He loved her now and that complicated matters. What would she do if she knew the truth? Would she reject him, try to run away? Probably, but he had to tell her.
She shifted in her sleep and gave him a dreamy glance. She stretched and undid her harness then leaned over to look out the window. “What's that?"
He leaned over and followed her gaze. Far below was a small caravan of settlers. Their land cruisers were parked at odd angles as if they'd all stopped suddenly and parked where they could. There didn't seem to be any sign of attack, but several were standing on the tops of their vehicles waving a white flag.
"They're trying to signal us for help,” she said with certainty.
A fire began to burn in his belly. “Yeah, that's a possibility."
Her eyes fixed on him in an accusatory stare, as if he had caused the settlers unknown hardship. “We have to stop and help them."
"No, we don't."
Beth twisted in her seat and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “Magnus, you can't just leave them there."
"Watch me."
"Are you insane? Those people will die without our help. We have to land."
The fire in his belly grew into an inferno. “Fuck that."
Beth stood up as if the force of her stature alone could compel him. Her rage washed over him and he felt his own anger quickening. This goodie, goodie stuff from her was getting to be a real pain in the ass.
She crouched by him with her hands on his arm. “Please."
"It's a trap,” he managed. She was so close. He reached down and released his harness. She didn't seem to notice.
"Don't make me beg you for this,” she said.
He turned to look her in the eyes. She pulled back a little but stayed close, still within grabbing distance. He ran his gaze over his face, her hair, her neck. He inhaled her scent but hesitated to touch her. He wanted to fuck her here, on this alien ship, right now in flight. Unfortunately, he'd need more time than this, hours, to do exactly what he wanted. He didn't utter a sound but turned the ship around and headed back to the colonists. He would have his chance, when everything was just right.
* * * *
They landed and Magnus was armed and out of his seat. Beth rose, but he pushed her back down into her chair. “Wait here."
Slipping his sunglasses on, he hit the hatch door only to find the colonists rushing toward him. He cocked his weapon and pointed it at them. Suddenly, they slowed to a cautious walk. He watched a few take in the Kerillian markings and looked at him. He leaned in the doorway of the ship's entrance.
An older man with a few days’ growth of grey beard moved forward as the group slowed to a stop. “Good day to you, friend,” he said. “I hope you have come in peace to help."
Magnus spotted a few men and women with large sores on their face and hands. “What's wrong with your people?"
Before the man could answer, Magnus was pushed aside from behind by Beth, brandishing a large first aid kit. She raced down the plank, stopping just before the grey bearded man. “My name is Nurse Shaw. I'm an assistant of Doctor Masters,” she said breathily. “What can I do to help?"
Chapter 25
As far as Magnus was concerned, an entire travel day had been wasted on the colonists. Beth hadn't seen it that way and argued to stay longer until he threatened to leave her there. Then she came right along. Surprising what a little fear could do to change someone's mind. They traveled back in cold silence—she brooding over his callous insensitivity and he trying to decide on where he was going to fuck her when they got back.
If she hadn't outright guessed his plans for her, she must have somehow sensed it. She kept one eye firmly on him all the time now. Her caution just thrilled him more because he knew her anger would make her pretty wild.
They landed at the clinic in the late afternoon and had the medical supplies unloaded in just under an hour. Magnus could see the disappointment on Beth's face and knew she'd be asking to go back for more. As everyone celebrated inside, Magnus hung back in the hangar playing with an abandoned pack of cards. After a few moments, Beth returned from the celebration, her hands buried in her back pockets.
"Aren't you coming to join the party?” she said.
He shook his head, cutting the deck with one hand over and over again as he sat at the empty card table. She moved forward and took a seat opposite him. Their eyes met and he felt a rush of heat in his face and groin. He'd fuck her now if he weren't so afraid of being interrupted.
"I really appreciate all your help, Magnus.” She traced the scar of a cigarette burn on the vinyl tabletop. “Maybe we could take another run out to the medical freighter soon."
He barked out a harsh laugh. “We don't have enough fuel for a return trip,” he lied. What the fuck would she know?
She stared at him, her nostrils flaring slightly. “How do you know? I thought you couldn't read Kerillian?"
He leaned back and interlaced his hands behind his head. “I'm learning."
"I don't believe you're a marshal,” she said, rising from the table. “Who are you really?"
He moved toward her, his pulse pounding in his temples. “Sit down and I'll tell you everything."
Beth lowered herself into her seat watching him carefully. “Okay."
"I really am a marshal, Beth. But before I became one, I was so much more than just a criminal. I was the leader of those cannibal bands we keep running into out there. I was the worst of the worst—King of the Cannibals. They couldn't stop me, so the government made me a deal. They offered me a free hand, all the ammunition and food I wanted, and a pension for my dad on Earth if I switched teams.” He spread the cards face up on the table. “It was a sweetheart deal, so I took it."
"That's why you know all of them."
He nodded, not meeting her gaze. “That's right. That's why I know them.” Before she could respond, a loud alarm sounded in the hangar. Magnus glanced away trying to spot its source. When he looked back at her, she was running.
Chapter 26
When Magnus reached the main entrance, they were already escorting a haggard looking Doctor Masters to an examining room. Beth followed alongside him, trying to check his temperature and pulse as they rushed him past in a gurney. Magnus had to admit, he was shocked to see Masters alive. He'd never known anyone abducted by cannibals to survive to tell about it. Perhaps they'd only needed his expertise and in return, released him.
His adventure aside, Masters didn't look too bad for all the time he'd been gone. Some dehydration and a few cuts and bruises seemed to be all. Magnus stood just outside the examining room as Beth hastily rushed everyone out. She glanced at him, and left the door open as she worked to clean Masters’ wounds. She gave the doctor something to relax him and he promptly fell asleep. Magnus said nothing as she worked. He knew she'd talk to him when she was ready.
Beth glanced at him as she rushed around the room getting bandages and disinfectant. “I want to know why you didn't tell me all this before."
Magnus shifted his weight to the other foot and folded his arms across his chest. “I thought you'd dump me.” He smiled. “I wanted to wait for just the right time. I didn't know how you would react to it."
"Fucking animal,” she spat as she cut away some of Masters’ shirt sleeves to get at another wound. She lapsed into a dark and angry silence.
"There was also another reason."
"And that is?"
"I told you I love you."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Why not? It's the truth. Besides, you're not really going to tell me I mean nothing to you, are you?"
Beth glared at him and tossed some soiled bandages in the trash. “What's to stop you from murdering me?"
"Come on now. Aren't you overreacting just a little? I could have killed you a thousand times."
Her face was blank, unreadable. “We need more food,” she said, leaning against the gurney. “Do you have enough fuel to get to the space station and get us some supplie
s?"
"I think so."
"But we didn't have enough to go back and help those colonists?"
"No, baby, we'll never have enough fuel to go back for those colonists,” he said in a dangerous tone. “I'd better go prep the ship for my trip. You know where I'll be if you need me."
* * * *
Beth sat in Masters’ room, listening to the quiet rhythm of his breathing as he slept. She hated Magnus’ history but couldn't bring herself to hate the man. She knew he was dangerous, deadly even. She was furious he hadn't told her about being a cannibal. I should have seen it. It was all there.
She should give Magnus an IV of fluids before he left. Hunger hung on him like old rags, and she hated to admit she loved him, too. Getting up with a sigh, she grabbed an IV bag and a needle and made her way to the hangar.
As she came in, he was sitting by the ship on a sack of rice, chewing a piece of jerky. He gave her a lazy look and leaned back with his hands behind his head. “What now?"
Beth held up the IV bag and moved toward him. “You're going to need this to keep on your toes.” Coming up next to him, she hooked the IV into a grate just above him. “Take off your jacket, please."
Magnus didn't move for a moment, then slowly peeled his jacket off and laid it next to him. She swabbed his arm and inserted the IV, carefully checking its drip. “Now lay back and be quiet. This will take a few minutes."
Chapter 27
Only a day had passed since Magnus left but, for Beth, the clinic had become a prison within itself. During the day, she did everything she could for the guards and patients but nothing was ever enough. They never had enough food and tempers flared often. It was all she could do to keep the peace most of the time, even though she could do little to stop the guards’ theft of the IV bags.
Doctor Masters was doing well despite her having little to feed him. He obsessed constantly about the clinic and important research he felt he should be doing. He had even stared getting up against her advice and seeing patients. Despite her annoyance, she was relieved to see him returning to his old self.
Beth knew she wasn't doing as well. She was withdrawing from everyone, taking long breaks to go in her room, locking the door and reading. She almost never slept, instead waking with a start to every little noise. Sometimes she would lie awake at night curled in a corner, reading the same medical texts over and over again. She knew her actions were odd but she couldn't help it. Nothing was right without Magnus here.
One night, after spending hours reading, she woke with tightness in her chest she had never felt before. She rushed to Doctor Masters’ room. As she entered, she heard him sit up quickly and a gun cock.
Beth swallowed down her fear. “It's me,” she whispered.
He turned on the light and lowered his weapon. “I could have blown your head off. What the hell were you thinking barging in here like that?"
"I think I'm having a heart attack."
Masters pulled the blankets off him and moved toward her. He was dressed only in some blue sweatpants. Beth stared into his black eyes.
"Sit on the bed,” he said, pulling over a small EKG machine stuffed in the corner. He hooked her up and turned the machine on. They both watched the monitor wordlessly for a few moments.
Masters shook his head. “I don't think you're having a heart attack, Beth."
Beth suddenly felt foolish. She was so embarrassed, she was unable to speak. So many emotions swirled inside her she didn't know which one to dare express first. Before she knew what was happening, a sob filled her and spilled from her mouth. Once loose, her sorrow and fear flowed from her in a bitter, hopeless weeping. She was so worried about Magnus, she couldn't deal with any of this.
At first, Masters seemed stunned, rendered unable to respond. Then she felt his arms wrap around her as he pulled her in close.
"I don't know what's happening to me,” she said in between her tears. “I feel like I'm coming apart."
Masters squeezed her and gently nuzzled her ear. “You'll be fine, you've just been holding in too much for too long.” He gently kissed her cheek. “Stay with me tonight; I'll take care of you."
Beth closed her eyes and let her body melt into him. I'm going to die here, on this fucking planet, alone. Soon the tears came again and Beth was terrified by the ferocity of them.
Chapter 28
Magnus parked the Kerillian cruiser behind the supply depot and hoped no one paid too much attention to it. It was a big risk bringing it here; anyone who knew ships would be able to tell it wasn't an Earth vessel. He lowered the hatch and glanced around with his weapon drawn. Everyone on the street minded their own business, rushing from one place to another not concerned with anything other than their own affairs.
Spotting the back door ajar, he slipped into the supply depot and quickly took in the room. Three other shoppers browsed the aisles, one woman and two men. They weren't together. They appeared to be local merchants so Magnus didn't pay much attention to them. Making his way up to the clerk behind the counter, he laid the clinic credits down, trying to read the man's face.
"These still good?” he said.
The clerk, a middle-aged, balding man with a dirty, white shirt, picked them up and held them under an ultraviolet light. He gave Magnus a curious look. “Sure are. Issued to the clinic a few weeks back.” He scratched his chin. “Funny,” he said. “I heard they were overrun by cannibals."
Magnus rested his hand on the butt of his gun. “They were, but they survived it. Mind if I shop around?"
The clerk watched him for a moment and Magnus thought the man might be feeling heroic. Finally, he shrugged and walked off to continue restocking the shelves.
Grabbing some cases of baked beans and chili, Magnus set to loading the ship. When he was on his last load, the clerk came out. Magnus groaned inside, the man was going to have questions about the ship.
The man looked at the marking, his face unreadable. “If you'll just sign these,” the clerk said, holding the credits out to him.
Magnus signed them, waiting for the barrage of questions over how he came to possess a Kerillian ship, but the man made no comment. Instead, once Magnus had signed everything, he slipped back into the store without as much as a backward glance.
The hearty smell of basting meat filled Magnus's nose and reminded him how ravenous he truly was. Deciding it was safe enough to leave the ship for a while; he entered the main concourse and followed the rich delicious smells. Neon lights surrounded the little café announcing fresh food. Magnus entered and took a seat at the bar.
The placed boasted few patrons, but the most interesting was the Kerillian pair sitting by the kitchen. Magnus kept his right hand on his thigh in case he needed to draw his weapon.
A haggard-looking woman with bleached curls sauntered up and took his order. Normally he wouldn't have felt comfortable being in such a small enclosed place with two Kerillian soldiers, but he was hungry and the trip back to the clinic would take a few hours of steady piloting, since he didn't know how to auto-pilot the ship.
His meal arrived a few moments later, steaming hot. He dug in, keeping one eye on the Kerillians. About halfway into his meal, they got up and walked toward him. Magnus gulped down a few more mouthfuls and pulled his weapon, keeping it in his lap.
They moved up behind him, but Magnus pretended not to notice. “Interesting,” the dark-haired one said in a thick foreign accent that could almost be mistaken for Russian. “He doesn't look Kerillian. How do you suppose he got a Kerillian ship?"
Fuck. The ship had been spotted. Now he'd have to fight his way out of here and get back to the ship. He hoped the Kerillians hadn't sabotaged it already.
Without uttering a word, Magnus swiveled around in his chair and pointed his weapon at them. They looked unmoved. The taller of the two reached for him with blinding speed, but Magnus pulled the trigger and blew an angry hole in the man's head. The other Kerillian roared with rage. Ducking behind the counter, he pulled his blaster and
opened fire. Screams filled the air as patrons scrambled and ran for the exit.
Magnus dropped to the floor and scrambled to the back door. Kicking it open, he ran toward the ship, firing a few shots off behind him to keep the Kerillian from gaining too much ground on him.
Magnus raced onto the ship and closed the hatch. A moment later he had the engines running. He heard the blaster shots as he took off and hoped one didn't find its way into the hull. If it did, this would be a very short trip.
Chapter 29
Once he arrived at the clinic, landing proved to be harder than he could have imagined. Circling, Magnus spotted a small band of hungry colonists surrounding the compound desperately trying to score a food handout. Poor bastards. Little did they know the clinic was as busted as they were. That was until he arrived with his payload.
Magnus cut his airspeed and made a low pass to unsettle the crowd. They took the hint and scattered, taking cover away from the compound. He landed at the back of the clinic and opened the hatch. He moved out with his weapon at the ready, just in case someone was so desperate they would risk anything to try and get in. Seeing no one, he rounded up some guards and set about unloading the ship. He was surprised Beth didn't come out. Perhaps she was involved with a patient.
After they had finished, he dropped by the examining rooms. No sign of her. His next stop was Doctor Masters’ room. He listened at the door and heard the muffled sounds of soft voices. He knocked softly.
"Come in,” Masters said through the door.
Magnus entered and saw Beth sitting in a folding chair in the corner, a book hugged tightly to her chest.
Masters walked over, looking tired. “She's strung out. Maybe you can talk to her.” He walked past Magnus, and out the door.
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