The Journey's End (12 page)

“You won’t fit.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

She ground her teeth at the implication that she would leave
him.  “You. Won’t. Fit.

He sighed, nuzzling the hair at her neck, breathing deep of
her scent.  Then his voice went cold.  “Then we fight our way clear.”

Chances were excellent they were about to die, but they
already planned to kill Menelaus in the morning for his supposed crimes. This
way they could kill him and his accomplice without drawing down the wrath of
the League.  It was perfect actually.  They probably had sensors reading their
escape all through the corridors.  Even Tryne would have no legal avenue if
they were killed while trying to escape lawful incarceration, and who would be
there to say it was unlawful?  The only people who knew where they were was the
Wosite.

She had a brief moment to wish things could be said between
them before they died, but what would she say.  ‘Sorry I was such a pain, and
now you have to die, because you closed the bridge border to keep me?’  
Hmm.
 
How about, ‘bet you wished you’d left me alone when you had the chance.’ 
Maybe
I’ll just stick to fighting, not talking.

She handed Menelaus the second blaster and flexed her hands,
feeling her nails grow into the deadly fighting talons they were capable of. 
If the great one thought he was going to kill her and her mate easily, then go
about his day, he was in for a rude awakening.  He had no idea the hell he was
unleashing.  

 She was whirled without warning and Menelaus kissed her
hard on the mouth, he looked into her eyes, his had gone flat to cold steel. 
He smiled and it was more a bearing of teeth than a real smile.  “You are full
of surprises mate, but if you get hurt fighting when you could have escaped up
the vents, I will be very displeased.”

“Well,” she said, her own voice frosty, her eyes iridescent
lavender.  “We wouldn’t want that.”  Then she bit him right through his clothes
and over his heart.  “Don’t get in my way and don’t get dead.”

Menelaus assumed that was as close as he would get to a
declaration of affection, even facing certain death.  It made him smile and rub
the bite that rested over his heart.  “I love you too.”  Then while she was
standing there blinking, a dazed look in her eyes, he went around her, pulling
up his blasters and heading for the fight.  Nori had to shake it off and move
fast to catch up. 
Tricky damn distracting bastard.

When they headed around the
corner, it was worse than expected.  They were buried in automatons and Wosite
security between one breath and the next.  The good news was they were in the
midst of them before anyone could give the order to fire, so it became a
general melee, rather than a gun down. 

Menelaus raised his blaster
and fired again and again, not hampered by the thought of shooting the wrong
target.  He was taller than most, so he could see that Nori was moving through
the automatons to the right of him while he gunned down and clubbed as many as
he could, as fast as he could. 

How she moved though; it was
like a dance watching her fight, twirling and striking, flipping and kicking. 
He could have sat down and watched her ballet of death for hours it was so
beautiful.  At least, he would have, if he wasn’t in the middle of trying to
survive his own battle.  He took a hit to the side that had him grunting and
Nori yelling at him.

“Pay attention to your own
ass.”  He heard her dulcet tones over the sounds of tearing metal and Wosite
screams.  “Stop watching mine.”

Menelaus got his head back in
the fight, blasting killing machines as fast as they came at him, wishing with
unparalleled yearning that he had a sword.

Then as one, every automaton in the bunch collapsed to the
floor at the same time.  Menelaus was left with a clear shot at ‘the great
ones’ shocked face where he hid among his last string of Wosite guards.  He
pointed the blaster at that face…and smiled.

“Well,” Nori kicked a lifeless automaton out of her way, and
dropped the pieces in her hands.  “That’s unexpected.”

“One thing about depending on tech for everything is that
it’s real easy for someone who knows what they’re doing to disable it.”  Nori
turned towards the familiar voice to see Tolan Lark holding a hand held device
and strolling toward them.  He winked at Nori making Menelaus growl, then
smirked at the reaction.  “I thought since I was done with my job, I would see
if you two crazy kids needed a hand.”

“How much is that going to cost us?”  Menelaus asked drily. 
His eyes never leaving Nemset and the other Wosite.

“Let’s say, a price to be determined later.”

“Let’s say, you ask for more than I’m willing to give and we
will have words.”

“Of course.  I wouldn’t expect anything different.”

Nori rolled her eyes at the male posturing.  Then she
narrowed her eyes on the Wosite.  “Now what do we do with them?”

Menelaus raised a brow.  “That’s an excellent question.”

The great one was looking a little red in the face. 
“Killing me will not help you or your people.” 

“Perhaps not, but it would have its own satisfaction.”

Nemset started to say something else, but Tolan Lark pulled
something out of his many hidden pockets and rolled it at the Wosite.  A vapor
rose from the capsule and the Wosite dropped, their eyes rolling back in their
heads.  Menelaus looked from their collapsed form to the mercenary, and it was
not a kind look.

Tolan shrugged.  “Taunt later. Right now we have only a few
minutes before their redundancy circuit’s fire and we are ass deep in automatons.”

Nori spoke up then, shifting his attention.  “We don’t have
time anyway.  We have to get to Lara before her shuttle gets to Lenosh.”  She
turned to the mercenary.  “How fast is your ship?”

“Fast enough.  You looking for a ride?”

“Nori,” Menelaus spoke while moving close enough to touch. 

She met his eyes.  “Tryne can help you with the Wosite, but
I need to get to Lara first.”  He stood close enough now that her neck was
craned all the way back, and their chests were touching.  She placed her hand
on his chest.  “If she makes it to Lenosh, I’ll lose her to the slavers or
pirates.  I would find her, but it would take time, and she would be suffering
through all of it.” 

He placed a finger on her cheek and studied her beseeching
eyes.  “Then I’m going with you.”

She breathed out a relived breath, closing her eyes briefly
as she nodded her head.  “That works for me.”

They both turned to look at Tolan Lark, who was watching
them with a half smile on his face.

“Oh, by all means, let’s save the girl.  Being the hero will
be an interesting change of pace.”

***

Where the shuttle had been, a steel box with little finesse,
the ship Tolan Lark commanded was an elegant silver arrow.  They docked the
shuttle with a clunk and stepped out into a pristine docking bay that had all
the bells and whistles, and everything looked like it had just come off the
assembly line.

“How long have you had this ship?”

“A few years.  Why?”

Nori blinked and looked around again.  “It looks very new.”

“I take care of my equipment.”  He winked at her and
Menelaus stepped between then, his unblinking eyes on the Shakien mercenary.

Up went the lip in that obnoxious half grin.

“Well,” Nori said, ignoring both men and looking around at
the obviously state of the art equipment.  “This is quite a ship.  Who did you
have to kill to afford something like this?”

“That will be my little secret,” he said, grinning wider. 
“Welcome to my home.”  He spread his arm out to encompass the archway.  “I’ll
show you where you can bunk as soon as I have us underway.  The Wosite will
come after us and I would rather be elsewhere when they do.”

“I thought you had a handle on that.”

“A handle, yes.  A firm grip, no.”  He looked at Menelaus,
even as he led the way out of the cargo bay and into the rest of the ship. 
“You going to get space crazy on me barbarian?”

Menelaus bared his teeth in a parody of a smile.  “I think I
can restrain myself.”

“Yeah, well we’ll see.  The one and only time I transported
one of you isolationist types, he went insane at the first shudder.  Started
thrashing about and screaming.  I’ll warn you up front, you start any of that
and I will taser your ass and work around your unconscious body.”

“I appreciate the warning,” Menelaus said drily.  “As I said,
I will try to restrain myself.”

Nori was too busy looking around to pay attention to the
men.  “How often do you clean this place?”  It really was ridiculously clean
and shiny.

“As often as I need to.”

“Like twice a day?”

“It’s not that big a deal, it’s just me here.”  His voice
seemed a little defensive and Menelaus smiled his own smile at the sound of it.

“Yeah but the ship is years old, and I know the inside of
ships.  This is almost a ridiculous shine you have here.  What on earth do you
clean it with to keep it so pristine looking?  I mean it should fade over time,
at least a little.  It’s…compulsively clean, I guess that’s the word for it.”

“Enough,” he said, sounding more defensive and definitely
impatient, and for an unflappable mercenary that was something.  “I like it
clean.  Period.”

“Okay,” Nori said, backing off then mumbling.  “But I
wouldn’t throw space crazy stones from that glass house.”

Tolan Lark glared at her while Menelaus chuckled.  Then they
were at the bridge.  Nori just shook her head at the continued sparkle of the
place.  The man had to clean like hourly to keep it like this.

He sat in the pilot seat and immediately started
preparations for a jump to Lenosh.  “I have light breaking technology, so we
should beat the shuttle to Lenosh easy.  Then the fun will really begin.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the pirates that control the space around Lenosh
would love to get their hands on a number of things presently in my possession,
including my ship, and no doubt the lovely Nori here, should they get wind of
her ancestry.”  He looked her up and down.  “And who could blame them?”

“I would change, but I lost my armor a while ago, and if we
are going into a fighting situation, this form is best.”

“You didn’t lose it,” Menelaus said with a dark shift in his
mood.  “It’s still in our bedroom where you left it.”

“In any case, I don’t have it here.”

“Faustius armor?”

“Of course.”

“I have some in my cargo hold.”  He shrugged.  “I even have
the nanite brand that shifts to fit any size.  You can both change if you are
so inclined.”

“Good.”  Nori smiled her sincere smile for the first time
since her aborted escape from Kenosha.  Even in her cat form with sharp
canines, it made the mercenary stare stupidly while Menelaus felt the kick to
his chest he always felt when she really smiled.  “Even as clean as you keep
this place..and boy do you keep it clean…constant battle ready senses are a
nightmare in a closed space.”

When Menelaus became aware of the silence, he turned from
his absorption with his wife’s smile to find the mercenary in the same
situation.  Mesmerized by his oblivious wife.  His eyes narrowed and fixed on
the man.  “I seem to recall you mentioning a time situation?”

The man finally turned his way and smirked at the promise of
mayhem shining in Menelaus’ eyes.  He spun back to his controls.  “Right. 
Strap in while I make the jump,” his voice turned suggestive.  “Then kitten,
you can feel free to strip off your armor at the first opportunity.  Don’t mind
me, truly I won’t mind.”

I bet,
Menelaus thought darkly, sitting and pulling
Nori down so fast, she gave a little squeak.  She glared at him from close
enough beside him, she might as well have been in his lap.  He smiled at the
disgruntled look she shot him before she sorted herself into her harness.

Whatever,
Nori thought, rolling her eyes at the
proprietary way he handled her.  She settled back, pressed against his chest. 
This time with his arms around her, his big hand a solid brand on her thigh. 
Clearly, he wanted her just exactly there.  It wasn’t worth dwelling on when
she was happy to be right where he wanted to place her, but if he tried that in
any other circumstance, they would have words.

 As it was, she was already wondering if she was going to
have to have different words with the mercenary.  As a Shakien, they naturally
liked to play, but he kept up the teasing and her mate’s head was going to
explode.  That was her job.  If anyone was going to bat him around like a toy,
it would be her.  Besides, when she made him crazy, he eventually just threw
her on the bed and had his way with her.  She had a feeling if he lost his
temper with the mercenary, it would involve a man beat down and severed limbs. 
Since she liked all his limbs where they were and Tolan needed his to fly the
ship, she would have to step in and nip that in the bud.

She sighed and felt the brush of warm lips at the curve of
her neck, which made her feel all soft inside until he spoke and ruined it. 

“You ever get naked again in front of any man but me and
I’ll chain you to my bed.”

She snorted, burrowing back to get closer and turning her
head so that her mouth was right at his ear.  “I think, if nothing else, we
have established two things between us.  You can’t keep me anywhere I don’t
want to stay,” she nipped the lobe, making him growl, then licked away the tiny
drop of blood that beaded.  Her voice dropped even more.  “And you don’t need
chains to have me in your bed.” 

The arms wrapped around her, tightened.  “You are a most
vexing woman.”

She smiled, recognizing the sentiment.  She kissed the lobe
softly, then leaned her forehead against his neck.  “I missed you.”

His arms tightened almost painfully and then released.  He
sighed out a long breath and rested his cheek against her hair.  “Good.”

No, it is definitely not good.
  Nori closed her eyes
tight, reveling in the feel of her mate beside her. 
Now, what do I do about
this?

***

As soon as they were light years from Wosite space, Tolan
set the course for Lenosh.  He turned toward them and Nori felt his eyes enough
that she opened hers to see a yearning and loneliness in his disappear as
quickly and unexpectedly as it showed.

“Not that watching you two get all sweet and simpery is not
entertaining in its way, but we should probably cover the plan once we catch
the shuttle.”  Gone was any sign of softness, and in its place was a hard
façade of humor at their expense.  “From what I was able to glean from the
Wosite computer before I was booted out, your girl, who by the way is smoking
hot, will reach Lenosh air space before we can reach her.  We will make it
before they land, but if they encounter any space faring pirates, and chances
are they will, the first thing they take will be your delicious Lara.”  He
pointed to the screen where Lara was pictured in all her innocent glory.  “And
who could blame them?  She has damsel in distress written all over her.”  He
was not wrong.

“The plan is we get her and get out, killing anyone who wants
to get in the way of that happening.”  Nori canted her head, “What’s to
discuss?”

“And yet I am the one called mercenary.”  Tolan looked at
the ceiling and sighed dramatically.  “The discussion,” he said, in an arrogant
tone that made Nori want to rip out his vocal chords, “is that, having escaped
from prison, if you then attack a Wosite shuttle and demand a passenger to be
handed over, you are liable to cause the very incident that would brand you in
the eyes of the League of Planets, as pirates.  Trust me, once you go that
route, very little will convince people otherwise.  The Wosite will have the
advantage of public sentiment, whereas if you handle this right it will go to
the poor unfortunate barbarian hordes.”  He smiled at Menelaus.  “At least it
will, unless they actually meet you for themselves.”

Nori pursed her lips.  “That is probably a solid point.”

“Nori,” Menelaus warned.

“I meant the first part, not the part about you being
arrogant with an annoying sense of entitlement.”

Menelaus narrowed his eyes.

She hurried on.  “Which I assume is what he meant by saying
people would change their sympathies to the Wosite if they met you in person.” 
Nori cleared her throat.  “Moving on.”  She turned all the way around to face a
chuckling Tolan.  “What do you suggest we do in this situation then?”

“I suggest we hail the shuttle in open space and request the
ambassadors daughter be allowed to move to my ship, which we will temporarily
refer to as a Hetian diplomatic conveyance.”

“And you don’t think that the Wosite will have called ahead
and spread your ship i-dent far and wide, temporarily referring to it as an
escape prisoner conveyance?”

He brushed that away.  “That’s easy enough, I’ll just change
my i-dent.”

Nori blinked.  “You can do that?”

He smiled slowly, letting it build into a sexy grin.  Even
firmly in the mated category, Nori had to blink to escape the power of it.  “There
is very little I can’t do with a ship and a computer kitten.  It’s my second
best thing.”  The suggestion behind that smile promised his first best thing
had more to do with what he could accomplish with a bed.

Menelaus ground his teeth.  “Keep looking at my mate in such
a way and you will find out just what I can accomplish with a Shakien upstart
and a pig pole.”

That made her smile.  Menelaus had a gift for alluding to
painful torture in that sexy voice of his.  Made a person want to purr and rub
up against him, but then, maybe that was just her.

Tolan just chuckled, Nori slapped a hand on Menelaus’ chest
to hold him back when he would have lunged.  “Enough, both of you.”