Lionsheart
Marteeka Karland
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2009 Marteeka Karland
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this or any copyrighted work is illegal. File sharing is an International crime, prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Border Patrol, Division of Cyber Crimes, in partnership with Interpol. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by seizure of computers, up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 per reported instance.
ISBN: 978-1-60521-374-3
Formats Available:
HTML, Adobe PDF,
MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader
Publisher:
Changeling Press LLC
PO Box 1046
Martinsburg, WV 25402-1046
www.ChangelingPress.com
Editor: Katriena Knights
Cover Artist: Marteeka Karland
This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
Lionsheart
Marteeka Karland
Darian Amos Shiffley is on the hunt. His protégé, Gretta, has gotten herself arrested and detained in Dead Man’s Keep, a supermax underground prison of the worst sort. He intends on freeing not only her, but himself as well. For too long, Shiffley has hidden his feelings for Gretta. No more. He’s out to show his little Lionsheart how much she truly means to him.
Imagine his surprise when he discovers his secret was never really a secret to begin with.
Chapter One
Getting inside the compound hadn’t been that hard. But Darian Amos Shiffley would have done it no matter what. This pen had something he wanted, and Shiffley wasn’t a man who allowed anyone to keep something of his. How Gretta had gotten herself thrown in this hellhole was beyond him. The woman was a thorn in his side, but he’d invested too much time in her training to let her rot in prison.
It had taken little time to find her. Once he had, he’d sat back in his hiding place to watch. He needed as much information as he could about her movements, the others around her, and the routine of the guards before he could get her out.
The beauty of these supermax prisons in Frozen Earth was the way the prisoners were housed. They basically roamed freely within the inner walls. There were thirty klicks of the worst frozen terrain imaginable on the coldest part of the planet surrounding them.
Most creatures couldn’t last thirty minutes in that wasteland, Lionsblood included. Other than that, the only rules were to do what you could to stay alive. Food was rationed to make prisoners fight to eat, and the weaker ones had to either “sell” themselves to stronger men and women or starve. It pitted inmates against each other and gave them something to worry about other than breaking out.
Gretta wasn’t a weak prisoner. At least not in the sense she couldn’t take care of herself. If she had any flaws, it was trying to “mother” the ones who were weak.
Shiffley snarled. Here, it definitely put her at a disadvantage. He’d taught her better than that. Looking at her now, he saw that all the undesirables were flocking around her as she fought for their survival. Gretta looked tired. Worn. Definitely not strong enough to take on the three Lionsblood she faced now with nothing but her bare hands.
They surrounded her, but she was holding her own. One went down when she delivered a kick to his groin so hard it made Shiffley wince. The spike on her heel didn’t help matters for her opponent when she spun a back kick to the same area. The large man crumpled to the ground, covering his bloody crotch with his hands.
Unfortunately, the extra move to eliminate one man gave the other two an opening. One snaked his arm around her neck and squeezed. Gretta instinctively gripped his arm before releasing him and doing what he’d taught her.
Her attacker was taller than Gretta. She dropped straight down, intending to throw her attacker off balance and slide to the ground, but she was too small, and he was way too damned big. Gretta’s feet were off the ground, but she didn’t slide out of the big Lionsblood’s grip even an inch.
The third one shook his head -- from a blow she’d delivered earlier -- and advanced, murder in his eyes. No doubt, Gretta was looking at her last moments alive. Of course, neither Lionsblood knew Shiffley was there.
“You’re dead, human!” The Lionsblood advanced on her, saliva dripping from his mouth. Blood trickled from his nose, and one eye was nearly swollen shut. The one who held her in the chokehold didn’t look much better, and both men were breathing hard from their effort with Gretta.
“Maybe,” she answered. Her voice was husky and strangled, but she managed to get the word out with a defiant tone. “But everyone in this Sun forsaken place knows it took three of you to take me down. Somehow, I’m thinking this victory is really more a defeat.”
Shiffley knew she was right, but did she have to point it out now? She had to know it would only hasten her demise. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. Really looked at her. Shiffley shifted his position and scrambled out of hiding. That was exactly what she was hoping for. If she was going to die, she wanted it to happen fast.
No one was paying him any attention. Every eye was focused on the fight. Which spoke volumes to Gretta’s abilities. Instead of just another fight, it was the main event even though there was food to be had. No one saw him as he approached the circle of people.
“Looks to me like she kicked your asses.” He tried to sound amused. Inside, he was seething. They dared to try and take what was his! “If she can do it, it should be no problem for me to put you out of your misery.”
Shiffley clenched his fists and walked deliberately toward the two Lionsblood who thought to take Gretta from him for good. He didn’t concern himself with anyone else. No one would interfere. Those siding with Gretta were too cowardly to help, and everyone else was simply waiting to see what would happen. Basically, there was no sense making trouble when trouble didn’t yet exist for them.
“One more step, and I’ll break her neck.” The growled threat meant little to Shiffley. He knew Gretta had all the distraction she needed.
No sooner had he thought it than Gretta swung a sharp kick to her captor’s knee and threw her weight forward, putting her captor off balance and her feet on the ground. Again, she used the concealed spike built into her boot heel to rip through his groin.
Another trick he’d taught her. Always have a weapon. Even a homemade one. If one was clever enough, no one would know until it was too late. Shiffley was all over the second guy, though it wasn’t really necessary. The other Lionsblood just stood there as if he knew fighting was futile. His end was swift.
Shiffley turned to see Gretta freeing herself. Apparently, she’d fallen when her captor slumped to the ground. She scrambled to her feet. Two of her three attackers lay holding their privates amid growing pools of blood. The third -- dead.
“Bastard,” Gretta muttered. “That’ll teach you.”
“What are you waiting for? Finish him.” Shiffley spoke quietly, but the two Lionsblood knew an order when they heard one. Both held up a hand and shook their heads.
Gretta was breathing hard, but she shook her head once. Her eyes shifted everywhere, looking for would-be attackers. “I have no problem killing, Shiff. You know that. But I won’t kill a man like this.”
Shiffley didn’t really expect her to kill either man in cold blood, but it really would have been t
he smart thing to do. He was in full protection mode. He would have stopped her had she made a move to actually kill the disabled men, but it didn’t stop him from lashing out at her for not doing so.
He had almost lost her, and rational thinking seemed to be beyond him at the moment. “You’re a fool!” He had no problem being harsh with her. Life was harsh. He’d taught her how to survive, and it did not involve letting enemies who had tried to kill her live. “They’ll only hunt you down later and finish what they started. They’re dead, anyway. No one here will think twice about challenging them for food knowing it took three of them to take down one human.”
“You think so little of my abilities as to consider me a mere human?” Gretta growled at him. Had she been a Lionsblood in full Lion form, her hackles would be raised and her claws extended and ready.
“You are human. Just because I taught you a few things doesn’t make you a Vampire, or even a Lionsblood.” At the mention of the word “vampire,” the crowd scattered. Shiffley couldn’t help the twitch of his lip. It was amusing, sometimes, to let people think the worst of him.
He wasn’t a full-blooded Vampire, but he was a Lionsblood/Vampire hybrid. In his view, that made him more deadly than either because he’d been genetically enhanced to retain the best of both races. Had these people known, they might have run from him screaming instead of merely muttering.
He and Gretta were alone now. The two disabled men had been dragged away with the rest of the crowd, leaving the body of the last one crumpled on the floor in a pool of blood.
“Real subtle, Shiff. Nice going.” Gretta picked up her discarded fur and slung it around her shoulders. “You know they’ll go straight to the guards. Congratulations, smarty. Now you’re stuck in here with me. Assuming they don’t just shoot you or expel you. You’ll be hard for them to contain, and they don’t like troublemakers.”
Shiff lunged and grabbed Gretta’s arm, dragging her behind him. “I don’t plan on hanging out that long.” He didn’t wait for her response, but pulled her into the tunnel he’d dug over the past few days and set a charge behind him to seal it. “Run, girl!”
Gretta had known Shiff long enough to know when she could argue and when it was time to shut her mouth and simply do what he told her. This was the latter. She ran blindly down the tunnel, crouched so she didn’t hit her head. It wasn’t strictly necessary, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
The only light came from glow sticks he’d placed at various lengths down the corridor. It wasn’t long before a muffled explosion signaled the prison end of the tunnel had been sealed by the charges Shiffley had set.
When she reached a solid wall, she looked around for which way to go, but found nothing. Now what?
“Up with you.” Shiffley dropped to one knee and motioned her to climb on his raised leg. She did, and he put one hand on her ass, the other on her thigh, and shoved her upward as he stood.
She managed to get one foot on his shoulder and his hand left her ass to find that foot and continue to push her out of the hole in the earth. Her fingers found the icy edge, and she scrambled to pull herself up and out. Frigid wind blasted her face as she came out of the underground prison, and her nose instantly became numb.
Shiffley pulled himself up almost immediately after her. A bag he’d obviously stashed earlier was tied to his waist. Without saying a word, he pulled out full land gear and tucked her into the thick, bulky clothing. She was covered from head to toe, and still the biting cold sunk into her bones.
Knowing she had to get moving, she started hopping from foot to foot. Shiffley brought out two body warmers and tucked them into her coat. They were on top of the bottom-most layer of clothing on her back and chest, keeping her core as warm as they could.
Next came the heated oxygen to protect her lungs. Even so, with thirty klicks to the nearest underground outpost, Gretta knew she’d never make it. She’d freeze to death long before then.
Shiffley kept wrapping layers around her, though he did it quickly. Within two minutes, he pronounced her ready. She looked over the terrain, and her heart sank. It might be flat, but it was littered with ice traps. If they fell, the fall would likely be miles deep.
“Follow me exactly. Every step, Gretta. Now, move!”
Shiffley sped off, and Gretta did her best to watch where he put his feet. She didn’t look up, only to the snow-covered ground at his footprints. She never thought to see how far ahead he was. Shiffley would never leave her far behind, no matter how bad the need for swiftness.
It wasn’t long before Gretta’s lungs began to burn, even through the heated oxygen mask. She kept her pace, though, determined to prove to Shiffley she wasn’t a liability. She’d already let him down by ending up in Dead Man’s Keep to begin with. No way she’d let him down twice.
Except she did. The arctic wind and the extremely low surface temperature took its toll long before she was ready to give up. As always, Shiffley was there. He scooped her up across his shoulders and continued on even quicker than before. That was when Gretta realized she’d never be a match for him. Not physically, at least. He carried her like she weighed nothing and never slowed his pace no matter where he had to jump or swerve to keep them on safe ground.
Unfortunately, now that she wasn’t moving, the cold started to overcome her quicker than before. She dozed lightly from time to time, and each time she did, Shiffley swatted her ass. Hard. “Stay awake! Talk to me, sing, scream, whatever. Just don’t go to sleep.”
Gretta wanted to reply, but she couldn’t. It was in that moment she realized perhaps Shiffley couldn’t make everything all right this time. She’d depended on him far too long, come to depend on him too much, and this time she’d killed them both. “I’m sorry, Shiff. So sorry.”
“Be sorry later.” He stopped and set her on her feet. With a mighty roar, he stomped the ground near them once, twice. On the third time, the ice splintered. The fourth time, it fractured, and great shards fell through the hole. “Down, Gretta. Climb the ladder down the hole. Now!”
Shiffley’s command was undeniable. Even though her legs didn’t want to work, she forced herself to follow his instructions. She made it halfway before she missed a step and slid several feet before she caught herself again. Her scream echoed around her, but she didn’t stop. She kept moving until her feet were on the floor. Once there, she collapsed in a heap.
Shiffley wasn’t far behind. He pulled Gretta to her feet and shoved her forward. “Keep moving. My earth ship is only a few hundred yards away. I’ll get you warmed up there. Move.”
Contrary to what she thought herself capable of, Gretta kept moving. The cold, while not as harsh, was still bone chilling. Her toes had long since gone numb, as well as her fingers and cheeks and nose. If she didn’t have frostbite, it would be a damned miracle.
True to his word, it wasn’t long before she saw Shiffley’s ride. It was illuminated faintly by green glow sticks and orange backup lights. The hatch opened at their approach and Gretta ducked inside. Shiffley was right on her heels.
He shoved her into the copilot’s seat and powered up, running checks quickly but thoroughly. Gradually, the temperature began to climb until Gretta thought she might not die from exposure after all. She wasn’t warm by any means, but at least she was starting to get some sensation back in her extremities. Even her nose started to sting and burn a little.
Shiffley didn’t say anything or even look at her. Judging from the way he tried to mask his expression, he was good and pissed. He always tried to hide his emotions from her, especially when he was angry, but the tightness of his lips and the slight crinkle of his eyes gave him away.
No one else would notice. But Gretta did. She always knew how he felt, even sometimes what he was thinking, and right now he was thinking she was in trouble.
Big trouble.
Chapter Two
Shiffley powered up the vehicle and started it moving. Once he passed through the tunnel he’d made especially for this trip and i
nto the safer, permanent tunnels, Shiffley set the autopilot and turned to Gretta. He was livid.
And scared shitless. His hands actually shook, and he fisted them to keep the trembling at bay as best he could.
“You could have been killed, Gretta. Should have been killed. What the fuck were you thinking? And what did you do to end up in Dead Man’s Keep?”
She shrugged. Gretta knew there was no use keeping anything from him. He always found out. “Killed a guard outside Aristar Farm.”
“Great, woman. Just fucking great.”
“He was expelling a teenager! The poor kid was terrified. All he’d done was raid the food stash. He was hungry, Shiff. And for that they were going to expel him to the surface.”
“And did you accomplish anything by killing the guard?”
“No. The boy died before the guard hit the ground.” Her breathing changed slightly, and Shiffley didn’t miss the little shiver.
“So you risked your life -- and mine -- for nothing?”
“I didn’t ask you to come after me, Shiff. I would have fought my way out eventually.”
“And gone where? You couldn’t even make it the few klicks it took to get outside the ice fields.”
“I would have figured something out. I’m nothing if not resourceful.”
They looked at each other for a moment. Neither speaking. Neither backing down.
“I don’t intimidate you in the least, do I?” Shiffley knew he gave her pause, but he’d never had a bluff on her. Like a child pushing a parent, she knew he’d always be there for her.
“Of course you do, Shiff.” She gave him a wicked smile.
Too bad she was still suffering effects from the cold. She’d have looked too damned sexy for her own good. “When you’re good and pissed, it’s like looking Death in the face and daring to smile at him.” Gretta shrugged. “I imagine I’d get the same eerie thrill if I did actually stare down Death.”
Frozen Earth Lionsheart Page 1