Epilogue
“You know, I did a little research of my own,” the Human, Smythe, said. “You ladies have quite a price on your head.”
Valeria stepped towards Smythe and said, “If you are thinking of betraying us, your death will not be a quick one.”
Placing a restraining hand on her sister’s arm, Helena said, “We are in his domain, now is not the time for threats.”
Smythe pointed a thick finger at Valeria and said, “You should listen to her. My guys will take you down, do you hear? Take you down!”
Though the room was small and dimly lit, Helena knew every corner and exit. Two of the four thugs smoked cigars. The other two fingered their automatic weapons. Helena sensed these men had seen many deals go sour in this very room. Though Helena had hoped to avoid killing Smythe, it was now clear that he had betrayed them.
There was no other alternative.
“You have information!” Valeria said. “Tell us what you know. We have the money.”
Smythe leaned backwards and his chair creaked in protest to his girth. “You see, there’s the problem,” he said. “I’m not sure you have enough.”
Valeria glared at the Human and said, “We have already agreed upon the price.”
“That was before I knew how much you were worth,” Smythe said. “I’m a reasonable man, however. Pay me triple and we’ll have a deal. I’ll let you fine ladies walk right outta here.”
“Triple?” Valeria reached inside her longcoat and Helena sensed the thugs tense.
Helena restrained her sister and said, “Alright! Triple.”
She just needed more time, though she knew Smythe didn’t intend to let them leave. He had already made his deal.
“See? I knew you were reasonable women,” Smythe said. “Now, where’s your other sister? I’ll only make the deal with the three of you.”
There was the confirmation. He intended to turn them over to the Human bounty hunters. After five months of searching, they finally had a lead to find their imprisoned sister – Terentia. Now, this piggish Human wasn’t going to keep his word.
“Marcella?” Valeria said as a grin tugged at the corner of her thin lips. “My sister is right behind you.”
With blazing speed, Valeria and Helena drew their swords and dispatched the four guards. Their surprise died in their throats as they only had time to widen their eyes in shock. Helena felt as if this wasn’t the last time she would be forced to draw blood.
Smythe’s eyes bulged as Marcella appeared behind him with a dagger to his throat.
“Are the others dead?” Valeria asked as she wiped the gore from her blade on Smythe’s jacket.
“Yes, my sister,” Marcella said. “But we don’t have much time. More are coming.”
“Alright, alright!” Smythe said. “I’ll give you the information. Just don’t kill me!”
Helena placed one of her boots against Smythe’s chest and said, “It is too late for that. Betrayal is met in-kind and the only hope you have is for a quick death.”
She pulled a vial from her coat and continued her bluff. “This is one of the most painful Antaran poisons,” she said, though she held a simple antidote for travel nausea in her hand. “You will suffer for weeks as you feel like your organs are burning from the inside. The Human doctors will attempt to keep you alive to cure you, but they will fail. Trust me when I tell you Marcella’s blade is a much more welcome end to your pathetic life. You have information? We want it. Hand it over now and we will show you some measure of mercy.”
Smythe thought for a moment and Marcella tightened her grasp. “Okay!” he said. “I was going to meet a guy who knew where your sister was being held. Everything’s in the safe over there in a brown envelope. The code is-”
Helena was already in his mind, which was unreadable moments before. Like Rowe, this man was accustomed to lying. His memories and thoughts were difficult to penetrate.
“I know the code,” Helena said as she approached the safe.
“Anything else?” Valeria said as she replaced Helena in front of the frightened Human.
“Everything’s there,” Smythe said as Helena manipulated the keypad. “Meeting time, location, everything.”
Helena pulled the brown envelope from the safe and emptied the contents on a nearby table. With a clink, something familiar fell from the package. At first, the memory was hazy, like a ship too far from shore. Then, the final brick around her heart crumbled as the memory of Captain Nathan Connor regained its hold. The glowing globes he gave her on Caledonia rested at the center of the table. She returned the jewelry to him when they parted aboard the Jupiter because she couldn’t bear the pain of her betrayal to him. He died aboard the Jupiter as Helena sent the vessel into the tellium star.
But no, he didn’t die. He was alive. And he knew Helena and her sisters sought Terentia. Like before, Helena knew her task had just become more difficult.
About the Author
Matthew C. Plourde is a cancer survivor and native New Englander. He is a husband and father of two children. His family called Vietnam “home” for a month while they adopted their son. Though writing is his passion, he currently works as a compliance consultant for large enterprise corporations. His shorter fiction has appeared on many different e-zines and he continues to write novels. His Eden saga novels can be found everywhere online.
For all the latest, visit his blog:
http://matthewcplourde.wordpress.com/
For Duty (Antaran Legacy Book 1) Page 26