"How you holding up?"
"I told you I was fine, didn't I?" said Saoirse.
Phoenix bit back his reply. She still clutched her arm closely to her side. Gun blasts sounded off in the distance. Plowstow had run into some trouble.
Movement to his right had Phoenix swinging the turret towards his foe but there was none to be found.
Huh? I could have sworn...
Phoenix shook his head and kept his eyes peeled. They took corner after corner; metal scraping on brickwork sent sparks flying into the air.
Another plasma bolt smashed into the side of the truck, but the attacker was gone before Phoenix could return fire. He could see the warehouse in the distance. They were getting close.
"Nearly there!"
Saoirse simply grunted. Her focus was directed straight ahead of her. Every turn could prove costly or every house a trap.
They made one final turn and their destination was in front of them. Saoirse put her foot down, and they raced towards the warehouse. But something didn't feel right. There were no guards stationed to greet them, no foes to shoot them down. They passed the guard tower unchecked, and the tension in Phoenix's stomach grew.
The huge double doors that formed the entrance to the building showed the path to freedom. Beyond it was L's ship and a way off this sand bowl.
Something up ahead caught his attention. It shimmered in the air, and Rustem appeared before them as if popping out of thin air.
"Shielding cloak!" said Saoirse.
But that wasn't what panicked Phoenix most. Rustem lifted a long tube up onto his shoulder with a flick of his hand, and Phoenix knew that it meant trouble.
"Saoirse! Stop! Stop--"
It was too late. Rustem fired his weapon and a missile snaked towards them, leaving a trail of smoke behind it. Phoenix saw it in slow motion and began to move. He had to reach Saoirse in time.
The missile headed towards him. All thoughts vanished from Phoenix's mind; he knew what he had to do. The single focus of saving his crewmate dominated his thoughts. It didn't allow room for anything else.
Phoenix raced from the back of the truck to the front. He felt like his limbs were in liquid. He urged them forward. His muscle fibres screamed in protest, but he ignored them. If he didn't move fast enough, the temporary pain he was now feeling would be over forever.
The missile was almost upon them.
Saoirse's hair flowed gently in the wind, waiting to be stroked, waiting to be touched. He was almost there; he just had to reach that bit further.
Phoenix willed his arm to grow longer as he stretched it out. Come on, Phoenix! He grabbed a hold of whatever he could and launched both of them sideways with all the force he had, right off the truck.
The missile struck the truck with a deafening boom, and Phoenix was blinded by a flash of light.
54
The truck exploded into a fiery ball, flipping like a tossed coin. It landed upside down, with purple, indigo and pink flames licking its body. Phoenix felt the heat from the explosion as it blasted him clear of the wreckage.
Where is Saoirse?
He couldn't feel her presence. He remembered grabbing her before the explosion, but the bits after that were too hazy to piece together.
Did she make it out okay?
Phoenix grunted as he felt his body impact something solid. He bounced once, twice, then began to roll.
What the... Oh, the ground.
Phoenix rolled along with such speed that once again he was thankful for his clothing. He came to a gradual stop and lay face down in the dirt. His ribs hurt. His back moaned. His legs refused to listen.
He groaned and tried to get up. He managed to lift himself to his hands and knees before collapsing back in the dirt. He let out a small sigh and dug his fingers into the dirt until he could feel it under his nails.
You have an opponent to face. Get. The fuck. Up.
Phoenix rose to his feet unsteadily and scanned the area for Saoirse. He found her sitting on the ground with blood trickling down the side of her face. Her eyes appeared unfocused and her hands trembled slightly. Phoenix made his way towards her, crouching low. He went to touch her chin, but his fingers never reached their destination, as Saoirse's hands grabbed his with the quickness of a pit viper. Her grip was like iron, as she slowly lifted her head up and looked him in the eye.
"Do you know how close I have come to death in my lifetime?" said Saoirse.
"No," Phoenix whispered.
"Not once. I have faced many threats, many challenges, many enemies in combat. But tonight was the first time I have ever been so close to death. If my teacher saw me now, she would be disgusted. All the trials I went through, back home, for what?
"All the pain I had to endure–for what? I allowed emotion to cloud my vision to the dangers ahead of me, to things I could have avoided. Because of that, I am in the dirt. It shall not happen again."
"It happens."
"Not to me," Saoirse said with fire in her eyes.
Phoenix heard movement behind them and lifted his head. Men were making their way towards them. He looked back to Saoirse, who had already picked herself up off the ground. He got to his feet and took a step back from her.
The bloodlust radiating off her chilled Phoenix to the bone.
Saoirse reached behind her and pulled out what appeared to be a small pistol. She pressed a pulsing green button on its side and it began to extend outwards, growing larger and larger. A weapon that appeared every inch the assault rifle rested in her hands. Its jet-black handle ended in a hand guard Phoenix had seen on many a rapier.
"I'll handle it," said Saoirse.
"You sur--"
The look she shot his way gave him all the answers he needed.
She didn't look his way as she walked past him. "Finish this." She took aim and began to pick off the men, one by one.
It was efficient. It was ruthless. It held nothing back.
Phoenix lowered his gaze to the ground as the screams of the dying filled the air. He could tell now why she was called the demon pirate hunter. Keeping his gaze fixed on the dirt in front of him, he breathed in and out.
He lowered himself to his knees and picked up a handful of dirt. Rubbing it between his hands, he allowed the rest to fall to the ground.
Phoenix looked up towards the warehouse, to where Rustem was still standing. He hadn't moved. His arms were crossed over his chest. He appeared to be waiting for something.
I'm never one to keep people waiting.
Phoenix walked towards the Bell Man. He felt...nothing.
It surprised Phoenix; he expected to feel something. Anything. But searching inside himself, no emotions sprung forth. No anger. No hate. Nothing.
All he wanted was to save his new friends and make it out of this alive. Anything else was just a bonus. This was just part of the risks of being him.
Phoenix laughed aloud at his ego and shook his head.
"I am glad to see you approach death with a laugh and a smile. So many I have encountered have always met death with such fear. Such hate and loathing. But death is something to be celebrated. Death is something that should be loved.
"We can only start afresh because of death. We only survive because of death. We only grow because of death. So why fear it?" said Rustem.
"Did I say I feared it?" said Phoenix.
Rustem smiled Phoenix's way but said nothing.
"So you're doing good work, is that it? The work of the gods?" said Phoenix.
"Oh, no," Rustem said with a laugh. "Whatever gave you that idea? I do this for simple profit. Nothing more, nothing less. I like the finer things in life, but the finer things cost. I must do what I can do to make ends meet."
"So is that where I come in?"
"I'm afraid so," said Rustem.
"Hmm. For as long as I can remember I have always had a price on my head, or someone has always wanted something from me. Seems no matter where you go, you can never shake old problems."
"Before we start, I must say that this isn't personal--"
Phoenix threw a straight right that rocked Rustem's head back. He followed up with a kick to Rustem's solar plexus that knocked the wind from his stomach. Phoenix stepped back and looked at the mercenary with disgust.
"You capture my friends! You endanger their lives to get to me, and you say it isn't personal? You sack of shit. Where I come from, we would disagree. Now I am going to show you what we do to such people."
55
Rustem wiped blood from his nose and shook his head. "If you choose to take it that way, then I can't stop you. But know this: that will be the last time you land a blow on me."
"I've heard that before," Phoenix said with a smile.
Rustem shook his head, as if he had spoken to a child who didn't understand how grave a situation they were in. He rolled his head back and forth on his neck before repeating the motion with his shoulders. He began to walk towards Phoenix with the air of someone going for a Sunday stroll.
Phoenix threw a left and right, but both were dodged with the slightest of head movements. He threw a kick but that too was blocked.
Rustem kept on walking, backing Phoenix up further and further. Whatever Phoenix threw was blocked or simply dodged. He would always brush pass his target within a hair's breadth, but never landing one of his blows. Sweat poured into his eyes, and he could feel fatigue start to set in.
"How long will you keep this up?" Rustem asked.
"As long as I have to."
"Shall I be merciful and end it now? Or prolong your agony?"
Phoenix gritted his teeth and ran towards Rustem, but he found himself looking up at the sky as he landed on his back with a thud. Rustem had hip-tossed him as if he were a child. It took no strength or effort; it was as simple as breathing for him.
"You choose mercy, then?" said Rustem.
Phoenix rolled out of the way as a foot came down towards his face. He swayed as he climbed to his feet. It had been a long night.
Phoenix rushed Rustem once again, going high. He feinted the shot and went in low, tackling him to the ground. The look of surprise on Rustem's face was a thing of beauty, and Phoenix quickly went to work on it with his elbows. The first three blows landed, opening a cut on Rustem's forehead. The fourth missed as Rustem hip-bumped Phoenix off him.
Phoenix threw a smile at Rustem as they jumped up again. "I thought you said I wouldn't land another blow?"
Rustem said nothing as blood slowly dripped down his face. The mask he wore was a bloody one, but it showed no emotion whatsoever. That surprised Phoenix more than anything; he had thought he would be able to goad the mercenary into doing something stupid.
"Interesting," Rustem said before kicking Phoenix in the ribs.
The kick dropped Phoenix to his knees. He looked up in time to avoid the first punch thrown his way, but the others that followed found their mark.
Phoenix's head snapped back repeatedly, and he tried to stay on his feet as he swayed back and forth. His vision was blurry. He couldn't tell his right from his left. Trying to tell where the blows were coming from was proving next to impossible, as there appeared to be three Rustems standing before him.
"Interesting," said Rustem.
"Would you be so kind as to tell me--" Phoenix spat the blood that had pooled in his mouth before he continued. "What is so damn interesting?"
"Well, you have managed to land a blow against me–that, in itself, is interesting. But what really confuses me is how someone from a backward planet like yours managed to obtain nanobots. That could be the only explanation of how you have fared so well in this fight," said Rustem.
"Or maybe I'm just a better fighter than you."
"Absurd."
"Well, we do think highly of ourselves, don't we?" said Phoenix.
Rustem shook his head, the air ringing with the sound of his bells. He came at Phoenix relentlessly, showing no mercy or compassion. Phoenix was his next meal ticket; he was going to do everything in his power to try and punch it.
Phoenix could see something coming his way in the distance, which was just as well, as he wouldn't have heard what was coming towards him.
"So, Rustem, why do they call you the Bell Man?"
Rustem gave Phoenix a look as if he had asked the stupidest question in the galaxy and pointed to his hair.
"Ahh, I see. But why wear bells? A man in your line of work...doesn't that make things harder?" Phoenix asked.
"I wear them for the challenge they bring. For the simple pleasure of knowing that it makes my work harder. I want to obtain so many things that wealth brings, but I found that if I didn't face challenges in getting them, it left me empty. So these bells make my life harder, and in doing so they make my life better."
"Rustem, you're full of shit. Have fun in the afterlife!" Phoenix said and threw himself to the ground.
Phoenix had seen Plowstow making his way towards them on the hover bike. The image was blurry, but he was certain of what he saw. As Rustem droned on, Plowstow had made his way ever closer, until he had Rustem in his sights. Plowstow pointed his pistol at the mercenary's back and opened fire.
Phoenix wasn't prepared for what happened next. The plasma blasts should have hit. They should have found their mark in Rustem's back. But Rustem side-stepped out of the way, allowing them to sail past him. He turned around and caught Plowstow by the neck, slamming him to the ground.
The driverless hover bike continued its journey and crashed into the warehouse wall. Phoenix watched in awe as Rustem held down all seven foot plus of Plowstow by his throat. The strength he displayed was mind-boggling.
So this is the true power of the nanobots.
Rustem turned his head towards Phoenix and held his gaze. He reached for Plowstow's pistol, as if he had all the time in the world.
Phoenix knew what was going to happen, but he couldn't do anything about it. His heart raced in his chest. His lungs threatened to burst because he refused to breathe. Phoenix started to get up, but he knew he would be too late. Rustem had already gripped the pistol, his fingers encircling the handle in a firm grip.
No one was going to die on this trip, he had promised himself that. Not even Plowstow. But that promise seemed to be for naught, as Rustem held the pistol over Plowstow's stomach and fired.
The scream that erupted from Plowstow's lips chilled Phoenix to the bone.
56
L made her way towards her ship.
It sparkled amidst the rust and the old metal that surrounded it. A sharp nose gave way to two flared wings attached to a long sleek body. A cluster of thrusters at the tail hinted at its speed. Red and black paintwork gave it a menacing look.
L made her way around it, slowly inspecting it. She traced a finger along the bodywork and lifted it to her face with a scowl. "Look how dirty they let you get, baby." She walked around the ship three more times before coming to a stop at the cargo bay.
"I must say, I am most impressed by this ship," Freyan said. "When you told me you built it, I was expecting some sort of tub that would just about get us out of orbit. But this looks promising. Although I am not too sure if we will ever be able to get away with those." He pointed to the missile turrets decorating each wing alongside a pair of ion cannons.
"You call those toys firepower? The good stuff is hidden away. You ain't seen nothing yet," L said with a smile.
She reached up towards the cargo hold on her tiptoes and stroked the metal panel with her fingertips. Glowing lights appeared along the cargo bay doors and the doors began to lower with a hiss. L nodded her head and began to make her way up the ramp.
Freyan began to follow her but stopped when he noticed piles of black ash on the ground. "Has your ship malfunctioned in some way?" he asked, pointing to the ash pile.
L looked over her shoulder and shook her head. "That's what you become if you try to forcibly gain entry into this baby."
Lights came on overhead with each step further inside they took. T
he corridor walls gleamed, with holocom screens inserted every seven metres.
"Right!" L said, clasping her hands together and turning round to face Kai and Freyan. "Welcome aboard the PH1. Onboard you will find sleeping quarters to house ten. The canteen is down the hall and to the left. I installed a machine that will cater to everyone's needs."
"DNA molecule reader built into a food dispenser?" Freyan asked.
"Only the best. I should know, I built it. Escape pods are down the corridor and each takes two. There are also escape pods in the cargo bay. If you boys would like to follow me, I'll show you to the bridge." L spun on her heel and walked away.
Freyan and Kai looked at each other before shaking their heads and going after her.
The bridge in question had everything a crew could need.
"L, how could you... This ship can rival anything I have ever flown in, and I have flown in quite a few ships. How did this come about? Like the great poet S.T. Welham once said, 'Beauty and elegance such as this is not simply made, it is won'."
L smirked, jumping up and down in joy. "It's amazing, isn't it? Truly amazing."
"Yes, but how did you do all this?" Freyan asked.
"I drew the designs myself. From the first time the idea of this ship came into my mind, I knew that it had to be made. But for that to happen, I needed a backer. That's where Duke came in. I allowed him to think this ship was his, but that was never the case. Yes, he may have paid for the resources–manpower, tools, weapons. But I oversaw all the building. Everything you see here came from this," L said, pointing to her head. "Kai built the computer system, so I know that she is one of a kind--"
Red lights flashed as sirens blared across the ship, cutting L off. "Oh... That's not right," she said.
57
The primal scream that erupted from Plowstow's mouth shook Phoenix to the core. Plowstow writhed in agony on the ground, his eyes screwed shut against the pain. Plowstow's scream quieted to a whimper as he held his stomach, huddled in a ball on the ground.
Stranded: (Space Outlaw 2) Page 17