by Anna Hackett
She stood there, frozen, eyes wide.
Xander held his breath.
Nothing happened.
He breathed out. “Come on.” He took another step.
Something moved ahead of them. That eerie vibration. The scrap undulated in a circle around them.
The creature was circling them.
“Malin. Run!”
She ran ahead and Xander followed closely behind. They moved as fast as they could, not caring now how much noise they made. But it was hard, the uneven surface making them slip, fall and sink into the junk up to their knees.
Suddenly a hump of the monster rose up beside Malin, knocking her over. She let out a small cry, tumbling down onto her side.
Xander changed course and headed for her.
She clambered to her feet, panicked. The vibration came again from somewhere in front of her.
Xander leaped forward, landing in front of her.
Just as the giant mouth of the metal monster breached the surface right in front of them.
Without thinking, Xander grabbed its huge jaws, holding them open.
“Xander!”
The monster bellowed a metallic-sounding roar that echoed around them. It fought to close its jaws but Xander held tight, straining against the massive force.
With his mechanical elbow, he thrust inside. Something knocked loose. Maybe one of the jagged metal teeth.
The monster roared again and in a violent move, sank back into the scrap.
Xander let go just in time to avoid being sucked under. He fell forward onto his hands and knees, lungs burning.
“Malin. Go. Fast as you can. I’ll be right behind you.”
With a nod, she took off running.
Xander pushed up and followed. His shoulders were screaming from the strain but nothing was damaged. And Malin was fine. He had to focus on getting her out of here.
Then something clamped onto his right leg, pain seared through him and he fell to his knees.
Damn it! He studied the trap. A giant claw, like a bear trap, was attached to his calf. Blood flowed freely. He blocked the pain and worked on prizing the trap apart.
“Xander.”
He looked up. Malin had stopped and turned back toward him.
“Keep going,” he yelled.
She hesitated.
The vibration came again.
Heading in Malin’s direction.
“Malin!” he yelled.
She ran, but the monster was faster. It had almost reached her.
Xander’s breath caught in his lungs. He fought the trap, putting all his force into it, struggling like a wild man.
The metal monster shot up from beneath Malin and swallowed her whole.
It leaped into the air and its massive jaws snapped closed. Then it plummeted back into the scrap pile and disappeared.
Xander’s brain just stopped. “No!” he roared.
He didn’t remember scrambling over to where he’d last seen Malin. He was just there, clawing at the junk, ripping it up and throwing it aside. But no matter how much steel he moved, more fell into the hole he’d created.
He kept going. Until the skin on his hands ripped and blood ran down his elbows.
There was no sound, no movement, no Malin.
She was gone.
He waited for the monster to reappear. Time ticked by and he sat there, poised, ready.
“Come on!” he yelled.
It never came back.
Desolation tore through Xander. It was a painful, empty feeling that tore at his insides. Left him bleeding and raw like his hands.
He dropped to his knees, and let out a cry that echoed out across the maze.
Gone. She was gone.
He wouldn’t get the chance to tell her of the bright, confusing feelings he had inside for her. He wouldn’t ever get to say that he was a CenSec who’d fallen in love.
Xander dropped his head in his hands, his body shaking with the force of his sobs.
He thought of the Antikythera but realized it just didn’t matter to him right now.
Nothing did.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Xander knew he’d been sitting on the exact spot where Malin had been taken for a long time.
The wounds on his hands had almost healed although his skin was still stained with blood. He knew he had to go soon, but he couldn’t make himself leave.
He stared at the blood drying on his skin. Malin was dead. Sweet, tough Malin. In his heart, he knew he’d never be the same. He was hollow inside and nothing would ever fill the gaping, raw wound.
The only thing that might come close was his new mission. Killing Forge. Horribly and painfully. And for the first time in his life, Xander was going to enjoy killing.
A subtle vibration shook the scrap beneath him.
He tensed. Maybe he would get the chance to destroy the monster who’d taken her first.
The vibrations increased. Xander slowly got to his feet. He watched. Waited. Ready.
About ten meters ahead of him, the metal monster shot up, high into the air.
It was shaking, rattling, nothing like its smooth powerful moves earlier. He ran toward it, his sensors scanning for any weak points.
It reached the pinnacle of its jump. But instead of diving back into the junk, it started falling sideways, like a whale breeching.
Toward him.
Xander dived and rolled. Something sharp tore into his shoulder. The monster slammed down on top of the junk, missing him by about a meter.
It was convulsing and making a strange clicking sound that set his nerves on edge.
Xander rose and strode over to it. About a third of the way down the creature’s metal body, he saw the side of it turn a molten orange in a circular line.
A circle of metal plate fell out with a clang.
And Malin stepped out.
Xander’s chest tightened to the point of pain. He stared dumbly.
She looked terrible. Her hair was mussed, her face stained with something black, her dress was almost completely in shreds now, and blood coated her left arm. In one hand she gripped a bunch of torn wiring, in the other, she clutched her multi-tool with the laser cutter on the end.
Xander had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.
He wasn’t aware of running.
A weary smile filled her face. “Xander, I—”
He snatched her up and slammed his mouth down on hers. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back, trying to crawl up his body.
He yanked her up into his arms and headed for the platform. He was shaking and he couldn’t form any words.
She was alive. She was safe.
“Xander—”
He shook his head and pulled her closer.
She leaned into him, her face pressed against his neck. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
He reached the ladder, but couldn’t let her go. Instead, he bent his legs and jumped. He cleared the ledge and landed on the platform.
He was no longer thinking rationally. He needed to make sure she was okay.
For those terrifying minutes below, she’d been lost. Gone from his life. With her still in his arms, he sank to the ground. He swiveled her to straddle his hips and held her as tight as he could.
***
He was shaking.
Mal held onto Xander as the tremors wracked his big body. She smoothed her hands over his back.
“I’m here, tough guy,” she whispered.
She’d been frightened as hell when that damned monster had swallowed her. She scored her arm on one of its sharp teeth but managed to slip straight through its mouth and avoid any worse injury. She’d tumbled down inside its long body and amongst the wires, gears and grease, she’d found the heart of its engine.
It had been so intriguing, but at the time, all she’d cared about was getting out and back to Xander.
He was still shaking, but he lay her down on her back. Then his hands were all over her. Smoothing he
r hair back, shaping her skull, running over her shoulders. He gently probed the ragged cut on her arm. It looked bad but she knew it wasn’t deep.
His hands skimmed down her sides. Then he checked each leg, brushing gently over her bruised, cut feet.
“Nothing a medscope won’t sort out.” She was entranced by the intent look on his face.
His hands came back up her legs, skimming over her thighs and under the shredded remains of her once-beautiful dress.
When his hands shoved her dress up around her waist, she realized his intent. The burning intensity in his eyes wasn’t just about checking her for injuries. He needed proof she was alive.
Need flooded her in an instant.
He yanked at the fastening on his trousers and she started panting, her legs shifting restlessly. “Xander.”
Seconds later he leaned over her, and with no foreplay, no warning, he shoved inside her.
She arched her back, a scream caught in her throat.
His possession was brutal, raw and full of primal need. She held on as he thrust into her. A hard, rocking ride.
It didn’t take long for her pleasure to spiral, for her orgasm to threaten. Then she came hard, clamping down on him.
Another hard thrust and he planted himself to the root and orgasmed as well. Hot fluid spilled inside her.
Alive. Life affirmed.
He scooped her up again, careful not to disconnect them. He stayed inside her as he cradled her, his face buried in her hair.
“I thought you were dead. I thought I’d lost you.”
Her poor CenSec. “I’m right here. Not planning to let you go any time soon.”
He pressed his lips to ear. “Never do that again.”
“If I see any more giant metal monsters, I promise to avoid them. Completely.”
A tiny, rough laugh coughed out of him.
A laugh. Mal held that small, rusty sound to her heart.
“Malin, I love you.”
Her mind went blank. “What?”
“I love you.”
“You don’t believe in love.”
He nuzzled her throat. “I do now.”
Mal’s chest swelled, she felt like she was going to burst. She gripped onto him, listening to the thud of his heart. She wanted to believe. Wanted his love so desperately. But she’d been burned before and part of her was afraid he was mixing up sex with love. When he returned to his regular life, would he still love her, a salvage rat from nowhere?
“Tell you what, let’s get out of here alive and when this mission is over, we’ll talk.”
He was silent, his gaze searching her face before he gave her a nod.
“Tough guy, I’d love to stay here with you inside me all day. But we’re in a dangerous maze full of stuff out to kill us. And we have an ancient treasure to steal.”
“I’m running scans for anything moving near us. We’re safe for now.” He pulled back. “But yes, we need to finish this mission. I want you out of here.”
“No arguments from me.” She pushed at her hair, winced at the tangled mess. “Believe me.”
He moved away, and when he slipped out of her, she felt a sense of loss. After this was all over, she vowed she was going to convince him to spend some time with her. Just the two of them. Maybe they could book a cabin on one of the luxury starliners in the Pacifico Quadrant. Wallow in a private pool, try some gambling at the casinos and dine in the restaurants. Or maybe just stay in bed, locked in their cabin, the entire trip.
As he stood and redid his trousers, Malin tore a strip off the bottom of her dress and cleaned up the best she could. She wrinkled her nose. After they got out of this stars-forsaken maze and off this rogue planet, first thing on her agenda was a long, hot shower.
He gripped the back of her neck, rubbed. “Ready?”
“I’m ready to get out of here.”
He grabbed her hand and together they headed down the path leading off the platform.
At the first junction, the path was obvious. A line of flames ran in a groove filled with some sort of flammable liquid.
They followed it. Slowly, the gradient of the ground increased. At the top of the slope, Mal glanced back and saw the maze laid out before them. A twisting labyrinth pieced together from scrap. The brainchild of a heartbroken madman.
Mal had always admired her father’s single-minded love for her mother. But here, this maze was the reflection of the dark side of love. A creation born out of a deadly obsession.
Maybe being someone’s single obsession wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
Maybe life needed balance. Love tempered and enriched by other things.
Mal thought of Dathan. Once a risk-taking rogue who only cared about the next treasure hunt, love had changed him. For the better. He now had far more than just treasure hunting in his life.
“Malin?”
Shaking off her thoughts, Mal hurried up beside Xander. They crested a hill and before them was the next challenge.
Metal ropes and hanging platforms hung over a huge empty space. Suspended bridges led to grids of metal, which led to more platforms. It was like a floating obstacle course on steroids.
And stationed across the rope maze were robots of all shapes and sizes. Some marched back and forth on their bridges, others perched like birds on their platforms, ready to pounce.
Mal’s chest was tight. How could they possibly make it through here? In the heart of the maze was a single circular platform.
An altar sat in the center of the platform and resting on top of it was the Antikythera.
She was too far away to see any detail but she had no doubt.
“That’s it?” she asked.
Xander nodded. “Yes.”
Mal leaned close to the edge of their platform and looked down. She couldn’t see anything except a yawning darkness with no end. “Can you tell how far down it goes?”
“No base registers on my sensors.”
Her stomach turned. “Right. So don’t go over the edge.” She looked back to the assortment of robots guarding the way. “Suggestions?”
Xander was staring at the closest robot. It looked almost raptor-like, crouched on the neighboring platform, a set of metallic mesh wings tight against its back and neon red eyes watching them.
Xander moved forward and placed one foot on the rope bridge leading across. The raptor robot tilted its head and Mal saw it brace for action.
Xander took another step.
The robot moved so quickly it was a blur.
It flew across the bridge and slammed into Xander. They both went flying off the bridge and crashed into the ground. Xander held the robot’s pointed beak away from his face.
Mal grabbed her multi-tool and flicked on the laser cutter. Two swipes and the robot’s head was off and hitting the floor. The red glow died from its eyes. Xander pushed the now-dead-weight of the body off him.
“What happened to making a plan?” she demanded.
“I wanted to test the robot. See what it would do. That helps make the plan.”
Mal thrust her hands on her hips. “A bit of warning, Xander.”
“Sorry.” The corners of his mouth twitched. “I’m not used to explaining myself.”
“Right, the mighty CenSec just gives orders.” She waved a hand in the air. “Get used to communicating, tough guy.”
“Okay.”
His voice was meek but she wasn’t fooled for a second. “So, what now?”
“Find the point, become the master.”
The riddle. She’d completely forgotten about it. “Find the point.” She looked across the rope maze. “Point. Point.”
“The top of something?” Xander ventured.
Nothing stood out.
“Point of the maze?” But the bridges and platforms were flat, no obvious point. Movement caught her attention.
The next three closest robots were headed their way. One moved on four legs like a giant robotic canine, another looked like an enormous man with wi
de shoulders and thick piston-like legs, and the final one was another raptor.
“Uh, Xander…” she pointed.
He cursed.
The raptor launched into the air, snapping its wings out. For an instant, Mal was mesmerized by their beauty. A black wire mesh that arched over the robot’s head, shaped like batwings. The edges glinted, razor sharp.
It slammed onto the ground in front of Xander, and they leaped at each other.
As the robot and Xander fought, Mal palmed her multi-tool, ready for anything. She saw the robot land a few blows, but Xander was relentless. There was a sharp crack and she saw Xander had broken off the robot’s wings.
The other two robots hit the bridge. Coming in fast.
Xander gripped his robot’s wing, turned in a wide circle and swung the robot over the edge of the platform.
The robot flailed and fell.
It made a strange piercing noise that echoed across the maze as it plummeted.
But there was no time to celebrate.
The other robots had arrived.
The human-shaped one headed for Xander while the canine bounded toward her.
Stars. The robot leaped and took her down to the ground. Her hand clenched on the multi-tool. Wait, Mal, wait.
Red eyes stared into hers. The robot watched her, caging her body with its bigger metal frame.
Then she flicked on the laser cutter and jammed it into the small flashing panel on the canine’s chest.
The robot reared back, twisting and turning. Mal scuttled backward, chest heaving. The robot shook its head and found its balance again. It moved forward, belly low, stalking.
Uh oh. She held the laser cutter in front of her. It looked puny and useless compared to the robot.
As the canine lunged forward, Mal braced for impact.
Then Xander was there.
He landed on the canine, one strong arm wrapping around its neck. It bucked like a wild horse but he held on and slammed his palm down on its neck.
The robot shuddered and flopped to the ground.
Mal relaxed. He’d zapped it. She started to smile but then a huge hand gripped Xander by the back and ripped him off the canine.
The other robot threw Xander and he slammed into the back wall. The robot advanced on him.