Quest For Earth

by S. E. GILCHRIST

  The flying creature! It was headed straight for her.

  She whipped her head up so fast a sharp pain cracked down her neck. Sherise searched the darkened sky. Then she spotted it. A thicker black against the black, blotting out the stars and getting larger.

  Another quick glance at her intel. The other heat signature had begun to move in her direction. Enemy or ally, she didn’t have time to investigate. The Imperial would hold shelter for her. But if the flying creature was denied would it swoop off again in search of her friend?

  Decision made, Sherise drew in a deep breath and held her ground. She kept her eyes fixed in the direction of the approaching predator, both arms raised, one hand supporting the other as she waited for it to come within firing distance. Energised, the stunner made a faint humming noise.

  Target locked.

  Sherise saw the flashing glints of moonlight reflected off its feathers. Heard the swoosh, swoosh of its wide wings as the gap closed.

  A loud, screeching noise came from the beak of the gigantic bird. So near she saw the glint of its eyes, the sharpness of the claws at the end of its legs now stretching out to rip the flesh from her body.

  The data flickered. A fresh message appeared. Her stomach muscles clenched as fear roiled with sickening fervour in her belly. The last remaining signature was closer.

  She dared not wait any longer. She compressed the trigger.

  A shot of pure green energy pierced through the gloom with the speed of a nuron strike. With a dull thump it hit the creature’s chest, propelling it backwards before the wings folded inwards. The long neck dipped and it plummeted towards the earth.

  Her nerve ends prickled. She whirled round, her eyes seeking the other source of danger. She lifted her arms, fingers ready on the trigger.

  There!

  A tall dark shape … then whump!

  The impact knocked the breath from her lungs.

  Her knees crumpled. Dazed, she released her hold on the stunner, hearing it clatter onto the road. Arms wrapped about her waist and together they fell. The body beneath her took the brunt of the fall. One roll and she was trapped, pinned to the rough ground. She heard something splatter onto the road not far from where she lay, sprawled.

  Pain streaked along her back where sharp rocks cut through her clothes into her spine. A hard length lay heavy on her, pressing her down. Her lungs constricted. She struggled to breathe. Her nostrils were filled with a rich, earthy scent that teased her senses. Groggy, she pushed at the mass and her hands found warm skin.

  By the hem of Cercis’s cloak, is it naked? Could it be some kind of beast in human form? Panic hammered like clenched fists inside her mind. The heat of its body scorched through the layers of material.

  Her lungs swelled until they felt as if they would burst her chest. Adrenaline and fear pumped through her veins. I am suffocating!

  She pushed and wriggled, tried to gain purchase with her legs to heave the weight off her. Dizzy, her head whirled, her strength faded … and then the weight was gone.

  Sherise dragged air into her aching lungs.

  She sucked it down with gusto until the burning sensation eased and the blackness receded. She rolled to the side and levered herself into a sitting position, giving her racing pulse precious moments to steady.

  A mere arm’s length away, in the shadow of the building, a dark body crouched.

  Chapter 7

  Sherise sensed the tense stillness emanating from its form and knew if she made one wrong move it would pounce. Her gaze traced the outline and tension ebbed from her rigid shoulders.

  A man.

  Only a man. Not some alien creature that would strip the skin from her bones. Although she couldn’t discern his features in the gloom, she felt she knew him; but how? She froze. Could he be the strange male from the Fortress?

  Why she should think this, she didn’t know, except she could feel the same compulsive pull she’d experienced earlier in the cleansing chamber. Her fingers curled tight into her palms.

  The leashed power simmering in his aura screamed danger.

  Especially since he was taller than her by half a head and considerably outweighed her smaller frame. Unlike the men of her verse, she could detect no hair framing his face. Nor did his skin reflect the light from the rising moon, like hers did. A skin that, under her fingertips, had been smooth and firm over hard-packed muscles. What am I thinking? She snapped straight and shifted her legs, dislodging pebbles as energy sizzled through her veins. Her strength returned and her bemusement fled.

  Be easy and you will not be harmed.

  The words trickled into her mind, like the cooling flow of an underground stream. It soothed away the last of her panic, leaving behind an uneasy curiosity. She frowned and brushed at the debris littering her clothes.

  What had happened? Her natural caution had dissipated, as insubstantial as dew in the fiery pits on Zirsk. Did this stranger have both telepathic influence and powers over the spirit?

  She waited.

  No response.

  Sherise peered through the darkness and saw a gleam of metal in his hand.

  Her stunner. What a fool she was. How could she have forgotten it? Now her main weapon was in his control. Irritated at her lack of sense, she snapped her teeth together. From the intermittent flash of metal, she assumed he examined it, rotating it over and over in his hands.

  She lunged.

  Metal gleamed in a fast disappearing arc as he tossed the stunner aside. She twisted her body, following the reflection. The man moved and collided with her. Again, he took the brunt of their fall, his hard grip closing about her waist, hauling her down on top of him until she lay draped like a cloak.

  For one long moment, she remained where he had positioned her, her legs either side of his.

  The warmth of his touch as he slid his hands from her waist, up the length of her back to wander within the long tendrils of her hair, ignited an unwanted trail of heat in their wake. For the first time in her life, she experienced a sense of awareness of another’s body. Beneath her, he lay quiet and warm, hard and firm.

  He wasn’t completely naked. Rough-spun material scratched her legs through her thin clothes, suggesting he wore trousers. Some kind of thick hide that hung from a wide belt encircling his hips covered his groin area but failed to conceal the hard evidence of his maleness.

  A delicious tingle flickered across her skin. Aghast, Sherise stiffened.

  By the good goddess Cercis, what am I doing? No sooner did the thought enter her head than he released her.

  She slid off and scrambled to her feet, leaving her again wondering whether he had read her mind. The notion made her cringe with shame.

  He rose with careless grace to his full height. When he bent over and picked something up off the ground, she cursed herself again. Her weapon.

  She angled her body away from him and took a small, cautious step. Perhaps if she took a few more steps she could lengthen the distance between them sufficiently so he couldn’t lunge for her when she made her escape. So far he hadn’t harmed her, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t soon.

  She took another step while raising her chin, composing her features into what she hoped was an expression of calm control. She held out her hand, pleased when her voice came out strong and assured. ‘Kindly return my possession.’

  ‘Mine now.’

  Aah, so he can speak. And in the language of the Earth people. A language she had learned long ago from Bree.

  To her annoyance, she saw the flash of metal disappear as he stuffed it behind his back. She toyed with the idea of grappling with him again, then quickly dismissed the notion. Under no circumstances would she ever touch him again.

  Gravel crunched underfoot when he strode a pace towards her. She wavered, uncertain whether it would be best to stand her ground or retreat. But he made no attempt to reach for her. He stood, legs apart with hands on his hips. She knew he studied her in turn. Assessing, possibly looking for weaknesses
. She could feel the power of his stare in the darkness. What could he see? What could he want with her? Had he seen Bree or the missing crew members?

  ‘You are from the stars. Where?’ The words clipped and cold held the assured tone of a man used to command.

  Information. He is after intel, not my life. Her hackles rose at his confidence and her wariness returned in full measure. ‘It matters not from where I hail.’

  ‘You may be surprised.’ He stalked another pace forward and grasped her wrist.

  Sherise gasped as heat from his touch seared into her skin. She shook her hand to rid herself of his grip to no avail. ‘Do not touch me!’

  ‘I touch what I will,’ he growled. White teeth flashed. ‘You will come with me.’

  Apparently arrogant men were the same no matter where in the universe she travelled. Her father, her brother, her bodyguard … irritation flared into anger, fuelled by the edgy feeling of dread she still held for her friend’s welfare.

  She snorted and borrowed her friend’s favourite saying, ‘As if!’

  With one deft movement, her nano dagger snicked out from beneath her sleeve. She pivoted. Not away, as he would have expected, but towards him.

  As if entering his embrace.

  He hesitated. It was all she needed. She slammed her knee upwards into his groin. He grunted and doubled up, still not releasing his hold. She whirled out of his space and slashed at his arm.

  Warm blood flicked over her hand. She gagged.

  His hold slackened.

  Sherise rammed her booted foot against his knee cap.

  He staggered and went down.

  She swung into action; away from him.

  She leapt over the rough ground running towards the closest building, hoping it would offer cover where she could hide. Her blade melded back against the skin of her forearm. Behind her she heard a sharp intake of breath. He would not stay down for long. Her vision blurred. She stumbled. Her foot caught under a large object. Her impetus launched her forward. She extended her arms to break her fall. Her shins made painful contact with a large piece of metal. The edge sliced into the flesh of her right leg. As she landed on the ground, spikes of broken glass pierced the palms of her hands.

  Cut, bruised, a jarred back and a wrenched ankle. The same ankle she had twisted previously on the ship. Sherise moaned through clenched teeth at the pain throbbing through her body.

  ‘Foolish woman.’ His harsh voice resounded above her head. A minute later he lifted her high into his arms to cradle her against his chest. ‘The scent of blood, yours and mine, will draw them from their holes. We must leave this place. I will tend to your hurts when we reach my lair.’

  Sherise had no idea what he spoke of, but it sounded ominous. Besides, she could tend to her own hurts without any help from him. The image of him administering to her caused her stomach to drop into a freefall dive, much like being trapped inside a shuttle falling from the stars.

  Her body jostled against his as he bounded forward with a ground-eating stride. Wedged so tight against him, she could feel the flex and pull of his thick, corded muscles. His arms bound her to him securely and yet his touch was protective. Why am I not terrified of this man? Why can I sense only determination in him and no threat to myself? Desperate to escape from his unsettling presence and also to resume her search, she wriggled, flailing her legs and arms.

  He growled and tightened his grip. ‘Cease this useless struggle. We must leave this place, quickly.’

  A disconcerting sense of comfort and safety stole into her essence, calming her. She hissed in a sharp breath. He is doing it again!

  ‘Stop that!’ Sherise thumped his chest with her fist. ‘I demand you release me.’

  He stopped. ‘Hush.’

  Against her will, she obeyed the quiet demand. Now what?

  Cold air from the rising wind chilled her flesh. Fallen leaves and debris rattled along the road. She held her breath and listened. No sound came from her captor, but there was something else …

  Scratching claws. Rhythmic thumping upon the earth. Footsteps. Many footsteps. She strained her eyes, searching the road in front of them, but failed to detect any movement.

  ‘They have passed us, to the north,’ he said.

  Sherise lifted her head to peer over his brawny arm into the darkness.

  ‘They have found other prey,’ he said and Sherise shuddered, feeling as if the very marrow in her bones had just frozen.

  ***

  Bree sank down onto her shaking knees and buried her face in her hands as a low keening erupted from her throat. Bone-shaking sobs wracked her body as she huddled amongst the weeds.

  How long she crouched there, she had no idea, but eventually her tears eased into watery hiccups. She pushed to her haunches and used the bottom of her old tee to mop her face, then blew her nose on a tatty handkerchief she fished out of her pocket. After scrunching it into a moist ball she shoved it back before heaving a long, shuddering breath. Sharp pebbles pricked her skin through the thin material of her pants.

  Shit. It’s getting dark.

  The air was cold with a chill that caught at the back of her throat and constricted her lungs. She shivered and rubbed her arms. Shadows painted the block with dark shapes that made her think of the monsters she had believed lived under her bed when she was small.

  Now she knew those monsters did exist.

  She adjusted the straps of her medie satchel, which also contained emergency rations and water, and lurched to her feet. Time to return to the shuttle. But she was reluctant to take that first step away from her past.

  Claws scratched over stone.

  Bree held her breath and listened.

  An animal? Here? She doubted it would be friendly. Ever so slowly, she unclipped her stunner from the holster on her hips and breathed again. The stunner vibrated in her hand as it charged. She shifted her hold, her index finger now on the trigger, all her senses tuned outward for the slightest hint of danger.

  A shadow raced across the ground. She saw the misshapen form slip behind a sculpture of fallen masonry and steel. A flicker of movement. Shit! Another one? Whatever they were, she recognised their tactic—they would continue to circle her until one or more would attack from a direction she would not expect. She heard more scratching, louder this time.

  They had friends.

  Footsteps pounded. She whirled and froze when she saw the stuff of nightmares racing towards her. With a gaping mouth of blood-stained teeth, goose-ball eyes glowing with evil intent, the scrawny, humped-back figure was within a few feet before self-preservation kicked into gear.

  Bree opened her mouth wide, screamed, and pressed the trigger.

  The creature slammed backwards from the force of the blast. She hoped like hell the stun would be sufficient to keep it unconscious long enough for her to escape. From the corner of her eye, she spied a movement. She spun to the side, the stunner bucking in her hand as she fired again. Another creature fell. Five others rushed towards her. Swords and axes gripped in clawed hands, they screeched obscenities like a scene from hell.

  Her heart gave a painful leap. I’m gonna die.

  Then the lead creature exploded in a mass of broken limbs and blood that sprayed over his companions like confetti. One by one, they were dispatched with quick efficiency and Bree raised eyes wet with fresh tears to stare into the grim face of the Relic warlord, Kondo.

  ‘I should have known you would cause trouble. You were ordered not to stray far from the shuttle,’ he ground out through clenched teeth. He grabbed her arm and hauled her across the yard. ‘As usual, you waste my time. We need to leave here fast.’

  Her gratitude died a quick death. What an arse.

  ‘I don’t, and never will, take orders from you.’ She jerked her arm to release his grip; to no avail. His fingers dug tighter. There would be bruises on her skin tomorrow but she would be dammed if she asked him for latitude. ‘How did you find me?’

  He snorted and, as usual, di
dn’t bother to respond. Mr High-and-mighty-I-don’t-have-to-explain-myself. She sniffed and tripped. Kondo lifted her over a massive concrete beam without breaking stride. Her breath came in short, hard pants as she jogged at his side in an effort to keep up with his long strides. She heard the sound of plitza fire in the distance. The pound of running feet became louder by the minute.

  Kondo hustled her down the road. They ran around the corner and came face-to-face with the crew from the shuttle. One soldier had a hand pressed to his side where blood ran in rivulets between his fingers and down his arm.

  ‘Let me help him,’ she pleaded as she tried to wrench free.

  ‘Later. How close are the creatures?’ demanded Kondo of his second-in-command, who cast a swift look behind him.

  ‘They will be on us in a few sectons.’

  ‘Assist him.’ Kondo jerked his head towards the wounded man. ‘Make all haste to the shuttle.’

  They surged forward. Kondo pulled Bree along behind him and she lengthened her stride, her heartbeats frantic. Her breathing laboured, but still she lagged. He muttered a curse, looped his arm about her waist and carried her on his hip as if she weighed little more than a sack of food. Too out of breath to yell at him, Bree concentrated on controlling the dizziness in her head, miserably aware he would enjoy berating her later for landing them in this mess. It was her own fault, of course, that he constantly sniped at her. She should never have crawled into his bed that first time, after he and his team rescued the prisoners on Gazood. A brief interlude of pure wonder and delight, destroyed by self-recriminations; from both of them. It was never a good idea to have sex with the promised life partner of your best friend.

  Although, as she continually reminded herself, she hadn’t known that Kondo had an agenda that made no allowances for an insignificant Earth woman.

  What did she care, anyway? On her part, it had been gratitude, pure and simple. And on his part? Hey, what guy would say ‘no’ when a naked woman jumps into his bed? All the same, she had deemed it wiser to stay out of his orbit. And yet here she was, back in his vicinity again. And worse, now she had to be grateful he’d saved her from those ghouls. God, I’m an idiot. I should have waited. She sniffled. If anyone dies here, it will be because of my selfish actions.