Page 11 of Hunter's Moon

“As long as it takes,” Grax replied, his tone suddenly cold. “Don’t forget your place here.”

With that, he turned and left, the door sealing shut behind him.

I wanted to hold Lina, to comfort her after the ordeal we’d just been through. But the ever-present cameras in the cell made that impossible. Instead, I grabbed her roughly, pulling her close as if I were threatening her.

“You did well,” I whispered, my lips barely moving. “You bought us time. I’ll get us out of here.”

Lina’s eyes widened in surprise, but she caught on quickly. She struggled against my grip, playing her part perfectly.

“Let me go, you monster!” she cried, loud enough for the cameras to pick up.

I licked her neck, keeping my voice low. “I’m going to keep you safe. I don’t know why, but that’s what I’m going to do.”

She nodded imperceptibly, then resumed her struggling. “Please, don’t hurt me!”

“Keep it up,” I murmured. “Make it look believable.”

As we continued our charade, I scanned the cell, looking for any weakness we could exploit. The energy fields along the walls hummed with deadly power, and the door was sealed tight.

“I don’t have any weapons or tools,” I said quietly. “Any ideas?”

Lina’s eyes lit up. “My commpad,” she whispered. “The one I used for taking orders at the cantina. It’s in my pocket.”

I grinned. “I can work with that.”

With a show of force for the cameras, I shoved Lina away. She stumbled backwards, her mouth wide with mock fear. I reached into her pocket and pulled out the small commpad.

Before she could react, I smashed it against the floor. The device shattered, its components scattering across the cell.

Lina’s shock was genuine this time. I winked at her, then bent to gather the broken pieces.

My gaze settled on the flickering golden energy fields lining the walls. What I was about to do would hurt. A lot. But it was our only chance.

I approached the nearest energy field, the broken commpad components clutched in my hand. Taking a deep breath, I plunged my arm through the shimmering barrier.

It felt like my flesh was being flayed from my bones, my nerves set ablaze. I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to scream.

“Stop!” Lina cried out, her voice filled with genuine terror. “It’s going to kill you!”

I ignored her, focusing all my willpower on the task at hand. With trembling fingers, I manipulated the metal components, searching for the right combination to short out the energy field.

My vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, there was a loud pop and a shower of sparks. The energy field flickered and died.

I collapsed to the floor, my body wracked with pain. Lina rushed to my side, her hands fluttering over me uncertainly.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I managed a weak smile. “Aww, were you worried about me?”

She scowled, but I could see the relief in her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. I just don’t want to be stuck in here alone.”

I chuckled, then winced as pain lanced through me. “Help me up. We need to move before they realize what’s happened.”

Lina slipped her arm around my waist, supporting me as I struggled to my feet. We approached the cell door, now the only barrier between us and freedom.

“Any more brilliant ideas?” Lina asked, eyeing the solid metal door.

I grinned, despite the pain. “Just one. Stand back.”

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