Escape from Endeavor

by Daniel A. Jones

  ***

  Angelica was sitting on the side of the bed when Daemon came in. She’d dampened a few towels and was placing them over Mystique. Daemon put the items he was carrying on the desk and walked over to see how Mystique was doing.

  “She’s going to be all right, though I am worried about how much pain she’s going to be in when she wakes up. There’s just so much damage; I can’t heal it all,” Angelica whispered.

  The sorrow and pity she was feeling toward Mystique pulled at Daemon’s heart.

  Angelica had been able to heal her lungs so she was breathing easier. She’d also healed some minor internal damage but the burns to Mystique’s skin were going to take longer and she was bound to wake up before they fully healed. Angelica wasn’t sure how much scarring there would be but she was going to do her best to minimize it.

  “Where is Shektee?” Angelica asked as she realized she wasn’t with Daemon.

  “I left her in the kitchen. She’s cooking up some more meat.”

  “Are you crazy, leaving her alone? What if she runs into another member of the crew?”

  “She won’t do anything.”

  “How can you be sure? Why do you trust her—it—so much?”

  “She has to do what I tell her.”

  “I doubt that. If anything, she realizes you’re a threat and is trying to get you to let your guard down so she can kill you and then torture and kill the rest of us,” Angelica stated, knowing she was right. She’d felt the evil, vile desires Shektee was having when she was left alone with her. Angelica knew exactly what Shektee wanted.

  Daemon changed topics, knowing it would do him no good to argue with his sister. “Any idea where Sara is, or any of the other crewmembers?”

  “Yeah, she’s hurt, but not seriously. She’s four doors down on the right.”

  “I’ll go check on her.”

  “Bring her back here; no sense making Shektee go looking for her when she decides to kill us,” Angelica told Daemon, making sure that he understood she was not done talking to him about Shektee.

  “I’ve killed people, too. Maybe you should kill me after I kill her,” Daemon stated as he left the cabin.

  Angelica’s jaw dropped open as she realized why her brother was arguing against killing Shektee. He didn’t see her as a mindless monster. He saw her as being like him. Angelica stood there, stunned as the similarities warred with the differences between Daemon and Shektee in her mind.

  30

  The door to the cabin Sara was supposed to be in was locked. Daemon knocked on it, but didn’t get any response. He knocked harder. When that didn’t work he tried yelling through the door. He thought about chopping through the door with his ax, but didn’t know if that would work since the door slid sideways into the wall.

  Sara heard the knocking and pulled the covers higher over her head but it wouldn’t stop. Finally she pulled back the covers and listen to the person yelling. The voice sounded familiar. It sounded like Daemon, but it couldn’t be. Jim had told her that he’d killed Daemon. She sat up and groaned as the side of her face pulsed with pain. It took her a few minutes before she felt able to stand and when she did she wasn’t very stable and had to hold the walls to keep them from moving. Whoever was at the door was determined, she would give him that. He had started alternating between pounding on the door and yelling. She waited for the person to stop yelling and knocked on the door while he prepared to start pounding again.

  Daemon heard the soft knocking on the door as he brought his fist up to start his knocking again. He listened for Sara to say something but she didn’t, so he yelled through the door, “Sara, open the door. It’s safe. I’m going to take you to Angie.”

  Sara was sure it was Daemon. Jim had only thought he’d killed Daemon. She should have known better. Daemon was hard to kill. She drew a deep breath and yelled, “The door is locked from your side. You need the passkey to unlock it.”

  Daemon had no idea where to get a passkey so he retrieved his ax and drove the spiked tip into the control panel next to the door. Daemon felt a tingle pass through his arms and across his chest as the spike pierced through the electronics of the door lock and shorted them out. The door slid open as Daemon pulled his ax free and checked it for damage and found none.

  Sara was standing at the other end of the cabin where she’d retreated when she heard the impact and the electrical circuitry shorting out. She ran across the space as best as she could and hugged Daemon, reassured in the knowledge that he was there to protect her again, which meant Jim was probably dead.

  Sara let Daemon lead her to the captain’s cabin where Angelica was tending to Mystique. Angelica got up and gave Sara a long, comforting hug. Sara asked, “What happened?”

  “She got caught in a plasma blast from Jim’s rifle. He probably would have killed me if not for her,” Daemon said, his guilt at letting Mystique get hurt written all across his face.

  “I was able to heal the worst of the injuries so she’ll live but I am worried about how much pain she’s going to be in and how badly scarred she’ll be once she’s healed,” Angelica said as she placed new damp towels on Mystique. “I am pretty weak from healing Mystique, but if you need some, I will do what I can,” Angelica offered Sara.

  “I’ll be all right. We could put Mystique in the regeneration tank. Captain Stevenson got us a top-of-the-line one a few years ago. It’ll heal her up in no time and keep the scarring to a minimum,” Sara suggested.

  The thought of the captain caused her both pride and sadness. Sara led the way to the medical facilities with Angelica following behind her, and Daemon bringing up the rear. Daemon carried Mystique wrapped in a blanket as carefully as he could. When they reached Medical, Sara palmed the pad and the pressure hatch slid open. She had Daemon put Mystique down on the examination table in the middle of the room. Sara started into the next room only to stop in the doorway. The next room was only large enough to hold the regeneration chamber and a few people. There was a chair to the right and the control panel for the chamber to the left. Sara had not expected anyone to be in the chamber but the readouts told her it was occupied. She was about to check who it was when the door to the corridor opened and she jumped in surprise.

  Shektee had finished cooking the meat the way Daemon had shown her and waited. Daemon hadn’t returned so she decided to bring it to him. She’d piled it on a plate and wrapped a fork and knife in a napkin the way he’d done it, before she left to go looking for him. She was glad the ancient had given her the ability to locate him whenever she wanted. It let her know that he’d relocated to a cabin back down the corridor near the stairs he’d carried her up. Her leg was not fully healed but it could support some of her weight so she limped slowly down the corridor. The door to the cabin Daemon was in was closed so she passed her hand to the front of the panel like Daemon had to open the door to the galley and it slid open. Angelica and Daemon were in the room with Mystique, there was another woman in the doorway to another compartment. Shektee walked in and offered Daemon the plate of meat.

  “Who are you?” Sara asked when she turned and saw Shektee.

  “My name is Shektee. I am here to help Daemon,” Shektee said before Daemon or Angelica had a chance.

  “Don’t trust her. She is not human no matter what she looks like,” Angelica told Sara, never taking her eyes off Shektee.

  Daemon just looked at Angelica without saying anything. He didn’t want to argue with his sister at this point so he decided to take Shektee to another cabin.

  Sara inched a little farther into the compartment with the regeneration chamber, watching Shektee as she went. “What do you mean, she’s not human?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll lock her in the kitchen storeroom for now,” Daemon said, looking at Angelica for approval. Angelica nodded and Daemon motioned Shektee to leave.

  Shektee wasn’t happy about the idea of being locked in a room but she knew better than to protest.

  Out in the corridor Daem
on offered Shektee his arm as he led the way back to the galley. He apologized on the way. “I’m sorry, but Angie is right. Until we get things settled down and figure out what we’re going to do I can’t allow you to roam around freely.”

  Shektee was a little surprised to sense regret coming from Daemon. In her society the strong did what they pleased to anything weaker than themselves and none ever felt regret. She didn’t think any of her kind could feel regret, it was such a foreign emotion.

  In the kitchen, Shektee offered Daemon the plate of meat again. He took the plate and set it on the counter before trying a couple of pieces. “Have you ever eaten human food?”

  “No, I did try some of the liquid. It had an interesting taste and warmed my throat and stomach. I enjoyed the sensation.” Shektee smiled slightly, remembering the glass of scotch she’d drunk on the yacht.

  “Try some of the meat; it might help with your hunger,” Daemon suggested as he picked up another piece and popped it in his mouth.

  She picked up a small piece and bit into it. She found that she liked the taste so she had a few more.

  “Don’t eat too much too fast until you know how it’s going to affect you,” Daemon instructed as he watched her eat.

  She wasn’t sure what he meant but stopped eating anyway.

  Daemon wanted to get back to Angelica. He handed Shektee the plate. “Please step inside and don’t come out until I get you.” He guessed that if she really wanted to she could break through the door and get out but hopefully she wouldn’t and he could get Angelica to listen to him. As he closed the door he told her, “I’ll be back soon.”