Outlaw

by Angela Verdenius

  “Milk is fine, thank you.” Maverk rolled his eyes at Cam as soon as her back was turned.

  His friend grinned and took a large swallow of the frothy liquid. “Not bad, Madam.”

  She grunted. One of the children eyed the mugs of milk wistfully.

  “Do you want some?” Tenia offered only to stop in surprise when the woman grabbed the eager child by the arm and swung her around.

  “That be for the visitors, Elisea! Now go about your chores!”

  Chastened, the child ran out of the room.

  Making a ‘tutting’ noise, the woman knelt by the fire and stirred the stew that bubbled in the pot.

  Sinya hastily filled the silence. “Zed owns this farm?”

  She laughed harshly. “He works it but he don’t own it. We’re too poor.”

  “Who owns it?”

  “You ask a lot of questions.”

  “Sorry.” Black eyes switched to Darvk, watching him down the milk.

  Not in the mood to drink, Tenia pushed her mug away.

  The woman’s sharp eyes caught the movement. “Don’t like my milk, warrior?”

  “I’ll drink it in a minute.”

  Raising his mug, the pirate looked at Reya. “Not going to drink?”

  Tenia noticed the woman watching them all closely, biting her lip, her eyes troubled. She met her sister’s gaze questioningly. Reya’s eyes narrowed suddenly.

  The milk. Tenia looked at the mug, glanced around to see everyone drinking.

  Or maybe not everyone. Not Sinya, not his pirates.

  “The milk is sour.” Reya grabbed Maverk’s hand just as he started to raise the mug for another swallow.

  “What?” Cam frowned. “Tastes fine to me.”

  “I said it’s sour. Put it down, all of you.”

  Tenia kicked Darvk under the table warningly.

  “Nothing wrong with my milk.” The woman stood up slowly, warily.

  “You haven’t even tasted it.” Sinya stared at Reya. “How would you know?”

  “I can smell the sourness from here.”

  Tension flew around the table.

  The woman blustered forward. “I’m telling you it’s fresh.”

  “Then you won’t mind tasting it, will you?” Standing, Tenia held out the mug.

  “No need.”

  “If it’s so good, drink it.”

  “I’m not thirsty.”

  “Drink.”

  Shaking her head, eyes widening, the woman backed away.

  “Darvk, control your wench,” Sinya growled. “We’re guests here.”

  Saying nothing, Dark watched her curiously.

  One of the children scampered past and Tenia caught her arm, crouching down to offer her the mug while keeping a watch on the woman. “Here, you may have it.”

  Eagerly Elisea reached for it.

  “Get away from her!” The woman darted forward, striking the mug from her hand, pulling the child away as she did so. “Don’t touch it, Elisea!”

  Sinya was on his feet but froze at the prick of Reya’s dagger at his throat.

  “It’s a trap!” Tenia straightened up. “Let’s go.”

  “Wait! You don’t think-”

  Reya’s balled up fist smashed into his midriff with force. “Treacherous bastard!”

  As Sinya jack-knifed over, she gave him a swinging uppercut, sending him hurtling back to lie unconscious on the floor. Cam and Jase dispatched his two crewmembers that jumped to his defence.

  The woman fled while the short fight was on, her children scattering outside to a safe distance.

  Reya viciously kicked the stools out of her way. “Damn it to hell!”

  Maverk grabbed her arm. “Everyone out! Now!”

  Darvk was right behind Tenia, several of the Daamen traders going ahead, their lasers drawn.

  Coming out behind them, Tenia looked around quickly, but everything was as still and peaceful as it had been when they’d arrived just a short time before.

  “Something was in the milk,” Darvk stated grimly. “I drank the whole mugful. How much did you all drink?”

  “Half a mug,” Maverk replied.

  Cam and Garret stated a mugful also while Borga and Jase agreed with Maverk.

  “You lasses?”

  “None.” Tenia grabbed his arm. “Whatever was in it is likely to be fast working. We’ll have to move quickly.”

  “We’ll go around the settlement, no saying who may be lying in wait there.” Darvk turned his attention to the barn. “Check for horses.”

  There were none so they set out swiftly on foot, Darvk pressing the communicator on his vest. “Red, get here fast.” When it only crackled, he tried again. “Red, are you hearing me?”

  “What…not…properly…” The words were disjointed.

  “Something’s interfering with it,” Borga stated the obvious. “I don’t like this, Cap’n.”

  Maverk touched his communicator. “Red, get the ship over here now!”.

  “Get…now…”

  “We’re on our own,” Garret said grimly. “We’d better hurry.”

  Suddenly Darvk slumped down on one knee.

  “What is it?” Anxiously, Tenia knelt beside him.

  “Dizzy…can’t…get up…”

  Cam reached down to help, only to fall beside him.

  “Oh, bloody hell!” Garret exclaimed and collapsed.

  Darvk sagged into Tenia’s arms and she eased him back onto the grass and felt for his pulse, finding it strong and steady. Relief washed through her. Drugged, but not poisoned.

  She hoped to God not poisoned, because if he died…

  He couldn’t die.

  “Tenia,” Reya snapped.

  Now was not the time to panic. Tenia refocussed, shoved her fears down. “I’m okay.”

  Weakly, Darvk grabbed her wrist. “Leave us and get away.”

  “No.”

  “Let’s go.” Grabbing Darvk’s arms, Maverk pulled him into a sitting position, preparing to hoist him onto his shoulders.

  Jase and Borga did the same with the others.

  Fast losing consciousness, fear for her safety forced Darvk’s eyes open once more. “Run, lass, that’s an order. Now!”

  “We’re not leaving you. Any of you.” She allowed herself the brief luxury of brushing the long, black hair back off his face. “Get him up, Maverk.”

  “He’s right,” Maverk said. “You two wenches get back to the ship fast. We’ll only slow you down.”

  “We go together or not at all.”

  Maverk scowled at Reya. “Both of you get going or so help me when we get back to the ship, I’ll tan both your hides!”

  She ignored him. “I’ll take the front and you guard the back, Tenia.”

  Laser in hand, ignoring the scowls from the traders, Tenia brought up the rear of their group, turning every few seconds to sweep the area behind them with intensity.

  Trying to find cover, Reya led them into sparse trees not far from the rutted track.

  They hadn’t gone far when Jase, carrying Garret, staggered.

  “Bloody hell!” He broke out in a sweat. “I think I’m going to fall.”

  Swiftly, Tenia came up beside him, pushing her shoulder into his armpit and wrapping her free arm around his waist. His arm came around her shoulders for support, and bracing her legs, she moved with him, feeling him get heavier as he grew weaker.

  Borga was next to falter and Reya gave him her support, only to swear minutes later when Maverk stumbled and sank to his knees.

  “This is it.” She eased an unconscious Cam to the grass as Borga sank to the ground dizzily.

  “You should go.” Jase moaned as his vision blurred.

  “Not without you,” Tenia said, checking the trail behind them and finding it still empty.

  “Damn it-”

  “Forget it.” Tenia eased Garret to the ground, turning just in time to help Reya with Darvk as Maverk toppled over.

  “Hell, you Daamens’ are
bloody heavy.” Leaning over Maverk, Reya pressed the communicator on his vest.

  It was dead.

  Tenia exchanged a grim look with her.

  Reya contemplated the sparse woods, one hand resting on Maverk’s chest.

  “Reya…” he whispered weakly.

  She looked down into brown eyes that were struggling desperately to focus. “What is it, pretty boy?”

  “Run.”

  Without replying, she pushed to her feet and moved over to Tenia. “We’ll shift them under the tree. At least they’ll be sheltered while we wait for Red.”

  “Too late,” a voice said from above them in the trees.

  Tenia looked up to see men drop from the branches, her heart plummeting as instant recognition flashed through her.

  Instinctively, she and Reya came back-to-back as eight men circled them.

  “So, Cormac.” Laser drawn, Reya faced the head bounty hunter. “Found us, hmm? Or did you find Sinya first?”

  The bounty hunters didn’t fire their lasers, but Tenia knew that if she or Reya fired, they’d be cut down in seconds. And so would the traders. Weak, drugged, they were of no help.

  “Sinya radioed ahead to us,” Cormac replied quietly. “I knew you’d choose to come through the trees.”

  “I see I didn’t bash all your brains out,” Reya said. “So you want me all to yourself, hmm?”

  The bullwhip cracked and his seven followers spread out in a circle around the warriors. Tenia noticed that four of them held small, rectangular boxes in their hands and she wondered what was in store for them. Definitely nothing pleasant.

  Could she hope to shoot them all?

  The answer was instant. Of course not.

  “Actually, I’m not the only one who wants you both,” Cormac drawled. “I just really want you, Reya, your life for the life of my friend you killed.”

  “He was a bounty hunter. We don’t get along.”

  His eyes, aready hard, went like chips of stone. “But someone wants you both very badly. Not want you, really, not alive, anyway. You’re both worth more to this person dead. It works for me. You die, your sister dies, my pack gets the reward, and I get vengeance for my fallen packmate.”

  Silently they assessed the bounty hunters circling them.

  Constant circling in an attempt to unnerve the warriors.

  It was a failed attempt, because Tenia was more worried about Darvk and her friends, while Reya was never unnerved.

  “Don’t you want to know who this person is?” Cormac continued. “Shame. Never mind. I’ll tell you both just before the rope tightens around your necks.”

  “You have to get us first,” Reya reminded him. “Think you can do it? You couldn’t before.”

  “Oh, yes, I’m confident of that.”

  He nodded, and the four hunters pressed the buttons on the small black boxes. Bright beams flashed, so fast that neither Tenia nor Reya could react.

  A beam struck Tenia, agony searing through her veins, agony so intense she almost blacked out.

  Almost.

  “Keep the beams on them until they lose consciousness,” Cormac ordered. “Get the ropes ready.”

  Tenia tried to roll away from the beam. When that failed she rose to her knees, trying to bring up the laser only to find her shaking hand empty. Her gaze found Cormac, noted the dispassionate way he watched her, and then the pain intensified, throwing her backwards. Agony clouded her vision and darkness descended.

  ~ * ~

  Opening his eyes, Darvk groaned. His head pounded and his tongue felt thick.

  “Thank the stars you’re awake at last.” Simon watched him rub his eyes gingerly.

  “What time is it?” he rasped. “And why do I feel like I’ve a hangover?”

  “You don’t remember?”

  Remember? He squinted against the light, images slowly coming back. Aye, a wench. Some wench. Milk. Some wench had given them milk to drink. It came flooding back abruptly. Damn it. Damn it.

  “It was drugged.” He sat up carefully, swinging his legs over the side of the bunk. “The bloody milk was drugged.” He scowled. “Tenia refused to run to safety, stubborn little witch. Where the hell is she, anyway? Send her to me.”

  “That’s impossible, I’m afraid-”

  “Don’t try and protect the wench, Simon. She’s earned herself a tongue lashing for putting herself in danger.” He rubbed his temple. “Wench is as stubborn as-”

  “Tenia’s gone.”

  His head snapped up. “What?”

  “She and Reya were captured by the bounty hunters.”

  “Bounty hunters?” The blood drained from Darvk’s face.

  “Aye.” Simon was grim.

  Memory flooded back. Tenia. The drugged milk. The Reekas refusing to leave. His friends falling.

  Darvk shot to his feet. “What of Maverk and Cam and the others?”

  “Like you, they’re just waking now.”

  Shoving past Simon and out of the cabin, Darvk barked, “Get the viscomm tracker and tell Red to get us to that cursed farmhouse!”

  He strode to Maverk’s cabin and grabbed the door handle, only to have it whipped out of his grasp as it was jerked back and his friend appeared, his blonde hair on end and brown eyes bleary and bloodshot.

  “The lasses-” Maverk began.

  “I know. We head for the farmhouse and that cursed wench who drugged us.”

  They hurried down to the control cabin, arriving there just behind Simon.

  Throwing himself into one of the chairs, Darvk stared unseeingly at the control panels. Where was Tenia? Where had they taken her? Was she already dead? Fear gripped him, threatened to lodge in his throat. “How long have I slept?”

  Red cast him a sidelong glance. “Twenty four hours.”

  “Bloody hell!” Darvk swore. “Why didn’t you follow the bounty hunters’ ship?”

  “They used a blocker. We couldn’t pick them up on the scanners.”

  Darvk’s fist came down on the armrest with jarring force, and he lunged out of the seat to pace furiously, unable to sit and just wait.

  Wait. All he could do was bloody wait.

  While Tenia was…God knew where.

  But not with him. Not under his protection.

  Tenia and her sister were at the mercy of a pack of blood-thirsty bounty hunters.

  His biggest fear, the one thing that had him stretched tight enough to almost snap, was that it might already be too late.

  ~ * ~

  When the ship landed and the ramp went down, Darvk and Maverk spotted the wench and a man fleeing the farmhouse on foot. They gave chase, their long legs easily closing the distance, and caught the man. The wench skidded to a halt, wringing her hands and crying.

  “It weren’t our fault,” she wailed, tears streaming down red cheeks.

  The man squirmed in the tight grips of the giants. “Shut up, woman!”

  “Let my husband go!”

  Darvk glared down at the thin, weaselly looking bald man. “The bastards who took our wenches, where did they go?”

  Quaking, he stared up at the dark-haired giant with the flaming blue eyes. “I-I don’t know what you mean, I-”

  Darvk shook him until his teeth rattled. “The truth or I’ll reach down your throat and pull you inside out.”

  And he meant it. For the first time in his life, he was actually capable of causing some pain to get answers. Because his beloved Tenia and her sister were in danger.

  Screaming, the wench launched herself at Darvk, but Maverk grabbed a handful of the material at her back and swung her away, holding her at arms length.

  “I can’t! They’ll come back and-” The man stopped with a squeak of terror as one huge hand knotted in his shirt front, the muscles bulging in the brawny arm that lifted him effortlessly off his feet and hauled him up to eye-level.

  “Listen to me, you little worm, you have two choices,” Darvk snarled. “Tell me or I’ll kill you here and now.”

  “
Please, I-”

  “Right, you bastard!” Darvk drew his other fist back.

  “Tell him, Alson, tell him! Think of the children! Think of me!”

  Alson knew he was looking death right in the eye. One hit from that huge fist would send him straight to hell. “They were bounty hunters!”

  “Where did they go?”

  “I don’t know, I swear! I swear!”

  Throwing him to the ground, Darvk placed the sole of his booted foot on his throat and ruthlessly exerted slight pressure. “Tell me or breathe your last, vermin.”

  “No!” The wench’s arms flailed in the air like those of a demented day flyer. “The hunters took the Reekas to a planet called ‘Comll’!”

  “Comll?” The fierce gaze swung to her. “Whereabouts on Comll?”

  “I don’t know. I overheard them talk about taking the warriors to a place that’d be happy to see them hang.”

  Hang. The word sent a chill through the traders.

  “What of Sinya?” Maverk pushed the wench, and she stumbled to her knees.

  Scrambling toward her husband, she stopped to stare fearfully up at Darvk as he increased the pressure on the man’s throat, causing him to choke and gasp. “Alson owed him a favour. He asked us to drug the milk, which I did. Please, let him go.”

  With contempt he regarded the pair on the ground. “If one word of this gets to Sinya or anyone else, a message will be sent to a friend of mine who lives here. He will tell of your treachery in turning outlaws over to bounty hunters to everyone, and you will find there is no mercy towards treacherous people, especially by other outlaws. Understand?”

  “We’ll say nothing!”

  Removing his boot, he glared down at the man. “Your ending would not be painless. I will personally see to that.”

  “I promise,” the man croaked, sitting up with one hand to his throat.

  Sincerity and fear shone in the couple’s eyes. The outlaws hanged traitors, no mercy shown to man, woman or child. They would say nothing.

  Satisfied that they’d got the answers they’d sought, Darvk and his crew returned to the ship, where Darvk sent orders to the control cabin to head at full speed for Comll, the Reekas home world.

  “Where on Comll do you think they’ve taken the lasses?” Maverk asked.

  “The wench said a place where the people would be happy to see them hang.”

  They looked at each other and as one said, “Oslow.”