthirsty comments peppering the air, some lewd, some vicious, all intent on killing.
Tenia knew this could turn ugly very fast. If Cormac wasn’t careful, if he didn’t rein them in now, the crowd would likely get the cages down, drag her and Reya out, and tear them to pieces.
And that was if the crowd was merciful.
Apparently Cormac was no fool. He fired another shot into the air, swept the muzzle over the crowd in warning. “No one approaches these cages, no harm comes to the outlaws. You may watch and look all you please, but anyone who thinks to take the law into their own hands will be dealt with harshly. No mercy.”
Disgruntlement now filled the crowd but the hunters raised their lasers and without fanfare simply aimed them at the people.
The crowd shuffled warily.
Cormac regarded them all steadily. “You’re invited to the execution, courtesy of the one who had these warriors captured.”
Appeased, they murmured amongst themselves, pointing up at the silent figures in the cages suspended high above them.
“Delightful audience.” Tenia looked down at the gawking faces.
“Full of goodwill.” Settling herself comfortably on the floor of the cage, Reya leaned back carefully against the bars.
&n
bsp; It wasn’t long before men arrived with hover platforms bearing wooden logs and boards. The head carpenter paraded around importantly with his handtronic as he conversed with Cormac and drew lines in the dirt.
Sitting in the corner of the cage, Tenia watched him produce a tape measure and start measuring the lumber. His bald head shone in the morning light.
The builder of the contraption meant to end her and Reya’s life. Already she hated him, hated the gleam of greed in his eyes, not to mention the lascivious way he licked his lips when he looked up at them.
“I want the gallows built quickly,” Cormac said.
“Of course.” Straining to see the captives, the carpenter peered up at the cages suspended in the air. “How tall are the outlaws?”
“Both are six and a half feet. The rope must be strong and new.”
Reya was looking out over the settlement to the blue skies beyond, lost in her own thoughts.
Tenia met the head bounty hunter’s hard eyes, but no hint of compassion showed in his expression. He simply disregarded her and strode off.
Business done for now, then, she thought bleakly. The only thing Cormac has left to do is string us up and watch us die. Resisting the impulse to touch her neck and wince, not wanting to give the settlement people anything to point and gawk at - it was enough that they did it now - she turned her attention to watching them. Much better than dwelling on her coming demise.
Much better than thinking of Darvk maybe dead at the hands of outlaws, maybe badly beaten. Maybe dead from poison. Crying in front of these bastards was not an option. Show no weakness.
Groups clustered here and there as memories of the massacre were resurrected and retold, tales of murderous Reeka warrior women growing by the minute.
The men stopped building in the early evening and dispersed to their homes. The gallows stood there, grim and threatening in the twilight, not quite finished.
But it would be, Tenia knew. There wasn’t much left to do. Tomorrow sometime, she’d be up close and personal with the deathly contraption.
She stared at it until rain started to patter down. As it began to get heavier, thin iron slats unfolded from the top of the cage to cover the sides, offering protection though not warmth. The sisters huddled on the floors of their cages with the chill seeping into their bodies.
Outlaw Page 22
