Alistair, on the other hand, designed his attire to fit in. He didn't care to intimidate his foes – they'd die a bloody death either way. But he was planning on making a mess to appease the crowds and, more importantly, impress the Pythons he knew were watching.
“Let's get it on!” The announcer shouted as the hover dolly made it's way up and out of the arena.
Mr. Gibb confidently walked toward Alistair as he began swinging his ball and chain over his head.
He's got the range Alistair thought. But it didn't matter. He lightly jogged toward the center, closing the gap.
Once the men were close enough, Gibb swung his chain low in an effort to catch Alistair's feet, to which Alistair effortlessly jumped up and over. His upward mobility put a damper on his rush forward, though, and Gibb took a few steps back to counter. His chain was about 12 feet long, giving him at least 16 feet of range thanks to his inhumanly large arms.
He slowed the spinning chain and whipped out with it, striking the space Alistair had been in less than a second before. A scowl formed on Gibb's face and he gritted his teeth.
“Squirrely little cunt, ain't ya?!” He shouted. “Those reflexes won't save ya here, though.”
He lashed again as Alistair leapt forward, trying to close the gap. The ball on the end of the chain snapped as Alistair rolled forward and under the attack, finally inside the maximum range of Gibb.
As he pulled the chain back, Alistair reached up and grabbed it, trying to disarm Gibb. But he was just too strong and Alistair was thrown toward his enemy before releasing his grip and rolling to the ground. He was able to catch himself just as the end of the chain smashed into the dirt, and retaliated by swinging his hammer down onto the chain and twisting, wrapping it up. The two weapons had become tangled, and Alistair knew Gibb's next move.
The large man put both hands on the chain and pulled, attempting to dislodge Alistair's grip, but his balance was off and he ended up pulling himself forward instead.
With his enemy's footing compromised alongside both of their weapons, Alistair clenched his fist and brought it up to meet the underside of Gibb's chin. He heard a crack and saw a tooth go flying, but Gibb was quick to retaliate with strikes of his own. He hooked his left fist around to hit Alistair's ribs and tried to follow up with an upper cut. Alistair could counter one of the strikes, but not both – he opted for the shattered rib instead of a shattered jaw. He unclenched his torso and took the strike at full force, but didn't hear a crack – a good sign, he figured. At the same time he was able to lean back and push Gibb's hand to the side, increasing the momentum of his swing and throwing him off his guard again.
The large man staggered forward just as Alistair slipped behind him and introduced his boot to Gibb's spine. The man fumbled to his stomach and buried his face in the dirt. The brief respite allowed Alistair to grab his hammer and slide the handle out from the tangled chain. He quickly turned and lunged at Gibb, but the man was already getting back on his feet.
Gibb took a few swings, but was still disoriented from Alistair's earlier strike to his jaw. He knew it was broken, and his swings were sloppy.
Alistair side stepped and jumped backward when he needed to, dodging the clumsy yet powerful blows while Gibb tired himself out. He stared into the man's eyes and decided it was time to end this.
“C'mon, pussy,” he said, and Gibb was immediately enraged.
The giant took a heavy step forward and projected his swing with reckless abandon, going for a straight arm knockout punch. Alistair let him follow through as he knelt down, grabbed Gibb's outstretched arm, and flipped the massive man on his back.
Just as Gibb landed and opened his eyes, Alistair brought his hammed down full force. When hammer and skull connected, the crunch was ear piercing and sickening. He had put all of his strength behind the swing, and as a result Gibb's skull immediately gave way to the rapidly expanding gray matter tucked just beneath.
The crowd roared at the sight of Mr. Gibb's shattered skull and splattered brains. Alistair stood, dropped his hammer, and walked back to his cage.
“Ho-oly shit, do we have a winner! What a show, right folks?!” The announcer shouted, playing on the gruesome spectacle Alistair had just provided. “Let's hear it for Goliath, an undisputed victory. Not even a scratch on him! Fucking beast!”
When Alistair got back to his cage, he sat down beside Lili, reached for a cigar, bit off the butt, and lit it.
“I'd ask if you were okay, but it looked like you were just toying with him,” Cairenn said from further down the bench. Lili was sitting in stunned silence.
“He was stronger than I thought, but I wanted to impress the local royalty,” Alistair replied.
“Hey Goliath, boss wants to see you. Bring your girls if you want,” the guard shouted.
“And it looks like it worked,” Alistair said with a cocky smile. He was in his element now.
Alistair and Cairenn stood, and he offered his hand to Lili. She took it, stood, and the three of them headed off to meet 'the boss'.
Chapter 38
The VIP room Alistair had been escorted to was almost exactly as he imagined: red velvet carpet, love seats and chairs dotting the edges, and a heavy wood desk as the focal point. The man sitting behind the desk had a shaved head, full beard, and gray eyes. His fingers each had a gaudy ring and his bare head sported a large snake tattoo. It was obvious that he thought he was the king of this castle.
“Goliath, huh? Kind of a lame name, but it works. You fucking wrecked Gibb out there,” he said, to which Alistair just nodded. He'd retrieved his sidearm before coming up to the suite, but was still outnumbered. He'd just have to play along.
“Tomorrow night, I've got a guy who you'll actually have fun with. Down for a real fight, champ?”
“Always,” Alistair said.
“His name is Wendigo, he's one of my captains. He's been trying a little too hard to rise through the ranks, if you catch my drift. Either way we get a good show, but if you smear him across the arena, I'll see about you taking his spot on a trial basis. I'm sick of his shit, anyway.”
“Fair enough.”
“Man of few words. Take your pick of the attractions around here,” he motioned toward some of the women at his flanks, “and get ready for a good fight tomorrow. Wendigo ain't a pushover, but I'm sure you won't have to circle him like a bored pussy cat the way you did poor Gibb.”
Alistair nodded as the guard started to led him and the women back through the door.
“By the way, my name's Rosco. Hopefully we'll get to work with each other in the future, champ.”
“It'd be my pleasure,” Alistair said, and the trio was lead back down to the main palisade where their room was located, compliments of Rosco.
Chapter 39
"Well, that was brutal,” Stewart said.
“No shit. Glad you stayed back now?” Garcia asked with a smile, although it was wasted behind the helmet of his armor.
“Hell nah, that guy was cake.”
The two marines' part of the overall plan was to remain alert in their suits while Alistair, Lili, and Cairenn were aboard the station. If it came down to it, the station team was to make their way to the airlock of The Ubik while the marines secured the aread and moved to escort if necessary.
The chances of their true intentions being uncovered were very slim, however, and the marines were confident that they'd be able to extract the station team if necessary. If worse came to worst, each marine had a pouch of emergency environmental suits on them. They'd help the station team suit up and use their exhaust ports as thrusters to maneuver away from the station while The Ubik bombarded it under a hail of railgun fire.
“Hey Rach, what'd you think of the fight?” Stewart asked over comms. “Wanna be my date to tomorrow's big event?”
“It was the most grotesque display of violence I have ever seen,” she replied, and he got the feeling he should leave it at that.
“You have to admit, Alistair was pretty
impressive. I've never seen him fight before.” Mel enjoyed the ruthless display and, though she wouldn't admit it to Rachel, was very much looking forward to the next fight.
“Yes, he's good in hand-to-hand combat. But this whole thing.. the station, the violence. It all makes my skin crawl.”
“I get that,” Mel said. “We're only here for another day, right? Then we can head off to our next grotesque display somewhere else in the system.”
Rachel laughed. She and Mel had known each other for years and Rachel had practically raised her. Although it was difficult dealing with the young girl's violent outbursts, Rachel loved her like a sister and was glad to see she was finally lightening up. She was worried about the loss of her innocence, but was proud of her strength given the circumstances.
“I'm glad you and Alistair are getting along. But do you have to sleep in his room?” Rachel asked. It was a conversation she as dreading having but this segue felt like the best of her thus far limited options.
“Ugh! It's not like that Rachel. You know that.”
“No, I know. I mean, I was sure it wasn't. Neither of you are like that. But it's just.. I want to make sure you're okay. That's all.” She was back pedaling slightly, but refused to drop the subject. “I know you're growing up, I'm just worried that you're growing up in a way that isn't healthy.”
“We have a bond, Rachel. We're connected. Should I chastise you for being all lovey dovey with the marine?”
“Come on, Mel. You know me better than that. It's not because I don't trust either of you. But you've both been through so much and I don't know how good it is for you both to dwell on it.”
Even as she said it, Rachel knew she was in the wrong. Melanie and Alistair had both suffered terrible losses and who better to understand than a person who's gone through a similar experience?
“It's not dwelling on anything. He helps me focus and understand how I feel. Nobody else has been able to do that.”
“You're right, I'm sorry. I guess I just hadn't thought it through. You seem to help him too, and I've noticed how protective he's getting. It's almost like you've got your own giant body guard.”
Mel laughed and said, “I know it's not normal. But we are friends. I would protect him if I could, just like he would do for me. I don't mean to lash out, but every time I get upset it explodes out. He's been helping me control it.” She took a deep breath, held it, then exhaled slowly.
Rachel just nodded and smiled, slightly ashamed that she hadn't considered their predicaments' similarities. At the end of the day, Melanie was the last person from her woman's shelter aboard The Ubik and, although she trusted Alistair, she would die before anything happened to her.
Chapter 40
Aboard The Bloody Fang, Alistair and his companions were settling into their room.
“It's not.. TOO bad,” Cairenn said.
“At least the bed isn't damp. I just assume everything on this sleezy station is damp.” Lili was holding up well in public, but felt like she could finally be herself - at least in the room. It helped that she was able to change into some normal denim pants and a t-shirt.
“Let's just take it easy tonight, both on the banter and on the sight-seeing. I'm tired and just want to relax.”
Both women knew what Alistair meant; keep in character because anybody could be listening.
“When you say relax, you don't mean...” Lili said playfully.
“Hah, not what I had in mind. Tomorrow will be a long day. Glad to see you're warming up to this shithole station, though. I'll remember where to bring you if we ever go on a date.”
The three of them laughed.
“I'll admit, I'm starving. What should we eat?” Cairenn asked. Her small frame completely contradicted her ravenous appetite, something Alistair had noticed on The Ubik.
“Looks like they actually have room service. Let's do that, I'd rather not leave the room unless we have to. Too many opportunities for this one to pick a fight,” Lili said while pointing a thumb at Alistair.
The group laughed, then focused on the menu. Their room was a complimentary suite for winners and was moderately nice compared to the rest of the station. They ordered their food, ate their fill, and decided to head to bed. There was one somewhat large bed in the room, along with two wooden chairs, a wobbly table, and a recliner in the corner. Alistair let the women share the bed while he took the recliner. They were fast asleep shortly after laying down, but his racing mind refused him sleep until much later.
Someday, he thought, I need to learn to meditate.
Chapter 41
Several hours later, as the marines napped upright in their suits and his 'escorts' slept on the bed, Alistair was still awake. His overactive mind made sure that sleep continued to elude him, and he lit another cigar. An ashtray with two ashy stubs sat on the wobbly table next to him. He couldn't stop thinking of his past several weeks with the group, helping who he could and abandoning those he couldn't.
Similarly restless, Mel laid in her bed in the captain's quarters. She tossed, turned, and tried everything to calm her mind. She'd seen so much death in her young life, but the past few weeks had been something entirely different.
On a whim, she pinged Alistair's comm.
“What're you still doing up?” he asked.
“I should ask you the same thing,” she responded without thinking.
“Oh, you know how it is. Dreams bad enough that they keep you from ever falling asleep in the first place.”
“Something feels off about this, Alistair. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I feel like I've got butterflies in my stomach.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. But we're here and we've got a solid plan. Just need to stick with it.”
Just then, the hairs on his neck stood upright. He heard muffled voices just outside the door to his room.
“Hold that thought, kiddo,” he said to Melanie.
He stood up, drew his magpistol, and inched over to the bed. He shook both girls, and put his finger in front of his mouth. Shh.
They both stared at him, confused for a moment, then sat up. Lili crawled out of bed and retrieved a smaller pistol from her pile of clothes.
There was a knock on the door, then silence. Alistair kicked one of the chairs toward the door and, as soon as it thumped, magrifle fire shredded the room directly behind the doorway.
Both women jumped behind the bed for cover, while Alistair put his back against the wall just around the corner from the now splintered wooden door.
For a brief moment there was silence until Alistair heard a footstep crunching on the splinters. He peaked from his cover and fired a series of tungsten spikes at whoever was intruding. The screams were brief but loud – his first shots hit low, then found their way toward the assailant's throats and heads.
As he surveyed the damage, two men lay dead in the doorway while a third gargled blood, his torso a series of holes and gore. Alistair locked eyes with him as he approached.
“I... I wasn't going to let you beat me,” he managed to spit out while blood trickled from his mouth and down his neck.
“You're Wendigo?” Alistair asked, surprised at the turn of fate. Now they didn't have to wait on this miserable station for the next fight.
The man only nodded, then Alistair stood up, raised his magpistol, and put him out of his misery.
“We're leaving, get dressed,” he said to the women. Lili was covering him with her handgun, and Cairenn was contemplating getting her own as soon as they were back on board The Ubik. The women both put on their regular clothes, having shed their escort outfits before bed.
Alistair, meanwhile, reached down and grabbed Wendigo's right hand. He pulled his Ka-Bar from his boot, flipped it backwards, and used the serrated edge like a saw.
When he'd finished his grizzly work, the women were dressed and they all headed toward the nearest tramway.
Time to get the fuck off this miserable station Alistair thought to himself. For a second he
could have sworn he heard the other two agree with him.
Chapter 42
“What happened?!” Rachel asked impatiently as she entered the bridge. She'd gone to her quarters to freshen up, as sleep was proving elusive to her as well.
“Mr. Crowe and his compatriots were attacked, but they repelled the invaders. Mr. Crowe has received the package and is now en route to The Ubik. They have located a tram and should be returning within 7 minutes.”
“Thanks, Achilles,” she replied, anxious to see her people return safely. “Stewart, Garcia – be ready. We don't know what other obstacles they'll come across.”
“Roger.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
She stared nervously at all of the screens in front of her and frantically flipped between cameras to cover as much space as she could.
“Shit. Guys, looks like there's some company heading to our airlock. Be ready.”
“Eyes open, roger that.”
“But don't act until it's necessary, we're vulnerable here while docked.”
Chapter 43
Alistair, Cairenn, and Lili rushed down the corridor after exiting the tram. Achilles had located them all on the station's schematics and they could see that they were about 500 meters from their air lock. The outer ring was deserted at such an early hour, but as they drew closer they realized three men were standing in between them and the airlock.
Rosco, Alistair recognized
They slowed as they got closer and Alistair took the lead, weapon in hand. Lili was to his right and behind, with both hands on her sidearm.
“Goliath, what's the rush?” Rosco asked. “You still owe me a fight big guy.”
“Your dipshit goon tried to hit us in the middle of the night. No more deal, no more fight. Now move.”
Retribution_Downfall of the Republic Page 15