“Maybe we should drain him instead.”
“That will kill me,” I rasp, the blurry room slowly taking shape around me.Anything to stay alive and fight for a chance to see her again.“You’ll get more if I’m alive. If I live through this poison.”
“That serum will get a high price on the black market. I can replicate it,” he says like my life doesn’t matter. I know it doesn’t to him. But it does to his daughter. “You think you’re the first I’ve seen of your kind? No. So don’t try to talk your way out of it.”
I think about Zariah and how her scent has changed since last night. If it is what I believe, then I’m not going to tell him anything. I want her to get as far away from the place as possible.
“Do whatever you want to me. Just let her go. She didn’t want to help him. He made her,” I offer.
“I see now which child was loyal and which wasn’t,” he remarks.
A nearby screen comes to life, displaying the puzzle wall, her solving it, and then almost everyone ducking below a flood of arrows. My core beats faster, and my vision clears a little more. “Ironic to talk about loyalty and greed as if you know the difference.”
“Says one of the last of his species—” He snorts at me and switches screens. We watch the clouds billow and a rifle move by an invisible force.
My core pulses faster as I realize what’s happened.
That’s it. Run, Zariah. Get as far away from here as you can.I close my eyes and pray she gets on the ship and leaves.
“Send three teams after him and his men and another after her.
“You can have me, not her,” I say, feeling heat return to my body.
Her father glowers at me. “He’s becoming more of a problem than I want to deal with.”
“We take what we want,” the guard says, pointing his rifle at me.
I’m not sure if I’m ready, but as his rifle igniter lights up, I know I’m out of time.
Grabbing the muzzle, I shove it aside as a bullet punches through the floor. My ear rings, but I ignore it and tug on the rifle, pulling the man closer. Then I punch him in the face.
The guard staggers back. I yank the rifle from his hands, roll away, aim, and fire. His shield falters and fails. The man collapses as I scramble up and fire back at Zariah’s father. His shield is stronger and barely flickers from the rifle fire. I’m not surprised he’d be smart enough to ensure his shield could endure any fire from guards that change loyalties on him. They have built an underground empire on the backs of taking what they want, which inherently breeds distrust, resentment, and flighty honor at best.
The rave room is difficult to weave through. Gunfire hasn’t disrupted the people and aliens dancing to the thumping music. And by the dazed and drunk looks on their faces, they’re all drugged.
I have to find my way out and get to Zariah so we can get the hell out of here.
31: Zariah
I find two guards lying in the hallway and hope Elix has broken free. When I charge out to the ship, I am greeted by two more confused guards on the ramp. I fire at them. It takes three shots to break their shields and a fourth to take them down.
None of the controls inside respond to me, even when I put on a set of the guards’ gloves. But I can access the cabinets and steal a shield plus a spare, strap one to my chest, and shove the other in my pocket. Then I clip on a harness with extra ammo and a handgun as backup. But I stop when I notice something on the co-pilot’s seat. It’s a Terran security badge with a face and a name: Kursh.
Looks like him.I tuck it in a pocket and sneak to the edge of the ramp. A few guards search the hallways on one side of the hangar, so I slink out the other side of the ramp and take a different route.
Lifting my wristband, I message Elix.
Where are you? I broke out.
A rave somewhere below. Follow the music. Your father is here.
I stop as the reality sinks in.Of course, he’s not dead. Probably faked that as a cover. Kept his gold and weapons close.
I follow the thumping racket through corridors, deep in the heart of the red planet. A guard stands watch at the doorway.
As I lift my rifle to fire, I notice my fingers seem blurry.What the heck?
I check my arms and hands, but I’ve become just ABR gear with an invisible being inside.
