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Rage hit Cavas fast and hard for the ones responsible. “What did they do to you?”
Crath released him and they stared at each other. “Beatings. No food. I can’t even tell you how long I’ve been here. I lost track of the days. Maybe a week? I’m just grateful to see you. Let’s get out of here. I want food, access to water, and clean clothes.” He paused. “Tell me you have a military cruiser up there.” He pointed toward the ceiling. “You need to send teams to overrun the colony to arrest most of the residents. Especially the ones running this planet. You’d be horrified over the crimes I’ve uncovered going on here. They must have figured out I was collecting evidence to show the authorities.”
“That’s not why you were locked up.”
Crath frowned. “It must be. I thought I was careful, but I must have tipped them off. It’s possible one of the Tryleskians living here recognized my face.”
Cavas gripped his shoulders. “We don’t have time to talk. I’ll tell you everything later. Right now, we need to get out of here. Our escape depends on it.”
“What do you mean escape? Of course your teams must be swarming the entire surface by now?”
Cavas understood why his brother would think so. He’d have brought a cruiser if he were still in the military. At least five hundred to a thousand soldiers would be under his command. They could easily take control of a colony and sort out the criminals from the victims.
“Crath, a cruiser isn’t waiting. The Vorge is. We need to go.”
Cavas turned away and snatched hold of Jill’s hand, pulling her toward the door. Nell, the Parri, stood just outside, watching them. Cavas wasn’t certain if he could trust the male, but he wasn’t going to allow Jill out of his sight until they were safely back on the shuttle and off the planet.
“What do you mean?” Crath followed. “Cathian brought you?”
“This is not the time,” Cavas snapped. “Right now, we need to focus on escaping.”
Crath grunted. “Fine. Give me a weapon.”
Cavas removed one from his pocket and tossed it over his shoulder. He smiled when he heard his brother catch it without issue. Crath couldn’t be too hurt.
Then his amusement died. His brother would need that weapon to defend himself. He was in no shape for hand-to-hand battle.
Cavas strode to the center of the large cavern, visually checking the status of the guard. He still didn’t move, out cold. “Listen to me,” he bellowed. “I’m going to release all of you. Then we’ll open those doors. We’re going to have to fight our way out but there are plenty of transports outside. The colony brought a lot of spectators to the arena. It will be chaos once we leave here. Use the crowds to your advantage. Blend and mingle if you can. Do you understand? The large transports won’t be heavily guarded but time isn’t on our side.”
He heard grumblings from some while other prisoners yelled their agreement.
Cavas gently pushed Jill toward his brother. “The female is with us. She’s part of my team. I’m with the Tryleskian military. I’ve sent notifications to all local authorities of the atrocities being committed on Flax Colony. They are on their way.”
He hated to lie, but he needed the prisoners motivated to escape. He would be sending evidence to the authorities, after he returned to The Vorge. “We don’t have time to wait for the military to arrive. It’s fight our way out or die. Who is with me?”
Now all the prisoners seemed onboard as they shouted in excitement. He glanced at Crath and whispered. “Keep the female at your side, wait for them to go first, and then we leave. Got it?”
“Yes.” Crath frowned at Jill. “I know you.”
“Not now,” Cavas snapped. He strode away, quickly releasing the prisoners. There were over thirty of them. He had hoped for more, but it was the only plan they had.
He went to the door and activated it. The motors came on, and the prisoners gathered in front of the massive entrance, shifting restlessly.
As soon as the doors parted a few feet, they rushed forward, shoving and pushing each other.
Cavas pulled his blaster, getting in front of Jill and Crath. “Let’s move! Stay behind me.”
Chapter Seven
Jill ran after Cavas. The big alien’s plan wasn’t her favorite. It sounded nuts to her. Couldn’t they have planned a second shuttle to pick them up on the walkway just outside the doors? Maybe brought some ropes to repel to the ground and then run for the shuttle?
No one had asked her though.
Both brothers had long legs, and she couldn’t keep up as they ran full speed from the mountain. The bridge was at least clear of guards. The sounds in the arena were an indication that all hell had broken loose. There were screams and shouting. A strange boom sounded that she guessed might be from those long rifle weapons the guards carried.
They reached the other side, and both brothers disappeared inside the arena. Jill ran after them, panting, and someone slammed into her. She stumbled, hitting the wall hard enough to hurt. More bodies rushed past her. They were spectators who’d climbed to that level from the crowded seats below, fleeing for their lives. She hugged the wall, terrified of being trampled as more and more people appeared.
A toad alien glanced at her as he rushed by, then he spun around, making a grab for her, suction cups on the tips of his fingers. His big green tongue laved his wide, thin lips, and she hated the way he looked at her—lustily.
She wasn’t about to allow him to kidnap or assault her in the chaos.
She had the chain in her hands. Jill fisting the handle and doubled the links, giving herself at a few feet to swing at him. She aimed for his face. He jumped back, right into the path of other fleeing spectators. They knocked him against the railing, where he fought to not fall over the edge. Rage filled his gaze as he glared at her.
She tensed, prepared to use the chain to strangle him with if he came at her again.
Suddenly, a large hand grabbed her arm. She jerked her head, ready to swing the chain again…
It wasn’t yet another strange alien, attempting to snag an unprotected slave.
Cavas snarled loudly enough for her to hear over the shouting and screams. He yanked her close and then lifted her, tossing her over his shoulder. It hurt but she wasn’t about to complain.
She lost the grip on her leash and frantically reached for the back of her neck. With him running, her body slamming against his shoulder, it was tough to get ahold of the collar, but she managed. The latch disconnected and the collar fell off her throat. At least she no longer had to fear the chain snagging on something and breaking her neck at their present speed.
Bodies bumped into them but Cavas kept going, using the fleeing civilians as cover. She tried to peer around, searching for signs of Crath, but there were too many bodies. Someone from behind them slammed into her and she cried out.
Cavas held onto her legs tighter, then was running down steps. It almost made her pass out from the pain. She’d definitely have bruises where her hips were slamming against his broad shoulder. The only comfort was that it was probably just as tough on him to carry her and stay upright while attempting to get them outside.
“Almost there!” he yelled.
A boom sounded, and she twisted her head in time to watch as a purple alien’s chest exploded. Purple blood splattered her, hitting her face, hair, and the exposed skin on her back and side.
Jill squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed hold of Cavas’s waist. She was pretty sure that poor alien had been shot by one of the guards. It wasn’t a prisoner she’d seen in the cavern.
That meant the guards were just aiming at anyone.
They were going to die.
Cavas kept moving, though, down more stairs. There were too many. They’d taken a lift to get that high, but either he couldn’t reach it or the panicked crowd were blocking them.
Why had she volunteered to return to this planet? Jill wished she could go back in time to warn herself to avoid doing just that. Seeing that alien explode
had been disgusting and horrifying. Human weapons were bad, but alien weapons were far worse if they could do that to a body.
Cavas suddenly released her legs and grabbed hold of her ass with one big hand. “Brace!”
She held her breath, tensing at his roared command. Jill was almost grateful she couldn’t see what he could. Were they about to be shot? Die?
His body tightened under her, his muscles bunching—and then they were in the air. Her stomach rose to her throat in those frozen seconds, when she realized they were falling.
Then came the landing.
Cavas kind of hunched into a ball as his feet hit something hard enough that it knocked the air from her lungs as most of her body bounced off his back. Then he was pushing up, adjusting his hold on her, and running faster.
Something hit her face, sticking to her. She gasped in air and regretted it as sand hit her tongue, almost making her gag. But they were outside the arena.
When she heard his feet on metal, she forced her eyes open, glimpsing the ramp before everything went dark. Cavas spun around, almost making her puke with the fast action. She heard an engine roar to life.
“Get us out of here,” Cavas panted.
“I’m working on it,” Crath yelled. “The ramp is up. Grab on to something! They brought out the cannons and are aiming toward the landing field.”
There was a loud boom outside that could be heard over the engines. Cavas twisted again, and her foot bumped something solid. Probably the shuttle wall. Then he dragged her down the front of his body and dropped down. She landed on top of him.
Jill opened her eyes, realizing they were on the shuttle floor. The engines roared louder, and it felt like they were shooting straight upward. It reminded her of the time she’d gone on a roller coaster. The force of the coaster had plastered her to the seat of the ride. Now, she was pressing tight against Cavas in the same way and couldn’t push off.
The shuttle shook, tilting to one side sharply. The swift motion had her sliding off Cavas and slamming into the floor. Gravity pulled at her hard enough to hurt.
Cavas suddenly rolled on top of her, his big body pinning hers to the hard floor. He adjusted his arms, bracing somewhat to avoid crushing her.
She clutched at his shoulders in terror. “What’s going on?”
“Rapid ascent to avoid being fired on, then I’m guessing they shot at us,” he panted. “They missed, or we wouldn’t be alive.” Then he tore his gaze from hers, looking toward the pilot seats at the front of the shuttle. “Ease our speed slowly once you hit ten thousand feet. We’ll be out of cannon range. Don’t send us into the roof when you do. We’re not belted in.”
“I know what I’m doing!”
Cavas snarled at Crath. “You’re a bad pilot.”
Deep laughter came from the cockpit. “I got this big machine started and off the surface, didn’t I? We’re not blown apart.”
Cavas growled and lowered his chin, staring into her eyes. Jill couldn’t believe they were alive and in one piece. She ached a bit, would have a lot of bruises, but she could feel her limbs. They were all there. And it was kind of sweet, the way Cavas was pinning her down, trying to protect her. She managed a small smile.
His golden eyes narrowed. “What’s amusing?”
“We did it.”
He glanced at her hair and face, before taking a quick glance at her chest. “It’s a good thing I know that blood isn’t yours, or I’d assume you were critically injured. Are you hurt?”
“Banged up a bit, but I’ll live.”
The pressure eased from the swiftly moving shuttle and Cavas lifted off her, got to his feet, and then bent to clasp her wrists. He pulled her to her feet and turned them both, gently shoving her toward the nearest seat. “Belt in.”
She watched him stride to the front of the shuttle and drop into the second pilot seat, where he strapped in.
“I’m taking over,” Cavas demanded.
Crath lifted his hands high into the air. “All yours, brother. You did save my life. I’ll let you pilot. Now tell me why you have Cathian’s shuttle and vessel. Did you pull rank and take it over for one of your military missions? I bet he’s furious.”
Cavas turned in his seat and glanced at her with an expression Jill couldn’t read. Then he turned back to his brother. “I resigned, Crath. Father asked Yorlian Trevis to arrest you and hold you prisoner.”
“What? Why would he do that?”
Jill felt awful for Crath. He sounded beyond astonished. Earth had screwed her over, but Crath’s own father had betrayed him. She closed her eyes, listening as Cavas explained everything…how he’d been ordered to board The Vorge with a team, take their cousin Raff, torture him to death, and how they’d ended up on the planet to rescue him, instead.
The engines grew quieter, and she could feel that they’d reached space. There was a queasy feeling during the transition. It passed quickly. Crath had also grown quiet. So had Cavas. Long minutes passed, and when Cavas finally spoke, it was to contact The Vorge.
“We have what we came for. Prepare medical. Our younger brother needs a checkup and to be healed of minor injuries.”
She’d already learned to recognize some of the crew’s voices. It was Cathian who answered. “And the female? Is she safe?”
“Jill is unharmed. She did great. I couldn’t have done any of this without her assistance.” Cavas stated.
His words made her proud, though all the uncertainty of living in space weighed heavily on her mind. There would be no returning to Earth. She had to find a way to survive, and that meant becoming a member of the crew. Regardless of what the other women on the ship had told her, nothing in life ever came free.
“Today was the first step in earning my keep,” she whispered.
“What did you say, Jill?”
She opened her eyes, finding Cavas peering at her from the front. “Nothing. Just muttering to myself.”
“We’ll be back on The Vorge in minutes. I’ll take Crath to medical. Do you need the android to run scans on you as well?”
“No. I’m good.” She lowered her chin and stared at her arm, covered with purple blood. It was drying on her skin. There was more in her hair and along her back. “I definitely need a shower.”
“I can’t believe our father has gone this far…”
She looked up at Crath. His expression was filled with sadness as he stared at his brother. Cavas reached over and gripped his arm.
Jill blinked back tears, watching the silent exchange as one brother attempted to comfort the other. It made her miss having a family.
* * * * *
Cavas and Cathian got their youngest littermate settled into one of the crew cabins once the android had treated him. Most of Crath’s injures were healed but he needed to regain his strength and some of his body mass. He’d lost a good twenty pounds in captivity. Crath had insisted on showering in the medical bay. Now he paced the living space, rubbing his wet mane.
“I can’t believe Father would do this!”
Cavas shared a concerned look with Cathian. His older littermate started to speak, but Cavas was faster.
“We’ve known since he tried to hide Raff from our family and left him on Gluttren Four that he was capable of cruelty to his own blood relations.”
Crath spun, staring at him. “I will never condone what he did, but a part of me hoped that Father believed Raff wasn’t really from our bloodline. That he was protecting his younger littermate from an unknown female making a false claim of having his child. It was suspicious that only one Tryleskian infant would be born to that alien woman on Gluttren Four. I wanted to believe it was a horrible mistake on their parts, and that Father felt too much shame to admit he’d been wrong once Raff was located…but there’s zero doubt that he’s a Vellar.”
“A couple of assassins went after Raff and his mother when our cousin was a child. Raff managed to kill them, and one of them carried proof that they were hired by our father. He discovered it on one of
the bodies.” Cathian said the words softly but with conviction.
Crath spun away, making a pained sound. “No one told me!”
“I only recently found out,” Cathian admitted. “Raff isn’t one to share much about his past. That’s the evidence Raff has in his possession, and the reason Father ordered Cavas to bring a team to grab him. Raff threatened to expose that information if I was officially ordered to step down as ambassador, or if anyone tried to take The Vorge from me.”
Crath shot a glare at Cavas. “You knew?”
“Cathian notified me because of Father’s threats. He knew it would take the military to reclaim this vessel. I would have prevented any teams from being sent.”
Crath began to pace again. “No one tells me anything!”
Cavas sighed. “You are difficult to speak to. The few messages I got from you were just that. Brief messages telling me where you were going next. This was sensitive information we wished to share with you, but not over unsecured communications. You’re always off exploring different planets or going on adventures.”
Crath snarled and threw himself down on the couch. “I search for injustices and report them. I do a lot more than you think!” He shot glares at both of his littermates. “I’ve worked undercover for the allied authorities for eight years.”
Shock lashed at Cavas. He glanced at Cathian, seeing his surprise, too. “You didn’t feel the need to tell us this?”
Crath sighed. “I work undercover. You don’t share military secret missions with me, Cavas. You don’t tell me what ambassador errands you’re undertaking, Cathian. It was beneficial to have everyone believe I was traipsing to different places to escape my family responsibilities, spending the Vellar wealth. But I always let both of you know where I was going. On Flax Colony, I used my Brit identity, since there were so many Tryleskians living there. I didn’t want to be abducted for ransom. That one previous attempt was more than enough.”