Tytus caught movement at the stern of the cruiser and snarled. Someone was attempting to sneak into an open hatch.
“Bohdan,” Feroze whispered.
I thought I recognized the traitor.
Ashtoret said the despicable warrior refused to fire on the attackers, then disappeared in the heat of battle at the camp. Bohdan was obviously working with the smugglers.
“Keep up,” Tytus growled as he ran towards the cruiser.
If that hatch sealed, he’d be locked out of the vessel, while that bastard was inside with his mate. Tytus pushed himself to reach the ship in time.
“The ladder is ascending,” Feroze huffed, out of breath.
Thanks for the observation.
Tytus leapt as he reached the cruiser hull. His hand speared through the narrow opening. With a rumbling snarl, he forced the resistant hatch cover back. He swung up into the vessel, landing crouched on the hold floor. Tytus cast a glance around to find the area empty of Bohdan or any other smuggler.
“Tytus,” Feroze hollered as he dangled from the hatch opening.
Tytus grabbed the regent’s forearm and yanked him into the cruiser, then sealed the hatch. Tytus pulled out his disrupter and headed deeper into the ship’s underbelly. When they reached the first partition, the door was ajar. Tytus glanced back to see Feroze securing his long hair, paying no attention whatsoever to what might be lurking up ahead.
“Regent, we don’t know who else is in here besides Bohdan. I know you feel like you know the male, but he betrayed us and is armed,” Tytus reminded the male, while attempting not to growl in agitation.
“Of course,” Feroze nodded and readied his disrupter.
When they entered the second chamber, they were greeted by dozens of Toufik. The hairy beasts were locked in cells flanking the hull walls. The sheer number of them stunned Tytus.
“You work on releasing the Toufik, while I clear this level,” Tytus instructed Feroze.
Hopefully he can handle that much.
Tytus checked the remaining compartments of the hold, then headed up to the next level. The primary hall was lined with quarters for the crew. One by one he slapped a hand on the control panels, examined the interior then moved on.
Tytus ducked as disrupter fire struck the wall above his shoulder. Before he recovered a searing pain shot up his arm, as the smuggler shot the disrupter out of his hand, destroying the weapon in the process. Tytus launched himself at the male, tackling him. The smuggler’s disrupter went flying as they tumbled to the deck.
Tytus threw his fist, striking the male in the face, while taking a hit to the gut. They rolled around the corridor trading blows. The smuggler worked free, and lunged for his disrupter. Tytus leapt over the male, bringing his heel down hard on the weapon, crushing it beneath his boot.
Then the real fight began.
June
June sighed in relief as the loading bay doors sealed shut.
“Thunder we need to make sure none of the smugglers breach this entrance,” June told the Toufik.
The hairy male made a gesture that June didn’t understand.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t learned enough of your language yet. I do know yes and no.” June made the corresponding hand signals. “Let’s head to the control room. I may not be able to get this hunk of metal off the ground, but maybe we can do something to aid our guys out there.”
June didn’t know what they’d be able to accomplish, but hopefully something would present itself.
Thunder gestured for a few of his men to stay in the loading bay, then led the way out with half of his clan in tow. June jumped as gunfire reverberated through the ship.
“Shit! We’re not alone,” June declared. “Thunder, do you know how to aim this disrupter better than I can?”
Thunder nodded as he took the laser weapon. He tucked June behind him along with the few females from his clan. They traveled down the hall more cautiously, keeping a wary eye for smugglers that remained aboard. The hairy body in front of June froze, and she nearly did a face plant in the Toufik’s back.
“Don’t fire,” the voice said.
June peeked past Thunder to see the distinctive red jacket and absurdly long, black hair, of Feroze.
“Don’t shoot. That’s the province regent. Feroze what are you doing here?” June asked in confusion.
“I joined Tytus. We snuck in a rear hatch. He was in a fight with one of the smugglers and needs help.” Feroze stammered as he nervously looked at Thunder.
“Tytus is aboard?” June asked surprised.
“Yes, this way.” Feroze led them to the end of the corridor. “Through there. They were fighting in the galley.”
That was the gunfire we heard.
The door on the right revealed the ship’s mess hall. Two of the Toufik males joined Thunder, as he cautiously approached the galley kitchen at the rear. Thunder led with the disrupter, as he peered into the prep area. When he turned back around his furry brows were quirked in confusion.
“I’m sorry,” Feroze said.
Everyone spun towards the mess hall door. Feroze was standing in the opening with a smuggler holding a disrupter to his head. Thunder aimed his disrupter, but the smuggler got off two shots in rapid succession. One blast struck Thunder in the shoulder, throwing the Toufik back. The second striking the wall behind him. Before any of the other males could make it to the door, the smuggler sealed them in.
June heard a shot echo in the corridor, and the control panel by the door sparked, filling the mess hall with the smell of burning electronics.
“We’re trapped in here,” she moaned. “This is not good.” June grimaced.
Thunder’s injured and bleeding on the floor. Feroze is being held prisoner by one of the smugglers. Tytus is probably on the ship somewhere, possibly hurt. A horde of bad guys are shooting it out outside, and we’re trapped in here. Son of a fucking bitch!
June stared in concern at Thunder, as several of the Toufik tended to him. One of them had found some towels in the kitchen to bandage his shoulder. They had it handled, leaving her idle. Which was not good.
I think I’m done. I can’t do this anymore. June paced the floor. I’m a freaking scientist, not G.I. Jane.
A bone jarring thud, pulled June from her pity party. She turned to see one of the Toufik stagger back from the door, rubbing his shoulder. The hairy creature had obviously attempted to bully his way through the solid metal portal. Several of the females gestured wildly in the male’s face.
“Don’t get hurt too,” June frowned.
Thunder slammed his palm on the floor, capturing everyone’s attention. June was relieved to see he was conscious. Thunder pointed to the metal benches and tables, that were bolted to the metal deck. June’s mouth dropped open when several of the males ripped a bench free of the floor. The metal protested with a whining screech, as it came loose. They lined the long seat up with the door and started swinging. The repetitive echoing boom, was encouraging, but after several tries they paused.
“Are you kidding me,” June groaned.
The bench was mangled, and the door dented, but they were no closer to freedom. June collapsed on one of the benches in frustration, and just stared at the door.
What are we going to do? Maybe the rest of Thunder’s clan in the loading bay heard us. But what are they going to do? The control panel is toast. June chewed her lip. We have to find a way to bypass the fried panel. Panel…
“We need to find an access panel.” June’s eyes panned the room. “There has to be a hatch leading into the floor or wall. If I can get out of here, I can go get help.”
June spied one of the access hatches and smiled a broad grin. She pressed two release levers on either side and the small door popped off.
Oh man, that’s a tight fit, June frowned as she stuck her head in. The tunnel was filled with wires and pipes. I’ll have to army crawl in there.
There was a hand on her shoulder. June turned to see one of the Toufik male
s, handing her their only disrupter. June took the weapon and tucked it into her waistband.
“I’ll either find the rest of your clan and warn them, find Tytus, or release the other Toufik. I don’t know if we can get you free since the door control panel was shot. But if we don’t prevent the smugglers from opening the outside doors, it’s all over.”
The hairy male nodded.
June climbed into the wall and started shimmying along the floor. She aimed for the loading bay, since that was the only place she was certain to find someone. June jumped at the loud bang that reverberated through the passage.
The Toufik are continuing their assault on the door, June realized and relaxed.
She avoided the various conduits and wiring harnesses while she crawled towards a light coming from ahead. June sucked in her gut as she turned a corner.
June paused in front of a hatch on her left, peeking out the slats. It looked like another room. It wasn’t very large and held miscellaneous containers. It reminded her of a utility closet.
June gripped the catch on the inside of the panel, wiggling it persistently. Releasing the panel from the wrong side and getting out, wasn’t nearly as easy as getting in. June stuck her finger through one of the slats and worked the lever up. She got it halfway, then lost her hold.
“Dammit,” she declared as it snapped back in place.
June tried again. This time when she got it to the half way point, she poked her other index finger through the next slat and eased it up further.
June sighed when it snapped into place. She repeated the move on the opposite side, then lifted the panel down. June scurried out of the wall and took a deep breath. It was good to be out of the tiny passage.
June stood by the door of the utility room, listening for sounds on the other side. But all she could hear was the Toufik banging away at the mess hall door.
“Now is not the time to chicken out.” June mustered her courage, as her hand hovered over the control panel. It was daunting being entirely alone.
Why do I constantly find myself in these positions?
June grabbed the disrupter from her belt then hit the sensor, opening the door. She looked both ways and stepped into the empty corridor.
I know where I am.
June cautiously headed towards the loading bay. She heard movement ahead and panicked. June looked around for a place to hide. She slapped her hand on a control panel by a random door and quickly slipped inside, just as the footsteps down the hall got louder.
“Well, what do we have here?”
June’s head swung around when she heard Bohdan’s voice. He stood pointing a disrupter at her. The wall behind him was lined with several dozen more.
“Bastard,” she exclaimed as she dropped her weapon.
Tytus quo Munitor
Tytus grappled with the warrior, evading the male’s knife, while attempting to get in a strike with his own blade. Disrupter fire nearby, captured their attention.
“Halt. I’ve got the regent,” the smuggler ten paces away bellowed.
Tytus snarled as he saw Feroze, in the smuggler’s grasp.
That male is useless.
Smugglers kept popping up, and Tytus’ fear for June sky rocketed.
I need to finish this, and find her.
Tytus snarled, and with a burst of anger, flipped the smuggler in front of him. Tytus used the male as a shield, his forearm wrapped around the warrior’s neck, cutting off his air.
“And I have your cohort,” Tytus countered with a growl.
The warrior in Tytus’ grasp huffed and struggled, till he pressed his blade between male’s ribs.
“I’ll spill the regent’s guts,” the other smuggler insisted as he pointed his weapon at Feroze’s torso.
“Wait.” Feroze’s eyes widened. The regent staggered on his feet, looking like he might faint.
Tytus didn’t waste the window of opportunity, and swiftly threw his knife. The other smuggler reacted instinctively by firing at Tytus, striking his own man in the chest. The foolish move came too late. Tytus’ blade struck the smuggler in the throat. The warrior gurgled as blood spurt out everywhere, then dropped to the deck.
Tytus smiled in grim satisfaction as he released the dead male in his arms.
“Do you know if this is all of the smugglers, besides Bohdan?” Tytus asked the stunned regent.
“I think. I’m not sure,” Feroze murmured as he stared at the dead males in horror.
Tytus shook his head. He should’ve known the regent would get himself captured if left alone.
“Come on. I need to find June and get this cruiser in the air.”
“She’s locked in the dining hall. That male forced me to lure your mate and the Toufik there, then shot out the control panel.”
That must be what that banging is all about.
“Was she injured?” Tytus demanded as he picked up the dead smuggler’s disrupter.
“No.”
Thank Kali.
“Let’s get to the control room then. We’ll have to find a way to get them out of there once we’re in the air.”
Tytus kept a keen eye out for Bohdan or anyone else, as they headed for the helm on the main level. They carefully ascended the narrow staircase closest to the control room.
This would be a bad place to get pinned down.
He paused as they reached the top of the stairs, his finger twitching on the trigger of the disrupter. He thought he heard a door open in the corridor ahead. Tytus peered into the passage. Seeing nothing they forged on.
Tytus eagerly sat down in the pilot’s seat once they entered the control room. He wasn’t shocked to find the system locked as he tapped at the console.
It’s just a small hurdle. There were always ways to bypass the encrypted signal, if you knew what you were doing.
“Come on,” Tytus grumbled as he entered the tenth maintenance code commonly used on cruisers. “Feroze loan me your handheld.”
“Okay.” The regent passed over his communicator.
Tytus accessed the communication program which randomly searched for the nearest carrier signal. He quickly reprogrammed it to scroll through vessel sequences instead. He held his breath as the communicator ran through the codes.
“There we go,” Tytus whooped when the instrument panel lit up.
“You did it,” Feroze stated sounding impressed.
Tytus engaged the engines as he brought up the display screen. He couldn’t see much through the smoke in the hangar.
“The rota are still burning at the entrance,” Feroze commented.
“The debris won’t be an obstacle,” Tytus replied. “We’ll easily pass right over it.”
“Shut it down or I remove her head,” a voice said from behind.
Tytus lifted his hands off the console, then slowly turned to see Bohdan in the doorway. The coward had his disrupter pressed against June’s temple.
Without any sudden moves Tytus stood, his eyes never leaving the bastard holding his mate. Bohdan was taller than June. He might be able to get a shot off without injuring her. The hand at his side itched to grab his disrupter.
“Don’t,” Bohdan growled.
Tytus froze.
“If you harm her,” Tytus growled the warning.
“Shut your bone box and open those bay doors,” Bohdan demanded.
“Don’t do it, Tytus,” June spoke with a wavering voice.
My brave, sweet, mate. She was thinking of others even as her life was held in the balance.
“Shut off the engines and unlock the doors. I won’t ask you again,” Bohdan snarled.
Tytus saw the determination in Bohdan’s eyes, as the male tightened his grip on his disrupter. The smuggler had no qualms with killing June. He couldn’t stall any longer. As much as Tytus wanted to usher everyone on the ship to freedom, he wasn’t willing to risk her life. No one meant more to him than June.
Tytus reached over and killed the engine.
“Now the door.”
“Don’t,” June mouthed as Tytus reached for the controls to open the cruiser’s loading bay door.
Tytus could see no way around it.
The disrupter at June’s head suddenly dropped to the ground. Bohdan’s eyes widened as blood dripped from his limp arm. Tytus had no idea what happened, but didn’t waste any time. He rushed forward as June wrenched free of Bohdan’s grasp.
A scant second later a sickening crunch was heard. Bohdan’s head was twisted at an odd angle. Tytus smiled with feral satisfaction as Bohdan slumped to the deck, revealing his assailant.
“I never liked that male,” Fire stated.
Tytus barked out a laugh as he looked appreciatively at the ruddy Toufik that had saved their tails.
“Thank you, my friend,” Tytus said to Fire. “I didn’t know you were aboard the rota taken from the plantation.”
Appreciation didn’t begin to describe what he felt, as Tytus clutched his trembling mate to his chest.
“Tytus,” June sobbed while she kissed his chest.
“Shouldn’t we get going?” Feroze reminded him.
It was the first intelligent suggestion the regent had made. Tytus didn’t have to be told twice. He quickly squeezed June, then put her in the nearby seat.
“Strap in,” he instructed.
“I’m going to dump this refuse out when you get airborne,” Fire gestured and started dragging Bohdan’s body out of the control room.
“You might try to release the others,” Tytus called out to the Toufik, then settled back into the pilot seat.
He started up the cruiser and sent it forward. It passed through the billowing smoke, scraping against the large doors as it emerged from the hangar. Tytus wasn’t a stellar pilot, but in this case, he’d manage. The cruiser sent several smugglers near the entrance scrambling out of the way.
That’s right. You better run. Tytus felt infinitely better and a little cocky now that they were off the ground.
“We’re not leaving our guys behind, are we?” June asked as she stared worriedly at the display screen.
Ashtoret and the other brave males were doing their best to hold the smugglers at bay, but were sorely outnumbered.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Tytus replied.
Warrior's Paradox (Cadi Warriors Book 3) Page 23