Shaken and Stirred

by Viola Grace

  He closed his eyes and moved slowly to hand her a scanner. "I programmed it for Tival."

  "Okay. Just let me…yes. He is underneath us. The bird was a lure." Shake was whispering. In her mind, if she could keep the noise down, they wouldn't collapse.

  "Can you do anything with the soil level?" He strapped a scanner onto his wrist.

  "Not without shaking us into the hole. Lava would work, but it would take too long to get that much of it here."

  Vortex nodded. "You start on that, I will move the ship." He moved past her and cautiously felt his way to solid ground.

  Shake kept the eye contact with him and nodded when he was on solid ground. As the wind wrapped around him in an increasingly large funnel, she understood what he was going to do.

  She held onto the railings next to the stairs as the wind picked up speed. He focussed his energy toward the shuttle and with a tremendous amount of rocking and screeching metal, it took flight.

  The funnel was bending toward her and wrapping the shuttle from nose to tail. He lifted it from the trap and slowly moved it to solid ground. She told him it was the right spot with the universal thumbs-up signal and he gently deposited their shuttle in the safe zone.

  She was smiling in relief until a figure shot out of the ground and attacked Vortex.

  Shake was out of the shuttle, having hit the door lock, in seconds.

  Bloody slashes were appearing on Vortex's uniform as he engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the killer.

  Fighting the urge to scream with every thud and impact of flesh on flesh, Shake approached the melee.

  She froze when a strike to the head sent Vortex to the ground and the creature they were hunting turned toward her.

  "Hello, pet. Are you going to be as much trouble as this one?" Elegantly long fingers waved toward Vortex.

  Rumal would have been considered very handsome if not for the blood dripping from his fingers and the cruel set to his lips. His even features and piercing green eyes combined with his burgundy hair made him both colourful and striking.

  "That depends on what you are planning."

  "I simply want a ride off this rock. Would you care to assist me in exchange for your companion's life?" He lifted Vortex by the hair and drew his deadly fingers along the neckline of his uniform. Blood welled wherever he touched.

  "I would love to, but I can't." She opted for honesty while opening the valves in the earth to send a jet of magma into the pocket he had created.

  "Is his life not worth it?" More blood.

  Shake kept her gaze locked with Rumal's. "It is, but I can't help you, because I can't fly that shuttle. It is rigged with about ninety different ways to keep unauthorized personnel from taking off with it as well. I am as stranded here as you are."

  Waves of heat were coming through the crust behind him. The level of magma was rising gradually, but if she had the nerve to do it, she had the means to end this exercise.

  "So, he is the key to leaving. That means you are a superfluous hostage." He took a few steps toward her with a dark gleam in his eyes.

  She backed away toward the trap she had laid out for him, extending her hands in supplication. "I am completely harmless."

  He barked a short laugh. "I very much doubt that. No one wearing that suit could be harmless. You are doing a number on my blood pressure as we speak."

  His leer wasn't well received. A wave of nausea swept through her. The only thing that kept her calm was knowing that the magma was nearing the surface.

  Rumal lunged toward her and pinned her against his body as Vortex started to stir.

  She felt his breath on her cheek and tried to stifle the shudder that swept through her.

  He whispered, "Once we are in the air, I think we will have some fun, you and I."

  Rumal kept one hand on her throat and the other explored the curve of her hip to her breast and back again.

  Vortex opened his eyes and fought to his feet.

  When he surged upright, Rumal backed up and pressed his sharpened nails into her neck. "Stay where you are, freak. You will be flying us out of here and when we have reached my people, you might get to keep your life."

  There was a wealth of emotion in Vortex's voice. "What about her?"

  The hands tightened on her and she fought to keep her expression calm when she really wanted to scream to high heaven.

  "She is a cute little thing. I will keep her around to amuse me. It has been a very lonely set of years." Rumal's gloating was causing Vortex to tighten his lips and flex his arms. "Bravo on getting out of my falling trap, by the way. Thanks, it will make the launch so much easier if I don't have to dig it out myself. How did you do it by the way?"

  The magma was in place. "Vortex, get to the ship."

  Rumal laughed. "Oh, you give him orders? What kind of law enforcement are you?"

  "A new kind. Vortex, get it up." She tried to put her emotions during her first flight with him into her mind.

  A slow flicker of acknowledgement crossed his features. "If I must."

  The funnel lifted him up above the ground and back several dozen feet.

  The grip that Rumal had on her loosened and she threw herself forward while shaking the surface.

  The ground rippled in a wave that she clung to as it passed her before breaking under the feet of her target.

  With a shout, Rumal went flying and landed on his back.

  Part of her hoped he would remain flat, but he fought to regain his footing as she shook the ground around him. Vortex was closing in, but she waved him back. Rumal was in charge of his own destiny whether he knew it or not.

  "Stay where you are, Rumal. The ground you walk on is not stable." She was keeping it together as she worked it, but his scrambling to his feet was causing pressure fractures.

  "I don't care, bitch. I will have my freedom whether I have to wait for another team to come and arrest me or not. Your subordinate will have to come down sometime and when he does, he is dead. I don't let talents determine my fate." His words were filled with venom and as he took a heavy step forward, it was over.

  With a shriek, superheated steam burst through the ruptured crust and blew out into an open crater lined with a pool of magma.

  A shattered chunk of rock cut a swath across Shake's cheek as the gasses blew debris everywhere. She felt some smaller strikes on her body, but the suit absorbed them.

  He screamed as he struck the molten rock, writhing and twisting for agonizing moments until he ceased.

  Shake was lifted off her feet and felt Vortex's arms around her. He took them back to the shuttle and tucked her inside.

  Shake felt cold inside, the image of Rumal was seared into her mind. "Have you ever…"

  "Once. You don't forget it. You did the right thing. We will report to Talimatic and give them the reports and the recordings."

  That got her attention. "Recordings?"

  "Our suits record any events where we use our talents. Psycho-reactive." He lifted off and requested permission to land at Talimatic.

  "Do you have the prisoner?" a nervous officer asked.

  "He was destroyed during the course of the pursuit. I have the required recordings to confirm the demise of Rumal Nukid."

  "Oh. That is wonderful. Will you want to determine the method of his escape?"

  Vortex looked at Shake and she nodded. He replied. "Yes. We will engage in a quick assessment for your records."

  "Thank you. No one can figure out how he got out to start with. It is quite the mystery." The officer was relieved, she could hear it in his voice.

  "We will be there within the hour. I have the codes for the tarmac."

  "Wonderful. The warden will be there to greet you."

  The communications screen went blank and Vortex gave Shake another look. "Are you sure you can manage this?"

  "I am sure. Start to finish--that is how I like it. Halfway was never my thing."

  He gave a short laugh. "Glad to hear it. It bodes well for our partne
rship and that massage you will be getting. I am not a fan of leaving things half-done either."

  The innuendo in his words lightened her mood slightly, which was a good thing, the prison was looming in front of them.

  Shake commented. "Well, when it comes to a personal relationship, I am a fan of finishing as well, but I made no mention of taking my partner with me."

  His snort punctuated their landing.

  Chapter Nine

  "So you see, we have no idea how he managed to get out of here. He was shackled to the chair most of the day except for the necessary lav breaks, which were done under guard." The warden was with them in the high-security wing.

  He escorted them to the cell that had been Rumal's home. Blood spattered the walls and made Shake a little ill. It was bad enough that Vortex was still wearing the slashes Rumal had given him and the sight made her angry every time she looked at him.

  The prison vibrated slightly under her feet and she breathed in and out through her nose until she was calm.

  She heard the warden whisper to Vortex, "Is she all right?"

  "Yes. She had to defend us from your convict and she is trying to keep control."

  Ignoring them, she started looking at the floor near the chair where he had spent most of his time. "Scratches here."

  The warden scuttled closer. "What?"

  "Scratches in the floor. What kind of shackles was he in?"

  "Standard metals, reinforced for his enhanced strength." The warden was kneeling beside her and eyeing the marks. "What does this mean?"

  She leaned back on her heels and rubbed her forehead. "He had forced manicures, did he not?"

  "Yes, every week. The clippings were measured to confirm that they had been cut appropriately and logged every week."

  "Who did his feet?"

  The warden's face blanked. "What?"

  "The previous officer assigned for the cropping did both hands and feet. The nails were measured and weighed. Six weeks ago, the records changed dramatically. One quarter the normal weight was missing."

  Vortex was leaning against the wall. "So he used the enhanced cutting strength to work through the cuffs and when your men came in for the daily ablutions, he used the four day's growth on his feet to carve them up. I am wondering why he didn't call fire while he was here?"

  The warden was a little shaky. "We put a suppressor in the food. The electromagnetic shielding on the planet activates it. It stops psychic emanations. It wears off after three days, so it was the reason for the urgency behind our request for help. While I am sorry for the trauma you were exposed to, I am very happy not to have to deal with him in this facility anymore."

  Shake shuddered. "I know what you mean. He was creepy."

  "And a heartless bastard," Vortex added.

  The warden nodded. "Is there anything else you need?"

  "Yes, why was there a change in his grooming routine?" Shake got to her feet and looked at some of the slashes on Vortex.

  The warden got to his feet and a blush crept under his skin. "I hired a new groomer for this fiscal period. I will speak to him."

  Shake smiled showing most of her teeth. "May we accompany you?"

  He looked as if he wanted to deny them, but he nodded. "I will have him sent to my offices."

  "Send some first-aid supplies as well. I don't like the look of those wounds."

  She checked Vortex's temperature and he seemed warmer than he should have been. "How are you doing?"

  "Looking forward to returning home." He leaned on her as they left the blood-spattered room and followed the warden to his office.

  She paused for a moment as she thought about home. It used to mean her apartment on Dalpha, but now that tidy house on Teklan gave her a warm spill inside her.

  "I am still entitled to my spa day, by the way."

  His laugh was soft, but it relaxed her as they took seats in the warden's office and waited.

  The supplies arrived first and she dabbed at his wounds, cleaning them as best she could before wrapping them.

  "Don't forget the cuts on your neck. He marked you as well."

  Shake touched her neck and found small slashes and trails of blood. "I didn't feel a thing."

  He grimaced. "I did. The moment your blood started to flow."

  "I suppose I was distracted."

  They shared a look that communicated beyond words. They had shared a joint moment of terror and it had been for the wellbeing of the other.

  When the groomer arrived, his muscular build and hostile attitude set Shake on alert. The warden was cowed and took his seat with a sigh of relief.

  "Groomer Nuris, these are the Sector Guard members who took care of our Rumal problem. They have some questions for you, please answer them."

  "Yes, Warden." The man had a military bearing that took on a position of respect.

  Shake got to her feet and faced the man who towered over her by well over a foot. "When you were assigned here, what were your instructions?"

  "My instructions were to get in and out with a minimal amount of time spent on any of the talented prisoners."

  "What about his feet?" Shake smiled grimly.

  "What about them? I was told to do a manicure only and to get out in under half an hour, or I wouldn't be paid."

  The warden was whitening in his seat.

  "Is this accurate, Warden? It was a matter of budget cuts?"

  "Talimatic is a prison with some of the most dangerous men in the sector. We need to maintain a strict budget." The warden was stiffening with indignation.

  Vortex sat up. "There is no budget for Alliance detention facilities. You are pocketing the money. We sent a message out before we landed. They are sending a replacement immediately."

  Shake asked him, "What happened to the other groomer?"

  Nuris answered. "He was dismissed because of the fees required to keep him here. Getting an incorruptible groomer is harder than you would think."

  "I can imagine. You are privy to everything that comes through a being's head while you work. Do you do massages as well?"

  He blinked at her in surprise. "Yes, but there is little call for those skills here. I merely trim claws, teeth and tails."

  "If you ever want to leave Talimatic, contact the Sector Guard. I am sure a man of your skills would enjoy the challenge of working with so many different races."

  Something brightened in his eyes. "My appearance would not put them off?"

  "Some are much scarier looking than you. There are several bases and I believe that you could engage in a challenging new life. Elsewhere." Her pause was pointed.

  "That's…well, it's the first time anyone has considered me worthy of such a post. Thank you." His smile was genuine and exposed teeth that were pointed to a dangerous degree.

  The warden was slumped in defeat. He wasn't even trying to worm or explain his way out of their accusations.

  Shake began a detailed chat with Nuris about services that he offered while Vortex relaxed.

  The outgoing warden ordered some food for them, but at a slight headshake from Vortex, she had Nuris follow her to the landing pad for safety and she retrieved and heated ration packs for all three of them.

  Nuris carried the water pouches and food and they made their way back to the warden's office without incident.

  Vortex consumed the food with focussed intensity and she realized it had been several hours since they had eaten. Shake had simply forgotten that her body was hungry. It was a bad habit that she thought she had shaken.

  She continued a quiet conversation with Nuris until a chirp on the com warned them that another ship was en route.

  Their relief was here and now they could go home. Teklan waited.

  Chapter Ten

  Vortex gave her flight lessons on the way home. They used the proper jump corridors and it took them a little longer, but she took the controls for at least half of the time.

  "I heard what you told him. You knew you couldn't leave without me and yet
you left the safety of the shuttle." His non sequitur made her blink.

  She thought about her answer for a moment. "Yes. Yes, I did. It wasn't a choice. It was a conscious decision. You weren't safe and he would have killed you if there were no reason to keep you alive. The fact that it was the truth just helped him believe it."

  He opened and closed his mouth, so she leaned over, flicked the com and sent the landing request to the surface of Teklan.

  "You have no idea how relieved we are that you are back alive, Shake. Reset is standing by to treat the wounds that an Officer Nuris reported."

  "Great. We will head straight to medical. Is Might back yet?"

  "No. He had some organizational work to do. He is returning tomorrow. Welcome home." The com officer had a smile in his voice.

  "Thank you." She disconnected the call and listened to Vortex's low tones as she brought them in for a landing.

  A ground crew and a pale woman in a Guardsman uniform was waiting for them when Shake brought them to a halt.

  "You can open your eyes now, we are home. Vortex?"

  He was grey. His body slumped to one side. She shook him and when he didn't respond, she ran to the hatch and swung it open. "Is one of you medical?"

  The woman nodded, her navy hair swinging around her. "I am Reset. How badly are you injured?"

  "It isn't me, it's Vortex. He isn't moving and his colour is bad."

  Reset came in without another word. She was at Vortex's side and laying hands on him in an instant. "Aw hells. Help me get him out of here."

  Reset took his torso and Shake took his legs as they moved him to the exit. He was heavier than he looked.

  "Mist! Get your ass over here!" Reset hollered and a cloud shot out of the base and came toward them.

  The cloud wrapped around Vortex and lifted him from their grip, straightening him and gliding him at full speed to the interior of the base.

  "Shake, pleased to meet you. Come with me. I am going to need your help with him." Reset started to jog after her patient and gathering her strength, Shake followed.

  The cloud deposited Vortex on a medical bed and Reset shooed him out. "We have to strip him and I need to cauterize those wounds. The Oshanic are far more susceptible to infection than standard races. If he wasn't altered for water breathing, I would be able to give him direct healing, but he is, so I can't."