Righteous Fury (To Protect and Service Book 2)

by Tracy St. John

  They found them, nearly five hundred naked Earthlings, in a dim, vast space similar to the cargo hold Kimi had woken to after her first abduction. Like those victims, these had exhausted their capacity to show emotion other than fear. Terror was what kept them from celebrating the promise of rescue. Cowed, the majority shook their heads and huddled against the walls, begging the liberators to leave them alone.

  Kimi didn’t know whether to cry from sympathy for the hopeless wretches or scream in frustration. At any moment, the bulk of Hanos’s army would come at them, and that would finish them off.

  She wasn’t alone in her exasperation and certainty that their luck was running out. Vendeen shouted, “Fuck this. Move your asses! I’ll cut the lot of you down rather than leave you for Hanos!”

  He blasted several of the beds, the walls, and the floor to make his point. With panicked cries, the women took the babies the rescuers thrust into their arms and fell in line behind their defenders.

  As they streamed out of the breeders’ quarters, herded down the corridors by the flanking Paatiin and Gilotheans, Kimi muttered to Raven. “I’m not too sure of your boyfriend’s strategy when it comes to traumatized people, but I guess something had to be done.”

  “That was his gentler attitude. Therapy will be on tap for them all, though I suppose it’ll be Hanos in their nightmares for years to come.”

  “I wish them luck when it comes to a decent shrink. The twat waffle I got stuck with couldn’t help a horse out of a barn. A bad psychologist can be worse than none.”

  “This is it, right? No other Earthlings?” Daagiis called.

  Preggers, running faster than her bulk should have allowed for, confirmed his hopes. “These are all I’m aware of.”

  They slowed as they neared a corner. At Daagiis’s nod, those with camosuits activated them, leaving the women and children seemingly alone. When the breeders gasped, not familiar with the technology, the rest hushed them.

  Kimi felt Laaruu on one side, Raven on the other, as she eased into the next hall for a peek. A large number of Gilotheans waited, watching for them. The suits caused enough of a distortion effect to warn them, because someone yelled out. Kimi ducked as shots echoed.

  “Bigger party than we’ve faced before. It’s still not as many as we could have come across.” Laaruu deactivated his suit. Everyone else followed his example.

  “They’ve left themselves in the open, with no protection,” Vendeen called. “We’ll fire in camouflaged teams: Daagiis, Raven, and me first. We’ll switch off every minute to reload and let the next team take over. Pass the order along. Okay, go!”

  The trio disappeared, just as the soldiers stopped shooting. Raven, Vendeen, and Daagiis answered with a deluge of force. For a full minute, gunshots blistered Kimi’s ears in a nonstop salvo.

  Raven, Vendeen, and Daagiis materialized once more, hurrying to the rear of the fighters to reload. Kimi nodded to Laaruu as she activated her camo. “I’ll go low, you go high.”

  “Mutual trust, right?” He winked at her before he disappeared. Kimi moved up to the corner and crouched down. Laaruu’s presence was sensed more than physically felt. She peered around the corner at those trying to kill them.

  Raven and her boys had done some serious damage in a minute. During the lull, the dead were being stacked by the living in an effort to provided themselves cover. Why weren’t they withdrawing to a more defensible position?

  “Hanos must have ordered no retreat on pain of execution. Which makes it easier on us,” Laaruu muttered. Before she could answer him, he began firing.

  Kimi went to work, shooting and ducking when the return shots of explosive bullets began to chip at the wall that hid her. She swore at the stinging fragments that nicked her face. While only a minute passed, it felt like forever. Death barreled down the corridor toward her, and she dealt it in kind.

  “Time!” Laaruu called. They retreated, letting the next pair take up where they left off.

  Kimi checked the women. Most clutched crying babies to their chests and sobbed along with them, huddling near the two dozen fighters standing beyond them. She had the feeling that if the rescuers hadn’t been there, the breeders would have hightailed it to the chamber they’d come from. The women cringed and wailed in fear as the battle wore on.

  “You’re bleeding.” Laaruu rubbed his thumb over a scratch on Kimi’s nose.

  “So are you. Will you still love me when I’m scarred and ugly?”

  “You’ll always be beautiful, no matter what marks you wear. I’ll always love you.”

  Kimi froze and stared at him. Despite the violence, crying, and screams, for an instant only she and Laaruu existed.

  “Would you save it for your honeymoon?” Raven yelled, jolting Kimi out of shock. “We’ve got a battle to deal with here!”

  After five minutes, the fighting seemed to have gone on forever. Laaruu and Daagiis consulted together after checking on Hanos’s fighters and discovering that though dozens were down, more were showing up. The immediate odds were in Kimi’s party’s favor, but it wouldn’t last.

  “Time for a full head-on assault,” Laaruu decided. “At the end of the corridor is the exit to the landing field and our ships. We go all out now.”

  “Agreed,” Daagiis said.

  “No camo.” Vendeen’s expression was grim. “That way, they’ll target those of us with guns and not the women and children.”

  The new orders were passed along to the fighters. Everyone took their positions, and the women were herded into the middle of those who were armed. Shouting as one, the group poured around the corner, those at the front firing nonstop into the soldiers as they stampeded them.

  Kimi and Laaruu were six rows deep from the front line. Men fell as Hanos’s forces mowed them down, but there was no space for sorrow or fear. KImi readied to fire as soon as she had a clear shot, to fight through or die trying.

  Her chance came soon enough. With Laaruu close, Kimi thundered down the hall toward the distant closed door at its end, shooting those who blocked her passage. The weapon in her hands grew hot from issuing its nonstop barrage. The air wavered, breezes wafting her hair as return blasts came close to hitting her. They ended as the last of her opponents fell.

  She leaped over the bodies, the path clear. Without pause, Kimi charged forward. It occurred to her that if the door she aimed for was locked or failed to open automatically at her approach, she would be crushed by the mob behind her. Time to worry about that ran out, because she was mere inches away.

  The door purred opened, and Kimi spilled out into the sunlit outdoors. Her shock caused her to slow as she stared into the blue expanse of sky. An errant thought raced through her mind.

  What the hell? It’s too nice a day for this shit.

  Laaruu spurred her on, grabbing her arm and shouting, “The ships are over here! Come on!”

  Kimi saw where they were headed. Two groups were shooting at each other near Gilothean ships and a number of Paatiin vessels. Hanos’s goons were between her group and those who’d been left to guard the escape craft. However, the enemy was fighting with their backs to Kimi’s party, not yet aware they’d been boxed in by the new arrivals.

  It took only seconds to finish them. The abducted and infants were rushed to the ships, herded on board in groups.

  There was no chance for a celebration. A Gilothean raced to Vendeen and Daagiis. “We have confirmation a large combat force is coming. We have to leave!”

  “You heard the man. Load the fuck up and get the fuck out!” Vendeen exhorted through clenched teeth.

  As shuttle crews ushered the women and children onto the vessels, the fighters set up a line of defense, sheltering behind large cargo bins they’d hurriedly set up. They readied none too soon: enemy Gilotheans poured out of the compound. Within seconds, bullets streaked across a no-man’s land between the two sides.

  Kimi was relieved the evacuation had been planned ahead of time. It must have been, because the number of Ea
rthlings waiting to board over a dozen ships went rapidly. They had to be quick. Hanos’s men were picking off the rescuers at an alarming rate despite the use of camosuits.

  “They’re wearing detection goggles. They see what they’re aiming at,” Laaruu scowled as he popped into view, abandoning all attempts at subterfuge. Everyone followed suit, lessening the chance of hitting each other by mistake.

  Kimi huddled behind the massive metal cargo bin that sheltered her, Laaruu, Raven, Daagiis, and Vendeen. They popped up like whack-a-moles, fired quickly, and ducked down again. It was sheer mayhem, and Kimi had serious doubts they would survive.

  However, the women and children were in the ships. At Laaruu’s order, the fighters began to board too, squad by squad, while the rest protected their escape. Many died as Hanos’s force advanced, dashing forward and firing a blanket of death.

  The larger vessels shut their hatches and lifted off. Moments later, Daagiis shouted, “Civilians are all away!”

  “Everyone else, retreat to the ships!” Vendeen roared.

  “This way!” Laaruu grabbed Kimi’s arm and pulled her toward the sparkling gem she thought was his ship. They fired as they ran, bent low as they attempted to reach safety while providing cover for the others.

  A large shadow passed overhead. Another. Several spacecraft zipped across the sky, firing on the vessels that remained on the ground. Laaruu pushed Kimi down and shielded her with his body as his ship exploded. The remaining vessels went up in quick succession as well.

  Nowhere to go. Cut off from escape. Even before Laaruu rose off her and hauled her to her feet, Kimi knew they were screwed.

  Most of the fighters had been killed in the final salvo that had taken their crafts. Only she, Laaruu, Raven, Daagiis, Vendeen, and three Paatiin remained. The weaponry from both sides fell silent as Hanos’s force of hundreds advanced on them.

  Kimi was determined Hanos wouldn’t get his hands on her again. When she checked her weapon, she saw it was down to half a percent of power. Not enough to fire even a last blast.

  “I’m out,” she snarled, throwing the useless gun to the ground.

  “Stay behind me,” Laaruu said, checking his own weapon. “Shit, I’m done too.”

  It was the same for the rest. Hanos’s thugs surrounded them, their guns trained on the small group that remained.

  Kimi reached for Laaruu’s hand. He gripped tight, his expression grim as they waited to see what would happen next.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  As she waited for the hammer to fall, Kimi became acutely aware of her surroundings. The air of the moon had an odd, acrid scent that stung her nostrils. The sky was Earth-blue, clear without a cloud to mar it. Despite the brightness of the day, the air was cool. It allowed Kimi to feel Laaruu’s body heat all the better.

  The surface they stood on was perfectly level and the deepest black Kimi had ever seen. The ruins of their ships blazed and smoked beyond them, along with a few of the silvery metallic bins they’d hid behind.

  She glanced at Laaruu to find him watching her. Regret filled his expression. “I’m the worst when it comes to taking care of you.”

  She reached out and took his hand despite the warnings shouted from Hanos’s goons to stay still. Ignoring them, she said, “You saved me from far worse than these assholes. You saved me from myself. I bitch and complain, but I’m grateful. Thanks, Laaruu. For all of it.”

  He opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted.

  Swaggering as if he’d singlehandedly captured them, Tum shoved through the circle of soldiers. He leered, especially when his gaze lit on Kimi. Her hackles rose as he ogled her up and down in her skintight camosuit.

  “Put them on their knees, men apart from the sluts.”

  Daagiis snorted. He transformed into a woman, drawing a mocking chuckle from Laaruu.

  Undaunted, Tum laughed in turn. “Fine, make it men and Paatiin freaks apart from the women.”

  When two Gilothean goons grabbed Laaruu roughly, punching him when he resisted, Kimi leveled them with kicks. As good as her programs were, she couldn’t fight off the swarm which descended on her, knocking her off her feet with brutal blows.

  When the painful and suffocating weight of her abusers lifted, yanking her to her knees, Kimi discovered she’d been bound with her arms behind her. So had the rest. Helpless, she and Raven could only watch as the five Paatiin and Vendeen were dragged several feet apart to face them, grunting from the torrent of kicks and punches delivered by their captors. Laaruu’s mouth was bleeding.

  Kimi glared with fury at Tum, who eyed her with amusement. “We meet again, Earth cunt. Hanos will enjoy having another chance at you.”

  “Where is that slimy piece of shit?” Vendeen roared.

  “He’s not here. You came for nothing, Vendeen, and you’ll die for nothing.” Tum laughed.

  “It figures he’d hide and leave everyone else to do his fighting. He always was a coward.”

  “He pays us so well, we’re more than happy to serve him, no matter the reason. Don’t be too disappointed; though he’s not here to enjoy the show. We’ll send pictures.”

  Kimi sneered. “At least his breeding facility has been emptied out. We accomplished that.”

  “Did you think we weren’t expecting this attack? That we wouldn’t be ready?” Tum wandered close, almost near enough for her to lunge forward and bite.

  Almost. Her programming informed her if she tried in her bound state, she’d only faceplant on the hard landing surface.

  Tum continued to taunt her. “Right now, the forces we hid beyond the far side of the planet are attacking your ships, reclaiming our stock and destroying what we have no use for. You accomplished zero. In fact, you made your situation far worse.”

  “You disgusting bastard. Why don’t you untie me so we can have it out? Or are you that terrified of a woman?”

  “So tough, you and this one. Raven, is it? Glaring at me with so much hate! What does it take to make such bitches cry? Hmm? Maybe watching your masters get their throats cut? Seeing them bleed out before your eyes, the life fading?”

  Pure hatred washed through Kimi as Raven paled. With horror, she only then noted her friend had only one arm, which had been tied tight against her side. The robotic version had been torn from the metal socket attaching it to her shoulder. Thin rills of blood escaped where human skin had been torn from the artificial covering.

  Kimi heard a growl and realized it came from her own throat. No matter how helpless she was at the moment, she vowed she would kill Tum if he harmed Laaruu or Raven. She would find some way to rip him apart, piece by piece.

  Unimpressed with her loathing stare, Tum wandered closer to the men. Again, he kept himself just out of range of their reach, provoking them to try with his derisive grin. “You three. How do you feel facing death, knowing that your precious slave pussies will be forced to fuck every man here, one right after the other?”

  Laaruu, Daagiis, and Vendeen fought the cords tying them, their expressions bestial with hatred. Their efforts were rewarded with more kicks and punches from those guarding them, until they lay breathless on the ground.

  Tum continued as if there had been no interruption. “After these cunts have satisfied every man here, they’ll be taken to Hanos. He’ll play with them for a while. He is a most playful fellow, wouldn’t you say, Kimi Furio?”

  She bared her teeth at him.

  “When he tires of playing with his toys, he’ll fuck them. When I contacted him to tell him of your capture, he boasted of the cock sheath he’ll have made for the occasion. It’ll be covered with razor-sharp blades. He promises to use it on every hole these bitches possess, giving them a death so exquisitely painful, the whole galaxy will ring with their screams.”

  Tum leaned to look Laaruu, Daagiis, and Vendeen in the eyes. “That is what awaits your darlings. That is what your failure has sentenced them to. Go to your deaths with that image burned in your brains.”

  Despite t
he abuse it invited, the three struggled to gain their feet, howling with wrath. Even their guards’ vicious kicks couldn’t quiet them.

  Tum turned, laughing as he drew near Kimi and Raven again. He nodded to the soldiers standing over the women.

  Ruthless hands gripped the collar of Kimi’s camosuit and pulled, violently ripping it down the front. Her breasts were exposed, and the guard cruelly manhandled them, hurting her. Kimi shrieked more with anger than pain, thrusting her head back in hopes of hitting some vulnerable spot. She met only air, and the brute clutched her throat. Choking her, he put a blade to the underside of her breast. She froze as the sharp edge bit into soft flesh.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Raven in the same straits. Both held still, barely breathing.

  Tum stood before them, pitiless. “You’ll now watch your masters die. If you look away or close your eyes, we’ll slice off your tits.” He turned to nod at the guards standing ready behind the men, who’d been yanked to kneel once more. Each had a long blade against his throat.

  “You may proceed with the executions. Make the cuts slowly, so we might enjoy their end better.”

  Kimi’s gaze met Laaruu’s. Her master’s expression was calm, unflinching now that the end was upon him. When his executioner yanked his hair, pulling his head back for the killing stroke, Laaruu’s stare never wavered. It was as if he wished to die with her face the final view of this life.

  Tears threatened, but she refused to let them fall, not even with her heart shattering to lose him in such an unthinkable fashion. She would not send him off with a weak display. He would go with the satisfaction of seeing her strong.

  Instead, she mouthed the words I love you.

  Laaruu smiled. An instant later, blood poured.

  But the crimson wash wasn’t from Laaruu’s throat—it came from above him, dripping down onto his dark hair.

  In surrealistic slow motion, the heads of Hanos’s men exploded. Only Tum was spared. The shocking scene was so unexpected, he smirked a full five seconds after the last gushing body thudded to the black ground.