Haven 2: Redemption

by Sandra R Neeley

  “I do not!” Ada Jane said, with a slight smile on her face before it faded away. “Doesn’t matter anyway. I just want to go home. He lives here, and I’m going back to Earth, so it really doesn’t matter.”

  “And yours is handsome, too!” Rosie said to Synclare. “I hear General Sparkly has a thing for a certain silver-haired woman,” Rosie said, teasing Synclare.

  “General Sparkly?” Synclare asked, laughing.

  “Yeah, he’s kinda silvery, so… General Sparkly,” Rosie answered. “Hey, he’s kinda silvery, you’ve got silver in your hair… maybe it was meant to be.”

  “Silver in my hair? It’s grey, Rosie. My highlights have completely grown out, and it’s salt and pepper — grey, not silver.”

  All five women jumped when a heavy, canvas bag was slammed onto the table they shared, little splatters of blood flying up and onto their clothing from the blood-soaked bag. The women got to their feet and moved quickly away from the dripping bag and the very intimidating, tattooed and scarred, pale-green alien with the ornately braided hair, himself splattered and covered in dried blood, standing with one hand gripped around the opening to the bag triumphantly.

  The other women had stood to flee; Rosie stood to fight. Her feet were planted a comfortable distance apart, her fists were raised, her dagger clutched in her right hand, the blade held down toward her elbow for quick slashing motions, the fingers of her hand spread around the hilt snugly.

  As soon as she saw the owner of the bag, grinning at her proudly, her adrenalin started to drop and irritation set in. “Rokai! What the hell? We were eating here!”

  “My Rosalita, I have avenged you!” he said proudly, his chin up, his shoulders back, his fist still gripping the bag.

  “What are you talking about?” she asked, truly not understanding.

  Rokai stepped closer to the table and untied the knot he’d tied in the opening of the bag. “I hunted those who hurt you. I have made sure they will never hurt you again, nor any other.” Rokai, having successfully untied the knot, grabbed the bottom of the bag and upended it. Much to the horror of most of the other females, six heads and six hearts tumbled out of the bag and landed on the table, some rolling to a stop, and others continued rolling until they landed on the floor beside the table with a thud.

  Two of the women screamed and there was commotion all around them. Rokai looked from Rosie, who just stared at the heads and hearts, to the screaming females who’d been sharing a meal with her. They needed to stop screaming. “Silence!” he bellowed, scowling at them.

  His normal, loving personality was enough to have them obeying at once.

  Rosie leaned over and picked up first one, then the other head that had rolled off the table. She grabbed one by its hair and placed it on the table, the other by its horn. She looked up at Rokai. “What have you done?” she asked.

  “I have ensured that those who harmed you will never draw another breath. And I give you my word, they suffered much before they died.”

  Rosie took a deep breath, then nodded slowly as she again stared at the hearts and heads on the table they’d just been eating on.

  “Now you will know you only need me for your harem, little human. I am the only male you’ll need,” Rokai said teasingly, seductively.

  Rosie’s eyes snapped to Rokai, her expression going from one of dismay to one of irritation. She’d told the fool she wasn’t collecting a harem! And when her eyes met his, she realized he knew it, too. There was jest in his expression. He was only teasing her. With the body parts of those who’d hurt her, spread out on the table between them, Rokai covered in blood, he was teasing her, wanting her to smile. A more complex male had never drawn breath — of that, she had no doubt.

  As the irritation left her face, Rokai dropped all pretense of arrogance. He needed her to understand what was so hard for him to show. His affection for her.

  “It is my gift to you, my Rosalita,” Rokai said, a pleading tone to his voice. He didn’t know whether or not she understood, he’d done this for her. He’d avenged her, defended her honor, and delivered her torturers to her as proof that she’d never have to fear again.

  But he didn’t have time to explain all his thoughts. Before anything else could be said, they were surrounded, and he was rushed by many Cruestaci warriors. In truth it was an easy take down — he didn’t even fight. He lay on the floor on his stomach as they clasped his hands behind his back and cuffed him. The whole time, he held his head up and stared Rosie in the eyes. It was as though it was all happening in slow motion. She didn’t look away. Even when they lifted him up and carried him away, he turned his head to maintain eye contact with her, and didn’t break their gaze.

  Moments after he was carried from the commissary, she still stared at the spot she’d last seen Rokai before he was carried from her view. Only the sound of a loud whack followed by a curse broke her attention and returned her to reality.

  “Fucker!” Synclare exclaimed, holding a heavy serving platter in her hand, and looking satisfactorily down at the floor beside her feet.

  Rosie took a step closer and peered on the other side of the table. There was a head down there, still rocking back and forth from the whack Synclare had given it. Rosie raised her eyes to Synclare, a question in her expression.

  “Bastard hurt me. I’ll never forget that face. Bastard hurt me,” Synclare said again before raising the platter above her head and leaning over to bring it down on the head once more, making a sickening thwack sound before the head rolled under the table and Synclare stood, looking critically at the other heads still on the table to determine if any of them had belonged to men who’d hurt her as well.

  Several more males rushed over to the table and started shoving the heads and hearts into the canvas bag Rokai had originally carried them in. The entire time they uttered apologies and soothing words. As soon as they were finished, they excused themselves and hurried away.

  Two of the women were crying. Synclare was still holding her platter, Ada Jane seemed to be stunned, and Rosie simply retook her seat. Her dagger still in hand, she sat there as though nothing unusual had occurred. She looked from the bloody table that Cook and his employees were now trying to clean, to her friends gathered here and there, sobbing, and in Synclare’s case smiling. She looked over toward the exit where she’d last seen Rokai, then, her eyes fell on the blood trail on the floor of the usually spotless commissary.

  “I need to find Rokai,” she mumbled, getting to her feet and following the trail toward the exit of the commissary.

  “Rosie!” Synclare called to her before she reached the exit.

  Rosie stopped walking and turned to face Synclare.

  “Your male is pretty hot, too. And he’s damned fierce!” Synclare said, winking at her.

  At first Rosie’s tattooed eyebrows drew down over her eyes in confusion, then, slowly, she smiled. The corners of her pouty lips pulling tightly into a grin. He was, wasn’t he? Her male was sexy as hell and badass. He was fierce!

  <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

  “You’ve already told me that! I don’t care why, I need to know where exactly they were going!” Quin yelled.

  Kron stood at attention, drenched in sweat and breathing heavy from the hand-to-hand training he’d been involved in before Quin burst through the door.

  “All I know is a male named Vanoth,” Kron said, fairly spitting the name.

  Quin caught the fury that suffused Kron’s very being at the mention of the male’s name.

  “You have personal experience with the male?” Quin asked.

  “No, Commander. But if the gods are willing, one day I will,” Kron answered, a tone in his voice bordering on disrespectful.

  “Watch yourself, Elite Warrior,” Kol warned. “You cannot support your mother and sister if you are locked up for direct insubordination.”

  Kron answered without thought. “I support my mother! My sister has been gone for so long we don’t even know if she’s still alive!”

>   Kol was surprised at Kron’s outburst. “I thought you sent credits home each pay cycle to support your mother and your ailing sister.”

  Kron didn’t answer for a moment, just proudly held himself at attention. Finally he seemed to just barely shake his head back and forth. “I support my mother — and the search for my sister. As of yet, she’s not been found.”

  Quin quickly connected the dots. “You think this male Rokai went after may be responsible for her being missing?”

  “I have no proof, but all those I’ve hired to trace her steps agree he was in the vicinity, and the rumors follow where he goes.”

  “What rumors?” Quin asked.

  “Of females missing, and young males, too. Of torture and things worse than death,” Kron answered.

  Quin met Kol’s gaze. “Have we searched for this male?”

  “We know where he is. We’ve even sent teams for inspection, but have never, not one single time, found anything out of place, or anyone who is there against their will,” Kol answered.

  “If there are rumors, and they follow everywhere he goes…” Quin said.

  “I agree, but without proof, there is nothing we can do.”

  “Of course I can,” Quin said.

  “He is very highly connected in politics, Quin. We cannot just swoop in and take him in hand. We would have Bart and all the powers he’s associated with at our throats. It would be seen as an act of aggression, possibly leading to war.”

  Quin glared at Kol.

  “Unless…” Kol started.

  “Unless what?” Quin snapped.

  “Unless we had proof. Then all who defend him would back away in order to not be associated with him.”

  “Why have I never been made aware of this male?”

  “You have, in briefings, but without proof from any of our, or anyone else’s inspections, there is nothing to be done.”

  “Commander, there’s a vid com for you in the conference room.”

  “I’ll be there shortly,” Zha Quin shouted at Missy.

  “There is also a melee in the commissary,” Missy informed him.

  “A melee?” Zha Quin asked, not quite understanding. “What is a melee?”

  “Yes, Commander. It is a free-for-all, a gathering with no rules and a confusion of occurrences, a flurry of people, and in this case — heightened emotions.”

  Quin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Missy… what the hells has happened, now?”

  “Do not worry, Commander. The body parts have been collected and sent to medical to be kept cool until they can be evidenced and properly disposed of. Rokai ahl has been apprehended and is now incarcerated, and two of the females are still sobbing, but the other three seem to have recovered quite quickly.”

  Zha Quin stood actually staring at the ceiling for a moment, his mouth agape, before he was able to form words. “And no one contacted me?!” he bellowed.

  “I am advising you now,” Missy answered.

  “I’m going to have the damn thing returned to its former self,” Quin muttered beneath his breath about Missy, before storming out of the training facility.

  “This is not finished!” he shouted to Kron and Kol. “Come! Rokai has returned. Surely you’d like to learn of your fate, Warrior Kron.”

  Kron and Kol shared a look, then fell into step behind Quin.

  After several minutes of walking beside Kol and following Quin in silence, Kron spoke. “Elite Commander Kol?”

  “Yes,” Kol answered.

  “Did you not say your Ehlealah was in the commissary with a group of females?”

  Kol’s face registered shock. “I must go!” he shouted and took off in the other direction.

  Kron wasn’t sure if he should follow Kol or continue on with Quin.

  “You stay right here. You may still find yourself beside Rokai ahl,” Quin ordered.

  “Yes, Commander,” Kron answered, keeping step just behind Quin.

  Chapter 26

  Quin stormed into the area the holding cells were in on the storage level of the ship, with Kron just behind him. “Where is he?” Quin bellowed, ducking his head because the ceilings here were so low.

  Several warriors who were assigned to the holding cells and were unlucky enough to find themselves on duty at that particular moment, jumped to their feet and came to attention, their heads only slightly bent as they weren’t quite as tall as Quin.

  “Sire!” they both shouted in unison.

  “I know who I am. Where is Rokai ahl?” Quin snapped.

  “He is in the last cell on the left, Sire. He was not injured during apprehension. In fact, he did not resist or attempt to fight us at all.”

  “Who determined he should be apprehended? What happened? Why was I not contacted?” Zha Quin demanded.

  “This order was received only moments before we received a call for assistance from the commissary. We acted immediately, Sire. Just as you instructed us to.”

  Zha Quin snatched the small tablet-like device from the warrior’s hand and glanced down at it. It was an arrest warrant for Rokai ahl, and for Gaishon as well. It was signed by Chairman Bartholomew and all the rest of the appointed members of the overseeing board of the Unified Consortium Defense, overlaid with their official seal.

  “When did I tell you to arrest Rokai ahl?”

  The warrior who’d been answering swallowed, he was visibly on edge. “You didn’t, Sire. You sent out a directive stating that as we were now a member of the Unified Consortium Defense, we were to acknowledge and adhere to all directives received from them.”

  Quin pursed his lips and ground his teeth. The warrior was absolutely correct — he had indeed given those orders.

  Quin chose not to address his lack of foresight and instead focused on Rokai ahl. “He’s on the end?”

  “Yes, Sire. We moved him to the last cell on the left, so he could no longer see us.”

  “Why is that?” Quin asked.

  The other warrior leaned in slightly and lowered his voice. “He can be quite unnerving, Sire.”

  Quin raised an eyebrow before turning his back on the warriors and stalking down the narrow hallway lined with cells. Finally, he reached the end of the hallway, and there, tucked behind all the others, he found Rokai ahl, sitting on the floor, his back leaning against the steel bunk suspended from the wall, with his arms crossed behind his head.

  “Brother! How kind of you to visit the incarcerated,” Rokai ahl greeted sarcastically.

  “What have you done now, Rokai?” Quin asked.

  “Only what was deserved,” Rokai answered defensively.

  “You savagely killed six men, mutilated their dead bodies, then brought pieces back here to horrify already traumatized females with!”

  Rokai jumped to his feet and rushed the bars holding him in. “I killed six monsters! And those pieces were to prove safety and provide closure, not to horrify!”

  “How can you even think such a thing would be well received, Rokai?”

  “I know my reasons. I know the justification. I don’t need you to as well. You’ve never thought me acceptable. Why change the temper of our relationship now?!”

  “This has nothing to do with our relationship, Rokai. You delivered bloody body parts to a table of recently freed female captives. What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Heads and hearts,” Rokai said calmly.

  “What?” Quin asked.

  “Not body parts, just heads and hearts.”

  Quin realized there was more to this than he’d originally thought. “Why heads and hearts?”

  Rokai thought about not answering, but decided he wanted Quin to understand this. “Heads for identification, hearts to prove they were dead and viciously so.”

  “I think the heads pretty much did both.”

  A ghost of a smile graced Rokai’s lips. “Perhaps. But the hearts I felt carried more of a statement on my part. So I presented both.”

  “You didn’t resist arrest…”


  “No point. The mighty Zha Quin Tha will have what he wants always. Besides, I’d already completed my task.”

  Quin sighed, he was so tired of this male’s attitude. “And what was your task, Rokai?”

  “To avenge the suffering put upon my female, and to insure she’d never again have to worry about the sick fucks who were responsible for it.”

  “And I’m assuming you believe the men you murdered were responsible?”

  “I don’t believe. I know.”

  “You know the Consortium demanded your apprehension…”

  “And naturally you had to follow through immediately, without thought or even a single inquiry.”

  “I knew nothing of it until I arrived here only moments ago,” Quin answered. He thought about it before deciding to be truthful. “But honestly, I’d have had to follow through if I’d been made aware prior to your arrest. Though I may have tried to put it off as long as I could.”

  Rokai was surprised by Quin’s confession. He stood there for a matter of seconds before turning his back to Quin and returning to his place on the floor, lifting his arms and clasping his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and took up the appearance of being completely relaxed again — his version of dismissing Zha Quin.

  “Where are the females and the boy that are missing from the refueling planet?” Quin asked, knowing that Rokai was done speaking to him.

  Rokai opened his eyes and looked quizzically at Quin. “In medical. With Gaishon. He took them there as soon as we docked.”

  Zha Quin expected Rokai to refuse to tell him, instead of saying they were on his very ship. It was becoming apparent that Rokai would no doubt surprise him at every turn. Quin turned and started to walk away.

  “Wait! Zha Quin, please,” Rokai called out.

  Quin stopped where he stood and turned to face Rokai’s cell.

  Rokai reached into the pocket of the trousers he wore and withdrew a small white jar, only briefly glancing at it before tossing it to Zha Quin. “Please give this to my female. It will heal the flesh on her back which still festers from the abuse she suffered.”