The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1)

by Gwyndolyn Russell

  Reaper stepped back up to him, face contorted into a scowl. “It’s easier said. You don’t know what it’s like to love someone and have to watch them walk away. You don’t know what it’s like to have that!”

  “Maybe she never loved you to begin with.” Jackal snapped. They were in each other’s faces. “Maybe you were just a taste of a memory.”

  “Shut the hell up. You don’t know her like I do.”

  “You don’t even know her.” Jackal threw his arm off to the side. “That’s an Alpha Hunter. A lying, manipulating, conniving, murderous, monster on a killing spree. And you? You don’t even have the fuckin’ balls to stand up to her!”

  “Fuck you!” Reaper shoved him.

  Jackal shoved him back. “Fuck you!”

  Reaper punched him in the jaw.

  Jackal punched back.

  They yelled obscenities at each other and traded blows for only a moment. One of the medics jumped up to separate the two of them.

  “Guys! That’s enough!” He shouted, a hand to each of their shoulders. “It doesn’t fuckin’ matter why. We have to get him back to the doc, or he will die.”

  Panting, Reaper wiped his lip clean on the back of his hand. “Is he ready?”

  “He’s as stable as we can get him out here.” The skivvy medic gave a thumbs up.

  By time we got back to the ship, there was a commotion at the door. Mjolnir was outside, leaning against the ship next to the open door. Two other guards were with him. Fenris a couple meters ahead. Someone was yelling at the valkyrie, trying to get around it. Fenris was the immovable object, not even saying a word to her.

  Jackal cursed under his breath. “It’s her.”

  “Why?” Reaper jogged to catch up to her.

  Reaper grabbed her shoulder to pull her from the wolf.

  “All be damned, what sort of thing is this? That stupid dog won’t let me through!”

  Fenris growled, its lower jaw quivering.

  Jackal shoved her back. Pulled the pistol from his pants. Pressed the end of its barrel into her chest.

  “Back the fuck up!” He shouted.

  Spectre put her hands up to shoulder height. “Oh, no! It’s the po-po!” Her tone dropped. “Drop it.”

  “Don’t make me do it, Spec.” Jackal shook his head.

  “There’s no need for any of this.” Reaper stood next to both of them.

  “Bullshit there’s no need!” Jackal snapped. “She can’t be trusted anymore.”

  Spectre caught sight of Ianisse carried on the stretcher.

  “Oh, look!” She slipped around Jackal without a care and approached the medics. She stopped them briefly to give a once over the fleebeeron.

  “Wow, he’s still alive.” She spun around, a hand on her hip. “I thought you killed him.”

  Phantom gave a shrug. Spun a curved blade around a finger.

  Jackal winced at the sight of that smirk. It reminded him of that time Phantom broke his nose.

  Reaper grabbed Spectre’s elbow. “You’ve done enough, Spec. Why are you here?”

  “Simple!” She smiled. “Why the fuck did you try to spy on me?” She looked sweet as honey, her tone pure venom.

  “Because you’re being stupid.” Reaper stated. “You’re gonna get yourself killed!”

  “Good!” She said, “That would be a sign that God actually exists.” She pointed at Jackal. “You gonna use that thing, or you gonna put it back in your pants?”

  “I have every right to shoot you down right now.” Jackal glared.

  Fenris snapped its jaws, the clack of metal resonating through their bones.

  Spectre winced. She looked to the valkyrie, a finger on her chin. “So, that’s a full grown one…. Tell me, puppy,” She faced Fenris. “How did you make your armor look like that?”

  Fenris answered with a growl.

  She placed her hand on the end of its snout.

  "It's all right." Her voice was soft.

  Its jaw trembled, cracking with sharp motions side to side.

  Jackal pushed her hand away and put himself between them.

  "That's enough."

  "Why are you interested in his armor?" Reaper questioned.

  "No reason!" She shrugged. "We need to talk."

  "Tell him the fucking truth, Spec." Jackal pointed at her.

  "The hell were you thinking?!" She snapped at Reaper. "Are you fucking stupid?! I could have destroyed your whole ship! No, shut up. Don’t fuckin’ say a goddamned word, you fuckin’ idiot. We’re done! This isn’t your fuckin’ fight. Stick with what you know best. Stop tryin’ t’play soldier and hero.” She looked to Jackal on that word.

  She turned to walk towards Phantom. “If you pull a stunt like that again….” She looked back to them. “I will have to kill you all.”

  Reaper wasn’t sure what to say. He bit his lower lip, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

  “You don’t have the heart to hurt your friends.” Jackal stepped in. “We’ve been seeing you on the broadcasts and we know they’re coming for you. Art just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

  She looked shocked. A hand to her chest. In the blink of an eye, she pointed to Mako with two fingers. A loud bang rang out. The side of the robotic dog burst open in stray bits and sparks. It collapsed to the ground.

  “That’s my fuckin’ dog!” She pointed. “The fuck you think I’ll do to you?”

  “That’s enough.” Phantom spoke up.

  She dropped her hand.

  Jackal and Reaper stepped back.

  She motioned to Mako’s body. Phantom scooped it up, slinging it over his shoulder. Without much more of a word, the two of them left. Spectre gave a two fingered salute without looking back.

  “That’s not the same girl.” Jackal said.

  “Sick.” Fenris stated.

  “Huh?”

  “Spectre is sick.”

  “Sick in the head is right.” Jackal nodded.

  “No.”

  Jackal squeezed Reaper’s shoulder. “Sorry it went down like that, man. I’ll check on Ianisse.”

  He stepped into the ship with Fenris right behind him.

  “How did you know not to let her in?” Jackal asked.

  “You were angry.” It said. “Not want her in.”

  “But how did you know?”

  It shrugged. “I heard you.”

  Jackal almost chuckled. “You make no fuckin’ sense.”

  “Ianisse,” Its voice hung unto the ‘s.’ “Dying.”

  “No. He’ll be fine. We have the best doctor in the galaxy.” He hit the button to open the door.

  Inside several doctors, nurses, and the two medics from earlier were running amok. It looked positively chaotic with everyone running around, yelling for this and for that, grabbing things, throwing things. A machine was beeping, its monitor hidden in the crowd. Several I.V.s were hung up. White blood dripped to the floor. A nurse was rushing around with a bowl of water and towels cleaning up the mess as it happened.

  “Liam Marshall!” Screamed someone.

  Jackal cringed.

  “Liam Marshall!” Reynolds ran up to him. Before she said anything else, she smacked him across the face. A red hand print throbbed on his skin.

  Jackal held his face, hissing.

  “How fucking dare you?! How fucking dare you?!” She repeated herself, trying to come up with more words to scream at him. “What the fucking hell were you fucking thinking sending him out there?! Alpha Hunters?! Alphas?! Are you insane, or stupid?! At this rate I’m thinking both, because that was absolutely the worst idea of the last five hundred years! The worst!”

  She smacked his arm.

  “I’m sorry!” Jackal said, rubbing his arm. “It was a mistake. It was bad. I know that. It’s just he was the better qua--”

  “Fuck your qualifications! It’s really nice to let him play toy soldier all day, but to actually let him think he can go out there like that? To send him out there?!” She smacked his arm again.


  “Christ. Are all the women here fuckin’ abusive psychos?!” Jackal snapped.

  “Only when you men are being stupid baboons!”

  Jackal quieted down. He looked to the floor.

  “How are you going to explain this to HR?”

  “Haven’t thought that far ahead.”

  “You realize how bad this is? The Alliance is going to come down on our heads and all hope for a future will be gone.”

  “It’s going to be fine. You can save him.”

  “I…” She searched for the words. “I don’t think I can.”

  “What do you need?”

  “The amount of medicine I have for fleebeeron is limited and I used most of it for Fauriei.” She pursed her lips. “I need Trazocaine Olmezole, Abatanate, Neurobinol, and Asparamane. If I have those he may survive.”

  Fenris held its hand out.

  “Fen, I don’t have time. I need---”

  “He wants a sample.” Jackal said. “To smell.”

  “Oh! Right, here.” She waved her hand and hurried over to one of the counters. “I hope residue will help.”

  Fenris nearly shoved the containers and bags up its nose to smell each one. When it finished it gave a nod and stepped out of the room.

  “Can he really find it all?”

  “Honestly, I think he can.” Jackal shrugged. “While he does that, I’m gonna check on Reaper he’s...pretty broken up about this.” He turned around. “Hey, do me a favor...Don’t yell at him, too. It was my decision to send him out there.”

  Reynolds gave a faint smile, then turned around to join the team.

  Jackal left, hurrying to find Reaper. He checked his office first. Empty. The only other place he thought of was the bridge. Sure enough, Reaper was there, standing next to Irzazee at the navigation console.

  “What about that signal?” Reaper pointed at the screen.

  Irzazee tapped on it. “Just a mining facility, sir. Looks like they trade directly with Solstice.”

  “Expand the search. It’ll be an older signal.”

  “Captain.” Jackal approached.

  Reaper looked over to him, a frown stuck to his face. “How is he?”

  “Turns out, doc doesn’t have meds for this.” Jackal shook his head. “But! Fenris is on it.”

  “What?”

  “Fenris is going to get what she needs.”

  “Really? How does he know? He’s really willing to do that?”

  Jackal smiled. “I don’t fuckin’ know. I’m a little shocked about him wanting to help Ianisse, too. Guy has been nothing, but an asshole to him since they met.”

  Jackal waved the idea off. “Anyway, what are you doing?”

  “At first I was hoping to try to figure out where Spec is headed to next. Then I thought about what she said…”

  “That she’ll kill us if we interfere?”

  “You know she’s bluffing.”

  “I don’t know, man. She shot her fuckin’ dog. Y’know, the same dog she’s had since she was a kid.”

  “He’s a machine. I’m sure he has been through worse.”

  “I’m seriously interested in where the fuck the gun was.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t see any weapons on her at all.” Reaper took a breath. “At the club, she mentioned some stuff about valkyries. Luckily, she talks too much when she’s drunk.”

  “What’d she say?”

  “I think she may have attacked a base nearby. The issue is, most of Apex’s bases are unnamed. A place making anti-alpha soldiers would definitely be unmarked. I think if she’s attacked, then there would be an---”

  “Sir,” Irzazee cut him off. “There’s an SOS coming from the edge of the Rosette Nebula.”

  “Can you tell what it is?”

  “Looks like it’s an asteroid.” He typed, pulling up more information. “Apex...Avant-Garde.”

  Reaper pointed. “That’s it! That’s what she said!”

  “Avant-Garde?” Jackal raised a brow.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Luckily, Fenris made good time. It had gone and returned within an hour. It brought back exactly what was requested, along with several more. In fact, Fenris had gathered so much, it had to turn its cloak into a satchel to carry everything. Reynolds had a nurse take everything and store it while she handed off the needed medicine to another nurse. Ianisse had been placed into a pod at the back of the medical bay.

  His environment needed to be controlled to help him regrow from the wounds. Open air bandages and braces helped stabilize form and stop the flow of blood. Pure oxygen was pumped into the pod. Orange lights mere feet from the glass to bathe his near lifeless body in sunlight.

  Two nurses got to work, adding the medicine to I.V. bags, into the oxygen pump, and preparing it for a spray.

  Concerned how it was able to procure so many supplies, she questioned Fenris. The answer made her run off to Reaper at the bridge.

  “Captain!” She fell against the door frame. “Captain!”

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Reaper hurried up to her.

  “We should leave the station.” She panted.

  “We were just about to now that Fen is back. Why in such a hurry?”

  “Because he doesn’t know what money is.”

  “I thought that was an oddly large amount.” Jackal laughed.

  “Lieutenant Willis!” Reaper called, turning around.

  “Already on it, sir! Lock is disengaged. We’re off!”

  “Great. Now we’re thieves.” Reaper sighed, rubbing his face.

  “Look on the bright side,” Reynolds waved. “We could treat an army now.”

  “How did he know what to get?” Reaper asked.

  “His olfactories are extremely sensitive.” Reynolds straightened her hair out. “I believe he tracked down the medicine by scent about four miles, in a city of a billion people.” She paused to think. “He even got other supplies that must have smelled similar. They share some ingredients.”

  “That’s...amazing.” Jackal blinked. “We can’t even make machines that good.”

  Her eyes scanned the room. She could see on the map projected in the middle of the room, they were headed for a place marked Avant-Garde.

  “Hey...We’re going to Avant-Garde?” She pointed.

  “Reaper thinks Spectre may have been there.” Jackal answered.

  Fenris stepped into the room, watching Reynolds.

  Their bodies lifted from the floor as the ship pulled from the station.

  “Avant-Garde?” It questioned. “Why?”

  “They have an active distress signal.” Reaper pulled himself down into his seat.

  “Fen, you good?” Jackal asked, floating closer to it.

  “Damage?” It asked.

  “We’re not sure.” Reaper put his chin in his hand.

  It looked at the map.

  “I can’t believe we’re actually headed there.” Reynolds said. “Please let me come!”

  “We could use a doctor.” Reaper smiled.

  Jackal suddenly perked up. “Oh no.”

  “What?”

  “I never cleaned up from last night!”

  Reaper snorted, covering his mouth.

  Jackal rushed out of the room, pushing off Fenris to get a boost.

  The valkyrie stayed behind for a moment longer.

  “Avant-Garde was attacked?” It growled.

  “It looks like it. The signal is a few days old, but with some of the ship upgrades we got while we were at Solstice, we’ll be able to make it there in no time.”

  Fenris walked out at that with a rough shake of its head.

  “Is he okay?” Reaper looked at Reynolds.

  “Avant-Garde is where he was born.” She rubbed her arm.

  “I don’t fuckin’ get it with him.” Jackal groaned. He snatched a few bottles out of the air. “He keeps trying to help her and she spits in his face. Why the hell does he keep trying?”

  Fenris floated across the room, grabbing up b
ottles as it passed.

  “I mean, she’s literally told him a hundred times!” Another bottle. “I’d’ve taken that hint a long time ago with a psycho bitch like that sayin’ it. Back in the war she was great. Loved her then. Now? That ain’t Spartan anymore.”

  Fenris clutched a bar on the ceiling. With an arm full of bottles, it inspected one of them.

  “What is...love?” It asked before chomping down on the bottle.

  Hearing the shattering glass, Jackal looked over. That was not an explanation he ever thought of. He grabbed a bottle from the air and tossed it right at the valkyrie.

  “Here!” He called.

  Fenris caught the bottle in its mouth, devouring it whole in just a couple of bites.

  “I’m not sure I’m the one that can answer that.” He shrugged. “I guess it’s putting someone before yourself. Wanting them to be happy.” He took a breath and tossed another bottle at the valkyrie.

  “I honestly know anything because of Reaper and Spec. Sparrow and Ruby.” He hummed. “Maybe it’s trying to better them, protect them even if it hurts you.”

  Another bottle tossed.

  “Yeah, never been in love. Most people don’t want a street rat.”

  “Street rat?” Its head tilted to the side.

  “Someone who lives on the street.”

  “Jackal lives on ship.”

  “Yeah, now.” He groaned loudly. “That’s not the point though! Damn it, don’t make this about me. It’s about Arturo!” He threw another bottle. This was significantly easier than trying to throw them all away. He basically had a living garbage disposal at his call.

  “We need to figure out a way to make him forget about Spec.”

  Finding a bottle that still had something left in it, Jackal downed it. Tossed the bottle for Fenris to catch.

  “Memories hard to.”

  “You’re right. Unless we do some serious violations, there’s nothing we can do there. What if we found him a new woman?”

  “Purpose?”

  “I’m talking to a brick wall, ain’t I?”

  “No. Fenris.”

  Jackal hung his head.

  “You all right?” Jackal asked, floating closer to it.

  “Yes.”

  “Might sound a little crazy here, but I can feel that you aren’t. You keep looking at the door.”

  “Avant-Garde. Soon.”