Survivor Planet Series 2-Book Box Set (29 page)

I scrambled to stand up. "No. What are you doing?"

"Ending this." He began to stride away.

From behind a tree, I watched Aris join the battle. I held my breath as he made his way over to the two giants, fearing they would kill him. After all, there was a price on his head. When each of them took a moment to reach out and clasp forearms in welcome, I breathed a sigh of relief.

The three men spread out and soon the area before me was empty except for volleys of light flashing from behind the cover of trees. Keeping track of everyone was next to impossible. I worked my way as close to the clearing as I dared. The wind whipped my hair round my head, blocking my view. As I once again gathered up the tangled mess and attempted a braid, I heard a noise behind me. When I turned, I came face to face with an Akkadian. The look it wore was ferocious. Before I could react, its long, green arm reached out and struck me in the belly. The breath rushed from my lungs and I bent forward. Just as I did, it struck me again, this time in my face. The blow knocked me to the ground. As the alien loomed over me, I feared it wasn't going to be satisfied stealing me away and using me for experiments. This time it wanted me dead.

I swung my legs and kicked at it, earning a small grunt of pain for my efforts. It moved closer and reached down to snatch hold of my ankle. Its grip was tight and I feared it may snap my bones at any moment.

"Let go," I screamed.

"You...die," the Akkadian said.

"The lady said
let go
," I heard Aris' voice boom. He must have come up behind me. I leaned back and tilted my head to see him. He swung his weapon up on an angle and cleanly sliced the Akkadian's arm right off. The hand still held my foot, but its grip loosened and I shook it off in disgust. With another swing, Aris removed the Akkadian's head from its body. The alien fell forward while I scrambled to my feet and backed away. Green and red slime oozed from the gaping neck of the body.

"Gross." I took a few deep breaths to settle my stomach then I turned to Aris. "You saved me."

He pulled me into his arms. "You're worth saving." He held me for a few moments longer and then he was gone, back into the fray.

Despite the Akkadians having deadly weapons and an extra fighter, it didn't take long before they all lay dead on the forest floor. The three men regrouped and, satisfied the fight was over, they began to congratulate one another.

"Danni," I heard Aris call to me. Slowly, I walked over to stand at his side. He took my hand in his, and I know he felt the tremor that moved through me. Staring at the two men, I couldn't help but be afraid. "These are friends of mine."

"Friends?" I said the word as though it were foreign.

"Yes." He gestured to the bigger of the two. "This is Ayres. And this is Kenix. We were in the Academy together."

"Nice...to meet you."

"Now," Aris said, staring hard at each of the men. "Can you tell me what the hell is going on?"

The huge guy named Ayres frowned. "After we're away. Let's get on the ship."

Big, fat raindrops had begun to fall. Lightning flashed and thunder cracked. The storm had finally reached us. With my heart in my throat I ran toward the ship alongside Aris, who held my hand tight. We scrambled aboard and strapped ourselves into two narrow seats that pulled down from the wall. Ayres and Kenix moved to the front of the ship and sat in the control seats. Moments later we lifted up. After firing a few disabling blasts into the Akkadian ship, we whizzed away. The small craft swayed side to side from the force of the storm. Not until we rose up high enough did the wind lose its grip. Several minutes later I felt pressure and the wall behind my head heat up as the small ship breached the atmosphere. I gritted my teeth and clung to Aris' hand until we made it through. Black sky spotted with stars soon surrounded us.

Kenix undid his belt and came to sit across from us on another seat he pulled down from the wall. "Okay," he said, looking pointedly at Aris.

Aris watched him for a moment and then grinned. "Good to see you."

"And you," Kenix said.

"Let's start with the obvious. What are you doing here? Last time I saw you, you were being dragged off to Drone."

"I escaped."

"Obviously."

"It's a long story. Anyway, I have the feeling you know how it turned out."

"Yeah, considering I was sent here to clean up your mess," Aris said.

His mess?

"What the hell were you and Ayres thinking stranding Baynar and the others on Taleon?"

Kenix frowned. "Trust me, the bastard had it coming."

Aris sighed and rubbed his head. "I was sent to pick him up."

Kenix nodded. "I know. I heard. Also heard what happened to you."

Aris winced. "I never expected him to betray me like that."

"You should have listened to me when I tried to warn you about him."

"Wait a minute," I interrupted, staring at Kenix. "It was you and him," I gestured up front to Aryes, "who stranded Baynar in the first place?" I didn't wait for an answer. "You know we almost died on Taleon? Several times."

"Like I said, Baynar's a bastard," Kenix said.

"How did you even know I was there?" Aris asked.

"Even in the dregs of the universe we hear things. When an acquaintance of mine on Calixtus heard about Baynar offering freedom to any former player who killed you, he knew something underhanded was going on. He made some inquiries and then contacted me—he's the only one with the ability to do so."

"And you came...to rescue me?" Aris asked sardonically.

Kenix looked affronted. "Of course. I admit I felt somewhat responsible."

"Taleon's a big place. Not only do you find me, but you arrive right at the exact moment as the Akkadians. Don't tell me that's a coincidence."

"It's not." Kenix looked at me. "You have your little Earth girl to thank for that."

Aris grinned a moment later, appearing to have a realization. "The tracker. You followed them, which led you right to us."

"Wait, what?" Aris may have put it all together in his mind, but I still sat there with my mouth hanging open wondering what the hell was going on.

"The tracker in your arm, Danni," Aris said to me. "It's how the Akkadian's were able to find you."

So that's how they'd done it. Bewildered as to how the damn thing got there, I pushed up my sleeve and stared at the mark on my arm. All this time I'd had an alien device inside my body that I'd no idea was there. The Akkadians' ability to find me anytime, anywhere had given them control over me, making them seem more powerful and sinister than they actually were.
Sons of bitches!

"Where're we headed?" Aris asked, oblivious to my confusion and anger.

"To Earth. Amanda—Ayres' girl—refused to be left behind. But Ayres wouldn't risk bringing her to Taleon. We have to pick her up."

"Ayres is involved with an Earth girl?" Aris sounded surprised.

Kenix smiled and winked at me. "They're something special."

Aris stared at me, heat in his eyes. "You got that right."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "So we're on our way to Earth?" The implications of that realization flooded me with a million questions and worries. As much as I'd longed to go home, I feared what would happen. They may have killed off the Akkadians on Taleon, but I knew there were a lot more where they came from.

"Yeah, but don't get too comfortable," Kenix warned, his gaze riveted on Aris. "With Baynar looking for you, you're not safe."

"I swore I'd get him for what he's done," Aris said.

"We all want to get him. Don't worry, in time we will. We need a plan though. Lots of weapons, and a plan."

"And until then?" Aris asked.

"Ayres and I were hoping you'd join us in exile."

"In the dregs of the universe?" Aris said, repeating Kenix's words.

"Exactly," Kenix said with a grin.

The ship landed on Earth in a thick forest in the dead of night. We got out and had to hike for a bit before we found ourselves on a dirt road. Ayres led, seeming to know exactly where he was going. To my surprise, he marched us up to a cabin set before a small lake. He leapt up the stairs and without knocking, swung open a scorch-marked door and walked inside. I heard a whoop of delight and figured it came from Amanda.

On our hike here, Ayres had remained stoically silent, but Kenix filled us in on what happened during the last tournament on Taleon. He must have heard the tale from Amanda, because Ayres didn't strike me as the chatty type. His grunts accented the story every now and again, but he didn't bother to add anything. I was impressed and amazed with the adventures they'd had. It seemed Ayres went to great lengths to save his brother. And Amanda had been prepared to stay by Ayres' side until the bitter end. I couldn't imagine that kind of devotion. I looked up at Aris. But then again, perhaps I could. And though it had ultimately led to our being stranded, I couldn't help but delight over the tale of Baynar's plans being foiled and he and his men being sent down to the surface to suffer their fate. Too bad we'd shown up when we did.

When we entered the cabin, Kenix made the introductions. Amanda was kind and beautiful, and by the way she clung to Ayres I could see how much she loved him.

"Do we have to leave right away?" Amanda asked him. From the longing look in her big blue eyes it was obvious she wanted to stay.

"We can stay. For a little while," Ayres said, obviously wanting to indulge her.

"Awesome!" she reached out and grabbed my hand. "Let me show you around." She led me out another door onto a deck that faced the lake.

"Do you own this place, or something?" I asked.

"Or something," she said with a sigh. "Isn't it beautiful? God, how I've missed Earth."

"You miss it? Oh, yeah. Kenix said you and him and Ayres live in the dregs of the universe...whatever that means."

"It means exactly that—the middle of nowhere, far, far away from here. We haven't been gone long, but it feels like forever."

"I know the feeling," I said. Taleon had been quite the adventure, but it was good to be home.

"I'll enjoy it while I'm here. We can't stay, thanks to this." She tapped the side of her head.

"What?"

"Tracker in my head. Baynar has a device that can somehow remotely turn it on. He can find me with it. Ayres too—he also has one. Kenix doesn't. He's lucky."

I brushed my hand over my arm absently. "I have one as well. Mine was put there by the Akkadians." I wondered how much she'd heard. If she knew I was a supplier to those miscreants then she wouldn't be acting so nice to me. Not when I'd sold out my own kind.

"I heard about your tracker. If you didn't have one then they would have had a hell of a time finding Ariston. It meant a lot to Kenix and Ayres to save him, so I'm grateful. Every moment spent on that planet is dangerous."

True. It had been very terrible and treacherous—at times. But it was also beautiful, wild, and the place I'd fallen in love. "Kenix filled Aris and me in on your time there. Pretty crazy stuff."

Amanda held up a hand and laughed. "Please, we try not to use the word
crazy
."

"Why?" Was it some kind of inside joke?

"The tracker in my head made me think I was insane. I spent four years at Lindove—a place in the nearby town meant for lunatics."

She appeared sane enough to me. My face must have appeared puzzled and scrutinizing, making her laugh again.

"I'm not like that now. It's turned off. But I have to tell you, when Ayres captured me and brought me onboard the Lariton—Baynar's large spaceship—I thought the whole thing was one long psychotic episode. It took me a while before I clued in. Thankfully, right before we beamed down to Taleon to begin the game."

"Wow, that is crazy—sorry. I wonder if my tracker messed with me somehow?" Turning me into a cold uncaring bitch, perhaps, with no qualms about betraying her fellow man?

"It's possible. Let's go walk around a bit," she suggested. The dock was her first destination. We stayed on the property, which wasn't very large, mostly hanging out around the shoreline that encircled three quarters of the property. Amanda told me it was called a point because it jutted out into the lake. She also filled me in on the terrible things that had taken place here, along with the good moments spent here as well.

When we went back inside she went right into Ayres' arms. The love between them practically radiated around the room. Despite him appearing so cold and hard, it was obvious how much he adored her.

"Where's Kenix?" I asked.

"He went for a walk. Said he wanted to check out Earth a bit before we go," Aris replied.

"We have a few hours," Ayres said. With heat smoldering in his eyes I figured I knew how he wanted to spend his time.

"Make yourselves at home," Amanda told us. She led Ayres down a hallway into the farthest bedroom and shut the door.

We went into the kitchen and I heated up a couple cans of ravioli. After we ate, Aris asked if I wanted to go down to the lake with him. We soon stood at the end of the dock and watched the rippling reflection of the single moon in the water.

After several long minutes, he broke the silence. "I have to tell you something."

Here it comes. He's leaving with them. I know he has to go, but I don't want him to.
I swallowed hard, preparing myself. "Yes?"

"It's about that tracker in your arm."

I just stared at him a moment while a feeling of relief washed over me. Even a short reprieve from the discussion we'd soon have about our inevitable separation was welcome, although, this was a difficult subject as well. "I had no idea it was a tracker. I thought the Akkadian's touch just burned me when it grabbed hold of my arm. Apparently you knew what it was all along."

"I saw the mark. The first time we had sex in your living room." Seeing me about to interrupt, he held up his other hand. "Let me tell you this, okay? Yes, I saw the mark and I knew what it was. I figured I just needed to bide my time and you'd eventually either confide in me, or lead me to the Akkadians. I just didn't think it'd be so soon."