She glanced up and noticed they were heading toward a cluster of small jagged mountains. “Won't there be cannibals hiding there? That seems like a perfect place for an ambush."
He was relaxed as he walked along, reloading. He squinted up ahead. “It will give us some cover, and it's better than walking out in the open."
Beth suppressed the urge to argue with him. “Is everyone here a cannibal?"
"Only the people still alive."
"Are you one?"
He stared at her and stayed silent.
"It doesn't seem to bother you very much,” she ventured.
Magnus scanned the mountains as they drew closer. “Nothing bothers me much. And if you live here long enough, nothing will bother you either.” He settled in a snug alcove and sat with his back against a rock. Beth sat down next to him. A gentle thrill tickled her pussy, remembering how rough of a lover he was. She pushed the thought away and a wave of fatigue washed over her. She hadn't eaten since early this morning and she was starving.
He pulled out a leather pouch filled with dried jerky and offered her some. Beth wanted to ask what it was but decided against it. If she knew, she probably wouldn't eat and she needed her strength. She took a piece and bit into it, chewing it with great care. Leaning back, she swallowed it and tried to focus her thoughts on something, anything else.
What a year it had been. Since her son William's death she hadn't really allowed herself to feel much of anything. A part of her mind reached back to William in his bed at home dying so long ago. Did I do the right thing? There were times when she thought, like Mike her ex-husband had, she must be a monster to mercy kill her own son. But then she thought about the disease. At the end it wasn't a question of if her son was going to die, but how long it would take. No one deserved to die that way. She knew in her soul she'd done the right thing. She didn't think her heart would have survived watching pieces of him die off slowly.
Knowing how Mike felt about such things, she was surprised she'd told him, but the truth would have come out anyway. She didn't care what happened to her now. A large part of her died along with her son over a year ago.
She didn't know what she'd been expecting from Mike, but she definitely was taken off-guard when he'd turned her in. Somehow she had dared to believe he'd understand. Mike had understood the disease and what it meant. He knew there was no hope, but he'd never wanted to accept it. Mike and his black and white sense of justice.
The courts had found her guilty, and sentenced her to the Eastern Medical Clinic on Ackron-Nine because she was a nurse. Beth didn't even have time to research her new home. They'd loaded her onto the prison ship immediately, bound for a one year journey in cryo-sleep, never to return to Earth again. Her sentence was life in exile.
Mike hadn't even shown up at the trial. Five years of marriage and not even a cordial farewell. That was so like him. He had the merciless ability to cut people out of his life without so much as a backward glance. It was a chilling thing to experience.
Magnus shifted next to her and she felt her pussy grow wet. Her breath came a little quicker and a small, hungry lust filled her belly. Can I really be that attracted to him? His grey eyes were on her, studying her like a bug.
"I can't help but think you're not a marshal,” she said. “There's something not right about you.” A wind brushed over them, sending a soft chill down her back.
He grinned. “Who do you think I am?"
Beth stared at him for a long time. “I don't know, but you seem..."
He scratched his neck and chewed his meat. Another blast of wind set Beth's teeth on edge. “Are you really a marshal?” she asked.
Magnus glanced at her. “If I wasn't, I would have killed you already."
"What about those numbers on your neck? They look almost identical to the other prisoners."
"Except for the EX,” he corrected. “That means excused."
"Excused from what?"
He smiled and gave a slight shrug. “Murder."
Beth frowned. That's just wonderful. “I don't know what to believe about you.” She draped her hair behind her ears. “Will anyone be looking for us?"
Magnus gave a cruel laugh. “People die here by the minute. No one is going to bother looking for us."
He picked up another piece of meat and chewed slowly. “How did a nurse end up here anyway? What'd you do—take the wrong medication to a patient?"
"No, I didn't and I really don't want to talk about it."
Placing his hands behind his head, he slid down the rock and closed his eyes. “Whatever you say."
Beth shifted uncomfortably. Her body was still hurting from their emergency jump. “What's the plan?"
"We rest, then starting heading for our first stop, Outpost Five."
"Isn't that dangerous? What about the cannibals?"
"They'll either attack us or they won't. Either way, I suggest you rest before we take off because it's a long walk and an even longer run,” he said. His voice held a hint of amusement.
Strange human calls filled the air in a language she didn't recognize. She shuddered. “Shouldn't one of us keep watch to make sure they don't creep up on us?” Beth said, leaning down to emphasize her annoyance at his casual attitude.
He squinted at her. “They won't creep up on us; they'll come screaming like a band of lunatics. You won't be able to miss them. But I don't think they're planning to bother us yet."
"Why not?"
"Because they know I'm armed, and they're busy feasting on the other transport passengers they've collected."
Beth looked in the direction of the transport crash and saw what looked like a small group of people milling around. The thought that they were eating everyone, living and dead, disgusted her. Then she remembered the mystery meat she taken from Magnus and suddenly had to know what it was.
"What was it you gave me to eat?"
He smiled an eerie humorless smile that chilled her bones. “Why do you want me to tell you that?"
Beth stared down into his face, trying to decide if he was teasing her. “I need to know. What was it?"
Magnus opened his eyes and stared at her. They were the eyes of a predator, grey and cold and filled with malevolence. “Roast young man."
Beth felt the bile rise in her throat. “You're lying,” she said. Her accusation hung in the air like a virus.
"Okay, Beth,” he said with a dark smile. “I'm lying. It was beef."
Chapter 5
Although the sun, with its brilliant white light, gave the impression of being hot, it was too far from the planet to be a constant source of heat. The result was long, cold days—not biting cold, but a constant cool of around sixty degrees. Beth walked beside Magnus, looking back occasionally at the cannibal band that kept following them a mile behind. They were all dirty and rumpled. She was surprised they hadn't attacked yet.
"How much longer until we get to this outpost?” she said.
Magnus squinted at the sun. “Four, five more hours maybe.” He pulled out a canteen and drank. He held it out as an offering to her. She took it and pulled some measured sips.
Beth stopped and gestured for his binoculars. He gave them to her and she scanned the horizon before them. In the distance, she could see nothing but rocks and sand dunes.
He took the binoculars and examined the party of cannibals following them. He lowered them and looked thoughtful.
"You think we'll make it?” she said.
"If they want us to."
Magnus marched on and Beth jogged up to join him. “I think I remember reading that some people had tried to settle here as missionaries and colonists. Is that true?"
"Yes,” he said distracted, “that's true."
"Where are they? I mean, where have they settled? Maybe we could get some help."
"They live in small villages, mostly near the clinic. They won't be much help to us.” He pulled out one of his guns and slipped two bullets into the empty chambers. He holstered it again and c
hecked all of his weapons.
Beth stumbled over some rocks and he caught her before she hit the ground. She met his penetrating gaze and quickly looked away, feeling her cheeks flush. “You better watch yourself. I need to get you to Masters in one piece."
Beth pulled away from him self-consciously. She hated herself for being attracted to him. “Thanks,” she mumbled and dusted the sand off her hands. Stopping for a moment, she looked behind them. The cannibals had moved a quarter of a mile closer.
"You need to take a break?” he said, glancing back.
"No, I'm fine. Besides, I don't really like the idea of them getting any closer."
He nodded and they began walking.
"It was my son,” she said, surprising herself with the suddenness of her confession. “I killed my son, or rather I speeded up his inevitable death by stopping the treatments. He was very sick you see, and well, he wasn't going to live."
Magnus was silent for a long time. He stared at her with those grey eyes, searching her face. “That must have been a hard thing,” he said in a neutral tone.
Beth fought back the tears that threatened to come. “Yes,” she said, her voice betraying a small quiver. “It was a very hard thing to do, but I just couldn't watch him die that way."
"I'm sure you did what you thought was best."
Beth felt a moment of bottomless sorrow. Why could this man, this stranger, be more understanding than my husband? She thought back to when she had first met Mike ... How noble he had seemed; so handsome in his dark blue uniform and shiny silver badge. They had shared so much in common, it seemed so perfect.
Beth fought the urge to talk more about the reason she was sentenced. What did any of it really matter? She needed to stop telling him things about herself.
As she walked, her thoughts turned to her poor aching feet. Her shoes weren't meant for this kind of trekking, and parts of the leather were digging into her heel and top of her foot. If they had to walk like this again tomorrow she'd probably be a cripple, with the pain from the blisters forming.
Beth looked over at Magnus, who was engrossed in his own private thoughts. “Have you ever thought of getting off this planet?"
His breathing was slow and steady, like a marathon swimmer. “Every waking moment."
"You think there's any chance you'll succeed?"
A muscle moved in his jaw. The lines around his eyes grew deeper. “I might get that lucky. Why not—I've heard of others who have done it."
Beth suddenly felt renewed. “Really? Who?"
"Other lifers,” he said. “But before you get your hopes up, you'd better know that most people die here within the first year. I haven't made up my mind yet if you've got what it takes to make it beyond that. You might also catch a disease at that clinic. The place is a notorious shithole."
Beth wondered if she had what it took to survive here as well. She guessed she didn't have any other option but to try. “How long have you been her?"
"Seven years."
Beth felt her stomach drop in shock. It seemed like he'd been here longer. “Have you ever met anyone who'd been here longer without getting killed?"
"Sure,” he said with dark amusement. “Jason Masters. He's been here eight years and he's considered an old-timer."
"Great. You think there's any hope for me?"
"That's what you're going to find out, my dear Nurse Shaw. I have no doubt you'll tap into things inside you, you never knew existed. Those things will keep you up at night.” He stopped and gave her a chilling smile. “In the beginning anyway, but you seem like the kind of girl who will get over it quickly enough."
Beth shuddered under his piercing gaze. She already had tapped into a dark side of her soul, and she never had wanted to do it again. But here he was telling her she would have to live by that animal inside. If that was true, and her humanity was at stake, this was going to be a longer sentence than she thought.
Chapter 6
They reached Outpost Five in the late afternoon. Magnus approached the weathered boarding house and entered the first floor, holding his revolver. The lust inside him was burning, but he didn't let her know how fierce it was. For the last two hours of their journey here, he had toyed with thoughts of fucking her right there in the open. She was a tall, powerful woman, with long athletic muscles, and every time he watched her move it stirred him in so many ways. She was so beautiful, his desires for her mixed with each other, creating a grotesque hybrid of want.
As if sensing his change, she watched him out of the corner of her eye, occasionally touching her weapon, as if to warn him off. He was amused she thought he was planning to hurt her. How little she understood of him. Besides, he doubted she'd be fast enough to take him out, but he wouldn't mind her trying. It kept life interesting.
The woman behind the desk of the local inn looked to be around middle age, but he guessed her true age somewhere in her early thirties. She didn't carry the edge of a convict so he pegged her for a colonist. Her hair was short and grey-black and her face had the look of worn leather. She seemed suspicious to see Beth with him and she eyed them carefully as they approached the desk.
He locked eyes with her and waited a moment before he spoke, just a pause long enough to unnerve her. “We need a room."
She glanced at Beth. “For how long? How many nights?"
"Just one."
"One hundred credits,” the woman said without hesitation.
Magnus pulled his gun and scratched behind his ear with the muzzle. “I don't think I heard you right."
The woman stared at the pistol and twisted her mouth. “Sixty,” she said, in a milder voice than before.
Magnus stared at her. “Thirty and that includes dinner and breakfast."
The woman pulled out two cans, slammed them on the counter and turned the roster toward him.
He scribbled a signature and studied the cans.
"That's all I can spare,” she said. She cast a wary glance at his marshal badge, spotting it behind his lapel.
He took the cans and headed toward a spiral staircase. Beth followed silently. As they ascended the rickety stairs, he could feel her close behind him. He could sense her hunger even though he wasn't looking at her.
The room was small, with warped floorboards. One lumpy single bed sat in a corner—a quilt covering a bare mattress. One table and chair were posted by an open window, and a gentle breeze flowed in and out at intervals. Beth sat in the only chair, watching him. He pulled out a can opener and opened one of the cans for her. Her eyes blazed at him.
"Chicken or beef stew?” he said, enjoying the look in her eyes. His own hunger was dulled by the dried meat he carried with him.
"I don't care,” she said.
He handed her the chicken can and she dove into it, using two fingers to scoop out the contents. In moments, he too had devoured his. He resisted the urge to eat some more jerky; he'd need to eat in the morning and now he had her to think about.
She stood up and stretched and he reveled in the way her body moved. He let his mind linger on thoughts of fucking her. “I wish I could take a bath,” she said.
He'd seen a well station near the inn when they approached. “Let me talk to the owner, see what I can do."
For the first time since he'd met her, she smiled at him.
Downstairs, the woman led him to the bathing house—a small windowless wooden room with a medium-sized plastic tub. He nodded; it was modest, but would do the trick. He went to get Beth, and soon the two of them were standing before it as if it were the Holy Grail.
"I'll have to stay in here with you; it won't be safe for you to be alone,” he said, locking the door behind him.
"Who's going to protect me from you?"
He leaned against the wall and watched her. “I'm planning to have you a hundred times over before we get to the clinic. Besides, I'm the least of your worries."
She pulled her shirt off. “I guess you're right,” she said, a soft blush coloring her cheeks.
The woman from the front desk knocked and informed them they could turn the valve on now. Beth filled the tub until the water stopped, and then dipped her hand in to test the temperature. “Cold as hell,” she said unhappily.
Magnus smiled. “Enjoy it. It might be the last bath you have for some time."
She watched him uneasily and pulled her pants down and off. A blast of carnal hunger filled him, tearing desire through his groin and firing his blood. The desire to touch her was overpowering. He reached down and shifted his erection to a more comfortable position.
She leaned forward and pulled her underwear off. The beauty of her nakedness was so natural it made him forget, if only for a little while, about all the death and killing. In this frozen moment in time, he was simply a man, not the animal he had created himself to be. Now he was just a man lusting for a woman. How wonderfully simple that was.
"Are you going to bathe as well?” she said, slipping into the tub. She picked up the used bar of soap nearby as if it carried the plague.
He sat on a wooden storage box nearby. “Yeah, right after you,” he said. He sounded breathy.
The water left a glistening sheen on her pale skin and he imagined what it would be like to lick it off. She avoided meeting his gaze, running the soap along her face, neck and breasts, splashing water on her body to rinse away the dirt. It almost seemed like she was tempting him. “Let me wash your hair,” he said.
She met his gaze and hesitated. He knew she wanted to refuse, to drive him out and close the door, but something stopped her. “Okay,” she said carefully, as if she might be giving away much more than she imagined.
Getting up off the box, he stalked around behind her. He picked up the soap, and knelt behind the tub. He pulled her blonde locks across the rim of the tub. He rolled the soap in his hands, savoring the feeling of it, then ran his fingers into her hair. She was tense at first, her neck muscles standing out against the slope of her shoulder, but soon she relaxed and closed her eyes.
Hungry Planet Page 3