Overtop the ledge, I felt the grip on my shoulders loosen and then I was dropping. Aris caught me in his arms and held me tight. Both of us peered up and watched the Dreger circle us, ensuring I was unharmed. Then, with a nod of her head, she flew off into the night.
"Thank you," I cried.
Aris rested his head atop of mine and squeezed me again. "That was too close," he said.
I nodded and cuddled closer to him, letting him hold me for some time. I remembered what I'd said to him in what I thought were my last moments, and now I felt like a dolt. Looking up I could see the spider-creatures clamoring around the opposite ledge, anxious to get us. Unless they could fly, we were safe.
The cool night air urged us on our way. Aris, one arm anchored around my waist, reached over and picked up the battle-axe. Without looking back, he led us off into the dark night.
Chapter 23
Through the night we walked. The cold air surrounding us felt more intense since both of us had to leave our jackets behind in the caves. There was no way we were going back to get them. We finally broke free of the jungle once the sun began to rise, and only then, when we entered into a wide green valley, did we stop to rest. A little stream trickled beside us and fruit bloomed on the widely spaced trees. Beneath the canopy of one of the trees we fell asleep in each other's arms, both of us exhausted from the night we'd had. We didn't begin on our way again until it was late afternoon. We crossed the valley and entered a forest where the trees weren't nearly so big.
Aris frowned. He stopped walking and looked around.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Have you noticed how cold it's getting?"
Come to think of it, it had grown awfully dark and dreary. "Yeah, looks like we're in for it again." Unfortunately, there didn't appear to be any snug little alcoves or steamy caves around. Despite the awful spiders, I couldn't help but remember what'd gone on in the hot pool before we fell asleep. Just the thought of it made me feel all warm and fuzzy.
It didn't last long.
The wind picked up. So much so that I had to walk behind Aris and grip his shirt. We plowed on as the land around us grew cold and dim. The rapid change in light and temperature amazed me considering it'd been such a beautiful, warm day. Now it looked like the middle of the night. And felt like it too.
Holding tight to Aris, I peered up at the sky, which was virtually blackened by dark clouds. Bare glimpses of our big star appeared off in the distance when the clouds broke up as they rushed past. But then, as my gaze moved across the sky I detected something else. To my shock and horror I saw what appeared to be a tiny bluish light. Dodging round the clouds the way it did, I knew this was not a fixed point in the heavens, but a fast moving object.
"Oh, no."
"Did you say something?" Aris had to raise his voice above the howl of the wind to be heard.
I let go his shirt and slowed my pace to a crawl, my eyes riveted above. He must have felt me release him, for he stopped and turned around. Following my line of sight, he tipped back his head and stared up at the sky. The blue light was growing larger, which meant it was getting closer.
"Oh shit," he exclaimed.
I stared at him in dismay. "We've got to get out of here," I said.
He gestured around with a toss of his hand. "And go where?"
"Anywhere but here. Please, we have to go. Now!"
"There's nowhere to hide. Not from them."
Seeing him standing there still as stone, despite the force of the wind on his stubborn back made me have a terrible feeling of deja vu. Unfortunately, I remembered all too well how this had turned out before. This time I didn't cower and run, hoping that Aris would follow me. Side by side we stood as the small ship slowly began its descent. I realized we'd come full circle. Not many people get the chance to relive the worst moment of their lives. This time I vowed to do better.
I allowed the force of the wind to push me back several feet. Aris, looking over his shoulder, saw me latch onto a tree for leverage. Despite our predicament, he grinned. "Lightweight," he said with a wink.
Amusing as he found me, I had a reason for getting behind him. Peering up into the dark sky I could see the light growing larger and larger. How those slimy bastards continued to find me was a mystery. I guess Aris' show of strength hadn't scared them off after all. Even if I ever did manage to make it back to Earth someday, the Akkadians would still come for me. This would never end. All I'd done all these years was delay the inevitable.
At my feet lay a rock. I bent down and picked it up. Hiding it behind my back, I approached my unsuspecting companion. Now I could clearly make out the ship, which had aimed for a clearing to hover over, several yards ahead of us. I gazed up at Aris' profile, admiring his strong jawline, his sexy mouth, the scruff on his face, and those ever-watchful eyes. My heart felt a physical pain, matching the one in my gut. I hadn't been yelling out sentimental rubbish when I told him I loved him. I'd meant it.
Aris may not have been able to call for his ship this time, but he was far from defenseless. In one hand he hefted up the long, steel battle-axe and held it on an angle so it crossed over the front of his body like a shield. The blade—all recharged—lit up like a beacon, and in that moment I didn't feel afraid. A wave of gratitude passed over me and I knew that however much he may revile me, this man would protect me with his life.
But this would never be over. Not unless I ended it once and for all.
Forgive me. I raised the rock and cracked him on the back of his head. Despite his great size, he slunk to the ground. His weapon fell over and lay beside him, the glow slowly dimming to nothing. I dropped the rock and knelt down, checking to make sure he was still breathing. Then I kissed him once on the lips and got to my feet.
I got to the clearing just as a beam of light descended to the ground. The Akkadian exited its ship and wobbled up before me, a long green finger extended.
"You...come."
I nodded.
The Akkadian reached for me, but remembering how it'd burned me the last time, I eluded its grasp. I stared at the beam of light as though it were the hangman's noose and slowly began to walk forward. Yet, with every step I took I felt a weight dropping away. The guilt I'd gathered over the years hadn't rested lightly, instead it'd dug itself deep and created a cold, unfeeling shield around me. Aris had been the one to break through. In our short time together he'd shown me how it was to feel, to care, to love. Emotions I never knew existed began bubbling up from inside of me. Funny, now that I knew how much I wanted to live, to laugh, and to love, I was walking toward my doom.
The Akkadian waddled behind me so close it suddenly walked right into me. A searing retort about to fly from my mouth fizzled out when I turned around and saw the alien staring up at the sky. It appeared mesmerized, and as its big eyes bulged, I saw it grow fearful. I followed its line of sight and gasped. Another ship was descending rapidly. Within moments it hovered only meters away from the Akkadian ship.
Seeing my nemesis frozen with shock, I began to slink away, not stopping until I was a good distance, and then hid out in the thick brush. I wasn't about to sacrifice myself to a doomed cause. The dolt didn't even realize I was gone. My gaze focused on the new ship. It didn't appear to be Aris' lightwing. The shape and size of it was all wrong. The ship hovered just a few feet over the ground. From its sides four legs sprung out to anchor it. A wide door opened up and two men jumped out. Both of them were huge, with shorn hair and dressed all in black. I wondered if they might be from Calixtus.
The Akkadian regained its senses and rushed for the light beam of its ship, ascending up into its belly. The two men, who I could see held gun-like weapons, spread out to circle around beneath the Akkadian ship. Knowing the Akkadian's to be chicken shits, I figured they'd just fly off in a hurry. I was greatly surprised when four of them, in rapid succession, emerged from the beam of light. Each of them was armed. Laser bolts began flashing in every direction. All I could think about now was the safety
of Aris. He was out cold and defenseless not far from all the action. I began scrambling through the forest, moving from tree to tree for cover, circling around trying to get to him. The fight waged on all around me. Laser bolts swirled and flashed and got caught in the wind, tossing them in every direction.
Finally, I reached Aris' side. I knelt down and latched onto his broad shoulders and attempted to shake him awake. It took several moments, but he finally came to. He sat up and shook his head. Wincing, he put his hands up to touch the place where I'd conked him.
"You knocked me out," he snapped.
"I'm sorry. I had no choice."
He gazed around and noticed the chaos. "What the hell's going on?"
"A battle. I was going with the Akkadian when suddenly another ship just showed up out of nowhere. Two big guys jumped out. Four Akkadians came down from their ship, armed with ray guns, or whatever the hell you call them, and now they're all fighting."
He stared at me, processing what I'd said. "You were going with the Akkadian?"
I nodded.
"Why?"
"They're never going to stop coming for me," I said. "It's obvious they can find me anywhere."
"I have a weapon. I could have stopped them"
"This time, maybe. Maybe not. I couldn't take the chance."
"So you decided to sacrifice yourself? What the hell, Danni?"
I felt cursed tears well up in my eyes. I dropped my head so he couldn't see my shame. "It's what I deserve. I'm not worth saving."
He grabbed hold of my arms and forced me to look at him. "Don't say that. You are worth it." He frowned when he saw the unmistakable resolve in my face. "I heard what you said...when you were falling. You said you loved me. Did you mean it?"
I nodded, unable to voice my feelings.
"I love you too."
"What?" He couldn't possibly.
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "I love you, Danni. And I'm not letting anyone take you from me. Not now. Not ever." He gave me a squeeze and then let me go. Reaching for his weapon, he got to his feet. "Stay here."
I scrambled to stand up. "No. What are you doing?"
"Ending this." He began to stride away.
Chapter 24
From behind a tree, I watched Aris join the battle. I held my breath as he made his way over to the two giants, fearing they would kill him. After all, there was a price on his head. When each of them took a moment to reach out and clasp forearms in welcome, I breathed a sigh of relief.
The three men spread out and soon the area before me was empty except for volleys of light flashing from behind the cover of trees. Keeping track of everyone was next to impossible. I worked my way as close to the clearing as I dared. The wind whipped my hair round my head, blocking my view. As I once again gathered up the tangled mess and attempted a braid, I heard a noise behind me. When I turned, I came face to face with an Akkadian. The look it wore was ferocious. Before I could react, its long, green arm reached out and struck me in the belly. The breath rushed from my lungs and I bent forward. Just as I did, it struck me again, this time in my face. The blow knocked me to the ground. As the alien loomed over me, I feared it wasn't going to be satisfied stealing me away and using me for experiments. This time it wanted me dead.
I swung my legs and kicked at it, earning a small grunt of pain for my efforts. It moved closer and reached down to snatch hold of my ankle. Its grip was tight and I feared it may snap my bones at any moment.
"Let go," I screamed.
"You...die," the Akkadian said.
"The lady said let go," I heard Aris' voice boom. He must have come up behind me. I leaned back and tilted my head to see him. He swung his weapon up on an angle and cleanly sliced the Akkadian's arm right off. The hand still held my foot, but its grip loosened and I shook it off in disgust. With another swing, Aris removed the Akkadian's head from its body. The alien fell forward while I scrambled to my feet and backed away. Green and red slime oozed from the gaping neck of the body.
"Gross." I took a few deep breaths to settle my stomach then I turned to Aris. "You saved me."
He pulled me into his arms. "You're worth saving." He held me for a few moments longer and then he was gone, back into the fray.
Despite the Akkadians having deadly weapons and an extra fighter, it didn't take long before they all lay dead on the forest floor. The three men regrouped and, satisfied the fight was over, they began to congratulate one another.
"Danni," I heard Aris call to me. Slowly, I walked over to stand at his side. He took my hand in his, and I know he felt the tremor that moved through me. Staring at the two men, I couldn't help but be afraid. "These are friends of mine."
"Friends?" I said the word as though it were foreign.
"Yes." He gestured to the bigger of the two. "This is Ayres. And this is Kenix. We were in the Academy together."
"Nice...to meet you."
"Now," Aris said, staring hard at each of the men. "Can you tell me what the hell is going on?"
The huge guy named Ayres frowned. "After we're away. Let's get on the ship."
Big, fat raindrops had begun to fall. Lightning flashed and thunder cracked. The storm had finally reached us. With my heart in my throat I ran toward the ship alongside Aris, who held my hand tight. We scrambled aboard and strapped ourselves into two narrow seats that pulled down from the wall. Ayres and Kenix moved to the front of the ship and sat in the control seats. Moments later we lifted up. After firing a few disabling blasts into the Akkadian ship, we whizzed away. The small craft swayed side to side from the force of the storm. Not until we rose up high enough did the wind lose its grip. Several minutes later I felt pressure and the wall behind my head heat up as the small ship breached the atmosphere. I gritted my teeth and clung to Aris' hand until we made it through. Black sky spotted with stars soon surrounded us.
Kenix undid his belt and came to sit across from us on another seat he pulled down from the wall. "Okay," he said, looking pointedly at Aris.
Aris watched him for a moment and then grinned. "Good to see you."
"And you," Kenix said.
"Let's start with the obvious. What are you doing here? Last time I saw you, you were being dragged off to Drone."
"I escaped."
"Obviously."
"It's a long story. Anyway, I have the feeling you know how it turned out."
"Yeah, considering I was sent here to clean up your mess," Aris said.
His mess?
"What the hell were you and Ayres thinking stranding Baynar and the others on Taleon?"
Kenix frowned. "Trust me, the bastard had it coming."
Aris sighed and rubbed his head. "I was sent to pick him up."
Kenix nodded. "I know. I heard. Also heard what happened to you."
Aris winced. "I never expected him to betray me like that."
"You should have listened to me when I tried to warn you about him."
"Wait a minute," I interrupted, staring at Kenix. "It was you and him," I gestured up front to Aryes, "who stranded Baynar in the first place?" I didn't wait for an answer. "You know we almost died on Taleon? Several times."
"Like I said, Baynar's a bastard," Kenix said.
"How did you even know I was there?" Aris asked.
"Even in the dregs of the universe we hear things. When an acquaintance of mine on Calixtus heard about Baynar offering freedom to any former player who killed you, he knew something underhanded was going on. He made some inquiries and then contacted me—he's the only one with the ability to do so."
"And you came...to rescue me?" Aris asked sardonically.
Kenix looked affronted. "Of course. I admit I felt somewhat responsible."
"Taleon's a big place. Not only do you find me, but you arrive right at the exact moment as the Akkadians. Don't tell me that's a coincidence."
"It's not." Kenix looked at me. "You have your little Earth girl to thank for that."
Aris grinned a moment lat
er, appearing to have a realization. "The tracker. You followed them, which led you right to us."
"Wait, what?" Aris may have put it all together in his mind, but I still sat there with my mouth hanging open wondering what the hell was going on.
"The tracker in your arm, Danni," Aris said to me. "It's how the Akkadian's were able to find you."
So that's how they'd done it. Bewildered as to how the damn thing got there, I pushed up my sleeve and stared at the mark on my arm. All this time I'd had an alien device inside my body that I'd no idea was there. The Akkadians’ ability to find me anytime, anywhere had given them control over me, making them seem more powerful and sinister than they actually were. Sons of bitches!
"Where're we headed?" Aris asked, oblivious to my confusion and anger.
"To Earth. Amanda—Ayres' girl—refused to be left behind. But Ayres wouldn't risk bringing her to Taleon. We have to pick her up."
"Ayres is involved with an Earth girl?" Aris sounded surprised.
Kenix smiled and winked at me. "They're something special."
Aris stared at me, heat in his eyes. "You got that right."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "So we're on our way to Earth?" The implications of that realization flooded me with a million questions and worries. As much as I'd longed to go home, I feared what would happen. They may have killed off the Akkadians on Taleon, but I knew there were a lot more where they came from.
"Yeah, but don't get too comfortable," Kenix warned, his gaze riveted on Aris. "With Baynar looking for you, you're not safe."
"I swore I'd get him for what he's done," Aris said.
"We all want to get him. Don't worry, in time we will. We need a plan though. Lots of weapons, and a plan."
"And until then?" Aris asked.
"Ayres and I were hoping you'd join us in exile."
"In the dregs of the universe?" Aris said, repeating Kenix's words.
"Exactly," Kenix said with a grin.
Chapter 25
Survivor Planet Series 2-Book Box Set Page 22