“Pet trade?”
Axur ran up the path toward Bethnee’s house.
“No.”
“Liar. Make him come to you.”
Axur used his cybernetic strength to jump to the top of the big three-meter-high rock in Bethnee’s front yard, which made him less immediately noticeable if her captor happened to look outside. The sun was already over the trees, and would soon be higher.
“I can’t get around his controller. He’s not pet trade, he’s military-enhanced.”
Axur heard the unmistakable sound of a slap.
“Call him, or I’ll stun the dog and you both. Maybe have some naked playtime with you. Find out if you still like it rough and dirty.”
Axur unslung his flechette gun and extended the guide for distance shots. His freighter had been sadly lacking in powered beamers, blasters, or railguns, so he’d made some analog weapons of his own, and practiced with them.
The mercenary comms band flared to life in his ear with an abrupt tone. “Kanaway, Domaki, what’s the holdup?” The Mandarin-accented voice of the team leader sounded exasperated.
“Uh, Domaki ran into something in the vet’s yard and got stunned. I’m rigging something to carry him on.” Axur rolled his eyes at Kanaway’s lame story.
“Quit fucking around, Kanaway, or I’ll term you.” The woman disconnected without waiting for Kanaway’s reply.
Kanaway’s ugly laugh rang out. “Stupid bitch doesn’t know what you are. I’ll make Breitenbahn bleed credits to get you back. His business isn’t so good since you left.”
Axur found a quasi-prone position on the rock and aimed his gun with its homemade flechettes loaded with quick-acting dormo. All he needed was a clear shot at Kanaway’s bare skin.
“Call the animal. Now.”
“We have to go outside, and leave the dog in here, or Axur won’t come at all.”
“Bullshit.”
“Shoot me, then. Good luck carrying me all the way to your flitter. No grav carts around here like on Breitenbahn’s ship.”
Stunner fire sounded, and Trouble yelped loudly in pain. Axur forced himself to let it roll off him, or he wouldn’t be calm enough to make the shot.
“Outside!”
After a long moment, Bethnee limped slowly through the doorway, then stumbled forward when the man shoved her. “Call him!”
She limped haltingly toward the center of the little yard and stopped. Kanaway followed too close to her for Axur to shoot him. She bowed her head for a long moment, then turned to her right and looked expectantly toward the trees.
Kanaway clamped one cruel hand on her neck and pointed the stunner toward the trees. A large raven landed in the tree and screeched, making Kanaway twitch.
A flicker of movement on Axur’s right tugged at his attention. He risked a quick glance and caught a glimpse of a large, black-furred shadow stalking through the snow.
Axur winced at the loud tone in his merc comms earwire.
“Kanaway, we’re coming for you and Domaki. Trummler’s order.” The team leader sounded disgruntled.
Kanaway took his hand off Bethnee long enough to touch his own earwire. “I’m already in the air.” He spoke aloud rather than subvocalizing.
“Your flitter’s tracer is reporting itself as stolen. We’ll meet you in Tanimai.”
Kanaway swore but said he’d be there. He stomped his foot in frustration and grabbed Bethnee’s neck again. “Let’s go.”
She took one step, then stumbled sideways and landed on one knee. Kanaway let go as he struggled to keep his balance.
A black blur emerged from the trees to the west. Kanaway saw the movement, but too late to avoid being knocked down by a determined dire wolf. Kanaway’s stunner sailed into the air and landed on the snowy gravel.
The man rolled sideways and up to his hands and knees. He crawled fast toward the fallen weapon, but had to duck and cover to avoid the attack of a huge black raven, cawing noisily, diving straight for his head. He threw himself toward the stunner, but not in time to stop the other black raven from stealing it in a flurry of flight.
Axur kept his gun trained on Kanaway, but couldn’t get a clear angle without shooting Serena, who stood between Kanaway and Bethnee, growling menacingly.
Kanaway scrambled to his feet and spun to face the new threat. He held a phase knife in the stance of an experienced fighter. He touched his earwire and spoke aloud instead of subvocalizing. “Hey, Na Ming. Bring the big flitter back to the vet’s house and get the tranq guns ready. She’s got a fortune in stolen pets, starting with a trained dire wolf.”
After a long moment, the Mandarin-accented woman’s voice answered. “Okay, but you better be on the level.” Na Ming sounded testy. “We’re fifteen minutes out.”
“See you soon.” Kanaway touched his earwire again. His eyes hadn’t once left the wolf. “Company’s coming. Give us the pets, or I’ll tell them what you are and what you’re worth.”
Bethnee stayed on her knees and said nothing.
Kanaway sidestepped toward the open door of Bethnee’s house. “Since you were so anxious to get me out of your house, the others must be in there.”
Axur wished he could talk to Bethnee, but since he couldn’t, he reviewed his mission parameters. Protecting her was top priority, but she now had reinforcements from his animals, and probably hers. His secondary objective called for protecting them all from the mercenaries, which was a better use of his skills and resources, but it meant he’d have to leave Bethnee with a monster.
Axur fucking hated the hard choices of war.
Chapter Thirteen
GDAT 3241.265
Bethnee felt like she was floating. Adrenaline still soured her stomach and made her shake, but she’d apparently hit her limit on fear, and had no more to give.
Kanaway sneered. “Hey, Bakonin. How much does a dire wolf bring at auction?”
The man was trying to keep her afraid, not thinking. She’d had enough of that to last a lifetime. “I don’t know. How much do you think I can trade for Domaki?” She’d seen through the raven’s eyes when Axur had pushed the telepath into the snowdrift. “Wonder what he’ll tell your bosses?”
Kanaway huffed. “They won’t believe him. Minders are all liars.”
She sent a thread of talent to cue preciously cute, plump Shiza, the little foo dog with the fierce heart of a lion. He waddled out into the weak midday sun and barked.
Kanaway turned. “See? Liars.”
She asked Shiza to step closer to the man, but stay out of his reach. “Don’t pick him up.”
“What’s he going to do, drool on me?” Kanaway laughed derisively.
Bethnee took a nervous breath, then sent Shiza instructions. He barked once, then turned to go back inside the house.
Kanaway glanced at the dire wolf, then focused on the foo dog. “Come here, you expensive little shit.” His tone was cajoling as he patted his thigh.
Shiza slowed and turned to look up. Lightning fast, Kanaway dropped his phase knife to grab Shiza by the curly mane with both hands and drag him closer.
Enraged, Shiza twisted and bit down on Kanaway’s exposed wrist.
Kanaway screamed and shook his arm, then rocked back a step back and kicked Shiza’s ribs. The foo dog didn’t let go. If Kanaway noticed a white weasel dart in and steal the phase knife, it didn’t register.
Kanaway dropped to his knees, yelling, trying to roll Shiza onto his side. The foo dog planted his feet and used his strong neck and shoulder muscles to stay upright.
Bethnee climbed unsteadily to her feet and moved to stand by Serena.
“Get it off me!” He punched the dog’s head, which caused Shiza to clamp down again even harder.
“Shiza,” said Bethnee. She used her talent to help the foo dog realize he’d won. Shiza gave the man’s crushed, bloody arm a tearing shake, then opened his wide, square jaws and scrabbled backward.
Kanaway lifted his good hand toward his face, but froze when Shiza keened a
nd bared his sharp, bloody teeth.
Bethnee realized he’d been reaching for his earwire. She couldn’t let him call for help. Before she could talk herself out of it, she pivoted in and stripped it off his face, then pivoted back. Her torn fingernail left a welt along his jaw. Blood welled immediately.
He swung a slow, sloppy punch at her. His venomous look would have once quelled her. He lifted his knee to put one foot on the ground. “You’re fucking dead.”
“No, but you are.” She invited Shiza to come closer to her. The little dog limped a little as he moved to lean against her knee. “Foo dog poison is neuro-hemorrhagic, designed to kill quick, and you got two full injections. I told you not to pick him up.”
“Bullshi’…” He shook his head as if trying to clear it. “They’re sold to children… Prob’ly fast dormo or somethin’.” His words slurred as he absently wiped red-stained drool off his chin with his good hand. The injured arm drooped listlessly at his side, gushing a pool of bright red blood onto the snow-whitened gravel. “You’re gon’ be my ticket back…”
He slumped forward over his knee, then toppled sideways. He shuddered, then lay still.
Bethnee thought she should have felt something, watching the horror of her nightmares draw his last two gurgling breaths, but nothing came. She had no more time to worry about it. Four greedy mercenaries with tranq guns were about to land on her doorstep.
She sent her talent out to check on the animals, but she was on her last reserves. Coordinating dire wolves, ravens, weasels, and foo dogs to defeat Kanaway had been like running a marathon. She asked bruised Shiza to go inside to protect injured, still dazed Trouble.
She wished she were a telepath like Domaki, so she could communicate with Axur, instead of just sensing his general location. She absently shoved the earwire she’d stripped from Kanaway into her chest pocket, only to find the one Axur had given her already there. Kicking herself for forgetting, she put it on and subvocalized a message. “Kanaway is dead in my front yard. I’m resetting the cabin’s security. Tell me what I can do.”
He came online almost immediately. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? I’ve moved some of your traps to arrange welcome surprises for the mercs. They’re running late. With luck, the enforcers will catch them here.”
She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed to hear the sound of his voice until that moment.
“Tired. A bruise or two. Shiza and Trouble need treatment.”
“I don’t suppose you’d go back inside the cave and stay there?”
“Not a chance. It’s my farking homestead. Can Serena and I come down the path?”
“Yes, I’ll meet you. It’s going to get crowded around here soon, and I want us all to be ready when it does.”
Chapter Fourteen
GDAT 3241.265
Axur sat with Bethnee on the small couch in her chilly cabin and watched the two planetary enforcers standing near the front door. Their orders were to keep an eye him and Bethnee, but they were more interested in friendly Kivo.
The other enforcers who’d landed took custody of the mercs. With Bethnee and the animals acting as lookout, Axur had lured the mercs into Bethnee’s traps, then shot them with their own tranq guns. Because one merc was dead, the enforcers insisted on waiting for their commander to arrive with Pranteaux, the Tanimai town administrator.
Axur stole glances at Bethnee. She looked bruised, tired, and pale, but not flatlined. He admired the hell out of her.
Shiza the foo dog now sat across her lap and partly into his, contentedly drooling a wet spot on both their pant legs. Bethnee finger-combed his curly mane. She surprised Axur by sliding her hand into his and mouthing the words “thank you.” He squeezed her hand gently in acknowledgment.
A few minutes later, a tall, muscular woman in uniform and flexin armor, and a short, rotund man in a plaid coat entered the cabin.
The short man blinked and squinted as he looked around with disdain. His eyes widened when he saw Kivo, then narrowed when his gaze landed on Bethnee and Axur. He drew breath to speak, but the woman beat him to it.
“I’m Commander Cherkogin, and I’m sure you know Administrator Pranteaux.” She took in her surroundings with darting glances, then focused on Axur. “Tragon?”
“Yes, sir.” He stifled the urge to salute.
Cherkogin turned her gaze to Bethnee. “You must be Vetmed Bakonin.”
Pranteaux cleared his throat. “She’s the homesteader.” He made it sound like an infectious disease. “I’ll bet he’s the illegal settler who’s been trading in town.” He pointed a curling, accusing finger at Axur.
Cherkogin frowned. “First things first, Administrator.” She tilted her head toward the door. “How did the merc die?”
“Foo dog poison,” said Bethnee, patting Shiza’s shoulder. She explained the events in terse sentences. By the time she was done, Pranteaux was staring at the sleepy foo dog in horror.
Cherkogin looked at Axur. “We intercepted the rest of the merc company where you said they’d be.” She crossed her arms. “The DPE takes a dim view of kidnapping Del’Arche settlers or homesteaders.” She turned to Pranteaux with a sly smile. “And an equally dim view of destroying valuable protection animals like foo dogs.”
Pranteaux’s mouth gaped like a fish. “But it killed a man!” He looked back and forth between the foo dog and Cherkogin’s unyielding expression. He blew out a frustrated breath, then glared at Bethnee and pointed at Axur again. “He’s still illegal. He’s been skulking around for months.”
A fleeting look of distaste crossed Cherkogin’s face as she turned away from Pranteaux to meet Axur’s gaze. “What’s your status?”
Axur had known this moment was inevitable ever since he’d chosen to meet the enforcers, so he could be there to protect Bethnee when they questioned her. He let go of her hand so he could stand, but she held him fast.
“He’s my plus one.”
Axur hoped he kept his confusion off his face. Cherkogin raised an eyebrow.
Pranteaux gawped, then recovered. “He can’t be. You’re not a settler. He doesn’t live here.” His mouth twisted in disdain as he looked her up and down. “You hate men.”
“I don’t hate men.” Bethnee let go of Axur’s hand, then gently urged Shiza to jump down and got to her feet. “I’m afraid of men who want to hurt me. There’s a difference.”
Axur stood and stayed next to her. Whatever her play was, he was in.
Bethnee pushed her hair behind her ear. “I looked it up. The settlement contract says homesteaders get one ‘plus one,’ as long as he resides on my homestead for a standard year.” Bethnee wove her fingers through his and held up their joined hands. “I’m declaring Axur as my plus one.”
Cherkogin smiled. “I’ll be your official witness.” She raised her arm to tap her percomp gauntlet. “I’ll even register the declaration for you, since the town’s satellite uplink got destroyed by the greedy mercs that your ‘plus one’ helped stop.” She directed her next words to Pranteaux with a pointed look. “He probably saved your town from an armed invasion and wholesale theft of its valuable animals.”
Pranteaux clamped his jaw and looked away with a frown. His eyes widened, and his expression morphed into sly challenge. “Clause 624.308.T.51.” He looked at Bethnee. “You’ll have to cohab or marry your ‘plus one.’” He gave Axur an insulting smile. “Can’t have Slick Slims taking advantage of the gullible and stealing their homesteads.” He looked around at the furniture and sneered. “Not that this dump is worth stealing.”
Cherkogin shook her head. “The council rescinded that stupid clause two years ago. You can’t force people into domestic contracts.”
Pranteaux jutted out his jaw, clearly intending to continue the fight.
“Quarks and quasars, man, I brought you here to confirm Bakonin’s identity as the homesteader and remand the mercs, not meddle in people’s private lives.” She shot quick glances to her patiently waiting enforcers. “The administrator??
?s work here is done. Escort him back to the flitter.”
Pranteaux gave everyone in the room one last, sweeping glare and stomped through the door that commander had already opened. The enforcers left with him.
“Bureaucrats,” muttered Cherkogin. She turned to Bethnee. “Would you mind stepping outside and, uh, getting your dire wolf guardian to stand down?”
Bethnee snorted. “You could have just said you want to talk to Axur alone.” She sealed the coat she hadn’t yet taken off and limped over to the door. She left without a backward glance.
“Sorry,” said Cherkogin. “I tank at diplomacy.”
“Apologize to her, not me.” He tilted his head, finally able to place her familiar-sounding voice. “You were the ex-Jumper dispatcher this morning.”
She nodded. “Yep. We’re short-handed. How’d you like a job with the Del’Arche Planetary Enforcers?”
Bethnee’s head pounded and her joints ached from the fever she’d brought on herself by healing both Trouble and Shiza. Her talent felt thin and wispy as she extended a thread of invitation to Serena, who was sitting in the middle of her front yard.
Snapping at the commander hadn’t been her finest moment. She heard Cherkogin’s job offer right as the door closed. It was ideal for Axur. He’d have purpose again and make new friends, and have a team of enforcers to protect him if the CPS ever came calling.
Bethnee sat on a flat rock and buried her hands in Serena’s thick winter fur. Daylight was more than half gone.
From the trees, Jynx chuffed. The enforcers looked around uneasily.
Bethnee chuckled. “Yes, Serena, she definitely taunted you. Go play.”
Serena unexpectedly turned and licked Bethnee’s face, then bounded off after Jynx.
She stuck her hands in her pockets and dropped her head to stretch her neck for a moment.
She listened to the wind through the trees and drifted for a bit, reflecting on her first months, when any weather at all had disconcerted her, after years in controlled space environments. Now the wind through the trees sounded like freedom.