16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Faelin

“Hey, Failin?” Ellen asks as she moves toward the door. “Why are you red?”

I chuckle, ruffling her hair. Nala’s hair. This girl is a smaller version of my perfection and I love it. “Why are you striped?” I return playfully, not bothering to correct her mispronunciation of my name. “Wait by the door, alright?”

She obediently pads over to the door. While I quickly restrain the unconscious Genixarian, Ellen explains, “I’m striped because I’m a high-bird. That’s what Master Drayth calls me. Mama scowls when he says it. Why doesn’t she like high-birds?”

“It’s not a pretty word. Some people say it to hurt others. But I think your mama likes high-birds just fine,” I add, grinning from ear to ear. I’m definitely calling myself a high-bird from now on. “I’m a high-bird too, and she likes me.” At least I hope so. “And she certainly loves you more than anything in the universe. She just doesn’t like Master Drayth.”

“Master Drayth is scary. Zuri doesn’t like him.” With her tail wrapped around her body, Ellen holds the doll close to her chest.

“Then Zuri is a very smart doll.” Having taken care of Aunt Mu, I crouch in front of Ellen, thinking about how to explain the next steps to her. I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a child this young. “How about we play a little game now?”

Ellen scowls, looking so much like her mother that I have trouble not laughing out loud. “I don’t want to play games. I want to go to Mama.”

“Right, uh…” Maybe dumbing it down for her isn’t the way to go. “Okay. You’re a big girl, so I’m going to speak to you like a big girl. We need to sneak out of here without anyone noticing us. Which means we will have to be extremely quiet and you need to do exactly what I say. Do you understand?”

Her expression grows more serious than I’d expect from a four-year-old. “I’m a big girl,” she confirms, clutching her doll tighter. “Can Zuri come with us? She will be quiet.”

“Of course.” I get ready by the door, casting one more glance at Ellen. “Stay behind me. And when I tell you to run, what do you do?”

“Run?”

“Good girl.”

With the stunner in hand, I touch the door control, ready to take out anyone on the other side. Fortunately, the corridor is empty. “Let’s go,” I whisper to Ellen before leaving the room. I burst into a jog, then slow down when I realize Ellen can’t possibly keep up with me on her short legs. As we move toward the nearest engineering walkway access hatch, I keep glancing behind me to check she’s there.

She follows, her lips tightened into a thin line, her hands squeezing poor Zuri so tightly I’m worried the doll will be crushed. Her wide eyes dart from side to side and she winces at the slightest noise. The girl is scared but, just like her mother, she doesn’t show it. Such a brave little thing.

“You’re doing great,” I whisper when we reach the hatch. “What about Zuri? How is she doing?”

“Afraid,” Ellen whispers back, her voice barely more than a breath. “But quiet. Is Mama in there?” she asks, pointing at the hatch.

Damn, I wish I could tell her yes, but I don’t want to lie to her. “Not yet, sweetheart. We need to go through here and take a trip on a tiny ship. Then we’ll wait for your mama to pick us up.”

“O-okay.”

“Don’t worry, it’s safe. Especially for you, since you’re so little,” I say half jokingly. “You won’t get stuck anywhere. Look at me.” I gesture at my wide shoulders. “I’ll probably get stuck trying to get around the next corner and you’ll have to push and push to squeeze me through.”

She giggles, smacking a palm over her mouth as she remembers to be quiet. “I can’t push you, you’re too big!”

“Then you should probably go first,” I suggest, ushering her into the passage. We’ve been standing here for too long and I’m beginning to worry someone will catch us. “Just remember, stay quiet. And when I get stuck?”

“I run?” she replies, still giggling. “Zuri can push you. She’s strong.” Her voice wavers as she enters the walkway. “It’s dark in here. I don’t like dark.”

I rummage through the bag of UGC supplies before handing her a small flashlight. “Here. This will chase the dark away. Now, go forward until I tell you to turn. And don’t touch the pipes, some of them are hot.”

Ellen cautiously places her hand a few inches above one of the pipes running along the walkway walls, then shakes her head. “This one isn’t hot. But this one is,” she adds after testing another one, showing her teeth in a wide smile. They aren’t as pointed as a pure-blooded Syndoran’s, which only adds to her cuteness. “This one isn’t. This one isn’t. Oh, here, look, this one is really hot!”

I arm myself with patience. If it was just me, I’d already be halfway to the hangar, but I can’t blame a child for acting like a child. “Yes, this one is really hot,” I agree, “so we better stay away from it. And remember, we have to be quiet.”

“Oh, right, quiet,” Ellen whispers, pointing her flashlight all around. “Like a mouse.”

I don’t know what a mouse is, but for both our sakes, I hope it’s a really stealthy animal. “Yes, like a mouse. Let’s go.”

I’m not sure what deities hold their protective hands over us, but somehow, we make it to the hangar without alerting anyone to our presence. Ellen stays quiet for the most part but when she does forget herself and starts telling me about something she suddenly finds interesting, like a multicolored wire or pipe that’s squeaking, no guards hear her.

Like I’d hoped, there’s a shuttle docked in the middle of the small hangar. It’s a simple shuttle without hyperdrive, which means we can’t use it to actually get ourselves out of Drayth’s reach, but we can use it to get off this ship and wait for the Supernova to come and pick us up. It’s a rather simple plan, but I found that simple works the best as there are fewer things to go wrong.

I tell Ellen to wait by the hatch while I search the hangar for guards. There are none. The shuttle looks operational and a quick check reveals that it’s fueled and ready to go. The hangar bay door controls are accessible from the cockpit. Everything is great. Maybe too great.

Even simple plans can go wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong.

As I exit the shuttle to fetch Ellen, a door opens on the other side of the hangar and several guards enter. I jump behind a crate to hide, hoping they’re just on a regular patrol and will soon leave. That hope dies when I overhear their conversation.

“... the tracker. Somewhere around here.”

“Alone?”

“Not sure. Be ready. And find the little bitch!”

I stifle a growl. I should have known Drayth would put a tracker on Ellen. I only checked for a collar, satisfied to see she wasn’t wearing one. The tracker is probably subdermal, a tiny device implanted under her skin so long ago she wouldn’t even remember it happening.

I could make it to the shuttle and take off, but I dismiss the thought before it even fully forms in my mind. I came here to save Ellen and I’m not leaving without her. I’d never be able to live with myself, not to mention look into Nala’s eyes again.

Knowing my hiding spot is about to be discovered, I do the only thing possible—draw the guards’ attention to me. “HEY!” I yell, waving my arms in case they missed my large body emerging from the shadows. “I’m over here! ELLEN, RUN!” I add, hoping the girl will listen.

The guards are quick to draw their weapons. Shock sticks and stunners, I notice. They probably don’t want to damage the master’s “merchandise”. The thought fuels my rage. Nala’s daughter is no one’s fucking merchandise!

With a roar, I launch myself at the nearest guard, taking him by surprise. Bones crack as he collides with a cargo container. He groans and wheezes as I move to attack another, but I don’t bother checking on his injuries. He’ll probably live. Or not. I don’t give the slightest shit.

The second guard is a massive Okri. I mean, the Okri are large in general, but this one is the biggest one I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot of them since they’re often hired as guards because they’re strong and good at following orders.

The Okri grunts as my fist slams into his stomach, but he doesn’t budge. The motherfucker is heavier than me, which means I can’t beat him by sheer force. As I try to sidestep his punch, pain lances through my thigh and I collapse on one knee. More pain stabs at my back and arms until I’m lying on the cold metal floor.

The fuckers with their shock sticks don’t stop shocking me until I’m on the brink of passing out. It’s embarrassing, really. I’d hoped to last longer, but what can one man do against thousands of volts frying his muscles? At least I gave Ellen a chance to run.

I’d hoped to make this a stealthy mission. Get in, grab the girl, and get out with Drayth none the wiser. Now, my squad mates will have to fight to get us out of here. And they will. I have no doubts about that. They will come. We always come for each other.

“Did you find her?” a grating voice pierces through the pain clouding my mind.

“Not yet, sir. She crawled into one of the vents.”

Drayth’s fancy leather shoes come into my view. “Then go after her, idiots!”

“But sir, we won’t fit.”

“Go after that fucking child or I’ll grab a knife and make you fit!” Drayth yells and most of his subordinates scatter like flock of spooked birds. “Blood and bones,” he curses to himself, his shoes clicking closer. “I swear the little bitch is more trouble than that fucking mother of hers. Should have sold them both years ago. Not even human slaves are worth this much hassle. And now,” he says, the tip of his shoe poking my cheek, “who the fuck are you?”

I spit out blood, pleased to see how nicely it stains the leather. Of course, it earns me a kick to the stomach, but it was worth it. “Fucking bastard!” Drayth yells, grabbing the shock stick and burying it into my back. My vision wavers, but I don’t lose consciousness. Sometimes, I’m too tough for my own good.

“I’m your worst nightmare,” I croak when he stops sending electricity through my body. “There’s a dozen more of us on your ship just waiting to take you down. Watch the shadows, Drayth. The second you close your eyes, one of them will move in and slit your throat.”

“What a bunch of karli crap.” Drayth kicks me again, but I grin. I heard the hint of fear in his voice. He doesn’t know who I am or how I got on this ship. His lack of knowledge scares him, because if I got on board, who’s to say others didn’t too? And a friendly fellow like him? I bet he has dozens of powerful enemies.

Drayth leans closer to snarl at me. The many rings on his bone mohawk shine in the light, but I’m beginning to think he didn’t actually earn those kill marks himself. He’s good at giving orders and organizing things, but he’s a coward. Even now, all it takes is me baring my teeth and he jerks back.

“Truth be told, I don’t care who you are,” he continues, hiding his fear behind a mask of disdain. “I’d beat it out of you, but it won’t matter, so why bother? Actually, I’m glad you’re here. You’ll make my trip more profitable. Shitty hybrids like you are usually in low demand, but you look strong. An arena stable will surely jump on the opportunity to buy a new gladiator. They’ll teach you obedience,” he adds, displaying his sharp teeth in an evil grin.

A sharp retort dies in my throat when I hear the rest of the guards return. It’s not their footsteps that make the blood in my veins freeze, though. It’s the sound of a child crying.

They found Ellen.

“We caught her, sir,” they announce.

Drayth snorts. “Amazing. You managed to capture a fucking four-year-old. You want a raise for that? Fuck you. How did you catch her?”

“Well, we couldn’t fit into the vents, so we opened the hot air valve. She ran out, screaming,” the guard adds, grinning.

A growl reverberates through me. I want to destroy the bastard who dared to hurt Nala’s child. I want to punch his face and keep beating him until there’s nothing but bloody mush where his head used to be.

Before I drag myself up off the floor, however, Drayth steps in and holds the shock stick to the guard’s chest. For once, we seem to be on the same page, even if it’s for different reasons. “You did what?!” Drayth screams, shocking the guard even as he collapses onto the floor. “You idiots! I told you not to damage the fucking merchandise! And you do what?! Hm? You try to boil her alive?! How the fuck am I supposed to sell her if she’s dead?!”

I only make it to my knees. I’d tried to stand but my legs simply wouldn’t hold my weight, so I remain on the floor and gesture for Ellen to come closer. She runs over and throws herself into my arms, nearly knocking me back down.

Her tiny body shudders with sobs and her tears soak into my shirt. I crane my head to look at the arm she cradles to her chest, my worries easing a little. She has a few blisters on her forearm but nothing more serious. Still, it must hurt.

“Shh,” I soothe, wrapping my arms around her while being mindful of her injury. “It’s going to be alright, I promise. Close your eyes now.”

Drayth is still holding the shock stick to the guard’s chest, even though the Okri’s body is no longer moving, aside from the occasional reflexive twitch. At this setting, the sticks can be deadly if used for too long and I don’t want Ellen to witness a murder.

The other guards exchange worried looks, but none of them do anything to help their colleague. Only after Drayth is done and tosses the stick aside do they rush in to check on the male’s pulse. Unsurprisingly, they find none.

Drayth smirks as he watches them drag the body away, then returns his attention back to me, and then Ellen. I can see how his gaze turns calculative as he observes me holding Ellen, and I know that I’m betraying my weakness, but I can’t bring myself to push her away.

“You came here for the kid,” Drayth concludes, as if it wasn’t already obvious from how I tried to get her off the ship. Some genius he is. “Did that cunt Nala put you up to this? Unbelievable. I should have gotten rid of her a long time ago. The bitch was too much trouble. Not a bad fuck, but in the long run… I clearly gave her too much freedom. Well, that ends now.”

Ellen whimpers and I realize I’ve been clutching her too tightly. I ease my grip without letting go of her. “You’re not getting your filthy hands on Nala again,” I say through my gritted teeth. I want to tell him much more, but I can’t find words that aren’t filthy expletives and I don’t want to curse in front of Ellen.

“I will end you, Drayth,” I promise him, putting all my fury and hatred into my words. “I will watch you take your last breath and the life drain from your body. Remember this. I will be the one to kill you.” I put a hand over Ellen’s exposed ear as I make my declaration. I don’t want her to be afraid of me.

Drayth smirks. “No, you won’t. Let me tell you what’s going to happen. In a few hours, we’ll get to the Arcade. There, you’ll get a new master. I think I’ll come watch them break you. After I’ve sold this little bitch, of course,” he adds, sneering in Ellen’s direction.

“Farpoint Gateway’s security will have arrested Nala by now and will hand her over to me,” he continues. “I’ll have some serious fun with that pathetic cunt before selling her to the highest bidder. Humans are quite coveted, you know? I’ll make a fortune. Even the little one will yield a hefty profit even though she’s only half human. I didn’t know what Nala was having, you know? The sellers told me it could be almost anything. The idiots all fucked her, not caring that a half Ataxi offspring would be worth much more than a half Syndoran. They were thinking with their cocks. Unlike them, I use my brain. That’s why I never lose.”

Even as I imagine tearing the bastard’s throat out and slapping him with it, I shove my rage down deep. I put it away for later use, so to speak. For now, I have to remain calm and make sure Drayth’s focus is on me and not Ellen. I can take anything, but if he starts hurting her… I don’t know what I’ll do.

“You say you never lose, but you definitely lost me,” I argue, pretending to yawn. “I got bored halfway through your tedious monologue. You sure love listening to yourself. You should have become an actor. Or an insurance agent. Ooh, or one of those street promoters who try to talk people into going into those filthy, low-cost brothels where you’re guaranteed to get an STI. Mate, you’d be brilliant at that! You—”

Drayth yanks a shock stick from the nearest guard’s hand and swings it against me. He’s aiming for my head, but I twist out of the way, so he only hits my shoulder.

I’m ready to shove Ellen away from me if he starts shocking me, but it seems he’s so beside himself with rage he forgets he can do that. He just keeps hitting me as if he was holding a simple club. And he says he uses his brain? I smirk to myself, even as another hit lands on my temple and I’m falling on the floor. My last thought as I lose consciousness is to shift my body so I won’t crush Ellen underneath me while still shielding her from the blows.