Bandits (23 page)

Haden snickered. “You’ll stop me?  How?  The Sekin Z
u
kar is dead, and I’m next in line to lead the Zukar. He cried for his life – just like Rayne did. Oh, no, wait. I forgot - Rayne only cried for his boys’ lives. Pathetic!” Haden pulled the trigger to his gun.

Gabe took off in a run, unnoticed by Haden’s men who had their guns pointed at his father’s men. He raised his gun and shot Haden in the back. His father finished Haden off by shooting him in the head.

Gabe moved out of the way of return fire and watched Haden’s body drop with a
thud
to the ground. A barrage of yells, gunfire, and war ensued.

A large Zukar charged Gabe. He slashed his knife downward slicing the Zukar through. Another Zukar grabbed him from behind, and Gabe jerked his head back to break the nose of his attacker. Then he jabbed his knife backwards and turned quickly to land the tip into the man’s stomach. He pulled it out and hea
d
ed in the direction of his father. Fury filled him at Haden’s threat of his brother’s death. He prayed the threat was empty, but he knew in his chest that Haden’s threats were all too real.

Daniel scratched his head again in frustration. The dire
c
tions he remembered from his father’s journal just didn’t make sense. They led to nowhere. No destination, just a void.

Faulk walked up and slapped Daniel on the back. “Hey cuz. I feel like a new man.
Damn
, I’m gorgeous again. Not a scratch, and I feel like I slept for a week.”

“I know how you feel. Is Nickel done?” Daniel asked, distracted by the navigation map’s red blinking light of war
n
ing.

“Yep, he’s done and so was Jade. Man, she wouldn’t let me kiss her. I’m not giving up that easy though. She smiled at me and told me she was taken. Said her kisses are already claimed.” Faulk scratched his
chin
. “I thought you said her brothers didn’t let her date?  Hell, I thought that meant they were saving her for me.” Faulk laughed and reached in front of Daniel to shut off the nav
i
gator’s red warning light.

Daniel punched in the command to expand the screen and then returned Faulk’s stare. “She is taken.”

Faulk narrowed his gaze at Daniel, folded his arms, and frowned. He cleared his throat. “I’d like to know how the hell she’s taken when you told me she was
off limits
. Off limits to me and to
you
.” He poked Daniel in the chest with his finger. “And since she’s not with me, just who the hell is she with?” 

Daniel stepped into Faulk’s stiff finger. “She’s with me. She’s mine, and you can’t have her.” He shrugged. “Sorry, but…,” Daniel’s words were cut off when Faulk landed a punch to the side of his face. Daniel punched him in the stomach. Faulk reco
v
ered quickly and
charged at
him.

“Faulk!” Daniel let out as Faulk tackled him. He fell back, and his head hit the carpeted floor. Before he could recover Faulk landed punch after punch on his chest and face. “Give – it – up!”

“Hell no! Ugh!” Faulk tried to block Daniel’s punch.

Daniel punched him in the stomach and then up at Faulk’s jaw. Daniel bucked up and pushed Faulk off his chest. Quickly, he climbed on top of Faulk, pressed his knees down on Faulk’s arms, and wrapped his hands around his neck.

Breathing hard, he said, “Look, I’m sorry, cuz, but she wanted me first. She likes you, but she loves me. I can’t give her up now.”

“Hell. You weren’t
even interested until I saw her!
” Faulk heaved. His head fell back on the carpet, and relaxed.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen, but I’m not giving her up. Not even for you,” Daniel replied. Slowly, he moved his hands from Faulk’s neck.

“Did you kiss her? Did you?” Faulk hissed.

“Yeah, I did,” Daniel answered. Looking Faulk over, he figured the fight was over. He stood up and gave Faulk his hand. Faulk reluctantly grabbed it and stood.

He snatched his hand away and wiped his hand through his spiked hair. “I knew it! I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t hurt like hell to let her go. I wanted to be her first kiss. Damn. Damn. Damn.” He frowned and pointed at Daniel. “Just know, you screw up, I’m gonna be there to pick up the pieces. I’m war
n
ing you, once I get her, you won’t ever get her back.” Faulk glared.

“I know, but I’m not going to lose her. She’s for keeps. Besides, she kissed me first.” Daniel shrugged.

Faulk
cracked his neck, his hand squeezing it as he frowned.
“Aw hell. It’s even worse than I thought. Why the hell didn’t she kiss me? I gave her all the signs. She was even war
m
ing up to me at your p
lace. She let me hug her, and…,
I was close.”

“She kissed me at her family trove. Caught me by su
r
prise. I felt guilty as hell, but after that – I was hooked, and hooked bad.” Daniel chuckled.

“I would’ve been too,” Faulk said without returning D
a
niel’s smile. He waved his hand with a snort and walked over to the controls.

“Let it rest. Hey, take a look at the nav. Where the hell is my father taking us?  You ever see anything like that?” Daniel asked.

Nickel and Jade came running in the room. “Like what?  Where are we going?” Nickel asked.

“The location Dad gave us is an unknown planet. It’s not showing up on the nav system. Did he tell you anything about a place called Purgas?” Daniel walked over to Jade and Nickel.

Daniel’s eyes cut at her, and his fingers itched to pull her i
n
to his arms for a kiss.

“Hey, Faulk,” Jade said with a wave.

“Humph.” Faulk grunted his greeting with a disa
p
pointed frown and looked at Daniel with a raised eyebrow.

Jade’s smile dropped, but she quickly recovered as she looked at Nickel.

Nickel replied, “He did tell me about this far-off planet, a place where he fought for … uh, a heritage. He said he hoped we would never have to go there. I think he said you couldn’t find it, that it had to find you. Weird, huh?”

“Funny. He must’ve been going senile, because that makes no sense,” Daniel wiped his hand down his face.

“Well, we’ll find out soon enough. We’re about thirty minutes from the location you gave me,” Faulk answered.

Daniel observed Jade’s guilt ridden face as she looked at Faulk. It angered him that she would feel guilty for choosing him. He walked up to her and kissed her softly on her lips. Gently, he pulled her into his embrace and whispered, “He knows. It’s okay. He’s not angry, just faking for sympathy. Ignore him.” Then he turned an angry gaze at Faulk who r
e
turned a lopsided grin and shrugged. Daniel let out a breath.

Jade gazed up at him, a bit embarrassed. He had no doubt now that Faulk was not a threat. He released her and walked toward Faulk.

“Jade and Nickel, sit back there while I help Faulk nav
i
gate us to Purgas. I just want us to get there alive. Any being that could make something that can destroy worlds, is not friendly,” he said with a confident smile, though he wasn’t sure how he mustered it.

Daniel watched the navigation screen with a grimace of apprehension. Minute by minute crawled by as the ship moved toward a destination unknown. He looked up at Faulk who r
e
turned his gaze with a look of trepidation.

Faulk expelled a frustrated breath and turned back to the window of void space ahead. “What is that?” He hit the control panel with his fist.

Daniel looked up and saw shimmering gold and blue lights that bubbled in front of them. It seemed to appear out of clear space and mushroomed
with
spark
s of
colors held within a glo
w
ing sphere. With each small explosion of light the circular void changed colors. Growing larger and larger before their eyes, curved thick ropes of colors appeared in the middle of the mass. The ropes of colors intertwined and widened as the sphere of bursting lights enveloped the darkened space ahead.

Jade and Nickel got up to see the lit path in front of them. Mesmerized by the beautiful colors of lights, Nickel’s mouth slowly gaped open.

“Wow! That’s cool.” Nickel eyes were glued to the dan
c
ing lights of colors.

“I don’t know about this. It looks like everything that goes into that light disappears. Look…, there.” Jade raised a finger and pointed at the disappearing space debris. “See that? It looks like it’s breaking apart when it gets sucked in, and then it’s gone.” Jade’s fear was obvious in her voice.

“
Y
ou
’
re right,” Daniel answered.

Faulk attempted to turn the ship around. “I’m backing this ship up.”

Daniel laid a hand on Faulk’s arm to stop him. “No. Stay the course. We have to do this to save Merwin. If my father did it, we can too. Hold on!” He pushed Jade and Nickel back from the controls as the ship started to vibrate.

They watched in horror as the front tip of the ship a
p
peared to break apart into tiny particles that were absorbed. It appeared to turn into dust before becoming transparent, and then it was engulfed. The see-through pieces dissipated in the colorful moving lights, and were gone in an instant. The sphere of bursting lights continued to expand and widen with each inch of the ship as it broke apart and was absorbed.

Fear snaked from Daniel’s stomach to his chest, and he yelled, “Go as far back in the ship as you can.” He gave Nickel a push. “Now! Go!”

Faulk frowne
d at Daniel. “What
have we done?” He turned and ran after the others and then stopped at the door and called, “C’mon! I put it on autopilot. There’s no turning back now.”

“Right behind you!” Daniel said as he watched the strange lights eat away the front of the ship.
I hope you were right, old man.
He shook his head in awe at the sight as the ship was swa
l
lowed up further and further within the orb. “It’s going to eat up the controls!”

Faulk ran back and pulled Daniel by the arm. “Looks like that thing is controlling the ship now anyhow. Let’s go, dude! Buy us some time.”

Daniel ran behind him and the two of them scurried to the back of the large flight control room, down the hall, and through the door to the storage room at the tail of the ship. Daniel gulped as he leaned back against the wall with the others. There was nowhere to run. Over half the ship had been eaten away, and the remaining ship was being held upright by some hidden force. Daniel stared in front of him at a wall of beautiful lights that held the broken, microscopic parts of his ship in its depths before they vanished within. Fear and unce
r
tainty consumed him. He knew he could trust his father’s guidance in this journey. Although, his father had changed greatly in the previous years, he’d never lied to him.

Daniel picked up Nickel with his arm and lifted him up. He put his arm around Jade and pulled her to him in a tight hug. “I got you little bro. Hold on,” Daniel said.

Faulk’s head fell back against the wall. “We’re next, cuz. Just want to say, I love you all. I wish I could’ve been with you sooner, but I’m glad I got to know you,” Faulk choked up and tried to hold in his fear.

“We’re not going to die. My father survived this, and so will we. Trust me…, trust him,” Daniel affirmed.

“Sure, ‘cause I’m so not ready to die,” Faulk replied.

Daniel looked down at a silent Jade. He could tell she was holding in her fear. Her shoulder shivered slightly as she pressed closer against him. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Don’t be afraid. My father was a lot of things, but he would never lead us to certain death. Just hold onto me.”

She looked up at him, her eyes slightly watered, and said, “I know Poppy wouldn’t do that. I’m ready.”  She smiled and kissed Daniel softly on the lips.

Nickel stiffened against Daniel and opened his eyes to look ahead. “Dad wanted us to do this. I’ll be brave. He always told me to be brave.” His expression changed to stoic determ
i
nation.

Daniel put Nickel down, but held him firmly at his side. “You are brave, Nickel. I know you’d save my life in a minute. Hold on to me and don’t let go.” His voice deepened as the bright lights came within a few feet of where they stood. It moved slowly toward them.

Daniel’s blood pumped faster and faster until he could feel his pulse throbbing in his neck. Dread laced through his veins, and his breathing increased. He turned away from the lights to look at Faulk.

Faulk returned his gaze with a shaky cocked-up grin. “Here we go, dude,” Faulk said, just before complete darkness hit.

Daniel’s world became weightless. His hold on Jade and Nickel was gone. He felt, completely and utterly free of his body -floating, dark, cool then warmth. And then…, nothing.