Page 17 of Ruin (Villains for Hire)

R uin watched Gaius's ship glide into the port. It was a fairly new model but, thankfully, one with which he was familiar. That’d make infiltrating and commandeering it significantly easier.

While not overly ostentatious, the sleek lines and gleaming hull were designed to draw attention and appear intimidating. From the research he’d done on his target, that fit with how Gaius liked to present himself.

He anticipated they’d face a full contingent of security personnel, and probably a couple droids. Nowhere near the worst odds he’d faced, and he had Hush with him. Between the two of them, he didn’t foresee any real issues, but he made a habit of expecting the worst and not underestimating his opponents.

Hearing her shift, he glanced down at Lira. Even wearing her armored clothes underneath it, the maintenance jumpsuit they’d both changed into all but swallowed her, making her look even smaller and more delicate.

A surge of protectiveness washed over him, mingling with the worry he was coming to understand would be his constant companion when it came to her. He drew in a measured breath and pushed them both down. If all went to plan, she wouldn’t be in any direct danger. And she’d proven she was tougher than she appeared.

Besides, there wasn’t really any other choice but to bring her with them. Even if she hadn’t put her little foot down and insisted she was going, he wasn’t willing to leave her behind.

If, for any reason, he wasn’t able to return, she’d be stuck on Skeldra. Alone and vulnerable. That wasn’t a chance either of them were prepared to take.

“Ready, my love?”

She drew in a deep breath and squared her delicate shoulders, those soft green eyes steady on his. “Yep. Let’s do this.”

They slipped out of the maintenance passage, the acrid smell of ozone assaulting his sensitive nose. He scanned everything as they moved, constantly cataloging potential threats, escape routes, cover. At this time of the day cycle, the port was buzzing with activity, making it easier for him and Lira to blend in.

They hadn’t gone far when Hush suddenly materialized beside them, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

“About damn time,” the Drifter whispered. “I was startin’ to think I'd die of old age waitin’ for you two lovebirds.”

The maintenance bot joined them half a second later and immediately zeroed in on Lira. Its sensors whirred softly as it scanned her, and Ruin hummed with approval.

Whether the loyalty it so obviously had for her was due to her saving it or Ruin’s decree that its one job was to keep her safe, he couldn’t say. But he damned sure appreciated it.

“We clear on the plan?” he murmured.

Hush's grin widened, showing a flash of sharp teeth. “Crystalline. Get in, kill the bastard, get out. Maybe blow some shit up along the way. Maybe stay in and add a new ship to the fleet.”

Ruin huffed. “We’re stayin’ quiet long as we can, so try not to have too much fun. Knives an’ silent guns only.” He turned to Lira, expression softening. “Stay behind cover. I mean it this time.”

She nodded, but there was a glint in her eyes that made him uneasy.

He pointed at the bot. “Keep an eye on her. Don't let her do anythin’ impulsive.”

It beeped an affirmative, its optics swiveling toward Lira.

They moved as one, weaving between crates and workers, using the bustle of the docking bay as camouflage. His ears twitched at every sound—the clang of tools, the hiss of hydraulics, overlapping shouts from a dozen sources—but he kept his movements smooth and relaxed. Just another dock worker doing his job.

They reached the side of Gaius's ship without issue and ducked behind a stack of empty cargo containers Hush had put there for exactly this purpose.

Facing outward, Ruin kept his breathing slow and controlled and his awareness expanded.

Hush moved past him and up to the hidden utility hatch on the side of the ship, pulling a small, highly illegal device from somewhere on his person.

Trusting his friend to handle hacking into and bypassing the ship’s security, he focused on keeping watch. A few seconds later, a tug on his sleeve drew his attention to Lira, though he kept his eyes up and sweeping.

“Why’s he dancing?” she whispered.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, he couldn’t stop a quiet chuckle. He didn’t need to peer back to know she was referring to Hush or to confirm his often odd friend was undoubtedly dancing to a song playing only in his mind.

“Helps him concentrate.”

“Ah. Like when you rub the hilt of one of your knives.”

Surprised, he glanced down at her. “Do I?”

She sent him a confused look. “Yeah. You didn’t realize?”

He shook his head. No, he hadn’t realized. But she had, and damn if that didn’t make him feel all warm and squishy inside.

Quelling the desire to pick her up and kiss her with enormous difficulty, he shooed her back behind cover and returned to keeping watch. But the smile playing on his lips remained.

That smile faded gradually as one minute ticked into two, then five.

“How much longer?” he finally asked.

“Almost got it,” Hush answered. “Fucker’s got added layers I’m havin’ to pierce through. Couple more minutes.”

“Get it done in three, or we’re goin’ loud.”

“Heard.”

He was almost to the end of his internal countdown when Hush made a low sound of triumph and announced, “We’re in.”

Turning, he activated his armor, drew one of his pistols, and took aim as Hush opened the utility hatch. On the off chance someone was waiting within, he wanted to get the drop on them.

Seeing it was clear, he nodded for the bot to go in first. This was it. No turning back now. He glanced at Lira, giving her a quick wink to ease some of the strain tightening her delicate features, then slipped inside the ship.

After thoroughly scanning the small alcove and peeking out into the corridor beyond, he signaled for her to enter. Hush came in on her heels and sealed the hatch behind him, then immediately moved to a panel set in the wall.

“Need’ta take juusstttt enough control to keep ‘em from leavin’ and being able to track our position,” Hush murmured, fingers flying over the interface, tail flicking and bobbing to a beat only he could hear.

While he worked on that, Ruin found a vent that led into the ductwork and cut it open with a laser knife. After scanning it to ensure it hadn’t been booby-trapped, he straightened and pinned Lira with his gaze.

Deactivating both of their transparent helms, he cupped her cheeks. “You and the bot?—”

“Beep.”

Ruin blinked down at her. “Eh?”

“The bot. I named him Beep.”

Why didn’t that surprise him? Either that she’d felt compelled to give the bot a name, or that she’d chosen Beep.

Behind him, Hush snorted in amusement. Swallowing down his own mirth, he nodded solemnly.

“You and Beep’ll keep pace, best you’re able, from the ductwork. Under no circumstances are you to leave till I tell you it’s safe.”

“Okay.”

“Your vow, Lira. I need to know you’ll be safe.”

Her expression softened. Moving into him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his abdomen. He immediately returned the embrace and bent to nuzzle his face into her hair.

“I promise.”

The tight, anxious knot in his middle eased a little. Blowing out a breath that ruffled her pale strands, he hugged her tighter, then shooed her and Beep into the ductwork.

“Got your viewers?”

Kneeling in the middle of the shaft, she shifted and pulled the visor he’d given her out of her pocket, then slid it into place over her eyes. The wide spectrum viewers would allow her to see through the ship’s walls so she could follow their progress without being entirely dependent on Beep to guide her.

“They workin’?”

“Whoa,” she breathed, peering down at the floor. “Oh, yeah, they’re working!”

“Good.” To Beep, he said, “Kill anyone an’ anythin’ that tries to hurt her.”

“Brrrp!”

Breathing past the intense aversion to not having her in his sight, he ghosted his fingers down the length of her hair, then re-affixed the vent cover and turned to Hush.

“Glarin’ at the back of my head doesn’t make me work faster,” the Drifter commented drolly.

“Yes, it does.”

“Pah, nuh… oh. Well, shit, maybe it does. I’m in.”

“How many guards?”

“Mm, looks like fourteen.”

“Any crew?”

Intel said Gaius didn’t employ living crew members, preferring to use the ship’s AI and automations because computers weren’t vulnerable to blackmail, coercion, or hate. But intel could be wrong.

“Nope.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

This was usually his favorite part of a mission, yet all he wanted to do was hurry the fuck up and kill these people so he could have his bird back by his side.

Lying atop Beep’s back, Lira watched anxiously as Ruin and Hush worked their way down the richly appointed corridors below.

They moved like wraiths, quickly and silently, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. As fast as her bot was, even he was struggling to keep up with them.

She went to wipe the sweat off her brow, only to bump into the transparent helmet thing Ruin insisted she wear. Sighing, she tried to ignore the tickle of the droplet trailing across her face. The ductwork was cramped and uncomfortably warm, the air stale and dusty, but she did her best to ignore those discomforts and stay focused on being the guys’ eyes in the sky.

Or ceiling, currently.

Beep shifted under her suddenly and pointed one of those long antennae back over her shoulder. Following it, she caught movement from farther back down the corridor.

She narrowed her eyes to focus the viewers, then gasped, fear and adrenaline flooding her in a rush. A large, serpentine humanoid, clad head-to-tail in a black combat suit, was gliding up the hallway toward Ruin and Hush, holding a deadly looking rifle as big as her leg.

Her stomach cramped nauseatingly and goosebumps rose on her arms and legs despite the stifling heat in the shaft.

She couldn’t remember having any particularly bad experiences with Kii’mians , yet they scared her on a primal level. Their snake-like appearance, their venomousness, knowing they could squeeze her into goo with those powerful coils.

This one must’ve discovered the trail of dead people the guys left behind. Which meant their presence on the ship was no longer a secret.

Whipping her gaze back to the guys, she expected to see them turning around, raising their weapons… but they weren’t. They weren’t reacting to the approaching enemy at all. Could they not hear him?

Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the world around her narrowing to a pinpoint. She could see it all playing out in her mind's eye—the Kii’mian rounding the corner and taking aim, Ruin falling…

No.

Her hand flew to the mag-coil pistol at her hip. She lined up the shot, squinting through the viewers, willing her trembling hands to steady.

Breath held, finger poised to activate the trigger, she had no idea if her little gun was strong enough to fire through the wall, but she was damn sure going to try. If nothing else, it would hopefully alert Ruin to the danger.

The recoil jolted through her arm, the pop echoing off the metal walls loud enough to make her wince. Below, the assassin froze just as he turned the corner and looked down at the neat hole burned through his chest.

She’d actually hit him!

At the other end of the hall, Ruin whirled, dropping into a crouch so fast she almost missed the movement, weapon up and aimed.

Gradually, inch by inch, the Kii’mian collapsed in on himself, upper body sagging onto limp coils.

Ruin straightened and glanced up. Those piercing yellow eyes locked on to her position with unerring accuracy, as if he could see right through the ceiling.

He couldn’t. She knew that. But that didn’t stop her heart from skipping a beat.

The initial shock in his expression gave way to fierce pride and approval. His lips curled in a small, impressed smile.

“Damn good shot, little bird,” he purred, just loud enough for her to hear.

The giddy pleasure she felt at the praise was tempered by the knowledge that, if the Kii’mian hadn’t already alerted Gaius to their presence, she damn sure just had with that loud shot.

As if they’d just had the same thought, Ruin and Hush took off running, smoothly sheathing their knives in favor of large, powerful rifles.

Before they were out of earshot, she heard Hush say admiringly, “Godsdamn! She just keeps gettin’ better and better. I’m serious. If you don’t ask her to be your… ”