"Have you guys seen Becca?" I ask when the rest of the team is having a late breakfast. Meni and Nemi shuffle to hide something under the table. "We haven't seen her," they say quickly as they shovel food in their mouth. Reeta is closing up a pouch, tucking something papery inside before placing it nonchalantly on the corner of the table. I take a seat next to her. "Last I saw her she was in cargo," Reeta says. "Something about how she was worried about the baby and needed to pull out of the mission."
"What?" Becca would never give up on a mission. I mean, she even stood on the top of a moving train with a baby in her stomach! Why of all times would she decide to go now? My chest suddenly starts to feel heavy. It must be because of our argument last night.
The door slides open and Gallik steps in, wrapping his hand with some cloth. He's bleeding, and while he finishes bandaging the wound I can make out several teeth marks between his thumb and pointer finger. "Little lady flew the coop," he says somberly. "I helped her call for Rissa's transport team this morning. They sent a dropship while you were sleeping."
“And nobody woke me up so I could say goodbye?”
“We tried,” says Meni.
“You were out like a rock,” Nemi says.
I slide further into my seat. Reeta offers me something to eat but I can't even process hunger right now. All I can think about is how badly I messed up with Becca. She's probably already on our main cargo ship now. I haven't been this far from Becca in a long time, and I can't help but worry that this anxious feeling I have will never go away.
"What happened to your hand?" Reeta asks Gallik. Gallik tucks his bloody bandaged hand into the pocket of his trenchcoat. "Tried to catch a filly toad latched onto the train. Bastard took a nibble out of me." He throws an odd glance at me like he knows something. All of the crew goes silent, which creates an eery vibe throughout the car.
“Well, I better tend to the engines,” Meni says. “Right behind you,” Nemi chimes. As they stand up from their chairs, a papery sound flutters from their pockets and onto the ground. They scramble to pick them up, but not before I stoop down to grab one. It’s money. Multicolored bills, all of them ridiculously high numbers. “Where’d this come from?” I ask. I turn my gaze to the pouch Reeta placed on the corner of the table. I watch as she slyly removes it, placing it on her lap. “Uh, Meni lost a bet and owes me some money,” Nemi lies.
"Must have been quite the bet," I say. They know they can't hide, and Meni, the weakest, cracks. "It's our payment from Rissa," he says. "She sent it early."
“That’s strange,” I say. I don’t think I got anything from her yet.
“She said yours is delayed,” Gallik says, stepping out of the way to let the two brothers shuffle past him. “She’ll give yours to Becca on your main ship.”
"I see," I reply, but I absolutely don't believe them. Why would Rissa be paying them all on the train, when she knows I'm still here?
I grab a roll from a basket on the table and leave my seat. Something strange is going on, and I need to piece it together and get back to Becca, fast. “Better get ready,” Gallik calls out to me. “We’re stopping in the hub soon.”
The train has finally reached our destination. Near the equator of Muran, there's a massive mining town and a hub of villages. It's Muran's equivalent of a city, with towers built into the largest mesas, hundreds of railways leading to different marketplaces. It's a hive composed of almost every species that exists on the planet. Rissa said the client should be here to meet us, though I haven't seen him at all since we've stopped the train.
I lean against one of the cars, looking off towards a transport bay. I recognize the paint job of one of the dropships that it belongs to Rissa. This is the final stage of our plan. After dropping off the cargo and greeting the client, we'll be able to get off of this forsaken planet along with our paychecks, though some of us seem to have gotten theirs a little early.
We start to unload the crates from the back of the train. After I ask, Gallik tells me the client won't be meeting us, and that he's already agreed to the shipment via computer since his schedule was full. He's acting strangely, quickly unloading the boxes and barking at the rest of the team to hurry the cargo onto the ground. I glance around at the chaos of the town, wondering where we'll even be transporting these crates. An officer eyes us as we unload the cargo car. "Need assistance?" He asks. Gallik waves him away. "Unnecessary. Can you tell me where the rest of the stations connect from the main hub?"
I listen intently as Gallik gets instructions from the officer. The rails lead off towards four different corners of the planet, where apparently Rissa wants us to send the shipment. As I go to the back for another box, something makes me uneasy. Why the rush? Why the secrecy?
I sneak further towards the back of the car, checking to make sure nobody's watching. Against Rissa's rules, I crack open one of the lids. My heart travels up my throat and almost ceases to beat.
Cubes. Hundreds of them. Just like the one we stole for Rissa. They're all connected to a timer, and it's only got a couple of hours left. The plan fuses together in my mind, and suddenly everything starts to make sense. Rissa hired my old buddies to get Becca and me on the mission. She's going to distribute these bombs all over the planet. I'm not sure how strong they are, but judging by how large the shipment is there might be enough explosives to destroy the whole planet.
I quickly cover the crate up when I hear Meni and Nemi nearby. As I step out of the way, my foot catches on a scrap of fabric. I recognize the familiar shape of one of Becca's favorite shirts. After examining the car further, I notice another article of her clothing, then another, almost like a strangely twisted trail of them leading outside.
I dodge around my teammates, following after a hairbrush, makeup compacts, and fuzzy socks scattered clumsily in the street until I find a nearby trash bin with Becca's briefcase shoved halfway inside. She didn't leave. My eyes dart to the dropship in the distance, and suddenly it becomes clear. Becca's still on this train somewhere, and the rest of the team is going to ditch us. That's why Rissa sent them their paychecks early and not ours.
Becca had been right. I shouldn't have trusted them so easily, even if they were my friends. It's safe to call them my ex-friends now, and I'm pulsing with rage as I reach for my blaster holstered to my thigh. I have a bone to pick with Gallik and the others. I find Remi and Meni first.
"Almost done Falax?" They ask in unison. I grab both of their throats, shoving their lizard bodies hard into the side of the train car. "Where the hell is my wife?" I growl. "What did you do with her?"
Their slitted eyes bulge from their skulls as they choke and sputter. “We don’t know-”
“You’re lying!”
"Careful, Falax," another voice joins in, and I hear a click of a blaster near my ear. In my peripheral I can see Gallik, pointing his weapon right into my temple. "You're a little outnumbered here," he warns. "Why don't you step inside so we can talk?"
CHAPTER NINE: SAVAGES
BECCA
Reeta's my current babysitter. The team has been taking shifts, watching me in the engine car of the train. Earlier, I had bitten Gallik as hard as I could in an attempt to escape, but I was quickly outnumbered and tied up on the floor, a cloth shoved in my mouth to keep me from screaming for Falax. I struggle against my restraints, glaring at Reeta who's lounging in one of the conductor seats, a smug grin on her face. She shakes up a bottle of Rissa's drink, the dark liquid swirling inside.
On the holo-screen in front of her, Rissa's face stares back at both of us to my surprise. "Did she finish it yet?" I can hear her ask, her sweet voice slightly more sinister now. "I'm prepping the last dosage," Reeta says. "Then the transformation process will take effect."
Hold the phone! Transformation process? I squirm against the tight ropes cutting into my arms. "It's important that she drinks all of it," Rissa clarifies. "I can't work with just a simple human-Kellion hybrid."
It’s a second before I realize that she’s not t
alking about me. She’s talking about my baby!
“I’ll administer it immediately before we transport her.”
"And Falax?"
“Gallik’s got him tied up in another car,” Reeta says to my horror. “We’ll report back to you after we’ve finished shipping out the explosives.”
They were bombs after all. I try to kick at Reeta, to knock the bottle of poison out of her hands, but my legs are strapped tightly together like the rest of me. "Excellent," Rissa says. "It's about time we've cleared out most of the Avates. Then we can start preparations for the invasion."
This entire mission has spiraled into a complete nightmare. I knew something was wrong, but I had no idea that Rissa was using the bombs to take over an entire planet! She lured us in with a promising paycheck and the thrill of a final job. But how in the world does my baby happen to fit into this horrific plan of hers?
Rissa gives her regards to me before cutting off the transmission. "Alright," Reeta says with finality. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" She bends down, yanking the fabric lodged between my teeth. I swirl my tongue around my dry mouth before asking her what the hell is going on.
"You won't get your hands on my baby you freak," I say with teeth clenched. I purse my lips so she can't get the liquid into my mouth.
"I certainly won't," Reeta says. "But Rissa's team of doctors will once we get you back on her ship. It's very rare that we come across a baby with yours and Falax's qualities. Thanks to your human blood, we'll finally have a stable specimen to work with."
"What are you talking about?" I ask, turning my head to the side again. Reeta gets comfortable, sitting on her knees and watching me with intent.
"You know why we're getting such big paychecks?" She asks. "Because Reeta's cleaning out all of Muran from the surface to the core, digging up all those goodies hidden on this planet. Oil, gemstones, you name it. But the Avates are the only thing standing in our way."
"You're going to kill them all," I say with a horrifying realization.
"Just as many as we can," Reeta clarifies. "That's what the explosives are for. The rest, however, will be handled by this little him or her."
She points a clawed finger into my stomach, and I cringe at her touch. "You're carrying the next wave of intergalactic supersoldier," she says. "And just like how Rissa's manufactured copies of the bomb you've kindly brought her, she's going to manufacture her own private army out of your precious bundle of life."
I don't even want to listen to the rest. "You're a monster," I say before spitting on her face. "You'll never get your filthy hands on our baby."
Reeta flinches, wiping the corner of her eye. "We're halfway there," she says as she lunges at me, the vial of horror in her hand waiting to be shoved into my mouth. I can barely move under the weight of her body and can feel her claws sinking into my skin as she latches onto my arm with one hand, and wrestling the bottle towards my face with the other. I turn my head furiously from side to side, but it's hopeless. "If you just hold still it'll be over soon," she growls.
She opens the stopper with her teeth, spitting it on the ground. I shut my mouth as hard as I can, but she's grabbing the back of my neck and shoving the rim against my tightened lips. The ghastly stuff inside nearly spills up my nose, but I refuse to consume it. I think of the baby waiting, blissfully unaware of the danger that I've unknowingly put it in. I won't allow him or her to become one of Rissa's pawns like the others.
Suddenly, a deafening crash fills the engine car as the glass on the front windows shatters, spilling shards of glass over both of us. I curl up, trying to protect my baby while also using the opportunity to get away from Reeta. I open my eyes to see a large stone rolling across the floor of the car. Liquid seeps underneath my fingertips, and I roll over to find the shattered vile of superhuman juice spilling onto the floor.
Reeta curses violently at Rissa's potion on the ground and rushes back over to me to throw me over her shoulder when a dark figure launches through the gaping hole in the main window of the car.
The figure spirals as it crashes into Reeta, knocking her away from me. Reeta tumbles clumsily to the ground as my potential savior lands on top of her, their knees digging into her chest as they deliver a whopping punch to her face. Reeta groans, falling limp, and once the dust and glass finally settle the winged man removes a pair of thick goggles.
It's an Avate, but not just any Avate. It's the one that I saved the other day. He stretches out his wings, and I notice that one of them has been patched up from where he was shot by one of the other members of the team. I thank the gods that Falax didn't finish the job of killing him when he had the chance.
“Thank you,” I say with relief, but my savior only responds with a nod. He takes a knee next to me, pulling a decorated dagger from his ankle and cutting the bonds around my arms and legs. I feel the creaks and aches as I finally stretch myself out, relieved that I was able to avoid the last dosage of that disgusting juice.
He looks as though he's about to take off through the window again, but I place my hand on his linen-wrapped arm. "My husband," I tell him, pointing towards the direction of the rest of the train. "The others captured him too." "Reinforcements," is all I can hear him say, before he reaches into a small pouch at his side, producing a small whistle. Aiming out of the hole in the window, he produces a high-pitched tune from the instrument. I peek through the glass to see several dark splotches in the sky, hovering in circles as they look for a place to land.
I help the Avate undo the latches on the large metal door that leads to the next car. I'm not sure which one has Falax in it, but hopefully, the other Avates can find him before these bombs start getting shipped off to every corner of Muran.
The car door squeals on its hinges as we get it open and hop across the small connecting chain to get to the next car. As soon as we open it, I'm met with the smug grins of Meni and Nemi as they stand shoulder to shoulder, blocking my view of the rest of the car. "Let us through, creeps," I say, desperately wishing I had my baton hand so I could just slug them right there and then. The Avate next to me tenses at the sight of them.
“Your hubby’s having a little chat with Gallik at the moment,” Meni says.
“It won’t be long. Besides, it’s not like we have much time anyway,” Nemi finishes.
He holds out a small device in his twisted palm. It’s a countdown timer that matches the ones in the crates. My stomach bubbles when I notice we only have forty-five minutes left until every bomb explodes and blows a hole in this planet.
Without another thought, I punch Meni in the face. The Avate goes for Nemi. The brothers swivel back, trying to catch their footing on the seats of the passenger car. "We forgot you were a fighter," they both say, reaching into their coats. They each pull out a thin baton, very similar to my bat's design. They crackle with electricity on their ends, waiting to shock us.
"You can't touch me," I tell them with confidence. "Rissa needs my baby alive if you want the rest of your paycheck."
“We’ve already gotten paid,” they say.
“Besides, we’ve got our own plans to worry about after this,” Nemi adds.
“Every smuggler for himself,” Meni confirms.
So much for being a "family." The Avate and I jump out of the way as the two swipe their batons in our direction. Their form matches perfectly. I duck as the crackle of static just barely passes above my skull, and I can almost feel a tingle up my spine as I imagine the electricity flooding through my body.
I need to get to the next car and fast.
The Avate’s wings stay tight against his body as he tries to avoid the brothers’ attacks. Both of us are scrambling through the car, wrestling with Nemi and Meni, trying to get the batons out of their hands. I land a solid punch to Nemi’s stomach, but he quickly recovers, swinging at me and knocking me into the seats. In a flash, the Avate throws two small knives at both of the brothers, and they rear back in pain as each knife lodges into one of their shoulders.
<
br /> Nemi writhes on the seat next to mine as he clutches his fresh wound. A strange darkness travels through his veins from under his skin, and he's gasping for breath as his face contorts. I look over to see Meni doing the same, and it's not long before both of them writhe on the floor, twitching and convulsing until they are still. Must be one hell of a poison.
"Dead?" I ask the Avate.
"Might as well be," he says with a shrug as he kicks the brother's limp bodies to the side.
"Save your husband," he says as he runs for the next door, prying it open with tense bandaged fingers. Before I head in, I grab the time from Nemi's body, noticing that several minutes have passed, and I suddenly I'm not sure if we'll make it out alive.
CHAPTER TEN: ONE LAST JOB
FALAX
Gallik paces back and forth in the dining car. He's got me strapped to one of the tables bolted to the floor. Typically I'm an expert at picking at locks and handcuffs, but of course, Gallik knows this and has me contained with his own special pair of inescapable bindings.
I heard some commotion from the car up ahead, and can only hope that Becca has managed to escape from her prison. Either that, or it's just Meni and Nemi dicking around. I try to peek through the crack of light peering in from the outside. Gallik has shut all the windows to keep any suspicious city folk unaware of what's going on inside.
If only I knew how much time we had left before the bombs detonate. I’ve been taking the opportunity to formulate a plan of what to do if Becca is able to get me out of here. “I told you Falax. You had a choice,” Gallik muses as he changes a setting on his blaster. “I’ve been trying to help you see it this whole time, but it looks like there’s just no getting through to you.”
Forbidden Territory (Galaxy Smugglers Book 3) Page 5