“The engines torched,” he said, lying where he’d stopped, distressingly like a fallen doll. “We have to get moving because there’ll be search parties. She was too high ranking for them not to try to find her. Luckily, the Khagrish will assume we died in the crash, but we have to get these damn bracelets off.”
Gemma was relieved to find her brain back in working order, whether her body trembled from nerves or not. Holding her wrist and frowning at the smooth black bracelet, she asked, “Or we can be tracked?”
He nodded. “We’ll have to throw them in the burning wreck and hope the rescue party isn’t too smart.”
She fumbled with the neurocontroller after wiping the blood and other viscera off in the long grass. Cursing under her breath, she examined the device closely. “I don’t see how to—”
Now it was his turn to sound as if he was out of patience, his voice curt. “Tell me to release both of our bracelets.”
Raising her eyes to the sky in silent exasperation, she repeated his words as a command and then handed him the device. “Are you going to be like this for the rest of your life?”
He did something she didn’t see clearly and her bracelet fell off. Then he removed his and sat motionless, the controller in his hand like a forgotten souvenir. “I don’t know how long the drug will last. She wanted me good and compliant because she knew I’d kill her the first chance I got.”
Curious, Gemma asked, “I gather you’d encountered her before?” She plucked the controller from his fist.
Jaw set, he answered in a hostile tone. “Yes. We don’t have time to discuss this now—we’ve got to toss the bracelets and the controller in the fire while it’s hot enough to melt them and then we need to be on our way out of the area.”
Gemma gathered her strength and willpower and rose. She locked her knees and took a moment to gather herself and master the shakiness. “All right, on your feet, go to the wreck with me and throw the bracelets in the fire.”
He got to his feet much more fluidly than she had but then stood as if rooted to the spot. “You said to go with you, so move out.”
Giving detailed commands will get to be really annoying, really fast. But much as I dislike doing it, he must find it hateful to be at anyone’s mercy. Walking as rapidly as she could, becoming conscious of aches and pains now surfacing as the shock of the crash diminished, Gemma sighed. “How did Yunnivannx solve this issue of having to tell you every single move to make?”
Her question was greeted with silence and she decided he wasn’t going to answer but then he said, “For what she had in mind, I’d have been tied down and the commands would have been relatively simple.”
“Oh. I'm sorry.” Gemma blushed as she remembered the scientist’s casual abuse of her companion’s body and easily imagined what Yunnivannx’s purpose in drugging the man probably had been. “Well, I hope the med wears off soon.”
“Not as much as I do.” His voice was grim. “Khagrish have used this drug to drive Badari insane in the past. We don’t react well to being paralyzed and, if the condition goes on for too long, we go mad.”
“Your race is called the Badari? Do you have a name? I heard her call you by a number, eight something—” She was reluctant to utter the number because he was a person, not a numbered commodity.
“Camron. The scientists denied us names in the labs to make us lesser beings, but we all have one, unique to us.” He didn’t seem to be enjoying the conversation, judging by the clipped nature of his answers and his furrowed brow.
“I’m Gemma Madarian, Dr. Madarian actually, nice to meet you. And I’m sorry I have to—to be the one giving you orders right now. I’m sure it must be quite galling.” She cleared her throat and decided it needed to be said, “I promise not to take any advantage of the situation.”
He gave no response, other than a grunt.
They’d reached the blazing inferno that was the flyer. Camron tossed the two bracelets and the controller into the heart of the flames. Now she was thinking more clearly, Gemma’d hoped there might be salvageable items in the flyer’s debris field—supplies or weapons maybe, but most of what she saw was reduced to unrecognizable fragments. She needed better shoes than the flimsy prison flip-flops currently on her feet, so she gritted her teeth and took the boots from the body of the dead guard. The material molded itself to her smaller feet but she was queasy about having to wear them.
“Now what?” she asked Camron, standing up after putting the boots on and throwing the telltale shoes into the fire. “Do you have a plan? A place we can go to escape the Khagrish?”
“First we must also place the guard’s body in the blaze or the rescue party will see he’s missing boots, weapon and controller and be aware there were survivors. Then we should head south for a while. My people have a sanctuary but it’s many days’ hike from here.”
“I know, you need an order." Gemma managed to get them through the process of adding the dead guard to the pyre and was exhausted and irritable by the time the grim task was done. “Turn to the proper heading and start walking home,” she said at last, waiting to see which direction he chose and then following him.
They walked for several hours. Gemma remembered to call a halt when she was too tired to move another step and needed a break, because the soldier was like a robot, plowing through the underbrush in tank-like fashion and sticking to his course. She sank onto a boulder and rubbed her aching calves. “How are you doing? Any sign of the drug wearing off yet?”
“Not yet. Probably during the night.” He stared off into the forest rather than at her so, when he did give his full attention to her, Gemma was surprised. “I should warn you, there are withdrawal symptoms so I’ll be at less than full situational awareness but no threat to you, I swear. We should find a safe place to camp well before sunset.”
“I’m a doctor, I’ve seen withdrawal before. I can cope but thank you for the advance warning.” Gemma stood and stretched, wincing at all her aches and pains. “How are you doing otherwise? You indicated you might have internal injuries but you seem to be managing okay.”
“We were bred to heal fast.”
Remembering the circumstances under which he’d been brought to the flyer, Gemma fell into attending physician mode. “Do you…do you need treatment for anything else? Anything Yunnivannx might have done to you?"
Camron gave her a blank stare, his amber colored eyes glowing ever so slightly. "No. She didn't get a chance to play her games with me this time."
And clearly I’m not encouraged to ask any more questions along those lines. "Oh."
As she moved to stand in front of him, he looked her over. “I should have asked how you’re doing. We should have taken care of those cuts and bruises before we left the stream. The damn drug is affecting my mental processes to a greater extent than I expected. I haven’t been dosed with it in years so I’d managed to forget the details of what it does to a man.”
“I’ll probably live, but thank you.” She shrugged, rolling her shoulders to loosen her muscles. “Anything’s better than being in the lab.”
“An accurate assessment if I ever heard one." The glimmer of a smile passed over his face but the expression was gone in a blink. “Do you want me to carry you?”
The unexpected offer was made grudgingly, but she appreciated it nonetheless. “Nice of you to offer but I’ll manage. If I can’t keep up, then we can re-evaluate. Enough rest, resume walking toward your home, please.”
As they hiked, the silence began to bother Gemma and, with professional chagrin, she lectured herself for negligence. He could have had other health issues after the crash. Berating herself for the lapse, she said, “I should have examined your back to see if you had burns.”
“I’ve healed.”
His ability to control pain must be off the charts. There wasn’t anything she could do for him anyway, lacking even the simplest first aid kit. “Are you from this planet then?”
“No one is from this place,” he said,
As if his words had been a signal, a flyer sped past, high in the sky, heading toward the spot of the crash. Gemma threw herself headlong into the brush, attempting to become one with the ground and hopefully invisible.
“I was hoping they wouldn’t come until tomorrow,” Camron said, continuing to walk. “We need to put much more distance between ourselves and the downed flyer.”
Feeling a little foolish, she rose, dusted herself off and rushed to keep up. A fragment of memory came to her and she said, “Yunnivannx mentioned you’d been captured because of some new kind of scanner. Do you think the enemy can use the same tech to find us?”
“Unfortunately yes, if they know where to look. I pray to the goddess the searchers accept at face value the idea we all died. There won’t be any bodies left when the flames are done so they can’t count the dead too easily. Those engines use a fuel cell known to burn like the sun when ruptured, which is a good thing for the two of us. I’m also hoping the surrounding area burned over thoroughly as well, to hide traces of our presence. Although the foliage was on the damp side to support a major fire.” He made a small shrugging motion. “We can beg the goddess for at least a little more luck.”
“Hey, you moved your shoulders without an order, is that a good sign the drug is wearing off?” She sped up so she could look him in the face.
Jaw clenched, he seemed to be struggling as he walked and his pace slackened. “I hope so. I’m trying to override your command right now and more and more of my body is responding.”
Gemma wanted to help him in any way she could. Commanding another being was repulsive to her and demeaning to him and she wanted no part of it. Only necessity drove her to continue to issue the orders. Trying to think of helpful strategies, she asked, “Should we stop? Would a bit of rest help?”
“We need to find a good place to shelter for the night. If I can fight off the withdrawal symptoms long enough, I’d like to hunt for dinner for you. We’ve had nothing to eat today, not even nutrient bars.” He walked in silence then added, “I’ve been impressed with your stamina. We’ve made good progress.”
“I’m used to long treks through rough conditions,” she said, wincing at the memories. Trying for a more lighthearted note, she addressed the food issue. “Too bad the flyer was severely understocked with useful items for escapees.”
“Cargo ship. No amenities.” He managed to stop walking briefly before biting out a curse and striding off again in a jerky motion.
Gemma was happy to see him regaining control of his own nervous system. She hoped he wouldn’t decide to leave her behind once he was fully back to normal, but she guessed she could survive even if he did. It would be better for her if they stayed together since he was so much bigger and familiar with the planet. Trying to demonstrate her worth as a partner, she asked, “What should I be looking for, as far as a good campsite?”
“A cave would be ideal, but we’ll probably have to settle for a glade of trees.” He tried to stop walking for a second time and nearly fell over, although his pace slowed. “Those bushes over there have edible berries, if you want to pause to grab some.”
“Stop walking, take a break.” Her stomach growled and she had to admit the idea of even a handful of berries sounded good. “Wait here and I’ll gather enough for both of us.” Gemma moved closer to the thicket of bushes, taking care not to get scratched by the thorns among the berries and flowers.
“The green ones are actually the ripest,” he said.
Gemma reached for a particularly fat berry that practically glowed because it was such an intense green. She popped it in her mouth and was surprised by the flood of sweet juice cooling her throat. “Oh, these are incredible.” She searched for a means to collect more than a few berries and plucked a broad leaf from a nearby sapling, using it as a makeshift basket to collect her harvest.
“They’re good in pie.”
Whatever she’d expected him to say, it wasn’t a remark about baked goods. She grinned at the homey detail, surprising in their current circumstances. “You have someone to make pie for you?”
He flushed a bit, as if reluctant to explain further. “Sandara, the chief cook at the valley. She bakes desserts for everyone. I’m nothing special in that regard.”
Camron’s tone had been a bit reserved so she tried to put him at ease. “Okay, no need to worry, I wasn’t trying to get personal.” Although if they had weeks to hike before reaching his home, they were either going to get to know each other really well or spend a lot of time in total silence. A particularly fat cluster of berries hung a bit further into the thicket so she carefully stepped among the branches.
“Stop.” Camron’s voice was intense. “Don’t move.”
Heart pounding, Gemma stayed frozen in the position she’d taken to reach the berries. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
CHAPTER THREE
“There’s a gliddern coiled under the bushes,” he said. “A reptile, highly poisonous. If you’re bitten there won’t be anything we can do to save your life, not out here in the forest.”
A chill ran through her body as if he’d poured ice water over her. Snakes were one of her biggest phobias. Afraid to move, she actually didn’t want to see the creature. Panic might make her lose self-control if she confronted the reptile—she’d certainly had uncontrollable visceral reactions to snakes on other worlds in the past. Voice shaky, she whispered, “What do I do? Will it bite me if I step away from it?”
“Take one tiny step and let’s see how it reacts. It may be torpid from the late afternoon chill, but if you hear a buzzing sound stop immediately.”
She unlocked her muscles and shifted ever so slightly to attempt the backward step and stopped in terror as a loud buzzing sounded from the brush close to her feet. “Lords of Space, help me.” Now Gemma was afraid she might pass out, which would probably mean she’d be bitten as she fell. Her vision blurred and her head swam.
“Order me to extract you from the thicket as fast as possible,” he said. “Use those exact words.”
She bit her lip as the buzzing continued and grew louder. Sweat popped out on her forehead and she debated the wisdom of what Camron was proposing to do.
“What are you waiting for?” he asked, voice harsh. “The gliddern is growing agitated. It may be nesting there, which will make it more aggressive. Give me the command so I can move.”
“Ex-extract me from the thicket as fast as possible,” she said, struggling to form the words. I can’t stay here.
Next moment a scream was torn from her throat as she was snatched from the center of the berry branches, thorns scraping her skin as Camron lifted her into his arms, pivoted and retreated faster than she’d have thought anyone could possibly move. The buzzing from the gliddern was angry and insistent.
He carried her probably a hundred yards away before she remembered she had to order him to stop. Then he set her down, and staggered a bit as he did so. Gemma turned to look behind her and saw a sinuous body slithering back under the bushes. The creature was easily twelve inches in diameter. She fell to her knees and threw up the berries she’d eaten, unnerved by the idea of having been so close to death.
“Would you tell me to sit?” he asked, voice quieter than usual. “Please.”
Gemma wiped her mouth and spun around, fear rising in her as she focused on his torn pants leg. “Did it bite you? Seven hells, sit down immediately.” She rose to help him as he sank onto the moss underfoot. “What can I do?” She was wearing a one piece prison jumpsuit but she tried to tear a strip from the hem of the pants leg. “Tourniquet. Maybe we can stop the venom from spreading, keep the nerve damage localized.”
With a visible effort, muscle in his clenched jaw jumping from stress, he touched her arm. “Don’t worry about me. We Badari were bred to be immune to all poisons, venoms and diseases. My body is neutralizing the active ingredients in the venom now and repairing the nerve damage. “
It sounded too good to be true to Gemma, especially as he looked haggard and in pain. “Lie back, let me see the bite.”
Camron reclined and she bit her lip at having given him the order without thinking, but since there was a medical necessity, she tore his pants leg further to get a good view. The bite was ugly, swollen, with red and black lines climbing his veins but, even as she watched, the colors receded and his skin blurred in front of her eyes as the deep wounds from the fangs closed. “That’s one hell of a physiology you’ve got, buddy.”
He laughed, although the sound was choked. “My people paid a high price for the gifts. I should be able to stand and walk in a few more minutes and we can keep going.”
“I think we both need shelter and rest but you’re right, this spot is too open.” She glanced at the berry thicket and shuddered, her stomach threatening to heave up its contents again, remembering the gliddern.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “For placing you in danger. I should have checked the thicket myself, first. It’s late in the season for gliddern to be nesting but there’s always a risk—I didn’t think.”
She rested her hand on his arm. “No apologies necessary. You saved my life just now. Seeing the bite wound and what it did to you, with your magic metabolism, I’m sure I would have died, probably a genuinely nasty death. Thank you.”
They sat in the most companionable silence they’d shared yet and after a few minutes he declared himself ready to move on again.
“Maybe you should try getting up without a command,” she said. “Let’s think positive here.”
He made an effort and achieved more independent motion than before, but he was still unable to get to his feet. Gemma issued the necessary order, and they hiked deeper into the forest, Camron limping heavily at first which concerned her. His stride improved as he went and he made no complaint. She had a feeling the soldier wouldn’t complain even if he was dying.
“I think we should pick a likely spot and settle in,” he said. “The light will be going soon and it’ll get much colder. I’d like to make a fire for you before then.”
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