Page 29 of Captured

It’s a lie, of course. They have no intention of sparing either of us. With guns in front of us and the cliff at our back, we’re effectively trapped.

“Fuck all of you to hell!” I shout, knowing this is the last second of my life.

“As you wish.” Captain Henrick chuckles. “You have spirit, I’ll give you that. I like a girl with spunk, it makes for a much more exciting game, but I’m not here for you. I’m here for him.” Captain Henrick speaks in a calm, emotionless voice. He bends his head, fine tuning his aim as his focus comes to rest on Rakir.

“Now, Drakian, give me what I want or I’m going to spill your guts on this rock.”

Confusion fills my mind as my gaze goes from Rakir to Captain Henrick. What is the Black Star captain talking about?

Rakir’s face is as impassive as ever, but I see something shine in his eyes. He knows what Captain Henrick wants and he has no intention of giving it up.

“No?” Captain Henrick lifts his lips in a snarl. “Maybe a hole or two in your scaly butt will help. Or maybe I’ll just kill your little friend here and see if it loosens your tongue. What do you say, sweetheart? You think that Drakian cares for you enough to give me the list?”

Captain Henrick’s gaze fixes on me and I recognize my death in the soldier’s eyes. I’m nothing but a pawn for him, a piece of flesh to use as leverage.

I scream mindlessly, knowing this is it. This is the moment I die. At least I’ll die with Rakir. After what we’ve been through, it doesn’t seem so bad. It feels just right.

The sound of detonations fill the clean, empty air, but pain doesn’t follow. A black blur moves across my field of vision, as the long beams of light shoot from the phasers.

Then I scream some more as Rakir holds me against him and we hurl together down the abyss and toward the rocks below.