Page 224 of Galaxy Games Four-Book Box Set (Galaxy Games)

224

The Pirate Captain

A ’Dar

Ran’Kin is a good male, a good officer. He stays in shape, and is an excellent marksman, but he’s not built big and is only adequate at hand-to-hand combat. He’s been working in the comms room since we separated. First, he had to get the system up and running, and since then he’s been hailing on every frequency we know, both open and back channel.

Why didn’t any of the six of us realize the three females were at risk? We were so focused on eliminating all the other contestants we forgot that according to The Game’s insane rules, our mates must be dead for anyone to win.

Then I recall her telling the pirates who were just released from their cryo pods that “everyone on board,” needed to be a confirmed kill in order for them to live. That means Mel, Ran, and me, too.

The clatter of the three laser rifles slung over my shoulders is harsh accompaniment to the thudding of my feet and the booming of my heart. I should have thought of this, should have detoured to the comms room to supply my crew with arms before Maya and I took shelter in the cargo bay.

Footsteps pound behind me. I turn, rifle in my hands, ready to aim and fire. It’s only at the last moment I see it’s Mel’Kan coming to rescue our friend.

Tossing my rifle to him at a run, I pull another rifle from over my shoulder and we speed to the comms room.

When we arrive at the doorway, Mel wordlessly stands at my side, rifle at the ready, as I press the palm plate.

The metal door opens with a whoosh and both of us press in, rifles aimed ahead as we search for our target.

The captain is on his knees on the floor, facing away from us. He looks at us over his shoulder, a feral look of surprise on his green, humanoid face. The tableau in front of us sickens me. He’s hunched over Emily, his cock in his hand. Ran’Kin is on the floor, tied with wires the pirate must have yanked out of the equipment. My friend is bleeding from numerous wounds, but still panting, still alive, thank the gods.

Without sparing a second for another thought, I pulse my laser at the pirate’s chest and watch in relief as he falls to the side.

Mel’Kan hurries to Ran’Kin’s side as I approach Emily, who has already pushed the rest of the pirate’s body off her. She’s crying and mumbling.

Although I now have a mate, I have no deep understanding of females. This crying, what does it mean? And how do I help her?

Before I can comm Maya, Emily shouts, “Motherfucker! Cocksucker!” She shifts her weight to one side so she can kick at his dead body. I don’t have to check his pulse. There’s a hole in his chest the size of my fist.

Emily moves his heavy weight enough to search for something.

“What do you need?” I ask, happy to offer some assistance.

“Nothing,” she says as her hand, now clutching a knife she must have taken off his body, pulls out from under his large frame. “That was close. It’s good you got here in time. He was still fumbling, trying to pull off my pants when you barged in.”

I’m relieved nothing worse happened to her, though when I reach out to help her off the floor, she startles and pulls away, eyes wide. It only takes her a moment to accept my help, though.

“How’s Ran?” I ask Mel’Kan, ignoring the spectacle on the vid now that we’re safe.

“That pirate beat him badly,” Mel says.

“He said he wanted me to watch what he did to my female,” Ran says. “You killed him too quickly.”

“His wounds are nothing that ten minutes of treatment by the medbot won’t fix,” Mel says.

We have portable medbots in many of the rooms for on-the-job injuries. Luckily, there’s one right here. Mel puts the machine to work.

“Emily?” Ran asks through bruised and bleeding lips. “How are you?”

“Pissed. Motherfucker,” she kicks the pirate’s body so hard her eyes squeeze shut as she says, “Ow!”

At that moment, Maya bursts through the door, her laser rifle at her shoulder, ready to fire. Breathing a sigh of relief when she sees we’re all alive, she stands down immediately.

“And now, females and males,” Zedd’s voice interrupts, “let me explain the next phase of The Game, Down to Earth.”