by Alana Khan
“Drack!” Braxx shouts as we run back to Axx. He’s sprawled on his stomach in the dirt path. He’s still alive, but unconscious. It’s clear he’s been badly hurt. His back is peppered with bleeding cuts. Some look deep. My heart clenches in pain. I care for him. I don’t want him to die.
Braxx tosses his staff into the dirt, kneels down on one knee and scoops up his brother. I can’t imagine this will work. Axx probably outweighs him by forty pounds and Braxx is weak and bleeding already. I don’t say a word, I’m not stupid enough to believe for a moment that Braxxus won’t do everything in his power to help his gem.
There’s nothing I can do to help, so I just keep quiet and jog next to Braxxus. Blood is pouring from his back now, the plas-film isn’t holding back the flow. Braxx isn’t running so much as lurching down the road, favoring one leg.
The sound of gunfire or explosions sounds closer. I’m not sure any of us are going to make it. My pulse is hammering and my throat is on fire, but I keep moving forward.
We’re not jogging anymore, just walking, our pace slowing with every step. Braxx probably isn’t even aware that he grunts every time his right foot hits the ground. The sound and even the sensation of the bomb concussions are getting closer. I can’t imagine we’ll get out of these fairgrounds alive.
“Angel, go right at the end of this aisle. You’ll see the flags at the entrance. Head there and then out to the airfield. Don’t stop until you’re on board. Remember where we are so you can tell Zar. Go!”
“No.” He’s crazy if he thinks I’m leaving him.
“Angel,” is all he says. I’m sure he doesn’t have the energy to argue.
I look over to my left and see the dog-man. There’s a panicked look on his face. He’s standing up at the end of his tether, the chain straining.
“Let me go, I’ll help you,” he pleads, his round, brown canine eyes boring into mine.
I don’t believe for a second he’ll help, but it’s obvious his owner abandoned him. He’ll certainly die when whoever is detonating those bombs finds him staked to the ground.
I pull Braxx’s new laser knife out of the sheath at his waist and run back toward the geneslave.
“No, Angel, he’ll kill you!” Braxx yells. He’s stopped moving and is coming back for me.
“Keep moving, Braxx. This will just take a second.”
I don’t wait to see what he does. The faster I get this done, the better. Frankly, I don’t think any of us are going to make it. This male has the best chance of survival if I just cut his chain and let him run away.
“Hurry,” he urges around his mouthful of sharp teeth.
My fingers instinctively find the hidden button that turns the knife into a laser and the red beam cuts the thick metal chain like butter.
Just as I’d assumed, he’s racing before I can turn the laser off. I’m shocked when, instead of running away, he dashes straight to Braxx. In the matter of a moment, Axx’s heavy frame is in the geneslave’s arms.
The dog-man is a tall male with a big frame, but he’s so emaciated Axx has to outweigh him by at least seventy pounds. The feds must know what they’re doing, because malnourished or not, the geneslave is carrying Axx like he weighs no more than a puppy.
I catch up to Braxx, who’s moving faster now that he’s not carrying his gem. I grab his hand and place it on my shoulder. He tries not to put much of his weight on me as he hobbles to catch up to his brother.
“Right,” Braxx shouts as we near the end of the aisle.
I see the flags signaling the entrance where we arrived. There’s a crush of people trying to file through the narrow opening to evacuate the park. Now that we’re close to others, I hear the word “terrorists” float over the other panicked noises of the crowd.
If they’d been smart, they would have stationed some of their comrades at this entrance and picked us off like shooting fish in a barrel as we come running out. Luckily, the only weapon fire I hear is behind us.
The Slacker is probably still a quarter-mile away at the airfield. The geneslave glances at Braxx, who points in the general direction and we’re all off as fast as possible.
Braxx’s back is bleeding profusely, blood trailing from under the plas-film down his thighs and into the dust. The geneslave’s carrying Axx in his arms. I’ve seen enough war movies to know Axx has been hit by shrapnel, blood is dripping from his back, making thin red trails in the dirt.
I remember I have a wrist comm, and call the ship.
“We’ll need a hover-stretcher,” I say without preamble. “Axx and Braxx both need medical attention.”
“Everyone but you is back on board,” Callista informs me. “There are a few minor casualties, only one major. Stryker can grab a stretcher and meet you in the lot.”
“Expect four of us.”
“No strays, Brianna,” it’s Zar’s stern voice. He must have overheard our conversation.
“He saved our lives. We’d all be dead in the dirt back there if he hadn’t helped us.”
“Can’t put ourselves at risk. No.”
A concussion shakes the ground beneath us—definitely closer than anything we’ve experienced before. Did I hear the geneslave grunt? I pick up the pace even though my muscles are screaming in pain.
I see Stryker hustling toward us guiding the hover-stretcher, his tall, scarred body shining in the suns. The geneslave gently lays Axx on it and Stryker hustles the stretcher up the ramp and into the waiting maw of the ship.
Braxx and I are panting, twenty feet from the ramp. Panicked sounds of the crowd reach us. The fight must have followed us into the parking area. We should be inside our ship and leaving atmo right this minute, but I can’t leave the male who without a doubt saved our lives.
“I heard your comm,” his gravelly voice rumbles in my ear. I hadn’t realized he was so close. Braxx pulls me away from the dog-man, toward the awaiting ramp.
“It’s okay. Don’t risk your safety for me. Go.” He walks away.
“No!” I say, even as Braxx gently tugs me toward the ship. “No, I’m not leaving him. He saved our lives. This isn’t right!”
“Angel, we have to go.” His weight is resting heavier on my shoulder, the sounds of the explosions are getting closer. I can see a parked hovercraft explode less than a city block away. There is no time for this.
“Zar, please,” Braxx yells into his comm, “let us in. Let us all in before we die. We can drop him on the next planet. Let’s argue about it later.”
A moment’s pause, then, “Okay, but there’s a contingent of armed gladiators at the door.”
“Hey!” I scream, but he’s off running. “Geneslave!” I scream, wincing at the sound of the derogatory term coming out of my mouth.
He turns to look at me, still running in the other direction. “Come aboard,” I motion to him. It’s hard to tell, but I think that’s a smile on his face.
Chapter Eleven
Brianna
We run up the ramp straight into the barrels of three lasers. Dax, the huge Neanderthal, would be imposing enough on his own, but strong, silver Steele is on one side, and heavily-muscled, heavily-scarred Shadow is on the other.
Only a crazy man would argue with these three, and the geneslave doesn’t appear crazy. In fact, he sinks to his knees and puts his hands behind his head in complete surrender. I’m almost knocked to the floor as we take off, and again when we launch into hyperspace a moment later.
Stryker returns to the loading bay at a run, pushing the empty hover-stretcher. Braxxus balks for a moment, not wanting to get on it, but when I urge him, he lies down and we’re off running through the halls.
When we arrive in medbay, I’m torn between checking on Axx, and holding Braxx’s hand. There are only two exam rooms. Tall, white, Norse-god looking Theos is in one, with a very worried Savannah at his bedside. I’d like to console her, but she’s crying and I’m distracted with my guys. I’ll catch her later.
Axx is in the other exam room, lying on his
side facing the far wall. Some of the blood has been sponged off his back, but the medbot hasn’t begun to clean or stitch any of his injuries. And by the look of things, there are a lot of them. Two of the wounds are gaping open and blood is pouring out onto the absorbent pad on the mattress. My throat constricts in worry just seeing the extent of the damage.
Dr. Drayke is consulting his medpad, Nova at his side. Or...is there a word that indicates closer than at someone’s side? She’s practically glued to his hip. I wonder if this is the only way he can function without the trembling hands and brain fog he’d complained of the other day.
The doc hurries over to Braxx, gives a perfunctory look at his back, and asks, “Any new injuries?”
“No,” Braxx croaks.
“You, Brianna? Any injuries?”
I shake my head no.
“Axx is the most serious injury at the moment. I’ll address his wounds, then get to you, Braxx. I’ll keep you out in the hallway for now.”
Braxx grabs my hand and squeezes it. “Don’t worry, Angel, everything will work out, it always does.” He smiles weakly at me.
“You said that before, how can you be so sure?”
“‘Cause we found our angel. The Galaxy has conspired to bring us together. It wouldn’t go to all that trouble just to pull us apart, would it?”
I bite back a cynical retort. He doesn’t need to hear my cynicism right this moment.
“Things are better between you and Axx now, right?” Despite all the pain he’s in, this seems to be his primary concern.
I pause a moment to consider his question. A montage of pictures of Axx’s handsome face flashes through my mind, but the question isn’t about whether I find him attractive, of course I do, who wouldn’t?
But he’s changed, something’s happened to him since his brother came out of his coma. He’s more...alive, more able to experience his emotions.
I dig even deeper into myself. Even if he wasn’t in touch with his emotions, I have to admit I’d like him. The problem was I liked him too much. I didn’t want to love without being loved in return. But after the blazing kiss we shared in the alleyway and his protection and concern at every turn, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be a problem.
And then I realize what I just said. I used the “L” word. Holy shit, do I love him? We’ve been through a whirlwind together, that’s true. But love?
“Angel?” Braxx interrupts the hamster-wheel of my thoughts. “You had to think way too long. You don’t like Axx, that’s okay.” He pats my hand.
But by the look on his face—like his dog died and his pickup truck broke and his boss fired him and his house burned down—I don’t think it’s okay at all.
“Hey,” I lean close and give a sweet kiss to those pale pink lips. “My thoughts are spinning, B. We were almost killed less than an hour ago. I’m worried sick about both of you. My relationship with your brother is far more complicated than how I feel about you. But yes, I think my problems with Axx are behind me.” I kiss him again. “Are you in pain? After caring for you the last few weeks I know how to give a pain shot.”
“Actually yes, but I’ll wait to hear what Dr. Drayke says about Axx’s condition before I dull my senses.”
Less than ten minutes later, the medbot arm has cleaned Axx’s back with an antiseptic solution and is now hard at work plucking out shrapnel.
My shit detector turns up to full blast when I see the doc hand Nova a hazmat suit, then climb into one himself. My hand is trembling in Braxx’s grip, my eyes wide in terror.
The doc comes out into the hall, Nova at his side, and closes the door behind him. “We have some intel—what we heard over security comms from the ground, and now we’re hearing from other ships that escaped Fairea the same time as us.
“It appears it was some type of terrorist activity. Who knows why they targeted a harmless planet that provides recreation? If we wanted to, I’m certain we could find some manifesto littered with poor grammar in the bowels of the Intergalactic Database.
“The bottom line is...not only were they lobbing antiquated pipe bombs at the fair-goers, the bombs were filled with shrapnel. If that wasn’t bad enough, some of the shrapnel was irradiated.”
I touch my hand behind my right ear as if I could make certain my translator was working properly. “Radiation, doc? Does that mean what it does on Earth?” It dawns on me that I needn’t have asked, he’s wearing a hazmat suit.
“Radiation can be deadly if the exposure is prolonged. Is that what it means to you?”
I nod slowly, a sinking feeling in my stomach. “So Axxios has irradiated shrapnel in his back? Theos, too?”
He shakes his head. “We checked him. Theos hasn’t been contaminated, he’ll be fine. Here’s my plan. First, the medbots will remove all of Axxios's shrapnel, then jettison it immediately and get it off the vessel.
“There are medication regimens we can follow to minimize the damage caused by the radiation. I’m hoping this will all be a bad dream in a week or two. In the meantime, I don’t want anyone in Axxios's exam room without one of these hazard protection suits on.” He raises his voice and uses a tone I’ve never heard come out of his mouth before. “This means you, Nova.” Never underestimate the protectiveness of a bonded male.
“I’m going to administer pills to you to minimize any possible effects you may have received from being in close proximity to the fragments. I—”
He’s interrupted by a vile sound coming from Axx’s room. The doc is up and in the exam room before I can blink. Braxx is struggling to get off his gurney, but I stop him. “You can’t go in there, B. You’d have to be in a hazmat suit. Let’s wait a moment and see what’s going on.”
Five minutes later, the doc comes out with a bright yellow medical waste bag. “One of the symptoms of radiation poisoning is nausea and vomiting,” he says as he double bags it and puts it in the medical waste chute.
The doc comms the bridge and within minutes every person on the ship has been scanned for radioactivity. No one has been exposed except for Axxios. I sigh in relief.
“Brianna,” Doctor Drayke says, “I’m going to ask you to leave, it’s just too chaotic in here. I—”
“Doc,” Zar’s voice interrupts over the comm, “You’ve got an incoming. No one checked on the prisoner. Evidently, he got hit pretty bad when he was carrying Axxios. Steele tells me he lit up the radiation detection device almost to the max. He’ll be handcuffed to his gurney.”
“Drack,” Drayke mutters, his eyes looking at the ceiling as if the answers to all his questions were written there. “Listen, everyone,” he calls loudly enough for all to hear. “This medbay just wasn’t built for an event like this. I need everyone’s cooperation.
“Stryker,” he barks into his wrist comm, “Come to medbay and help Savannah get Theos to his cabin.” To Savannah he says, “I’m asking you to watch him for the next few days. I’ll stop by your room to check on him before I go to sleep tonight no matter how late it is.
“Brianna, Braxxus is already on a stretcher. Grab some plas-film from the supply cabinet as well as antiseptic and cleaning supplies and take care of him in his room, it’s larger than yours. I’ll stop by later tonight. You’ve done this before, you should be fine.”
I nod. I’m totally capable of this and glad to have something to do.
“Nova, I want you in our room. It’s too dangerous here with radiation and a prisoner.” Almost as an afterthought, he asks, “Who’s the dracking prisoner?”
“My project,” I admit, so guilty my voice is whisper soft. I hadn’t realized my choice would put my friends in danger.
“Who?”
“A geneslave who helped us get to the Slacker.”
“My dear Lord God Anteros,” the blue doctor says. “You’re leaving me in medbay with a geneslave? What type?”
“Appears canine,” Braxx grits in pain.
“Zar,” Drayke speaks into his comm. “I’ll need round-the-clock security even if
the geneslave is cuffed to the bed.”
“I’m already arranging it,” is Zar’s clipped reply.
Braxxus
I’m lying on my stomach on my bed within ten minutes. Angel’s gentle hands have washed me and are now dabbing at my tender flesh with a soft towel. I’m barely aware of any of it, though. I’m trying to get through to Axx through our twinlink. Nothing.
“You probably need stitches on two of these. Everything tore loose on that wild run back to the ship. Don’t worry, I’ll fashion some butterfly bandages out of the supplies I snagged before we left medbay. They’ll hold you together. They don’t have a medbot to spare.”