Ivar's Escape (Assassins of Gravas Book 2)

by N. J. Walters

  “Who would pay that much for him?” Ivar unflinchingly met Balthazar’s doubtful gaze.

  “He had Gravasian tech in his possession. Who do you think wants him?” The soft question hit with the force of a blaster.

  Was he wrong about her? Was this truly all about money? Idiot that he was, it didn’t matter. He wanted her safe.

  “You expect me to believe the Gravasians contracted you?” The skepticism rolled off Balthazar, but it made Ivar wonder the same thing. Why her?

  “I worked for Artemis.”

  Balthazar took a step back and some of his men began to mutter and shuffled back a step, staring at her as if she was an unstable nuclear bomb.

  Who the hell was Artemis? And why were these men so afraid of the name? There was something familiar about it, but he couldn’t pull up the memory or connection.

  “You said worked?”

  She nodded. “Sadly, Artemis tried to buy the Gravasian tech you put up for auction. Their assassin took out her and everyone else who showed up to buy. If I were you, I’d be a might concerned. Wouldn’t be a bad thing to offer up your captive to them, get on their good side.”

  “If their assassins are so bloody good, why send you?” Balthazar’s jaw was tight, his thick brows lowered. The guards shifted restlessly, some of them seeming more interested in the ground than what was going on around them. The air filled with a restless energy that was tinged with the sour stench of fear.

  “There’s no way any single male of unknown origins would have been granted passage onto Tortuga without intense scrutiny.” She fluffed her hair and cocked her hip. “But a lone woman in a rusty ship would be welcome.”

  “Clever girl.” He rubbed his beard and nodded. “So they hired you?”

  “To have a look around to see what I could find.” She flashed a smile.

  Ivar’s shoulders bunched, the muscles in his arms flexing. A couple of the men were easing into the hanger, putting some distance between themselves and Delphi. Several of them were fingering the trigger of their blaster. One wrong word and the entire situation would explode, becoming a bloodbath.

  Delphi sauntered toward Ivar and ran her forefinger across his chest. “Imagine my shock when I found what I was looking for all alone in one of your cells.”

  What is she up to now? It would be easy to wrap his hands around her neck and snap it, if he still believed she betrayed him. She knew that, and whatever she was, she wasn’t stupid.

  “And you broke him out? All on your own?” The skepticism was thick.

  Adrenaline pumped through Ivar’s veins, but his entire body went still, became hyper-focused. With military precision, his brain weighed the distance between him and the nearest men, calculating who the biggest threats were. He picked his targets and planned his strategy—drop, grab the blaster, and fire.

  Wouldn’t be the first time.

  The certainty settled over him like a warm blanket.

  “What can I say?” Her lips tilted upward. “I’m that good.” She looked him straight in the eyes and mouthed the word, “Now.”

  ****

  The small disc in her pocket was vibrating. That had to mean help was close. Right? She could only hope so. No one had mentioned that small quirk to her when they’d inserted the tracker under her skin.

  All she had to do was get into the hanger with Ivar. Balthazar was losing patience, had already decided he could torture the information from her and use it to save himself from the Gravasians, maybe even make some money.

  She read it as easily as she could the growing agitation among the men. Throwing out Artemis’s name had been a risk, but a calculated one designed to unsettle them, to make them think twice about getting involved.

  The loyal men would die for their leader. The hired guns didn’t want anything to do with crossing the Gravasians. The mere mention of the warrior planet was enough to weaken the knees of even the most ruthless and cutthroat of criminals.

  And they’d hired her.

  They were all seeing her through a different lens. She was no longer just some woman. She had a connection to the bogeyman of the universe.

  What they didn’t seem to fully grasp was she was as deadly as any Gravasian assassin.

  The vibration increased. Now or never. She peered up at Ivar. If he fought her or decided to make a break on his own, they’d both end up dead. Risking it all, she mouthed the word, “Now.”

  In one quick movement, she withdrew two knives, whirled, and threw. They cut through the air, piercing the flesh of her intended targets. Knives protruding from their necks, they fell, gasping and clawing for breath.

  Already in motion, she leaped at the nearest guard and took him down. Yanking his blaster from him, she rolled and fired, taking down him and the one closest to him.

  Balthazar roared in fury and fired. She took a hit in the arm that knocked her flat. It was only a graze, but the burn shot up her arm. Fuck, that hurt.

  “Delphi!” Ivar roared.

  “I’m fine. Inside,” she yelled back, already back on her feet. Blocking the pain, she kept firing her weapon. Some of the men had run toward the town, but most had retreated into the docking station. “We need cover.”

  Sweat and blood dripped down Ivar’s forehead. His expression grim, he ran behind her, both of them laying down cover fire.

  They’d be at their most vulnerable entering the building. From memory, she brought up the layout of the station. “Keep shooting,” she told him.

  “Charge is low.” His voice was calm, his hand steady. He might not remember who he was, but he’d fallen back on his training. He might not be a Gravasian assassin, but he had some serious skills.

  “In five, keep blasting until you run out.” They needed a diversion. “Be ready to take cover when I tell you.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Whatever she had to. Ignoring him, she counted down in her head. As she lunged forward, she realized she trusted him, without question, to watch her back.

  The revelation was lost as blaster fire kicked up bits of metal and plastique from the floor and walls. She dove for cover behind a small cargo ship, aimed, and fired. Not at any of the men, but the fuel tank on the far wall.

  “Down! Down! Down!” she yelled as she covered her head.

  The explosion rocked the entire building. Fire erupted, spewing across the docking platform. The roar was followed by an enormous blast of heat and air. Men screamed, their anguished cries rising above the crackling flames.

  An alarm sounded and fire retardant rained down from the ceiling. Smoke billowed, providing a good cover.

  Delphi jumped up, ignoring the scrapes and bruises and small burns from flying embers as she ran for Ivar. He was already on his feet, heading toward her.

  She scooped up a blaster from a fallen guard and tossed it to him. He grabbed it on the fly, checked the charge, aimed, and fired in one motion. The muscles in his arms bunched and flexed, his jaw hard, his eyes filled with intensity—the hunted had become the hunter.

  “This way,” she shouted to be heard over the din of the alarm. Looking both up and down, left and right, she cleared a path down the right side of the station, using the docked ships as cover. Ivar flanked her, guarding their rear.

  It was the first time she’d ever had backup on a mission.

  Pausing behind a huge steel girder, she took a breath and centered herself. They were both alive. That was good. But they still weren’t out of here.

  Where was Balthazar?

  The big man had vanished at the first sign of trouble. He had more lives than an ancient Terran cat, which was rumored to have nine.

  Ivar crouched behind her. “What’s the plan?” His breath was warm on her neck and sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Get to my ship and get the hell out of here.” The snipers in the rafters were going to pose a problem.

  “So you can give me to the Gravasians.” His hand gripped her shoulder and spun her around. “That’s the truth,
isn’t it?”

  Sweat burned her eyes. She blinked to clear them. Soot marked his forehead. The scar on his cheek stood out in harsh relief against his skin. A muscle under his eye twitched.

  “They’re not going to hurt you.” He could have shot her in the back and taken his chances, but he’d followed her lead, trusting her after spewing all those hateful lies. She owed him her honesty. “Trust me. They’ll kill anyone who harms you.”

  Ivar frowned and shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  “Not the time or place.” They’d already been in one spot too long. “Move now. Talk later.”

  His jaw clenched but he jerked his head in agreement. “Fine. But you’re going to tell me everything as soon as we’re out of here.”

  They’d see about that. She scooted around the side of a large Dansker trading vessel, keeping her back to the metal exterior. A blast hit inches away. She ducked and swore.

  “Sniper. I’m going to have to take him out.” With her left arm gone numb from the glancing hit she’d taken, she’d need to get a hell of a lot closer for that. A precision shot wasn’t happening. She’d have to get up close and personal for the kill.

  Ivar grunted and disappeared.

  “Where the three hells of Brenam are you going?” She was torn between chasing him and taking out the target to protect him. “I’m going to kill him,” she muttered.

  “You might want to wait.” Ivar reappeared through the smoky haze. The blaster was tucked in the waistband of his pants. In his hands, he gripped a long-range laser rifle.

  “Where did you get that?”

  Ignoring her, he knelt, raised the rifle, and settled. A guard appeared out of the smoke. Delphi fired one shot, taking him down. Ivar never flinched, never wavered, his concentration absolute.

  His index finger caressed the trigger. The laser shot to the other side of the building and up. The blast echoed. A man screamed. The sniper toppled from his nest in the rafters.

  Ivar was up, shouldering the laser rifle and pulling his blaster.

  Was her mouth hanging open? It might be. That was an impossible shot. Or should have been from this range and angle with the amount of smoke in the air. Not to mention the air currents being whipped up by the fire which still wasn’t quite under control. Looked like old Balthazar skimped a little on the fire-retardant system.

  “Let’s go.” He motioned with his weapon.

  “Right. Keep close.” What other hidden talents did he possess? “I’m at the very end of the station.”

  “Of course, you are.” His muttered complaint made her smile. In spite of the craziness of the fire and having people trying to kill them, she was happy because they were both still alive and together.

  She caught a flash of red in the distance. Balthazar was getting away. She started after him, but hesitated, something she’d never done before. He wasn’t the mission. Getting Ivar to safety was.

  Ivar had other plans.

  He burst out from behind her, firing at his captor as he ran toward him. Balthazar took a hit in the shoulder and lurched forward as blood burst from the wound, but he kept going, his massive body absorbing the strike.

  A giant Barskan put himself between them and the retreating Balthazar. Where had he come from?

  With his reddish tinged skin, black hair, and enormous size, he inspired fear. The bone-deep loyalty of his kind made him a perfect bodyguard.

  Ivar fired the blaster. The Barskan’s body jerked but he remained upright. This bastard wasn’t going down easily.

  “There’s another one somewhere,” she warned. There’d been a second one working at the bar, and they usually traveled in pairs. “Leave them. We need to go.”

  The bodyguard fired on them. They dove behind a small space salvager. Breathing heavily, Delphi looked around to get her bearings. People were rushing into the hanger from town, drawn here by the explosion and fear for their vessels. For some of them, it was a way off the planet without having to pay Balthazar.

  The first engine roared to life several docks down. The ship lifted off and disappeared into the clouds.

  “Balthazar is gone.” Defeat tasted bitter, but his time would come. “We need to go.”

  Ivar’s lips tightened into a frown but he nodded.

  “Run.” She rose and moved as fast as she could. The entire station was in chaos. People rushed for their ships and their lives. Lungs and eyes burning, she kept going. “Hurry.” A sense of urgency was pushing her, her instincts screaming a warning. She slammed her hand over the security panel and the door slid open. “Inside. Now.”

  It was as though everything slowed down. Ivar was running full out, chest heaving, nostrils flaring. The determination in his eyes flickered and turned to fear. She swung around. The Barskan was to her right, blaster raised. She swung up her weapon, even knowing she’d be too late.

  Ivar hit her with the force of a battering ram, driving her through the open door. “Close,” she yelled. “Shields up. Prepare for takeoff.” His big body was a deadweight. “Ivar.” He didn’t move, didn’t make a sound.

  Terror threatened to choke her. “No. No. No.” She shoved his torso to the side, threw her leg over his hip, and rolled, heaving him off her. Pressing her head to his chest, she prayed for a miracle. There! His heart was still beating.

  “Computer, get us off this planet now.”

  “Launching in three, two, one,” the computer informed her. She threw herself over him this time, protecting him as they ship rocketed up from the docking station. The small vessel jerked violently from one side to the other. “Taking fire,” the computer calmly informed her.

  “Evasive maneuvers. Get us to G1. Open communications.”

  “What’s going on?” Spear demanded. “We’re almost at Tortuga. There are ships everywhere.”

  “Explosion. Ivar’s hurt.” He’d saved her life. Even though he had to have doubts about her, he’d thrown himself at her.

  “How badly?” Spear’s voice was level, but she heard the undercurrent of worry.

  She ran her hands over his body, not seeing any blood or major damage. “Unsure. He’s unconscious.” Her fingers probed his head gently. “Definite head injury.”

  “Stay with him. I’m taking remote charge of your vessel and bringing you aboard ours.”

  “Communications end.” There was really nothing more to say. She had no medibay on board this tiny vessel.

  She lifted his head onto her lap and pushed the hair off his forehead. “You were supposed to let me protect you.” Her eyes burned. She rubbed them, ignoring the tears. “It’s just the smoke.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper. Her lungs squeezed tight.

  Lowering her head, she pressed her lips against his temple. “Don’t die.” The pain in her heart hurt worse than any blaster hit. “You have to stay alive just so I can kill you for doing something so foolish.” Her words made no logical sense, but emotion never did.

  She placed her hand on his chest, counting each heartbeat.

  “Don’t cry.” His rough voice was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard. Giving a cry of pure relief, she hugged him hard, easing up when he winced.

  “I’m not crying,” she insisted, even as a tear rolled down her cheek and plopped onto his face.

  “I can see that. You’re okay?” He tried to sit up but winced.

  “Don’t move. We don’t know how badly you’re hurt.” She’d almost lost him. Soon he’d be back with his family, and their time together would be over. Living with the threat of losing a loved one was nothing new. Her siblings’ lives had been on the line for as long as she could remember.

  Somehow, this was different. Maybe because they’d fought together, bled together.

  “I love you,” she blurted. The ship slowed, the computer informing them they were about to dock. She pressed her fingers against his lips. “Don’t say anything. Just know everything I said to Balthazar was a lie. This was never about money for me. At first, it was about fulfilling a bargain with t
he Gravasians, keeping my word to my sister’s husband. Then it became all about you.”

  His golden-brown eyes narrowed and his lips moved under her fingers.

  “Please don’t. You’ll be fine. You’ll get your memories back and regain your life. I just hope you’ll remember me fondly.”

  Their ship came to a stop and the engine shut down.

  Ivar reached up and cupped her cheek. “I remember everything.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ivar’s head was throbbing. The last thing he recalled was diving at Delphi and shoving her into her ship. His head had rammed into the metal deck, knocking him cold.

  His stomach churned and the throbbing pain in his head nauseated him. Memories bombarded him, all of them escaping from wherever they’d been hidden, at the same time, making them almost impossible to reconcile.

  All expression left Delphi’s face. Even though his head was still in her lap, he might have been a stranger given her reaction, not the man she’d just told she loved.

  What was going on?

  One thing was certain—he hadn’t known her before she’d shown up outside the door of his prison cell.

  “Delphi.”

  The door to the ship slid open. He pulled his blaster and aimed. His arm wavered, the weapon slowly lowering. “Spear?”

  Wearing a battlesuit with multiple weapons strapped to him, his older brother fell to his knees beside him. “How badly are you hurt?” he demanded.

  He reached out and touched Spear’s face. “You’re not just a dream. You’re real. I remember.”

  “I thought you lost your memories?” Spear glared at Delphi, as if this was her fault.

  Ivar shoved himself up, putting himself between them. “I did. Bashed my head during the escape. Everything came back.” He swallowed heavily as the queasiness in his stomach grew worse. His vision blurred and he swayed.

  “He needs medical attention.” Delphi’s hand was cool on his hot forehead.

  “Stay with me.” He couldn’t protect her if she left him.