Saving Runt

by S. E. Smith

  Chapter Twenty

  “Derik, you need to see if Amelia can do something—anything—to help RITA2 and DAR,” Teriff ordered.

  “Preferably before we end up with a dozen miniature RITA2s and DARs running around the palace,” J’kar said.

  “What happened?” Derik asked, sliding into an empty chair.

  J’kar scowled. “Didn’t you notice the power surge?”

  Derik shrugged. “I must have missed it,” he replied in a distracted voice.

  “I’ve seen that look before,” Mak muttered under his breath.

  “Mate trouble,” Borj agreed.

  “Mate trouble,” Mak grinned.

  “She is not happy about Dolinski’s future. Has the Council made a decision?” he asked.

  “Yes, they’ve made a decision. Cosmos has declined the Right of Justice,” Teriff stated.

  “But I accepted,” Mak added.

  Derik frowned. Afon Dolinski might be a skilled killer, but against his older brother, there was no way he’d survive—even with a weapon. Derik was glad that Cosmos had declined. Terra was about to give birth any day now, and that would have been a big factor in his decision.

  “There is only one problem,” J’kar dryly added.

  Derik frowned. “What? The fact that my mate and her mother will be devastated that you killed their newly discovered family member?”

  His father shook his head. “No, the fact that Dolinski and the other human male escaped during the night, because your mate’s mother helped them,” Teriff replied.

  Derik sat back in his seat in disbelief. “How did she do that?” he demanded.

  “My mate assisted her,” DAR replied as he appeared in the room.

  “You did what?!” Runt asked in disbelief.

  She now understood why her mom’s expression had been so resigned before she’d looked up and realized it was Runt, not the guards coming into the room. A part of her was grateful and extremely impressed by what her mother had done. The other part wanted to know what else was different about her mom since they’d last been together.

  All thoughts of Runt’s own problems had taken a back seat when she’d found her mother’s heavily guarded room. Her quiet requests to be let in had been denied, but she wasn’t going to give in and she’d been threatening heinous acts of violence when some guy named Brock had finally appeared from around the corner of the hallway. He had taken one look at her and groaned as he raised his eyes to the ceiling in a ‘heaven help me/why me?’ kind of way. Apparently some things were universal. Then he issued a terse warning to not try anything, and nodded to the guard to open the door.

  “Well, RITA2 helped, but yes, I was the one who hacked into their system and I am responsible for their escape. I couldn’t release one without the other, but I think they might stand a better chance together,” Anne explained, reaching out to grip Runt’s hands.

  Runt looked down at their clasped hands. Her mom had changed so much in the two years since she’d disappeared. The changes both confused her and made her happy, but it was also overwhelming on top of everything else that had happened.

  Meeting her mother’s eyes, she could see fear in Anne’s expression, but also the knowledge that she had done the right thing. Runt gave her a lopsided smile. She would have done the same thing—in fact, she had already been planning to do it!

  “Did RITA2 open a portal back to Earth?” she asked.

  Anne shook her head. “No, she couldn’t without risking disconnection while they were still travelling through,” she said.

  Runt pulled her hands free and walked anxiously over to the window. “Do you have any idea where they might have gone?” she asked, turning back to look at her mom with worried eyes.

  “No. RITA2 showed the men a map of the area, and gave them minimal security clearance—just enough to get out of the palace, I believe. I asked RITA2 to deactivate all the cameras in the city when we disabled the security around their cell. I had to distract the guards in person, of course,” Anne confessed.

  “What have you done to my mom?” Runt joked.

  Anne gave her a wavering smile. “I finally pulled on a pair of cast iron panties,” she chuckled.

  Runt walked back over to her mother and hugged her. “I’m glad,” she whispered.

  “Me, too, Amelia. I only regret that I didn’t do it sooner. Bert kept me up-to-date with how you were doing, and once I discovered you were working with CRI, I knew you would finally be safe,” Anne admitted.

  “Bert! That wily old man,” she muttered with a shake of her head.

  Anne laughed. “He was the only person who knew that I wasn’t dead. I don’t know what I would have done without him, if you know what I mean.” She chuckled as she used one of Bert’s favorite phrases.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Runt agreed, thinking of all the times that Bert had helped her as well. “So, what now?”

  Anne quickly snapped back to her previous worries. “I don’t know. I haven’t exactly been making friends with the head of security around here,” she said.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” Runt declared.

  Anne gave her a strained smiled. “I don’t regret what I’ve done. I can only hope that Afon and Marcelo are able to find a way back to Earth. I’m not sure there is a way without RITA2’s gateway, though,” she said.

  “I don’t think so either,” Runt agreed.

  They both turned toward the door when a knock sounded on it. Runt’s stomach knotted when the door opened and one of the guards stepped inside. She slipped out of her mom’s embrace and stepped protectively in front of her. The guard stepped aside to reveal Derik.

  “The Council wishes to see your mother,” he grimly informed her.

  “Yeah, well, they’ll have to see us both,” Runt retorted.

  He released a long breath. “I figured that. That is the reason I am here,” he said.

  “Amelia, I don’t want you to get involved,” Anne insisted.

  Runt turned and met her mother’s determined glare with one of her own. “There is no way I’m letting anything happen to you,” she growled before returning her gaze to Derik.

  I will do everything I can to protect her as well. I cannot promise the same for Dolinski or the other human, though, he silently informed her.

  “I know,” Anne said, stepping forward to grasp Runt’s hand. She looked at Derik. “I’m ready.”

  Derik briefly bowed his head in acknowledgment and stood to the side. Runt followed her mother. When she passed Derik, she reached out and touched his hand. He gave her a reassuring smile.

  Will they keep her locked up? she asked.

  If that’s her sentence, how would you feel about a life on the run? he teased.

  She barely suppressed her snort of laughter. I think I can do that.

  He smiled, and sent her a thought crackling with intensity. Seriously though, I swear on my life you will never have to run again.

  Runt swallowed, and looked at her mother’s stiff back, wishing that she could have had more time to talk to her about this. Her feelings for Derik confused her, and she wasn’t sure what to do. Were they real or caused by some kind of alien pheromone? Was it normal to want to constantly touch him whenever they were near each other? And what was it about him that made her want to… do things to him? Things that she’d purposely shied away from doing before.

  She liked what she’d seen earlier this morning and wouldn’t mind seeing more—and doing a little hands-on exploring. Last night, all they had done was sleep, but… he’d made a difference. Normally when her nightmares started, she woke herself up immediately.

  Last night had been different. She had been beyond exhausted, her body so heavy she’d felt like she was wearing a lead suit. The dream started with a small stream of blood that had turned to a river. No matter how she’d tried to escape the red current, she had been tossed and turned until the thick, copper waves pulled her under.

  At first, she had seen an
image of her mother lying on the floor covered in a thin blood-soaked white sheet. Her hand lay outstretched with the silver locket tangled among her lifeless fingers.

  The image changed as she tried to swim away, and she was violently wrenched to a halt when she bumped into something. Her hands instinctively grabbed the limp body. Horror swept through her, and her lips parted for an ear-piercing scream when she saw Derik’s lifeless face and blank eyes.

  She’d awoken gasping and sobbing. Her chest hurt and she’d felt like she was splintering into a million pieces. Pain unlike anything she had ever known held her locked in the dream. Only his calm, soothing voice and warm, gentle caress had finally broken through the paralyzing terror of her blood-drenched nightmare. He had held her the rest of the night.

  Deep down, she knew he meant what he’d said. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her mom—or to her. A sense of rightness filled her when she reached out again and cupped his hand in hers. He looked down at her with a tender expression of pleasure.

  “I’m glad you’re on our side,” she murmured.

  He lifted her hand to his lips. “Always, Amelia,” he promised.

  “You’re never going to call me Runt, are you?” she mused.

  “Nope,” he replied, slowing as they neared a set of large double doors. ”Do not be afraid. No one will harm you or your mother.”

  “I’m not afraid,” she murmured.

  Derik released her hand and stepped ahead of her mother. He waited for the guard to open the door before he entered the room. Runt moved close to her mother and grasped her hand. In the back of her mind, she could still sense Derik’s presence. This time, she quietly embraced it.

  “The Council is called to order. Have the human woman come forward,” Teriff loudly ordered.

  Runt took a deep breath when she felt her mom’s hand tremble in hers. “Everything will be okay. Derik says he’ll run away with us if we need to take off,” she whispered.

  Her mother nervously giggled. “Well, it isn’t like we haven’t had a little practice at it,” she murmured in return.

  Runt squeezed her mom’s hand to comfort her. Together, they approached the row of men sitting behind a long, curved desk. There was only one empty seat, and she suspected it wasn’t for a woman unless her name was Rav.

  Her lips twisted in sardonic amusement. Even alien worlds can’t get it right when it comes to choosing leaders, she thought as she scanned the group of men.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Hello, everyone. I’m sorry I was late. The kids are growing at a phenomenal rate,” RITA2 stated, suddenly appearing beside Runt and her mother.

  “Well, at least they haven’t multiplied. Why are you dressed like that?” Teriff asked.

  “I’m Amelia and Arianna’s—Anne’s—legal counsel, of course,” RITA2 replied.

  “Legal counsel?” a large warrior to the right asked. “Teriff, didn’t RITA2 help the human males escape?”

  “That is what we are trying to clarify, Brawn,” Teriff snapped.

  “And that is why I am the counsel of the counsel,” DAR stated, appearing beside RITA2.

  “You are such a sweetheart…. but who’s watching the children?” RITA2 asked under her breath.

  “Tink and Tilly,” DAR replied.

  “Whose kids?” Runt asked, turning her shocked gaze to RITA2. “What is going on with your code? It’s like… going crazy.”

  “You see it? What is it doing? For some reason, neither DAR nor I can figure out what is going on,” RITA2 excitedly exclaimed.

  “It looks like a duplication loop,” Runt reflected, pointing to the lines of code she meant.

  “Can we get back to business here? You can work on your—whatever—later,” Teriff ordered.

  “What did I miss?” another man asked, stepping up to the long table, pulling out the single empty chair, and sitting down.

  Score one for the human geek. No women on the Council, Runt thought with disgust.

  “Nothing,” Teriff growled.

  “Hockta balmas! I’d hoped you’d be finished already. Now I know why Merrick asked me to sit in for him, and Core wanted nothing to do with the Council. These meetings are as boring as a—” Rav suddenly interrupted himself when he noticed Anne, and he abruptly stood up, leaned forward, and growled, his dark silver eyes flaring with intense emotion.

  “Rav! What has gotten into you? Sit down!” Teriff ordered.

  Rav straightened and took a deep breath. He swallowed, and said, “Are you trying to say she is the one who released the human males?” He suddenly sat down in his chair on the dais with a thump.

  “Yes, I am,” Anne declared.

  Runt noticed with surprise that her mom was glaring at the big guy with a ferocity of spirit that she’d never seen in her before. It took a fraction of a second for understanding to dawn. The guy was looking at her mom the same way that Derik looked at….

  “Shit!” she hissed.

  Derik’s soft laugh and amused expression confirmed her suspicion. Was this some kind of sex-deprived hell, or what? The guy was eyeing her mother like she was some kind of scrumptious dessert, for crying out loud!

  “She didn’t do whatever you think she did. I claim her. Meeting adjourned,” Rav said, slapping his hand on the dark wood table and rising to his feet again.

  “Here we go again! Every time he sees a human woman, he thinks she is his bond mate,” Hendrik muttered.

  “Yes, but I seem to recall you think the same thing,” Brawn chuckled.

  “That’s different,” Hendrik growled.

  “Rav, sit down. Hendrik, Brawn, I won’t have any fighting today. I swear if any of you get blood on the floor or break a piece of furniture, I’ll make you deal with my mate’s displeasure,” Teriff threatened.

  Rav sank back down onto his chair. Runt blinked as the other men grumbled but calmed down. She looked over at her mother. Anne had crossed her arms in front of herself and was still glaring defiantly up at the large warrior.

  Wow! That was all she could think as she watched the woman who had been beaten and almost broken blossom before her eyes. She listened as her mom explained what she had done and why, and the more she listened, the prouder she was of the woman her mother had become. She looked up at Derik when he silently held her hand.

  Everything will be alright now, Derik reassured her.

  How do you know? They still plan to go after Afon, she said.

  Yes, but I can tell from the way they are talking that they will reassess the situation. He will be given an opportunity to prove he deserves a second chance, he said.

  Runt looked up at the hard row of faces. She wasn’t as confident about how things were going to turn out as Derik was, but she trusted him.

  Shock coursed through her at that thought—she trusted him! She stiffened and drew in a deep breath.

  What is wrong? he asked.

  She shook her head. How did you explain to someone that you had just had a life-changing epiphany? Sure, there were people she had trusted before—all two and a half of them! Well, one and a half if you counted the fact that RITA wasn’t really a person. She had always trusted her mom, but she had also held a part of herself back because as long as her mom protected her, others would use their love for each other against them. She had tried to shield her mother as much as she could.

  The only other human she had given a small amount of trust to was Bert. Even then, she never let him know where she was staying or what she was doing. She didn’t even rank Trudy, Maria, or Rose at CRI on her list of people she trusted. Sure, they were nice, but they were just people she worked with. She knew that if Avery or Cosmos gave the order to go after her, they would. Bert would at least think twice before he did.

  RITA was different. Theirs was a special kind of trust. They were kindred spirits. If Runt could choose to be anything other than human, she’d want to be an advanced AI system like RITA. She could be herself around RITA without dealing with things as messy as emotions
.

  The loud sound of a hand pounding on wood drew her attention back to the council room. She blinked in confusion when she saw that all of the men were now standing. Gripping Derik’s hand, she turned to look at her mother.

  “The meeting is adjourned. Brock will search for the two human males. The Council will reconvene when they have been found. You will show us how you hacked RITA2 and will remain on Baade until the situation is resolved,” Teriff stated.

  “Under my supervision,” Rav added.

  Teriff rounded on the Rav. “We never discussed that,” he snapped.

  “I just did. Someone has to keep an eye on the woman—for her own protection,” Rav stated.

  “And you are eager to volunteer?” Brawn chimed in. “How about you two touch hands? If the mating mark appears, then I will second his request.”

  “I’ll third it if that happens,” Hendrik declared. “At least it will prove that Trudy is mine,”

  Teriff frowned at Rav before he sighed deeply and turned to look down at her mother. Runt was about to object when Derik sent her a thought.

  Let her make the decision, he suggested.

  “But she doesn’t know what it would mean,” she hissed.

  “If the mark appears, it means your mother will be loved and protected,” Derik murmured.

  “Will you accept his touch?” Teriff asked Anne.

  Anne nervously looked at Rav before turning her gaze back to Teriff. “Touch how? If—and it is a big IF—I agree, what will happen?” she demanded.

  “Can I speak to my mom for a moment—privately?” Runt snapped.

  “She’s going to scare her out of touching me, isn’t she?” Rav muttered.

  “If she is smart she will,” Hendrik retorted.

  Runt pulled her hand out of Derik’s despite his obvious reluctance, gripped her mom’s arm, and pulled her several feet away. Her worried gaze met her mom’s wary one. The room suddenly became deathly quiet. Leaning forward, she began to speak in a quiet, but earnest tone.

  “Look at my hand. Do you see this mark?” she said, lifting her hand so that the mark on her palm was showing.