by S. E. Smith
She bit her lip and decided she should leave something in exchange for taking Violet so they couldn’t say she stole her. She glanced around before deciding she would leave a few credits and her bracelet. Both were worth something. She quickly removed her bracelet and sighed with regret, as she had loved the way it turned out and hadn’t had it for very long, before dropping it through a hole in the top of the crate along with twenty credits.
“What are you doing?” Violet asked, watching Skeeter with a curious expression.
“I left payment for you so they can’t say I stole you,” Skeeter said with a grin. “I still think I got the better deal.”
“Me too,” Violet said, yawning and laying her head back down again. “I want my mommy and daddy.”
“I know, sweetheart. I missed my mommy and daddy, too,” Skeeter whispered. “Now, be as quiet as a mouse.”
Skeeter hurried out of the dim store, smiling when Violet didn’t reply. The precious bundle in her arms was already asleep. She felt a pang of regret that she didn’t get the part they needed for the Lulu Belle but she was sure that Frog would understand. He had to! There was no way Skeeter could have left the little girl with those horrible men. She shuddered when she remembered what the bad men did to her own family. She hadn’t been much older than Violet, but she could still remember the screams.
Krac pressed the eject button on the disposal tube, ignoring the hoarse screams coming from it. Within seconds, only the hum of the starship could be heard. The tracking device and the male who had given him the information he wanted now floated in space.
“Connect,” he ordered as a communication summons came in.
“Krac, this is Kordon,” a dark voice came over the comlink he was wearing. “Where are you?”
Krac was about to respond when he heard Gracie’s voice chiding her mate in the background. The warmth filled him again when he heard the hint of steel he was used to hearing in her voice. She would make sure Kordon stayed put until he was healed. He had been in touch with her at least once a day to post updates and find out how her mate was doing.
Kordon had been brought out of the medically induced coma two days before. Since he woke, he had tried to find out Krac’s location. He sounded a little stronger today.
“I believe I know where Violet is,” he replied, instead. “I will let you know when I have her.”
“Damn it,” Kordon started to say before his voice faded.
“Kordon, lay back. The healer swore if you tried to get up, she would sedate you again,” Gracie said soothingly. “Krac, what have you discovered so far?”
“The threat to you is still there, Gracie,” Krac said. “From the information I have just received, there is another planned attack to capture you.”
“When?” Gracie and Kordon’s voice sounded at the same time. “I swear, Kordon, if you don’t stay still I’m going to knock you out. I won’t lose you, do you understand? I can’t. I need you. Violet needs you.”
Krac heard the underlying stress in Gracie’s voice. Kordon must have as well as he muttered for her to lay down next to him. He waited as Kordon murmured an apology to Gracie for upsetting her.
“The male did not have an exact time, but there is another plan to kidnap Gracie. They believe Kordon has been killed. I would expect it within the next few days,” Krac explained what he had learned from the male he had ‘interrogate at length. “I was able to get a location on the four males from the Medical Tower. I am heading to their location now.”
“But, we only saw three males,” Gracie said.
“The fourth was operating the skiff they used to escape. Kordon, Richard Tillman is behind Violet’s kidnapping. I’m sure of it. They left in his private starship,” Krac bit out as a quiet rage burned deep inside him. “Be prepared. The men he sends in will be highly trained and well-armed.”
“We will be ready for them,” Bazteen’s voice called out loudly. “I’ll personally kill that son-of-a-bitch. No one harms my family.”
“Tillman is mine to kill,” Krac said. “Just be prepared. I am heading to Pyrus Spaceport. That is the current location of the starship.”
“Krac,” Kordon’s voice sounded weaker than before over the comlink.
“Yes?”
“Bring my daughter home… please,” Kordon’s hoarse voice asked. “Whatever it takes, bring her home.”
A picture of the laughing green eyes, so like her mother’s, formed in his mind. Her shining face as she looked down at him as he held her in the air. His fingers moved to his cheek where she had ‘drawn’ her pretty pictures with dirty fingers. He blinked several times before storing the image again.
“I will,” he said in a voice that sounded suspiciously gruff. “I will.”
“Thank you, Krac,” Gracie’s soft voice said. “Be safe.”
Krac disconnected the link. He frowned when he realized that he was still standing outside the disposal tube. A small part of him wished he could retrieve the male he had discharged so he could do it all over again. He wanted each and every member of the New Order to understand that they were on his list for elimination. He wanted them to know what it was like to be hunted. Because he was definitely going to kill everyone involved in Violet Jefe’s kidnapping.
Later that night, Krac held the owner of the small parts shop up by his throat. He had tracked two of the men to the dim, non-descript shop through the surveillance system the Spaceport maintained. Between that and a few well-placed credits, he found the place with no trouble.
“I… don’t… know what you are talking about,” the massive creature wheezed. “I just sell parts.”
Krac raised his hand and drew a thin line between the creature’s eyes before he placed the short blade he held between his own teeth and ran his finger along it. He placed his bleeding finger between the creature’s eyes. It was the least resistive area on the massive frame and he would be able send the small probes into the male’s bloodstream.
His lip curled in distaste as the acidic blood burned the tip of his finger. He ignored the pain, shutting down the nerve-endings long enough to send enough nano-bots to retrieve the information before they were destroyed by the corrosive blood.
“Tell me,” Krac bit out.
The massive creature chuckled. “You cannot use your talents on me, assassin. My blood can kill anything.”
“So can mine,” Krac growled as he sent a command.
The creature’s laugh turned into a choked gasp as waves of electrical currents rocked through his brain, making his body stiffen. Krac pushed more of his blood into the cut. He ignored the feeling of metal on flesh that told him that the creature’s blood had eaten through the outer layer of flesh covering his skeletal frame.
“They’re gone,” Pius cried out as another wave hit him. “They left.”
“Where did they go?” Krac demanded.
“They are looking for the girl,” Pius choked out.
“What girl?” Krac asked, pressing deeper until the metal tip of his finger sank into the meaty flesh.
“The one… the one that took the kid,” Pius groaned.
“The child is not with the men who kidnapped her?” Krac asked in disbelief.
Pius tried to shake his head, but it was impossible as the metal rubbed against the outer bone protecting his brain. He had never met a creature in any star system that could survive having his blood on them. That was one reason the Leader had chosen him. The Leader swore that his corrosive blood would protect him from the monster that would come looking for the kid.
“What are you?” Pius asked in pain.
“Who was the woman? What did she look like?” Krac asked instead.
The faint vision of a shadowy figure formed. It was too disjointed for him to get a clear picture. He needed a name, either of the woman or the starship she was on. She must be working with the New Order. She was probably sent to take the child so it would be more difficult for him to track. A low curse escaped him as he realized he was still
one step behind those responsible for taking Violet. He would kill the woman as slowly as he had killed every other creature he had encountered so far.
“Don’t know her name,” Pius whispered. “She said she needed a part. She just wanted a part.”
“Do you know what starship she came in on?” Krac asked, pressing the metal tip of his finger deeper.
“Wait! I heard one of the men say she was Ti’Death’s daughter. Lulu Belle. She is captain of the Lulu Belle,” Pius forced out as he remembered. “She is…”
Pius never finished his sentence. Krac had enough information. The mysterious and very dangerous Razor-tooth Triterian was involved with the New Order. Krac had heard of Bulldog Ti’Death. The male was extremely wealthy and dangerous. It would appear his daughter followed in her father’s footsteps.
He would have to be very careful. He hadn’t been joking when he said he would have a hard time defeating a Razor-tooth Triterian. They were massive creatures with layer upon layer of scales that were as strong as the metal that made up his skeletal frame. They could unsheathe claws over a foot long, making it difficult to get close to them. If one was able to get close, they had rows of razor-sharp teeth that could slice through skin and bone with one swipe.
Krac stared at the exposed tip of his finger. With a silent command, tissue began reforming over it. Within seconds, the flesh was once again soft and gray. That was just one of the advancements designed into him over the original Alluthans who would have needed to replace the finger. He glanced at the slumped body of the shopkeeper. Fury burned through him that Violet was exposed to such creatures. Now, she was in a far more terrifying situation.
Yes, he thought as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and exited the dim shop. It would be difficult to kill Ti’Death’s daughter, but not impossible. I just hope she has not harmed Violet first.
Krac’s Firebrand
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About the Author
S.E. Smith is a New York Times, USA TODAY, International, and Award-Winning Bestselling author of science fiction, romance, fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary works for adults, young adults, and children. She enjoys writing a wide variety of genres that pull her readers into worlds that take them away.
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