Shadower (34 page)

"Hold it right there."

Hearing the familiar voice, she held her fire. Sabin, along with Jarek and Radd, stepped into the clearing. All three aimed rifles toward Galen. Radd must have freed Sabin. But how had they known to come to here?

Galen dropped his gun and raised his hands out by his side. "All right, all right. I'm not foolish enough to try to outshoot three of you."

Keeping his attention on Galen, Sabin motioned to Radd and Jarek. They quickly surveyed the camp. Turlock and another man were on the ground. Moriah guessed Galen's third man was still on her ship, readying it for takeoff.

Jarek moved to stand guard over the downed men. Radd saw Lionia and ran to her, crouching beside her. Moriah followed and saw Lionia stir when he touched her. She was alive! 

Ripping off his shirt, Radd folded it and placed it over the wound on Lionia’s chest, applying pressure. Red immediately stained the cloth. "Lionia, it's me," he said. "Everything's gonna be okay." She stirred and groaned. Her eyes fluttered open.

Seeing she was in capable hands, Moriah moved to Kiah. But as she neared, she knew immediately that the Leor was dead. She had taken a direct hit to the head. Grief roared through Moriah, a burning agony. She gathered Kiah's body against her, heedless of the blood.

"You sorry son of a bitch!"

Sabin's furious words cut through her pain, drawing her attention. She looked up to see him gesture toward them and speak to Galen. "You didn't have to hurt these women. You enjoy killing, don't you?"

The man shrugged. "Self-defense."

She'd show him self-defense. Clutching her gun, Moriah rose and slipped behind the tree line. She moved sideways, positioning herself and taking aim. She'd never shot anyone in the back, but Galen deserved a coward's death.

A powerful arm snaked around her neck, jerking her back against a hard body. Pressure on her windpipe cut off her air. She grabbed the arm choking her and tried to pry it loose. Fought to yank free.

Cold magnasteel pressed against her right temple. "Stop struggling. I'd hate to hurt you, sweet thing. Especially before you and I get to have a little fun. Like old times."

She froze, far more terrified by the low, insidious voice than the thought of death.
Pax.
Spirit, what was he doing here? She thought she'd escaped him forever.

"That's better. I knew you'd be anxious to see me again."

His arm lock on her neck eased. She dragged air into her lungs, her heart racing.
Pax.
Black talons of terror descended, ripping at her sanity. Panic pounded inside her. Red blanketed her field of vision, and for a moment, she feared she'd pass out. If that happened, she'd be helpless.
Breathe. Breathe!

"Did you miss me, sweet thing?" he whispered in her ear. "Shouldn't have run off and left me. That made me very unhappy."

Nausea roiled in her stomach. Spirit help her. She had to think.
Think!

"Tell you what, Moriah. I'll claim this bounty here, and then you and I can take up right where we left off." 

"I'd rather die," she hissed, jerking against his arm. "Let me go!"

He shoved her forward, tightening his arm when she tried to resist. The metal dug painfully into her temple. "I'd hate to destroy a pretty piece like you. So don't push your luck."

She made herself relax. Tried to fight back the panic. It was foolish to struggle with a gun against her head. She'd gotten away from Pax before. She could again.

He forced her into the clearing, away from Radd and Lionia. His movement caught Sabin's eye, and he looked toward them.

"Hey, Travers," Pax yelled. "Thanks for holding my bounty for me."

*  *  *  *

Just then, Galen took advantage of Sabin's momentary distraction. Grabbing up his gun, he started shooting. Sabin managed to drop and roll. Galen's shot nicked his thigh, but it didn't slow him. He pressed his shoulder into the ground, aimed, and discharged his own weapon. Galen staggered, a look of shock on his face. A moment later he collapsed, face down, in the dust.

Sabin scrambled up and limped forward, his weapon still fixed on Galen. Moving nearer, he saw a hole gaping in the back of his head. Sabin glanced up to see Jarek standing a few meters away, lowering his weapon. With his foot, he levered Galen onto his back. Blood oozed from a second wound directly above his heart. Two hits, both fatal.

Shielder justice had been served.

Sabin looked across the clearing. Pax had one arm locked around Moriah's throat and a gun pressed against her head. Her hands were curled around his arm across her neck, fingers dug in. Her face was battered, her flightsuit bloody. He couldn't tell where the blood was from, but she didn't appear seriously injured. But the expression of raw terror on her face wrenched him.

Rage boiled up, but he tamped it down. Pax was a loose cannon, had to be handled carefully. Sabin stared steadily at him. "Let her go."

"Why would I do that? She belongs to me."

"Because I'm going to kill you if you don't."

Pax shook his head. "Now, Travers, that's a little extreme. I've already got the girl. There's nothing you can do about it. This is fate. She was meant to be mine."

Sabin fought for control. He'd have to wait for the right opportunity to take Pax down. "What the hell are you doing here, Pax?"

Pax casually waved his gun toward Galen's body. "I came to get my bounty. Been hunting Galen two seasons now. About time I caught up with him. Nice of you to take him out for me, since he's worth the same, dead or alive." He returned the barrel to Moriah's head. She flinched.

Sabin's gut tightened. He considered Pax's demand. Galen was dead. Justice had been served. The reward meant nothing, compared to Moriah's safety. He knew he couldn't back down, though. Pax would pounce at the first sign of weakness. "Sorry, Pax. But as you can see, I got here first."

Pax's eyes narrowed. "Hate to hear you say that, Travers." He backed toward Moriah's ship. She bucked and tried to dig in her heels. He tightened his arm against her throat. "Stop," he hissed, and wrenched her toward Radd and Lionia. He pointed the gun at them. "Any more resistance from you, and they die. That clear?"

Moriah closed her eyes a moment, then nodded. Sabin clenched his free hand, fury almost robbing him of good sense. Pax resumed backing up, positioning himself so he couldn't be attacked from behind. His hostage had effectively become a live body shield. "You see, Travers, you'll have to go through Moriah to get to me. Now, why don't you hand over Galen, and we'll be going."

"Galen is mine," Sabin insisted, knowing the body was the only bargaining chip he had. "But I might be willing to make a trade. Galen for Moriah."

"I don't know about that." Pax tilted his head sideways, his lecherous gaze scanning over Moriah. "Sweet thing here has some real nice assets." He lowered the gun and stroked the barrel over her breasts. She jerked and dug her fingers deeper into his arm. Fear and revulsion flared on her pale face.

It took every ounce of control Sabin had to stand still. He wanted to rip out Pax's heart with his bare hands. Pax looked up, smiling. "No, don't think I want to trade her. She's mine. I won her, fair and square. Though I might share her with you, Travers, if you hand over Galen. Would you like that?"

"Galen for Moriah. Take it or leave it."

Pax scowled. "You're beginning to annoy me, Travers. I tracked Galen for two seasons, followed him here. I have the rights to him. Seems clear enough to me." He thought a moment and then fixed a cunning gaze on Sabin. "Still, I've already sampled everything Moriah has to offer. I suppose I could be persuaded to give her up. For the right price."

"What's your price?"

"I saw that fancy new ship of yours when I landed. I might be willing to trade Moriah…for your ship."

Shock pounded Sabin. His ship. He'd worked twelve seasons for that ship. Dreamed it, designed it, made it a reality. He looked at Moriah, who stared back, wide-eyed. A life…just a life.
Moriah.
She'd lied to him, stolen from him, deserted him. Yet he still cared for her. A ship…for a life.

For Moriah.

He nodded. "Take the ship."

A leering smile spread across Pax's face. "I think I will. I get Galen, too."

It was only a bounty now. "Agreed," Sabin said.

"Good. Give me your override codes."

He hesitated. "Release Moriah."

"Don't think so," Pax smirked. "Codes first."

The bastard didn't intend to honor the bargain. But Sabin couldn't take action yet. Seething inside, he stated the codes. Pax repeated them into his wrist comm, then pointed toward Sabin's skimmer. "Load Galen in that skimmer. Use the back seat."

Nodding at Jarek, Sabin leaned down to grasp Galen's arm and leg. Jarek got on the other side and they heaved the body into the land craft.

Pax moved toward the skimmer, keeping Moriah as a shield in front of him. He reached the craft and edged along the far side, staying behind it. Neither Sabin nor Jarek could shoot him from there. He pushed her toward the front seat, gun still at her head. "Get in, sweet thing. You can ride with me to my new ship."

"You gave your word, Pax," Sabin growled. "Let her go."

Pax shoved Moriah across the seat and slid in next to her. "I'll turn her loose at the ship."

"Let her go now, or I'll kill you," Sabin said, blood lust pounding through his body.

"Got to catch me first, Travers. Thanks for the new ship." Pax started the engine.

Helpless rage washed over Sabin. Pax was keeping Moriah between them. He couldn't shoot without risk to her. But then, as Pax lowered the gun to put the skimmer in gear, a shot came from Moriah's ship.

Sabin and Jarek both reacted, turning their weapons that direction. A man ran down the ramp, firing at them. Guessing he was one of Galen's men, Sabin shot him. Jarek must have come to the same conclusion. Taking two blasts to the chest, the man rolled off the ramp.

Sabin spun back. Pax, also distracted by the shooting, had turned his gun toward the ship. Moriah heaved herself to the back of her seat. She swung up her legs and kicked him in the head. He dropped the gun. Cursing, he grabbed for her, but she kicked him again. Then she hurled herself over the side of the skimmer, rolling away as she hit the ground.

Before Sabin could process what had just occurred, Pax roared off at maximum speed. Sabin fired after him, but the shadower skillfully zigzagged the craft, evading the blasts. He disappeared over the hill. Moriah leaped up and ran to Lionia. Seeing that she didn't appear injured, Sabin whirled, looking for Galen's skimmer. It was gone. So was Turlock. And the bloody trail to where the skimmer had been explained what had happened.

"Damn! I think Turlock is the one who actually gave the Controllers the information on Nissar," he told Jarek.

"Then I’ll go after him," Jarek replied. "I picked up the frequency of that lone ship when we did the surface scan. It had to be Galen's craft. If I can get back to my ship, I should be able to track down Turlock."

Sabin thought a minute. "Pax must have left a skimmer around here somewhere."

"Good idea. I'll see if I can find it. Then I'll hunt down Turlock." Jarek hesitated. "Unless you want to use my ship to go after Pax."

"No. Your craft couldn't catch my new ship. Turlock is more important right now." Sabin glanced at Radd and Moriah huddled over Lionia. "I'll see what I can do here."

Jarek headed in the direction they had first seen Pax, disappearing through the trees. Sabin limped toward Lionia. In the heat of the action, he'd forgotten about his wounded thigh. Now it hurt like hell, and blood trickled down his leg. Still, he'd survived worse.

Radd was applying pressure to a blood-soaked cloth over Lionia's chest. Moriah crouched on the other side, holding the wounded woman's hand. "Everything's going to be okay," she crooned. "There's no more danger. We'll get you help. Stay with us, Lionia."

She glanced up as he drew near. One side of her face was bruised, the eye swollen almost shut. Desolation shone in the other eye. He cursed silently. Her physical bruising would heal, but he didn't know about the emotional battering. He wanted to take her in his arms, warm her soul, make the memories go away.
Yeah, Travers, she'd really like that, especially from you,
he thought derisively.

The roar of a descending craft vibrated overhead. He looked up, relieved to see McKnight's ship coming in about fifty meters away. Thank Spirit his partner was here. Not only would McKnight have medical supplies to help Lionia, but he had something else Sabin needed.

A ship fast enough to catch up with Pax Blacklock.

*  *  *  *

Sabin overtook Pax one hour out. The shadower didn't seem in much of a hurry. Apparently, he hadn't expected anyone to follow him.

Sabin stared at the image of his ship reflected on the external viewer.
My ship.
Beautiful and sleek, built to offer luxury and speed. His ship—his home, if only for a short time. Now in the hands of Pax Blacklock.

He thought of Pax fondling Moriah, and the terrified look on her face. Anger surged anew. He opened communication. "You can't outrun me, Pax. Surrender yourself, you bastard."

"That you, Travers?"

"Yeah, it's me. Didn't think I'd come after you, did you?"

"What do you want? I got your ship in a fair trade."

"Nothing fair about it. You had no intention of releasing Moriah."

"Sure I would have. Word of honor. You have her now, and I have a new ship. Deal's a deal."

"This isn't about a deal, Pax. This is about what you did to Moriah, and to all the other women unfortunate enough to cross paths with you."

"I didn't do anything to her. Took her off her old man's hands when he didn't want her anymore. Saved her from more of his backhanding."

"Yeah, then you raped her."

"I just had some fun with her, Travers. She didn't mind. Women like it when the man shows them who's boss."

Sabin felt sickened to his soul. Pax was no better than the Antek prison guards. Or the Anteks who attacked Shielder colonies, raping the women before they slaughtered them. He knew about that firsthand. "I intend to make you pay for your actions, Pax."