Orphaned Warrior (Dragon Spawn Chronicles Book 5), page 25
“Think!” Vance bellowed, making Jori jump. “How did I know?”
“You had a premonition, but how?”
“That’s your problem, right there,” Vance said, his tone deep and accusatory. “You assume the only way I see is with my premonitions, but I have two fucking eyes.” He jabbed his fingers at his face. “And I have surveillance all over the damn ship. No place is safe. Not the corridors, the gym, the cafeteria, and not your quarters.”
All the heat in Jori’s body evacuated in one fell swoop, leaving him chilled to the bone. How could he be so stupid? First, the AI targeting system versus the manually guided torpedoes in their game of Galactic Dominions, and now this.
Surveillance. It was so obvious. He wanted to kick himself for being such an idiot.
“See?” Vance said through his teeth. “Stupid.”
This time, Jori agreed.
No one spoke for the rest of the trip. Vance’s stormy silence drowned out the hum of the shuttle’s engines, the occasional tap on the instrument panel, and the whisper of air coming through the vent. Jori’s inner turmoil waxed and waned. One moment, he resigned himself to his fate, believing he deserved any punishment Vance had in store. The next, he swore to fight this hateful man every step of the way.
He also worried about Zaina. As they neared the Sublime Liberty, or officially the Black Thresher, Zaina’s lifeforce became more evident. That meant Blakesley was in on this too. But how had he evaded Jori’s ability to detect lies?
Poor Zaina. He expected her to be frightened but uneasiness peppered her anticipation. He suspected she was still in the crate on the ship, and undoubtedly wondering when she’d be able to come out. What would she do, what would she feel, when she realized she’d never left?
Part of the answer came to him as they entered the bay. Her emotions switched to surprise, then consternation. Someone must’ve let her out. He wondered if it was Blakesley but couldn’t tell.
Her distress increased as he sensed her heading this way. Vance eased the shuttle inside. After settling, the docking bay clamps jolted the ship into permanent repose. The engine shut off and Jori’s heart ticked into overdrive. Although he detected nothing from Vance, something about the man’s rigid posture and tight expression told him consequences would be worse than a Perovian lightning storm.
Jori unbuckled and rose from the chair. Vance grabbed his upper arm and walked—no, hauled—him out of the cockpit. It was all he could do to keep up. Vance didn’t let go as he waited for the hatch to lower into a gangplank. If anything, his grip tightened, right along with his face.
As the door lowered, Blakesley appeared. He wore a white-lipped smile. His eyes darted about. His feet shifted. The mental wall he’d had up wavered, then crumbled. Fear exuded from him.
Three hulking cyber soldiers loomed behind him. Two more arrived, carrying a petrified Zaina between them. Blakesley’s mouth opened and closed but no words came out.
The hatch hit the floor with a reverberating click. Vance stormed out, pulling Jori along with him. “I’m surrounded by incompetents!”
Blakesley flinched. Jori’s heartbeat took off like a revving engine. He tried to wrench free from Vance’s grip but the man’s iron hold remained.
“S-sir,” the major stammered. “I-is everything okay?”
“You are no longer any use to me. You are obsolete!”
Vance flung Jori onto the floor, causing his knees to strike it with a crack. Then he stormed over to Blakesley.
The major raised his palms and retreated. “It was a mistake. I realize that now. But you left me no choice.”
Jori found his feet but wasn’t sure what to do as the tension crackled between the two men. Blakesley glanced behind him and turned to avoid an inactive tool bot. Excuses poured out of him as Vance closed in. Space was running out. Blakesley must’ve realized it too because he halted. His wide eyes darkened and he bared his teeth.
Vance attacked. The major darted out of the way and threw a fist. He landed an ineffective blow on Vance’s shoulder. Motivated by the action, Jori bolted toward them. He didn’t give a damn about Blakesley, but the two of them together had a better chance of ending this madness.
A cyber soldier sidestepped into his path. As he zipped around him, another soldier caught him by the arm and jolted him to a stop. Jori twisted and kicked, but the first one grabbed his other arm, leaving him suspended between immovable pillars.
Vance and Blakesley circled each other. The major wore a worthy scowl, but it was nothing compared to the rage seared on Vance’s face.
“You are the one who is obsolete!” Blakesley yelled. “You think you’re better than everyone but you’re only a mindless ape. You were supposed to win the boy over, but you’ve failed! Now you have two enemies who hate your fucking guts!”
Blakesley rushed in, poised to strike. Vance flipped his arm to block. The major avoided it at the last moment and jabbed his other fist into Vance’s side.
Jori struggled against his captors. Despite the futility, his hope surged as Blakesley’s swiftness and agility played against his opponent’s beefy slowness.
The major delivered another blow to Vance’s midsection, but at a great cost. A thunderous uppercut popped Blakesley’s jaw and sent him flying. He landed with a thud. Vance stomped over. Blakesley didn’t have the sense to do anything other than moan. Vance hauled him to his feet, making his head bob. Jori thought Vance would strike him again, but he grabbed his throat instead. His knuckles turned white as he squeezed. A deafening crunch followed. Blakesley’s eyes bulged. A rush of crimson flooded his face. He flailed his arms, but even if Vance let go, it was too late.
Jori doubled over as the pain of death stabbed through his brain. He barely heard Zaina scream. He didn’t know whether she was horrified or had been hurt. Either way, he couldn’t help her. The external agony overtook him like an unrelenting lava flow.
The soldiers released him. He dropped to his knees and held his arms over his head. Before the pain subsided, someone yanked him to his feet. He blinked and attempted to regain his composure. Blakesley lay on the floor, kicking and grasping his crushed throat. No sound escaped him. Nausea rolled. Jori bent over and heaved. Vance forced him up again, causing the vomit to splatter. He ignored it and concentrated on remaining standing despite the chaos in his skull.
Zaina bawled. Her body and feet hung limply as the cyber soldiers pinched her arms and kept her upright. “Why?” she cried.
Vance wore a gleeful smile as he regarded the dying major. “He betrayed you,” he said to her. “He had no intention of letting you go.” He chuckled and turned to Jori with a wild spark in his eyes. “And he didn’t just betray her. He also betrayed you. Did you know he intended to blow up our ship before we reached the base?”
Jori glanced at the major’s body in the last throes of death. The pain of Blakesley’s impending demise remained but seemed more resigned now. Despite the betrayal, Jori pitied him.
“You’re such an idiot,” Vance said. “You are not worthy.”
Jori swallowed as the man bared his teeth and seethed. His bravery crumbled and he took a stumbling step backward.
“But…” Vance spit off to the side. “MEGA-Man has plans for you. Therefore, I won’t punish you.”
The words should’ve comforted him. But when the man’s gaze turned to Zaina, he forgot all about Blakesley’s agony. His own emotions erupted forth.
“No!” He charged and rammed his head into Vance’s hip.
The man grabbed Jori by the hair and tossed him. He skidded across the bay as Vance neared the now hysterical Zaina.
“No!” Jori leapt to his feet.
Zaina blubbered as she tried to back away. The cyber soldiers defeated her efforts. Her toes scraped the floor, trying to find purchase.
Jori sprinted forward. He jammed himself between them. Vance attempted to snatch him instead, but he weaved out of the way. “You won’t hurt her!”
Vance’s face scrunched up like a snarling beast. “What did I tell you would happen?” He grabbed for Jori.
Jori ducked and slammed his fist into the man’s kidney. He pivoted and punched again. None of his strikes did any good but anything was better than letting the chima harm Zaina.
Vance growled as he spun this way and that, trying to catch him. Jori was relentless. He hit, kicked, jabbed, and chopped at every opportunity. Vance’s rage grew. Spittle flew from his mouth as he snarled and cursed.
“Don’t hurt him!” Zaina screamed.
Her reaction disrupted Jori’s concentration and he barely avoided the man’s mighty fist. In dodging it, he lost his footing. Vance pounced after him. Jori scrambled back. Vance lunged. Jori rolled away, getting a whisper of Vance’s knuckles by his ear. He found his feet and skittered out of reach of Vance’s frenzied swings. Fear crawled through him, but it was a mere tickle compared to his defiant rage.
He'd redirected Vance’s attention from Zaina, but now what? He’d said he wasn’t stupid enough to fight Vance one-on-one, yet here he was.
He backed into a wall. Vance dove toward him. Jori bobbed under his arm. Vance’s fist struck the wall with a crack. Before Jori could get out of reach again, Vance twisted and swung in a backhand and smacked Jori in the temple. The blow frazzled his vision, but he remained standing. Huge arms wrapped around him. His face smashed into the hard armor of Vance’s uniform. He struggled to twist away, but only put the man at his back.
Jori kicked and would’ve punched too but his arms were pinned.
“You defied me!” The boom of Vance’s voice stabbed Jori’s eardrums. “And now you will pay!”
Jori thrust his heel backward, striking the side of Vance’s knee and almost making him buckle.
“Stop fighting it, boy! Or you’ll end up like the major!”
Jori grunted against the man’s tightening hold. “I don’t care!” He jerked his body, trying to break free. The realization that he was about to lose this game for good gave him an idea. “If you kill me, you’ll lose your game with MEGA-Man.”
Vance roared. His backbreaking embrace crackled Jori’s vertebrae. Jori tried to yell some more, but the air had been squeezed out of his lungs. He kept kicking, knowing full well he couldn’t escape but determined to fight to the end.
*****
Tears streamed down Zaina Noman’s face as Jori and Vance fought. It wasn’t much of a fight, though. Jori whipped around with a skill that would’ve amazed her under other circumstances, but he was so small that all his efforts only enraged the giant beast of a man.
She tried to wrench free, but the grip of the cyber soldiers neutralized her struggles. She jerked her arm back. Again forward. Nothing worked. She kicked but only hurt her foot.
Her tenacity surprised her. Ever since the assault, she’d freeze in the face of the mildest confrontation. Perhaps her subconscious was tired of letting others fight for her. Or maybe her mind reacted differently because of how close she and Jori had become.
Vance’s features contorted into a snarl. He yelled something too filled with fury to be understood.
“Don’t hurt him!” She wailed and struggled some more. Nothing worked. “Please don’t hurt him,” she said through her raw throat.
Jori fell. Even with the raging monster coming for him, his expression remained fierce. His eyes had an intensity that matched Vance’s except with more focus. While Vance seethed with a rash madness, Jori darted about with calculated determination. Despite her terror, she couldn’t help but admire his tenacity.
Her heart constricted when Vance grabbed hold of him. Jori shouted. His words were laced with relentless temerity, but she hardly heard him through her unbidden bawling.
Vance roared. Zaina’s throat caught as Jori’s cries cut off. Oh no! He’s going to kill him too.
Just when she thought the boy would get crushed, Vance let go. Jori dropped to the floor. His look of bewilderment probably matched hers.
“You’re right,” Vance said with seething coldness. “I almost forgot our deal.”
His baleful eyes fell on her, making her squawk.
“No!” Jori bellowed, his voice full of both rage and desperation. “Leave her alone!”
Vance turned back to the boy with a gleeful smile. Jori struggled to his hands and knees. His face twisted into a fierceness that said he wouldn’t give up. “Don’t you dare touch her!”
“You don’t have what it takes to stop me.”
“I will fight you.”
Vance laughed. “And lose.”
The boy rose to his feet. Hate and malice contorted his features to where he no longer looked like a child. It didn’t bother her since that madman deserved every bit of his disdain.
“So be it,” Jori replied. “To the death. Failing that, I’ll take my own life. After all, if you kill her, I have nothing left to live for.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“I don’t lie.”
Zaina swallowed. No. What’s he saying?
“I’ve learned a little something from your stupid games,” Jori said. Vance smirked. Jori pressed on. “Sometimes winning requires a sacrifice, so I sacrifice myself. I may be dead, but you’ll end up that way too when MEGA-Man finds out what you’ve done.”
“No,” Zaina whispered. She must not have heard him correctly. The stress was playing tricks on her.
Vance’s stony features resembled a volcano about to explode.
“I mean it.” The boy’s hands balled at his sides. “If you hurt her, the game is over.”
The man’s eyes widened, then narrowed. Time stopped, as did Zaina’s heart, as he and Jori glared like two lions sizing one another up.
“Fine,” Vance finally said. “Have it your way. But if I let her be, you had better start living up to expectations.”
Jori didn’t reply. Vance jabbed his finger as though to press the issue, but then stormed out with an enraged roar instead.
Her mouth hung open. What just happened? Everything that had zoomed by her during the intense situation came rushing in with a crisp clarity that almost seemed unreal. Blakesley’s death. His body flailing and twitching on the floor. Vance storming toward her with violence etched on his face. Jori intervening. Jori fighting. Jori threatening to kill himself to save her.
She fought for breath as her tears fell. Jori’s chest heaved as he remained locked in a battle pose. The stiffness of the soldiers persisted, as did their grips on her upper arms.
Her sobbing ebbed. The raggedness of Jori’s breaths smoothed and lengthened. The hardness in his eyes abated. When they snapped and focused on her, his brow furrowed and he rushed to her side.
“Let her go!” he said.
The soldiers obeyed. The unexpected freedom made her stumble. She didn’t fight it as her legs buckled.
Jori sank with her. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” She pressed her palm to her chest, willing her racing heart to slow. “You? I saw him hit you.”
Jori felt his temple but didn’t wince. “It’ll bruise. Nothing more.”
She touched his cheek. “Thank you. Thank you for saving me.”
Tears filled Jori’s eyes as he nodded.
She pushed up onto her knees and rubbed his shoulders. “I know I said we should never resort to fighting, that there are better ways to handle things. But... I was wrong. That man is a crazy son-of-a-bitch, and I just don’t see any other way you could’ve handled this. You fought because you had to, and if you hadn’t...” She broke down. “I'd be dead like him.” She indicated Blakesley’s body and emitted a hushed wail. It was all too much. Her feelings about the man were mixed, but he certainly didn’t deserve this.
Neither did Jori. Reflecting on all that he’d said wrenched her stomach. She couldn’t believe he’d kill himself for her, but the firmness of his tone had lent truth to his claim—“I don’t lie.” She nearly choked on her shame.
Jori dropped his head on her shoulder. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Her tears spilled anew, but for a different reason. “Oh, Jori. I’m so sorry.” She pulled him close. “I should be the one sacrificing myself for you.”
“You can’t stop him.”
He was right, but she couldn’t keep letting her fear control her. “But I’ll give it one hell of a try.” Gone was the overwhelming terror and in was a profound relief coupled with an endearment so strong that it almost hurt. “We’re done playing his games. We’re getting out of this.” She pulled back and gripped his shoulders. “You understand me? And if anyone is to sacrifice anything, it’ll be me. You don’t need to protect me anymore.” At least I hope you won’t need to. “We’ll figure out how to stop him.”
Jori wiped his eyes. “It won’t be easy. And if we fail again, he’ll kill you.”
“Don’t worry about me.” A powerful resolve took hold of her. She felt like she’d finally kicked her anxiety to the curb once and for all. Hopefully, that feeling would stick. “No matter what happens to me, you keep fighting. You’d said you’d have nothing left to live for if I die, but that’s not true. There are at least two people out there who care a great deal about you. Promise me that no matter what, you’ll find a way to reach them.”
Jori’s eyes hardened again, but this time with more resolve than anger. “When he threatened to hurt you, I vowed to fight to the very end, and I meant it.”
She grasped his hand. It wasn’t the response she’d wanted but she’d make sure he didn’t have to keep that vow. “It won’t come to that. We’ll get out of this. You and I. Together.”
43 – Cracked
The air in the cyborium carried an irksome chill. Now and then, the artificial fragrance of soap wafted through the acrid antiseptic odor. The typical sounds of doctors and medics going about their business buzzed in the background, along with the high-pitched beeps of monitors and rumbling diagnostic machines. More than half the staff bore obvious cybernetic implants, but Jori hardly noticed anymore. This place had become too familiar, and he hated it.
He sat on the edge of a hospital bed, likely the same one Zaina had lain on when she’d been here for her anxiety. As the only patient in this sizable room, he felt like the center of everyone’s attention—something else he had an aversion to.
