Pete chuckled with delight as Victor died. He pulled his knife out of Victor's back and bent his mouth to the gaping wound. Sucking noises filled the corridor, mixed with moans of pleasure.
Nova grabbed Victor's knife from the floor.
"Men," Fi said. She stabbed Pete's bent neck and stepped around his and Victor's bodies to stand over Nova. Her eyes cold, unrelenting.
Nova held Victor's knife.
"If you can stand I'd rather kill you while you're up," Fi said. "You're a good fighter. It would be shame to kill you like a common dog."
Nova mustered every ounce of strength she had left and sat. Her head swam, vision blurring and tilting. Her legs felt weak but she couldn't let that stop her. She had to stand and fight.
"What are you doing?" said Kravkof. "Just kill her."
"Shut up," said Fi. "You want me to do your dirty work, I'll do it my way."
"You bitch," Kravkof said.
"Careful," Fi said. She turned to look at Kravkof, ignoring Nova completely. "I might change my mind."
She fingered the knife in her hand. Kravkof's eyes darted to the side and his mouth snapped shut.
Nova took a second to glance over at Ringer. He and Jen circled each other, oblivious to everything else. Everyone else lay dead in the corridor.
She took three deep breaths and pushed herself to her feet. She wavered. Her leg screamed in agony and wobbled beneath her. It was probably broken, or at least fractured.
"Good," Fi said, turning back to Nova with a cold smile.
Fi's knife weaved left and right, stabbing, swiping, lunging.
Nova stumbled back, every step another shot of agony, until her back pressed against the corridor wall. Victor's knife felt unbalanced and slow in her hands. Usually her knife was an extension of her arm. Victor's knife was just a knife, and a poor one at that.
Cold seeped through her shirt from the cement wall and sent a shiver up her spine. She glanced sideways but there was no escape.
Fi advanced, the glint of victory shining from her eyes. Her knife flicked through the air, sharp edge gleaming.
Nova braced herself; she'd only have one chance, and took a deep breath.
Fi lunged forward, knife aimed at Nova's throat like a deadly missile.
Nova stepped into Fi's attack so their bodies pressed against each other. Fi's arm and knife swung wide around Nova's back, missing.
Nova clutched Fi's shoulders and stared into her eyes. She had only a second before Fi changed direction and plunged her knife into her back. "He's going to kill you."
Fi took three steps back and stared at Nova, face flushing red.
Nova could have killed her in that instant but she held back.
"What?" Fi said.
A high-pitched scream from the other side of the room made them both look up. Jen crumpled into a heap on the floor. Ringer's bloody knife dangled in his hand.
"He's going to kill you," Nova repeated, nodding at Kravkof.
Kravkof looked up from Jen and glared at Fi. "It's no time to talk! Finish the job."
"Why would he kill me? I'm the best he's got," Fi said. "It's embarrassing to end your final minutes in idle conversation instead of going down with a fight."
"The Confederacy isn't offering two free tickets out of here," said Nova. "Only one. Do you really think he'll let you take it?"
Fi scowled. "Actually, he's already spoken with the Confederacy. They've agreed to free us both."
"The Confederacy would never do that," said Nova. "In fact, I'd be surprised if they let anyone go. It was probably an empty promise to begin with."
"What the hell are you doing?" Kravkof said. "Kill her!"
"You don't have any proof of that," Fi said, ignoring Kravkof.
"She's full of lies," Kravkof said. "Both of us will get out of here."
Nova glanced at him, red patches coloured his cheeks and his eyes kept darting to the side.
"What about the others?" Nova asked, waving at the bodies scattered across the floor. "Did the Confederacy agree to free all of them too?"
"Well. No," said Fi. "Only—"
"But you told them all they could get free, didn't you?" Nova said.
"I—" Kravkof replied.
"You promised them all freedom but really none of them were ever getting out of here."
"No. I always knew Fi would survive," Kravkof said in a shaky voice. "I knew she'd make it, so I cleared it with the Confederacy."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "Really? That was a lucky guess. Imagine if one of the others had survived. What would you have done then?"
"I—" Sweat dribbled down Kravkof's face.
Nova tried to keep her voice calm, confident, and completely in control. It was hard when all she wanted to do was scream with pain. Her leg throbbed and her shoulder burned.
Fi lowered her knife and turned to face Kravkof. "She's right. How did you know none of the others would survive? Unless you planned to kill them... and if you planned to kill them you could have just as easily planned to kill me."
"No. Of course not!" Kravkof said. "You know you're the best, Fi. I knew I could trust you."
"I'm an idiot," Fi said. "I was so desperate to get out of here that I didn't think about it. You bastard."
"No, no," said Kravkof, stepping back. "The Hunter is just trying to destroy us."
"I will get out of here," said Fi.
"Of course! You and me both."
"No," Fi said.
"What?" Kravkof faltered.
"I'm getting out of here."
Fi's wrist flicked. Her knife whipped across the room and slammed into Kravkof's throat. It lodged there, all the way to the hilt. Blood seeped out from around the blade.
Kravkof clawed at the knife as he choked and gasped. He fell to his knees, then his face, eyes glazing over. Dead.
"Bastard," Fi said as he went down.
Nova took her chance. She stepped up behind Fi and put her knife to her throat.
"Walk away and you can live," Nova said.
Fi's body stiffened. "You're my ticket out of here."
"You'll have to find another ride," said Nova. "I'm leaving."
"Take me with you," said Fi. "I've got your back. I'll save your arse a hundred times over if you take me with you."
"I'm sorry," said Nova. "If you wanted a way out of here you should have tried to make friends with me before. It's too late now."
"I didn't know," said Fi.
Nova gritted her teeth as another wave of pain rushed up from her leg. "Next time be more careful about choosing your friends."
Fi took a deep breath.
"We're going to tie you up. You'll be able to get free eventually," said Nova.
Fi nodded, lips pursed. She didn't say another word as they tied her wrists and ankles together, staring vacantly at the floor like an empty shell.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
"That noise will have them swarming here in no time," said Ringer.
Nova nodded. She picked her knife off the ground and wiped it clean on Kravkof's shirt.
Ringer led the way to the stairs, Nova limping at his side. Yelling voices echoed through the prison, filled with blood lust.
At the bottom of the stairs they turned left. Nova hobbled as fast as she could to Carter's unguarded door and knocked three times, waited, and knocked twice.
The door swung open, revealing Carter standing there with wild eyes and pale face. His knuckles glowed white where they gripped his door.
"Where have you been!" he hissed. "Get inside!"
Nova and Ringer piled into Carter's room. A massive double bed filled most of the floor while another doorway led into an ensuite. Many of the prisoners would have killed just to get Carter's room, let alone freedom.
Carter slammed the door shut and stared at them. Sweat trickled down his face and his eyes bulged, flicking between Ringer and Nova.
His twitching made Nova nervous. She could rely on the usual, calm Carter, but she couldn't be sure of
this stranger. If he got too jumpy it could mean death for both of them.
"We were jumped," Ringer said.
Carter froze and stared at Ringer. "Jumped?"
"Yeah, Kravkof and his crew."
Carter's hands twisted together. "Oh, this is not good. Not good."
"What's up boss?" Nova said. Her hand fell to her knife and her shoulder's tensed. She refused to risk her life if Carter couldn't pull it together.
"That. That's what's up," Carter whispered, pointing to the right of the door.
Nova turned. Three bodies lay covered in blood next to the wall.
Carter's mouth twisted. "Three assassins in the last hour. They know something is happening tonight and whatever it is they want me dead."
Nova swallowed. "There was bound to be some trouble."
"Some trouble?" Carter said, face going red. "They put a razor in my food! Bastards."
"Why would they try to kill you?" Nova said.
Nova's heart fluttered. Surely Carter had had a hundred attempts on his life. Why had this one shaken him so badly?
"Because I'm protecting you!" he bellowed. "Should have just said no. It's a ridiculous plan anyway. If the radiation doesn't kill us, one of these bastards will."
Carter paced back and forth, shoes clicking against the cement floor. His hands wrung together behind his back.
Nova glanced at Ringer. He looked as worried as she felt.
Nova slapped her hand onto Carter's shoulder. "I need you to get a grip."
He stopped and stared at her with his mouth open. It would have been many years since anyone had the guts to confront him in such a way. He was a big fish. Even presuming to touch him would probably have seen her dead if it was any other day. But it wasn't. Today was the day of their escape, and Carter needed her as much as she needed him.
"What—" Carter said.
Nova pulled back and slapped Carter across the face. He grunted as his head whipped sideways. A trail of saliva snaked out of his mouth and spattered across the floor.
Ringer stepped forward, hand outstretched.
Carter whirled on Nova, eyes flashing. "How dare you! I'll have you shot! I'll have you skinned! I'll have you—"
"Fine. But it will all have to wait because we have to get out of here now," Nova said.
Carter's arms dropped to his sides. "What?"
"It's time to go. Provided you're not going to lose it again."
"Lose it?" Carter said. "I never lose it. You think this is the most dangerous thing I've done?"
Nova folded her arms across her chest, still keeping most of her weight on her good leg. "Whatever, boss, but you looked pretty lost a second ago. Don't you think Ringer?"
Ringer shrugged and swallowed, his throat bobbing.
"Chicken," Nova said.
She took a deep breath, doing her best to appear calm. Her shoulder throbbed so badly that with every heartbeat her vision flashed white. "We have to get the labourbots outside and then get in as quick as we can. If anyone sees what we're doing we'll be dead."
"Got it," said Ringer.
"I've loosened the bars on the back window. It won't be a problem getting them out."
"Alright, good. Ringer if you wouldn't mind?" Nova waved at the labourbots.
Ringer nodded once, hoisted both robots in his arms, and lowered them out of the far window to the ground.
Nova peered out into the bare blackness. Nothing moved. "We have to go. The transporter won't be there for much longer and we've got a lot of ground to cover."
"It's been good working with you, boss," said Ringer.
He held out a thick palm.
Carter shook it firmly. "You did good. I'll make sure you're taken care of."
"You better," Ringer said. "I think I'm going to have a hard time getting out of here."
"Little secret," said Carter. "There's a food generator in the far cupboard. Just in case you're stuck here for a while."
"You have your own food generator!" Ringer hissed. His eyes widened like saucers as they flew between Carter's face and the cupboard.
"Yep. In case I feel like a mid-night snack. Something I think you'll find even more interesting; it has flavours other than gruel."
Ringer's mouth dropped. "No way!"
Carter winked.
"You've been holding out on me," Ringer said, breathless. "I should kill you right now just to teach you a lesson!"
Carter chuckled. "I don't think so. I'd bet one hundred credits that you don't tell anyone either. You can't trust anybody in this dump and as soon as someone finds out, they'll tell everyone. If you think what's happening now is bad, imagine the riot that would happen if people found out they could eat something other than gruel!"
Ringer sighed and shook his head. "You're right."
"Of course I am," Carter replied. "Just stay tight until it's all blown over. Eventually they'll lose interest. When that happens, send me the signal. I'll be ready to look after you."
Nova's heart-rate slowed. Carter seemed to be returning to his usual self.
"Thank you, sir," said Ringer.
Carter nodded and backed away, leaving Nova and Ringer alone.
"Well, Hunter," said Ringer with a smile. "It's been good working with you."
"And you," Nova replied. "It would be better if you were coming with us."
"I know. But I'm not ready for it out there. Maybe in a decade or so when you're performing your next impossible task, then I'll come with you."
Nova's throat stung but she refused to let it show. "You know I'll hold you to that."
"Please do. It'll give me an excuse to see you."
"Just be careful," Nova said. "It doesn't sound good out there."
"Can't say I'm surprised," said Ringer. "We left a graveyard up there."
"They started it."
"I know that."
Nova nodded. "You'll look after yourself?"
"Of course I will. If I wasn't looking after myself I'd be going with you on this impossible mission."
"Not impossible," Nova said.
Ringer's eyes glazed over and his hands trembled.
Nova laid her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Thank you for everything."
"Yeah, yeah," he said with a sad smile. "I'm just glad that this time I got to help someone."
Nova nodded, not trusting herself with more words. She grabbed Carter's arm and pushed him towards the window.
He shook off her hand and strode for the opening, throwing his leg over the sill and climbing out next to the labourbots.
Nova limped behind. She crouched in the darkness and strained her ears. There was still a lot of uproar in the main building but she couldn't see anyone outside.
"Follow my lead," she whispered.
She opened the front of the closest labourbot and clamboured inside, biting her lip to stop from crying out at the pain shooting through her leg. She took the control from inside and held it while she tried to get comfortable. It wasn't easy. The space inside was only just big enough. Her knees bent up near her shoulders, roaring with agony, and her elbows pressed right up against the metal sides.
Carter glared at her before getting into his own labourbot. He was bigger than her and his shoulders bulged out of the doorway. He tried to shut the door but it bounced off his feet and limbs. "Bloody hell. Didn't think this through, did you?"
Ringer leaned out the window and shoved bits of Carter inside the robot before slamming the front panel closed.
Nova nodded once at Ringer and closed her own door.
"The controls have intercom," she whispered. "But it would be best not to talk. We can't risk being caught."
"This is a damned foolish plan," Carter said.
"You'll thank me when you're free," Nova said. "The controls are just like we talked about. You can see outside on the screen above your head. Just try to keep calm. We can't move too fast or we'll attract attention."
"Yep," Carter said.
Nova glanced at her front
screen and used the control stick to move forward. The labourbot jolted and she let go of the controls. It was much harder to drive it from inside than it was from outside. She cursed herself for not practicing with it sooner. Too late now.
She pushed forward again and made it out onto the road. Once there, she spun around to watch Carter.
He had more trouble than she did. His labourbot jerked backwards and forwards in a crazy dance. It banged into the wall twice before making it out onto the road.
"What the hell kind of controls are these?" he hissed at her through the intercom.
"You better learn quick," Nova said. "You'll attract the guards straight to us, driving like that."
Carter didn't reply. His labourbot jerked forward, stopped, jerked forward, and stopped next to her. Nova turned around and faced back up the slight hill to the guard's complex.
Her heart beat hard in her chest as they rolled forward. She was sure the guards would be able to hear it, all the way in their enclosed building. Sweat poured down her face and coated her arms where they squeezed against the metal casing.
The heat of her body clung to her, trapped inside the robot shell, cooking her alive. Each breath came harder, like the air was filled with wool and a dull throb started in the back of her head.
The motors whirred into overdrive as they started up the hill. They weren't built to carry the weight of a whole human and they struggled, heat pouring from the engines and filling the labourbots with the smell of burning plastic.
Nova had a horrific vision of suffocating on the toxic fumes. What if she died before they even made it past the main gate? She'd never be found. She'd be stuck inside the robot until eventually it was melted down for parts. She shivered at the thought and forced herself to breathe steadily. It would only be worse if she used up all the oxygen.
It didn't sound like Carter was doing any better. His breathing came through the intercom in short gasps followed by long stints of silence. Nova would have checked that he was okay but it was too risky. Anyone could hear them and they were too close to freedom to let that happen. Besides, his labourbot was still heading in the general direction of the guard's quarters so he had to at least be conscious.
The desolate landscape scrolled past on her flickering screen like an old-time movie. Barren desert, void of plants or tents, lined the road up to the enclosure. That was only to be expected. No one could be quite sure how far the radioactive shield extended. Besides that, there was always the risk that a guard would decide to do some target practice.
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