Jaxar

by Nancey Cummings

She was adorable. A little scary and clearly starving, because Van could count her ribs, but super cute. “Oh, who’s a little cutie patootie?” Van cooed.

  The malnourished animal lunged forward, jerking on the chain.

  Maybe it was too soon for the baby talk.

  “That is a fretti,” Jaxar said. “They are not cute. They are fiercely protective pack animals and vicious when provoked.”

  The fretti watched Jaxar and Van as they spoke, cowering low to the ground. She didn’t see a vicious animal. She saw a frightened, abused animal trying to protect itself.

  “Poor baby,” Van said. She scooted closer and the fretti back away, watching her warily.

  Van leaned against the wall. Her ears still rang but Jaxar’s words came through without a problem, so her translation chip worked just fine.

  “My head is killing me,” she said, acknowledging the throbbing at the point of impact. Gingerly, she touched her temple, poking at the wound. She hissed. Not the best idea she ever had.

  “You are injured. You need medical attention,” Jaxar said.

  “Head wounds bleed a lot. I’m fine.” For now. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and tried to tear off a strip. The fabric stubbornly flexed and stretched but did not tear. “Come on. It looks so easy in the movies,” she said.

  Jaxar grabbed the bottom of her shirt—not easy with his hands in cuffs—and bit into the fabric. “Oh, thanks,” she said, tearing a strip with ease. Wading the fabric, she pressed it against the bleeding wound.

  The figure huddled in the far corner moaned, grabbing her attention. She forgot they weren’t alone. It was a human guy. Familiar. It took Van a minute to place him.

  “Teddy?”

  He looked up, his face mottled with green and yellow bruises. “You!” He slumped forward, wrapping his arms around his knees as if to make himself as small as possible. One hand had been wrapped in bloody bandages.

  “What happened to you?”

  A bitter cackle tore its way out of his throat. “They found me. I needed a new ID chip and I ran right into their arms.” Another laugh. “If I had just stayed a few more days, I’d be set for life somewhere, drinking a cold beer and getting my dick sucked.”

  Jaxar and Havik made threatening growls. Van held up a hand to silence them. “I highly doubt that,” she said.

  “They don’t even want the money now. They want to chop off my fingers and feed them to that thing!” Teddy waved a hand at the animal, who snarled and snapped in response.

  Didn’t like Teddy. Good judge of character.

  Poor Teddy, though. His lips were chapped and split. His whole face took a beating. She could only imagine the rest of him matched.

  “At least they want you alive,” she said.

  He rolled over to face the wall, giving her his back. “Sure. Lucky me.”

  “How much money do you owe?” He recited a figure that took her breath away. It wasn’t quite two years’ worth of salary, but close. “How did… Why did they keep giving you credit? You know, never mind.”

  They had problems bigger than Teddy’s gambling addiction or however he came about borrowing so much money. Her head throbbed and stung to the touch. The bleeding had slowed, she thought, but it coated the side of her face and ran into her mouth and down her shirt. The head injury couldn’t be good with her recent concussion.

  “We cannot remain here,” Havik said.

  “Obviously,” Van snarked.

  Jaxar twisted his hands, creating tension in the chains that linked the cuffs. Havik worked his hands in a similar fashion. Faster than she thought possible, a link sheared off on one cuff. “That just seems like a bad design,” she said, deeply impressed.

  “Civilian-issued equipment uses substandard material and was not designed for a Mahdfel,” Jaxar said.

  “Great. Any chance the lock on that door is made from substandard material?” she asked.

  “Without a doubt. Our captors are counting on the fretti to keep us contained.”

  “She’s hungry and scared,” Van said.

  The fretti snarled as if on command. Raw red patches of skin were visible under the chain. Poor thing.

  “It is a dangerous beast,” Jaxar said.

  “You’d be pissed too if some asshole kept you chained up and starving. Give me something to feed her.” Van held out a hand, expectantly.

  Jaxar looked at Havik, almost telepathically translating, “Is she always like this?” Which would be a dumb question to waste telepathy on because obviously she was always like this. Had Jaxar even met her?

  Havik shrugged one shoulder and produced a ration bar from his jacket pocket. He unwrapped it and set it on the ground.

  The fretti inched forward, sniffed, and backed away.

  “Yeah, I don’t blame you. Those things are pretty gross, but we’re not swimming in options here,” Van said. She broke the ration bar in half, holding out a portion to the fretti. The animal’s interest was unquestionable, but it appeared too frightened to take the morsel.

  “I’m hungry, too,” Teddy whined. Havik tossed a bar to the man, who unwrapped it with shaking fingers. For a moment, Van felt guilty that she had been more worried about the thirst and hunger of an animal and not a fellow human. “Got any water? I swear to God, I’m thirsty enough to drink my own piss,” Teddy said.

  Okay. The fretti was an adorable murder machine. Teddy was just a dick.

  Feed the floof first. Maybe only feed the floof.

  Van sat it on the ground and pushed the broken half of the ration bar forward, along with a water cube, closer to the fretti’s domain. She hoped the fretti recognized the water cube and knew what to do.

  The animal lurched forward, the chain rattling, and it gulped down the ration bar. It nosed the water cube before gulping it down. Van tossed it the other half of the ration bar, praising the animal. “You just want a little snack, huh? I wish I had more to give you.”

  The fretti licked its chops, pink tongue darting over white fur. So cute. It nosed forward again; this time interested in the red bud bouquet Van sat on the ground. “Smells good, huh?”

  Propelled by hunger and sensing it would not be punished, it snatched a stalk and chomped down.

  Van laughed in surprise, then quickly covered her mouth. Sneaky. Right. “Do fretti eat plants?”

  “That one does,” Jaxar commented dryly.

  Van fed the fretti another stalk, happy to sacrifice the fragrant flower. She wanted to do something more than give the cutie pie a few scraps. She wanted to fill a swimming pool full of fretti chow and let it swim and eat until it couldn’t move anymore. “Help me get the chain off,” she said.

  “No,” Havik hissed. “That is a beast trained to fight. Its claws will gut you and its spikes will slice your fingers.”

  Van found that hard to believe as the fretti rolled onto its back, clutching a fistful of flowers and munching happily. A happy chirring noise filled the room as she wiggled and squirmed.

  “Oh my God,” Van whispered, “I think she’s stoned. The flowers must be alien catnip. This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

  Jaxar

  Jaxar cautiously inched forward and unfastened the chain from the wall. Removing the chain on the fretti’s neck would take a bit more trust. He admired his mate’s compassion for the suffering animal, but he disliked how little he knew about the animal’s temperament. The flowers placated it for the moment, but it could attack without warning. He wrapped the length of chain around one hand. If need be, he could pull the animal back and restrain it.

  The room had only one point of entry, which was the only truly secure feature about the makeshift prison. Repurposing storage units into a brig might seem practical for criminals who did not have the time to construct a holding cell or wanted to avoid the attention that such a specialized project would bring. The storage unit could hold a civilian, certainly, but not a Mahdfel.

  The ventilation shaft was too narrow to climb through, but
any manner of gas or small items could be smuggled in through the vents. The walls were not reinforced. Havik knocked on each panel, listening carefully. The male irritated Jaxar, but he demonstrated patience in locating the weakest point in the room.

  “They’re coming,” Havik said.

  With a nod, they positioned themselves on either side of the door. Another flaw in repurposing the storage unit as a brig was the narrow window in the door and the ability for the occupant to hide on either side.

  The door swung open. Jaxar struck the male in the back and he fell to the floor. Dragging the male inside, Jaxar relieved him of his weapon and found a pair of wrist restraints. Of the same caliber as the ones Jaxar broke, he felt certain the male would not be able to free himself quickly.

  Vanessa helped the human male to his feet. She knew the male, called him by name. Searching through his memories, he placed the male on the Vel Mori moon. This was the male who grabbed Vanessa by the arm and threatened her. He did not know how the male came to be confined in this room, but he no doubt deserved worse.

  “Leave him. He will slow us down,” Havik said, echoing Jaxar’s own thoughts.

  “Teddy’s an asshole, but he doesn’t deserve to have his fingers chopped off,” Vanessa said.

  “Your compassion will hinder our escape,” Jaxar said.

  “This isn’t compassion. I did this. I need to make it right.”

  “I’d be fine if you hadn’t snitched on me, dumb bitch,” the male said.

  Vanessa jabbed the male with her elbow, and he wheezed. Jaxar found the needless display of violence deeply satisfying.

  “We will not speak of this misadventure,” Jaxar said to Havik. As much as he would love to torment the male with his failure in stealth, Jaxar did not need his clan to know he had been captured. Four males had snuck up on him. Four! They moved like lumbering beasts. If he had not been distracted by Havik and his shameless flirting with Vanessa, Jaxar would have detected the ambush.

  “I think I’d like to speak of it often, and at great length.” Smug bastard. Jaxar liked him better when he was groveling for Vanessa’s forgiveness.

  “How many are in the building?” he asked Teddy. Ignoring Havik was the best option.

  “I dunno. The same guy, that guy, brings me food and water once a day. I haven’t seen anyone else, but I hear voices. Four. Maybe five.”

  The fretti strained to escape the storage unit and Jaxar followed, keeping a tight grip on the chain.

  The warehouse was not abandoned or empty. A mid-sized cargo shuttle waited at the loading doors. Three males loaded cargo. None of them noticed the prisoners had escaped.

  They had a clear view of the exit. No guards. No security. Also, no cover to hide behind, but if they moved quickly, that would not be an issue. He could make a distraction.

  “It can’t be this easy,” Havik said.

  “You are under the illusion that you pursue criminal masterminds. These are bumbling amateurs at best.”

  “Aw. I take offense to that,” a female said.

  Jaxar turned slowly to his right. A Terran female pointed a blaster to the center of his chest. He was not wearing armor, so the projectile would cause serious harm.

  “Oh, come on,” Vanessa muttered.

  Jaxar agreed with the sentiment.

  “Hands up,” the female said. Three Sangrin males, the same ones who apprehended them initially, surrounded them.

  Vanessa complied, followed by Teddy and Havik. Jaxar raised his hand but did not drop the chain. The fretti snarled and pressed against Jaxar’s legs.

  “Grab the animal,” the female said, her words sending a male forward. The fretti lunged and Jaxar let some of the chain slip through his hands. The fretti bit down hard on the male’s hand, shaking its head as it would for any prey. The male screamed, his legs kicking at the animal to break free.

  He crawled away, clutching his hand to his chest.

  Jaxar noted the positions of the other two males, their weapons and loose grip on said weapons, and their sloppy stance. He and Havik would have no trouble neutralizing them, but the danger remained with the female’s gun pointed at Vanessa.

  “Good girl,” Vanessa cooed. The fretti preened, its crest flexing and tail thumping wildly. His mate turned her attention to the female with the gun and pointed to the Terran male. “How much for the asshole?”

  “He is not for sale,” the female said.

  “He owes you money. I understand you want to take it out on him by busting kneecaps and hacking off fingers. I get it. Teddy is very… he’s got a punchable face. But the beef I got with him is personal.” Vanessa gave a sharp grin. “I want to be the one to bust his kneecaps and hack off fingers.”

  Teddy whimpered.

  “So how much to take this dickhead off your hands?”

  “Fine. Let’s negotiate.” The female lowered her weapon and gestured for the other males to do the same. “There’s the original debt, interest, the retrieval fee because he ran like a little bitch, and room and board.” She quoted an outrageous figure.

  Vanessa glared at Teddy. “I hate you. Fine. Fine! I’m using my settlement money for you instead of paying for university.” She placed a hand over her chest. “Gah, what is this feeling? I don’t like it.”

  Panic fluttered in Jaxar’s chest. Her heart—

  “It sucks being a good person. I don’t like it, and I don’t like that I’m doing it for you,” Van said.

  “Easy come, easy go,” Teddy retorted. He grinned, his teeth bloody and too securely in his head for Jaxar’s liking.

  Havik slapped the male. Perhaps the Rolusdreus male wasn’t so useless after all.

  “I’m taking Snacks with me,” Vanessa said. She took the chain from Jaxar and boldly placed a hand on the fretti’s head. The animal gave a chirp and thumped its heavy tail against his leg.

  “Snacks?” He exchanged a look with Havik.

  “You’ve tamed the creature. It is useless to me now. Take it away. I hope it tears out your throat in your sleep,” the female said. Vanessa just smiled, baring her blunt Terran teeth. The dried blood on her face made her a fearsome foe.

  The female was correct to let them leave so easily. In short order, Vanessa completed the transaction and they stumbled blinking into the evening, free from their captivity. It had gone surprisingly well.

  “The fretti requires medical attention,” Jaxar said. He adjusted his hold on the creature to not crush the spine crests.

  “I will handle this one,” Havik said. “I believe we will have an interesting conversation with the warlord and the medics can look after his injuries.”

  Chapter 24

  Vanessa

  Jaxar brought them to an animal hospital and admitted Snacks. The receptionist gasped when Jaxar carried the fretti in through the doors, possibly because her man looked so awesome carrying an injured animal, but probably because Van staggered behind covered in blood from her head wound.

  Yeah, probably that.

  She washed up as best as she could while they waited for the vet. “I must ask about the name,” Jaxar said.

  “She’s a biter. Took a big old chomp out of that guy, like a special move. A snack attack.”

  “Do not grow attached. The fretti may be too damaged and dangerous to be a companion.”

  “Not the fretti. Snacks. Say it. Snacks.”

  “You are already emotionally attached,” he said.

  “To my Snack-aroni? Hell yeah.” Van settled next to him on the hard bench, leaning against him. He felt comfortably warm. With the adrenaline leaving her body, exhaustion swept over her. Or that could be the blood loss. “For the record, this date sucked. I got motion sickness, gross. My ex turned up and invited himself along. I never finished my lunch. We never made it to the gardens, but we got held at gunpoint instead. Somehow I spent all my money buying Teddy’s debt and I hate Teddy.” She yawned. “I’m planning the next date.”

  “I am glad that there will be a next date.” Then,
he added, “You are no longer worried about my family’s acceptance.”

  “Fuck you for mentioning that. Now I’m going to worry all night and not sleep.” Another yawn. Okay, sleep probably wouldn’t be as elusive as she thought. “Shit, my head. Don’t let me fall asleep, at least until I get checked out by a doctor. Can I get some coffee or a sugary something?”

  “Too much caffeine is not good for your heart. I will find a suitable beverage,” he said, vanishing out the door on his quest.

  The day hadn’t been good for her heart, physically speaking. Stress and adrenaline spiked her heart rate and now she was up way too late. A solid night’s sleep was as important to her heart health as taking her meds. Emotionally speaking, the day had been solid. She found a sense of closure with Havik, even if she wasn’t sure she bought his story about being betrayed by his father. That chapter was closed now, and she felt she could go forward with Jaxar, unburdened by the past.

  Jaxar returned, holding two steaming cups of that caffeine-free herbal tea he liked, even though it tasted like grass clippings. Van was just about to resign herself to sipping lawn-flavored hot water when he produced a handful of sugar packets. Her man knew her so well.

  She dumped the sugar packets in the tea. “Spending all my money was pretty dumb, right?”

  “You have a compassionate heart.”

  “It wasn’t compassion.” Van sipped the hot beverage, wondering how much to confess. All of it. Unburdening herself of the past sucked. “I didn’t like Teddy. He pretty much made my life hell back on the Vel Mori moon. He had a bench warrant and I reported his location. I snitched on him.”

  “If he was a criminal—”

  Van shrugged. “Minor stuff. But he owed money to the sort of people you don’t steal money from.”

  “Then he faced the consequences of his own actions.”

  “They cut off a finger. No one deserves that.” Van shuddered at the memory of Teddy’s hand wrapped in bloody bandages. “I did that. They wouldn’t have found him without me, because I was petty and spiteful.”

  “He tormented you. He deserved much worse.”