by Lily Thomas
"I want you both gone by the time I come back to my room. This is not tolerated on my ship. The councilor might allow such games on his ship, but not on mine." He growled at them before leaving his room. He had no place on his ship for useless people.
If he wanted to find Adira, he would have to find the councilor.
"You have information about your people that I want to know." Zohx leaned in close, his nose just an inch away from hers.
Adira spat blood at him. He'd been beating her every time she refused to answer one of his questions. It had all started about thirty-four blows earlier. She wasn't sure what was beat up more, her face or his subservient Sri'thaen's hand.
Zohx growled at her, as he wiped the spit from his face with a towel.
"Beat her again, but this time keep at it until I say to stop." Zohx backed up giving the man some room to work.
A Sri'thaen soldier stepped up and backhanded her across the face.
A gasp escaped her. The pain seared up and down her skull. Another slap, and then another. She pulled at her wrists wishing she had the strength to break metal. She tested her ankles, but they were securely tied with metal to the chair legs, which was bolted to the floor.
"Do you really think they'd let me infiltrate a Sri'thaen vessel if I knew about Earth's defenses?" Adira scoffed at him.
"Just tell me what I want to know. Tell me anything."
She was slapped again. It might just be slapping, but the Sri'thaen man had a pair of guns on his arms that added a lot of force behind each hit. The technology inside her was trying to keep up with repairing her, but they were having a difficult time.
"The chief once allowed me to watch a movie." She smiled at him knowing her teeth had to be covered in blood.
Zohx shook his head. "I have no idea what a movie is."
"Actors dress up and act out stories, and then people watch it."
"Who is the chief you speak of?"
"The man who made these modifications to me." It wasn't like the councilor was going to be able to do anything with that information.
"And where is this facility where they made these modifications?"
Adira attempted to shrug in her bindings but found it impossible. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure."
"How would you get back there then?" Zohx folded his arms in front of his chest, his eyes examining every emotion that flickered over her face or in her eyes.
She shrugged in response. She wasn’t about to tell him.
The light in his eyes dulled. Zohx's cold eyes narrowed. "Hit her again."
Adira's eyes closed, as she prepared herself for the hit as the closed fist sailed her way.
"Let me out! Please let me out!" Adira cried into the darkness that surrounded her on every side.
The scientists had dropped her into a small dark hole and locked her inside. She barely had room to move, and she was only twelve years old.
Every once in a while, a scurrying sound whooshed past her, but it couldn't be possible. She felt the walls around her with her hands, and there was no room for anything else to be in the hole with her.
The scurrying sound whipped past her again, and she spun in a circle searching for the thing that was running around.
"Help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She hoped beyond hope that some scientist would come to her rescue since she knew the chief would never feel any pity for her.
Something poked her in the leg, and she let out a terrified yelp. Another poke happened against her other leg. It felt like someone was sticking her with needles. Soon there were too many needle pricks for her to count, and they happened all over her body.
"Please help me." She slowly crumpled to the ground in a heap.
But the needles wouldn't stop.
"You disobeyed us." The chief's voice came through her implanted earpiece.
"I didn't mean to." Adira cried. "Please. I'm sorry." She whimpered.
"You will be sorry."
The line went dead.
"No! Please! Help me! I'm sorry." Adira screamed as the needles continued to poke into her skin.
Rak had traveled all over the damn ship to find Adira. Where was she? He made his way to the last place he had to search, Zohx's ship, which was still attached to their own.
A couple of Sri'thaens stood guard at the airlock. They moved into his way as he neared.
"Move."
"We've been ordered to stay here and prevent anyone from boarding the councilor's ship."
"Either you move, or I move your dead body." Rak threatened. These weren't his men, but he wasn't about to back down from a fight. He knew Adira was on board the councilor's ship and these two thugs confirmed it.
"We have our orders."
"I will get on that ship, it's only a matter of how I get on there." Rak took a step closer to the men.
One of the men glanced at a pad in his hand. "The councilor is probably close to being done."
The other man nodded, and they moved out of Rak's way not wanting to see if he’d follow through on his threat.
"Done with what?" He glanced at the men, but their mouths stayed stubbornly shut.
He brushed past them, entered every room in the ship, which wasn't hard since the ship was so small. He pushed into one more room, and there she was.
Rak's heart stopped in his chest. She was dead. There was no possible way Adira was alive.
"She is pretty spectacular." Zohx's voice came from a corner of the room.
Rak dragged his eyes from her lifeless form. "I can't believe you killed her."
Zohx shook his head. "She isn't dead. Those enhancements inside of her allowed her to resist the pain and helped to heal her as we interrogated her."
His hands balled into fists at his sides. He had to breathe and calm down. Rak couldn't go around punching councilors. It would be severely frowned upon.
"She isn't dead, Rak." Zohx's gray eyes scanned him. "I heard you turned down Sheia and Mirae, which I find amazing. They are personally my favorite women to bed."
Rak snorted. "Thanks, but no thanks." He turned his back on Zohx and kneeled next to Adira. Was she really alive? "Adira? Can you hear me?" His hand came up to gently brush her blood-soaked brown hair out of her face.
Blood dripped out of her mouth as she gurgled something. Her eyes were swollen shut, and her face was unrecognizable. Rak took in a steadying breath. The urge to kill Zohx was almost overwhelming.
Adira gurgled again, and Rak snapped back to reality. He gathered her into his arms and took her from the room. Zohx started to follow him.
"Don't follow me, because I can't promise that I won't kill you. And get those damn women off my ship before I push them out an airlock.” He left Zohx in the dust. He needed Auech to see to Adira as quickly as possible, preferably before Adira died on him. His heart lurched again. There was only one human in the universe he didn't want to see dead.
Chapter 11
"Uhg, where am I?" Adira raised a hand to her head and glanced around the room.
"I'm getting tired of healing you human." Auech and her disapproving eyes sashayed around the white curtain to glare down at her.
"Nice to see you as well." Adira raised a hand to her face and felt around but found everything healed. "I would love to see your medical technology." She felt like normal, even after the beating she'd endured.
"I'm sure you would, but I'm not about to let you."
"Well, I feel great. Thanks for healing me." Adira started to swing her legs off the medical bed.
"Stop." Auech rushed over and pushed a hand on her chest. "Lay back down."
"Thought you healed me."
"You don't get up until Rak comes back." Auech’s jaw clenched. “He wanted you to rest.”
Adira laid back down. "Is he coming to visit soon?"
"He should be here at any moment." Auech wandered away.
Adira twiddled her thumbs for a few minutes, and then Rak's head popped around the curtain. He strode over to her and cupped h
er face in his hands.
"I thought they'd beaten you to death."
"I can't remember all that much." She smiled up at him. "They beat me, and then I must've passed out."
"When I came into his quarters you were laying on the ground, unconscious." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
"I'm still alive. No need to get gushy." She tried to avert her face. His concern was making her uncomfortable. No one had ever given her love or cared for her. It made her feel a bit awkward because she wasn't sure what to do with herself.
"Did your government mistreat you so badly that you can't allow someone to comfort and worry about you?" His gray eyes tried to penetrate her soul.
Adira averted her eyes. "As I've said before, I wasn't raised like a normal child. Only the strongest made it out alive."
Rak propped his hip on the side of the medical bed. "Maybe we should change that."
"What?" Adira wasn't sure what he was trying to say.
"I've discussed it with Zohx, and we both agree that we could find a place among our people for you. He was impressed that you could handle such a beating and not spill anything." Rak growled. "I'm not happy with the way he treated you, but I am glad he wants to keep you alive. He has a lot of sway with the other councilors."
“Zohx is a friend?”
“No and yes. He would kill you without blinking but thinks you could be a good asset to us. What do you think?"
"I… what would I do? What would my place among your people be?" Adira cocked her head to the side.
"We've agreed that we can convince the council that having a human spy on our side would be to our advantage, especially such an enhanced spy."
Adira wasn't sure what to say to him.
Rakshasas knew what he was saying was crazy, but why live a life without Adira by his side. It didn't interest him at all. Besides, he enjoyed a challenge and bringing her among his people would be the greatest challenge he’d ever face besides tracking down every human in the universe.
"Rak, I don't know what to say."
Unless Adira didn't feel the same. She was a human spy raised to hate whatever enemy her government told her to hate… right?
"I don't wish to overwhelm you, but it would be best to inform Zohx as quickly as possible." He knew she was shocked by what he was saying. “Zohx isn’t a patient man.”
"I'm… I'm…"
She began to shudder in his grasp.
"Adira?"
Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she shook uncontrollably.
"Auech! Get in here! Now!" Rak tried to hold her steady.
"What's going on now?" Auech rounded the corner, and then she rushed over when she saw Adira. "What did you do to her?"
"Me?" Rak glared at her. "I did nothing."
"She was fine before you came in here!" Her purple eyes glared over at him.
"I didn't do anything, Auech. Just save her."
Auech strapped down each of Adira's limps and then grabbed a small medical device. “I can’t believe I’m saving this human.” She muttered to herself.
Rak didn’t care how grumpy Auech was, just as long as she did her job.
"What are you doing?" Rak felt helpless, but he wasn't the doctor. He had no option but to rely on Auech and her medical skills.
"Scanning her first." Auech ran the device over Adira's head. "They put a device in her brain as well, and it appears to be malfunctioning."
"Could it be the torture she suffered?" Rak felt his eyes narrow, as he thought back to the beating Zohx had caused her to endure.
"I'd say it's because of all the blows to her head. Now you need to leave."
"No."
"Rak, I'll be doing brain surgery on a human. I need quiet and some time, if I'm going to do this without killing her.” Auech came over to his side and ushered him out of the medical bay. "I'll let you know the moment I'm done, and once she's stable, you can come and see her again."
Rak reluctantly left so that Auech could do her job. Zohx better pray he hadn't killed Adira.
"How is she?" He gazed down at the unconscious form of Adira on the medical bed.
"She'll be fine. Our medical technology is more advanced than many other species, and the device was easy enough to remove." Auech smiled over at him, utterly sure of herself.
"When will she wake?"
"I can wake her now if you want." Auech held up a needle with some sort of liquid inside.
Rak turned to Auech and grabbed one of her hands. "Thank you for what you've done."
Her purple eyes skimmed over his face fondly.
He dropped her hand and turned to Adira. "Wake her."
Auech walked over to Adira's bedside and injected her with the liquid.
Adira found both Auech and Rak leaning over her. "What happened this time?" Her passing out was getting annoying.
"You required my medical expertise yet again human. Didn't I just tell you I'm done with healing you?" Auech folded her arms in front of her chest as her purple eyes glared down at her.
Adira frowned up at her. "Like I had a choice." She glanced over at Rak. "What happen?"
"This device," Auech held up a little metal object, "was in your head, and after your beating, it was damaged, so I removed it."
Adira's mouth dropped. "You removed the piece from my brain?" A slow smile spread across her lips. "I could hug you right now, Auech."
"Please don't, but…” Her face scrunched up in horror at the very idea. “But… why?" Auech looked at the device. "What's so important about this device?"
"It controlled me. Without it in my head, I'm free." She wanted to jump for joy. Now that the device was out of her head, she couldn't feel it pressuring her to complete her mission.
"It controlled you?"
Adira rose and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She felt like a brand new person. "In a way. The device pressured me to either gather intel or to kill a high-ranking official. Kind of like a voice you can't hear, but it's there nonetheless."
"Interesting." Auech looked at the device she was holding. "May I keep it?"
Adira shrugged. "Do whatever you want with it, as long as you don't stick it back in my head."
A small smile grew on Auech's lips. Adira scooted away from her. Auech still creeped her out. She had to be a mad scientist, and Adira had enough of scientists and their cold hands.
"We've wasted enough time talking. We need to work out what we want to do. You either can join us, or I will need to get you out of here. If you aren't an asset, you won't be welcomed."
Adira nodded. "I'm good with joining the Sri'thaens."
Both of them raised their eyebrows in surprise.
"You are?" Rak spoke first.
"After everything my government did to me?"
Rak nodded. "In which case, you will need to go with us back to our home world. The council will want to meet you before authorizing your citizenship."
Adira smiled. Humans had never been any family for her, and she looked forward to bringing the war to them. They deserved what they had coming after all the pain and suffering she'd been subjected to endure.
"And the other human colony?" Adira asked.
"My second in command will take care of it for us, and we will join Zohx back to the home planet," Rak said.
Adira felt some apprehension enter her, but she was excited to see an alien home world. She was curious what their planet looked like. It would be nice to never return to the facility that the chief ran, but at the same time, she wanted to return so she could finally put an end to the nightmares she suffered from every time she put her head on a pillow.
The chief had best watch his back, because he had a target on it now, and she might be about to gain a powerful ally.
Chapter 12
Adira looked around at the other children around her. Fear was plastered all over their faces, eyes wide, sweat trickling down the backs of their necks.
Nothing good was going to come of this. Adira knew the chief wa
s about to weed out some more weaklings from the group. Their numbers had steadily decreased over the last few months.
She just wondered what task he would throw their way this day.
They were inside an older building, instead of a modern fireproof building. Adira recognized the materials as easily flammable. The chief had taught her to always observe her surroundings. She swallowed nervously.
Inching her way to a door, she tried the knob. The door was locked, the knob going back and forth without opening.
Adira swallowed again. She had a bad feeling about this trial they were about to face.
Smoke trickled under the door, and Adira's eyes widened. She'd been right to fear this challenge. They were going to have to escape a burning building. She held the back of her hand to the metal doorknob, heat radiated off the knob.
Something was burning hotly on the other side. Quickly, she made her way to the other door, only to find it locked as well. She took a quick glance around, but there were no windows.
Panic started to spread among the children as the smoke filled the room. Adira dropped to the ground, as she continued to search for a way out. A couple more kids dropped to the floor, where it was easier to breathe.
Making her way around the edge of the floor she found a vent. Clawing at the sides of the vent she was able to pop off the cover. It was just big enough for a child to crawl through. Adira made her way into the vent and then paused halfway through. She could save herself, or she could go last and let the others know about the way out.
Wiggling back out of the vent she crawled across the ground, grabbing onto others' legs and pulling them down.
"Go that way and out the vent." She directed the children. Adira went around the whole room until she was sure she had saved every child. Then she made her way to the vent and left the room behind.
"Why did you save the other children?" The chief's voice lashed out of the blackness surrounding her.
She'd been strapped to a metal table by some scientists. She'd thought she was about to undergo another procedure, but the chief rarely showed up for those. Why was he here now?