With leverage from her left hand and leg, she pushed, spun and landed on her back. The man above her hadn’t expected the speed in which she changed positions. She took advantage by grasping his calf while lifting and pushing. Thrown many feet into the air, he landed on his back. Something within him cracked as he did. Best be his head. If not, I’ll make it so in a moment.
Drawing her knees to her chest, she continued the motion by casting her feet away from her body, arching and snapping herself from the floor to land in a crouch at the intruder’s feet. The strum of weapons being brought to life surrounded her.
Brach stood close to the door, holding a gun on Lobank. She wondered what he thought to gain by attacking them. Did he truly believe that he and two others could subdue her? No wonder she detested Brach. Not only did he have deplorable table manners, he injured those younger with less strength.
Poor Lobank. Blood hastened down his face from a wound Brach inflicted.
A pitiful sound came from Nare. With Brach’s weapon targeting Lobank and Pinski’s safety threatened too, Reina would need to place thought before actions. Straightening her legs slowly, she stood and brought her arms to her sides. The man she’d tossed to the floor roused and grasped his head before staggering to his feet. She stood less than three feet away and when he noticed her there, he seemed downright incensed. He came at her in a hurry of lumbering miscalculation, fury and stupidity. He probably wondered how she’d captured his wrist and gotten her hand around his throat.
“Let him go, Raven,” Brach said.
She couldn’t help her fingertips squeezing into his carotid arteries as her palm pressed against the front of his throat. He gasped and gasped again, before no air could pass through his mashed windpipe. Too far into the raven combat state to attempt a retort to Brach’s demand, she thought perhaps the demonstration might speak for itself.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh and Pinski’s muffled sound of agony penetrated. Lobank receiving another blow to his already-battered head also registered. What she tried to decipher with some clarity was whether or not their wel -being would increase if she let her hulking assailant go.
A laser blast from behind forced her to turn. She retained hold of the man who’d begun turning a sickly color. The bastard holding Pinski shot Dr. Nare again. Nare thrashed on the floor, blood seeping from two wounds, one to his shoulder, the other to his thigh. The man turned the firearm and placed it against Pinski’s temple. She understood he’d shoot her friend next if the situation didn’t change. In a surge of fury, Reina brought the man she held forward before shoving him away. He landed six feet yonder in a heap.
“Lady,” Brach said, “come to me.”
Not the very brightest in his clan, she’d wager. Stil , with Nare bleeding and Pinski’s and Lobank’s safety precarious at best, she strode toward him.
As she neared within a foot, he took a step back and placed Lobank between them. Also a coward. His list of personality flaws grew.
“You’l do as I say,” Brach ordered. “Agree to it and these two wil live.”
She nodded. She’d agree to much until an opportunity presented itself.
“Say it, bitch!” he yel ed.
She’d most definitely have a problem complying. She had no voice to answer. It became unavailable once she took on the raven state. As it was, she hovered between two forms of female—the everyday reality of Reina where she could speak and that of a weapon, intent on eliminating threats.
Brach’s finger applied pressure to the trigger and final y Lobank spoke for her. “She can’t talk. Look at her eyes.”
“What of them?” Brach asked.
“She’s the raven now. She has no voice. It gets swal owed up by her eyes.”
Brach appeared even more il at ease with Lobank’s description. Lobank could wel believe her massive pupils swal owed her voice, for she’d never ful y explained it to him. She’d given him basic facts on what to expect prior to her time with the android.
Brach said, “Parker, get the col ar on her. We need to make haste.”
“Do it yourself!” the man she’d twice thrown to the ground said as he came to his feet.
“Now!”
Parker stumbled to the door, grabbed a satchel and came to her. He withdrew the compliance col ar and hesitated while reaching to place it around her neck. The room slanted before jumping beneath their feet. The battle raging outside the vessel must be quite heated because to experience such turbulence would mean Raze took many blasts and lost shields for a moment.
The general and data beast deploying al thought to war-making most likely hadn’t detected the laser fire within the area. He’d probably be most aggrieved to find the good doctor’s blood smeared across medical. She knew he’d not want Pinski’s or Lobank’s with it. She purposely thought of these things so when Parker placed the device she wouldn’t react.
Cold perspiration came up on her skin from the effort of remaining a deadly raven and control ing it while rationalizing situations. Nearly an almost impossible undertaking, she struggled to stay balanced.
Effectively managing to distract herself, she al owed placement of the col ar. Brach wasted no time in testing its effectiveness. The pain was easily tolerable. The disruptive electronic signal became more of a detriment. The sharp quality of sound interfered with her concentration. A surge of undisciplined yearning for blood threatened to take her over. If she acted on the ferocious instincts, Pinski and Lobank would die. She kept reminding herself of that fact but it seemed less and less relevant.
“Lady Reina!” Lobank yel ed.
Before she acted and tore the vil ains around her to shreds, she dropped to her knees and bent at the waist. As a sign of surrender, she stretched her arms out and turned up her palms. If Brach didn’t cease quickly, she’d be left without a choice and eliminate the threat.
Brach said, “Now that’s a beautiful sight indeed.”
The torture ended and she tried to control the twitch of muscle and fight down the urge to kil . The knot inside her tightened as things around her shuffled. When kicked, she looked up to see both Pinski and Lobank, a firearm pointed at each of their heads. Reina tiredly stood.
Pinski was shoved toward the door and her knees gave way. Reina advanced and caught her before she hit the floor. Pinski sagged against her in a trembling mass of weakened flesh. Lobank came forward to gather Pinski into his arms. He held her most careful y. “If you’re to take us, leave the private behind. She’s of no use to you,” Lobank said.
“On the contrary,” Brach replied. “I believe her value in control ing the raven wil be more effective than the col ar. You, however, have a mite too much spunk.”
Brach hit Lobank once again in the head with the butt of the gun. The blow staggered him but Reina supported his back so he wouldn’t fal .
“Let’s move, shal we?” Brach grasped her arm and jerked her forward. To Reina, he said, “If you give me the slightest trouble, my men won’t hesitate to kil your friends. Do you understand?”
She nodded and they stepped from medical into the corridors beyond. The hal ways were cluttered with confused crewmembers walking rapidly to various destinations. Brach held the laser close to her side and no one appeared to notice. The ship lurched and the lighting dimmed. The general either lost power or diverted unnecessary energy resources to where he’d need them most. With her current situation, the lowered light would only help Brach take them without passersby noticing.
She walked and focused on their abductors. The moment they diverted their attention, she’d strike and remedy the problem. In particular, she wanted to get her hands on Brach. She’d tear him apart slowly to make him suffer for harming the good doctor, Lobank and Pinski. There’d simply been no good reason to hurt any of them.
* * * * *
Hailed by an unknown vessel, Gage didn’t respond immediately, wanting the identity of the source known first. Raze IV final y cleared the debris field left from the band of outlaw ships after
more than an hour in battle. The Theazian battleship cruising alone and some distance behind hadn’t interfered or closed in during the renegade assault. They knew the Governance vessel would pulverize the uncoordinated attempt at seizure. The Theazians would remain in the distance to keep to the false bargain made a day prior.
Gage asked, “LeRoy, have you located anything?”
“No, Sir, stil scanning, but it doesn’t appear to be out there. The signal suggests another ship but it’s invisible.”
“A location on Lieutenant Brach?”
“Negative, Sir. Wherever he is, he’s not responding.”
“Second Lieutenant Graham?” Gage asked about the second-in-command of information and communications on board the ship.
“On his way now.”
“Do you have a visual on medical yet?”
“Negative, Sir.”
Gage slammed his hand on the arm of the command chair. “Damn it, LeRoy, what the hel is going right aboard this vessel!”
“You have me, Sir,” he said without hesitation.
The jest was taken in the context in which it was meant. Gage settled himself. He seldom displayed anger in front of his crew and after the previous few days, nerves were already frayed. He needn’t put those who serve in a higher state of alarm.
Graham stepped onto the bridge and saluted.
“Lieutenant, the whereabouts of Lieutenant Brach?” Gage asked.
“Unknown, Sir,” the stern young man replied.
“Then get behind his station and answer my questions.”
“Right away, Sir.” He sat at the console.
LeRoy briefed him while Gage waited. After bringing up the virtual screen, Graham said, “I’ve located the cal . Would you like the image, Sir?”
“Immediately,” Gage replied.
On the large monitor, an outline of a vessel could be seen pul ing away from its flanking position next to the Raze. He immediately recognized the sketchy form of a smal Governance transport vessel. It resembled a new series Bolt ship typical y used for personnel transport to and from planets.
Several sat in the docking bays on the Raze.
“Its trackers have been removed from our system, Sir. Its view is purposely distorted by our computer. A moment please and I can—there’s your ship.” The lieutenant hadn’t waited to be asked for information. If Brach didn’t turn up soon, Graham would find himself promoted to a first lieutenant in charge of communications.
When the ship came completely into view, Gage asked, “Origin of the vessel?”
“Governance issue, I’m locked on and tracking, Sir. Model number one, seven, seven, eleven. It should be sitting in the docking bays.”
“LeRoy?” Gage asked.
A moment later, LeRoy answered, “The computer has no history of the bay doors having opened.”
“Um,” Graham said, “Sir, that’s not entirely true. It appears as though the information has been intentional y buried. As I look, I’m finding someone attempted to erase certain bits of history from various areas on board. May I correct this, Sir?”
“Immediately.” Gage hoped the incidents had nothing to do with Reina. With LeRoy unable to get a visual on medical, the thought came to mind.
A moment later, Graham turned toward him. “I’ve restored most systems, General.”
“Can you decipher the hail from the Bolt?”
Graham fiddled about. “It’s Lieutenant Brach, Sir. A coded relay I’m decrypting now. Would you like a visual, Sir?”
“You’l run security on it first?”
“Almost done, Sir.”
“Good. When you’re ready, Graham.”
Brach’s image came onto the screen and Gage came to his feet, seeing who else was aboard the smal er vessel. Brach looked pleased as he stood with his hands behind his back, legs spread and an infuriating smile on his face. “Congratulations, Ryker, on getting Graham to the bridge so quickly. I knew he’d be fast as wel as efficient,” Brach said.
Lobank stood behind Brach. The boy’s left eye was swol en shut and a fair amount of blood seeped into his face from a head wound. He held Private Pinski who looked unconscious. Brach turned to his right and looked at the two. “A bit of bloodied meat to guarantee cooperation. They seem rather important to the raven and she gave the impression she’d be most wil ing to accompany me after I obtained them.”
“Where is she?”
The angle of the view drew back to reveal her standing to Brach’s left. The compliance col ar sat around her neck. Her pupils were dilated and her chest rose and fel rapidly from intense breathing. Ice ran through his veins and he control ed his inclination to kil something. “Your terms?”
“None. You’l do what the manual tel s you and fol ow because we’re al going to the same place. Track us to see where we’l go on the planet. Your black-haired bitch wil take flight for me and locate where the Theazians are holding Major Deacon. We’l arrive first and my deal wil be made. They wanted her, they’l purchase her. I’l get paid and leave. Maybe by the time you get there, they’l be so busy with the raven you can col ect Deacon and make a getaway.”
“Why?” Brach helped in the farce to gain Theazian compliance. Unless the deal he made was a travesty of lies! He bargained with Theazians against him, not for him.
“Money, power, al the things a man of intel igence would set a career aside for.” Anger stirred as Brach stood there smugly. His trust in the man and inability to see his true intent would cost Lobank, Pinski and Reina dearly. “No comment, General?”
“You’ve reckoned it out, Brach. There’s little to say.”
“No plea to get them back. At the very least I’d hoped for some slight emotion over the raven.” Oh, the emotion’s abundant, but not for you to see. “As you’ve said, she’l track, we’l fol ow because the Bolt wil certainly reach the planet first. We’l obtain the major and fight our way out.”
“Not curious why the Theazians would wish to purchase a raven?”
To torture and dissect—to study her abilities. If they’ve been stationed on Infur for any length of time, they’d probably recreated their laboratories for the “advancement” of knowledge related to various beings. He’d been in a similar lab, been the Domineer who required research. He knew what the bastards would do to her. “What of Lobank and Pinski?”
“If she performs wel , they’l be brought back with me. If she doesn’t? Wel , they’re al such fast friends, the raven might enjoy their company for a while.
Although your private doesn’t seem in very good health and may not last long.”
“Transport them back. You have the compliance device. You’ve no need of Pinski or Lobank.” The younguns were physical y damaged and would be of little help to Reina. His lady stood a better chance on her own until he could get her back. And I will, I swear.
“But I do, General—watch.”
A few of the crew had joined Brach in his mutiny and one approached Reina. Before he reached her, he watched Brach use the col ar to stun her. It made little difference as the man tried to hit her in the face with a fist. She grabbed his wrist and twisted, the painful stimulus from the col ar merely slowing her. He’d seen her capabilities in a fight. She continued applying pressure until the man went to his knees.
Brach said, “She’s receiving a constant setting of high and stil able to fight. It’s amazing. I thought the col ar would have a greater effect. But forgive me, I transgress. Back to the demonstration.”
Brach’s arm came back, swung and hit Lobank in his bloodied eye. Lobank staggered before slamming into the wal with his back and sinking to the floor, al while holding Pinski. Reina let go of the man who’d attacked her and went to stand between Brach and Lobank. She clearly defended the wounded pair.
“And how wil a dead raven track for you?” Gage forced the emotion to remain absent from his voice.
Brach slapped the wrist control to cease the painful shock going into Reina’s col ar. She staggered and crouched, keeping her b
lack eyes trained on Brach. She wasn’t in flight because of her ability to see what happened around her. Too, she appeared different than when she fought Rodney, her eyes swal owed by black while retaining a measure of sense. What in God’s name was happening to her now?
“I got so wrapped up in merrymaking, Ryker, I forgot myself. You’re correct in assuming they want the raven alive. When she tapped into the Theazian while searching for Deacon, one of them actual y managed to grab hold of her mind. It’s a technique they’ve been honing. Once they take her apart and figure out how to completely infiltrate a mind, a raven’s use wil stop. An end of an era, you might say.”
“To turn over that type of power is beyond reckless. You know the history with Theazia, what they’ve done.”
“And hence the reason for my large payment.” Brach nodded to someone not visible in the foreground. “Wish me luck, Ryker, and I’l return the sentiment. Col ect the major, get out alive and surely you’l earn the title lieutenant general at the very least.” The transmission ended.
“Have you restored our visual to medical, Graham?” Gage asked.
“Momentarily, Sir. It appears some systems have been tampered with more than others. I’m bringing them around to correct settings. Here, Sir—your visual.”
“Nare?” Gage asked.
The doctor was on a sickbed as two medics tended him. Nare said weakly, “Sorry, General, I was taken by surprise. The lady’s readings. You’l need them to track her. She won’t register unless you track the raven. I managed to save them. You can download.” That was the extent of what he relayed before fal ing unconscious.
“His condition?” Gage asked.
“Moderate,” one of the medics replied. “We’l bring him to rights presently, Sir.”
“Make him wel , Corporal.”
“Sir?” Graham asked.
“Yes, Lieutenant.”
“With your permission, I’d like to offer up a thought.”
“Granted.” At the moment, the anger turned to a low-level rage. He’d listen to practical y anything.
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