Page 38 of Bound to the Bounty Hunter

Gorak roared and charged, and I dove to the side. His massive form slammed into the weakened wall with the force of a battering ram.

The structure groaned, ready to collapse. Gorak stumbled, dazed by the impact. I seized my chance, leaping onto his back and striking a nerve cluster at the base of his skull with precision.

Gorak went down hard, and I rolled clear just as the wall gave way. Tons of metal and concrete crashed down, burying the brute beneath the rubble.

I staggered to my feet, surveying the fallen bounty hunters. A grim satisfaction filled me. They had threatened what was mine, and I had eliminated the threat.

But as the dust settled, an eerie silence fell over the ruined outpost. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Something was wrong.

My instincts screamed danger, and I broke into a run. Fear, an emotion I rarely experienced, clawed at my gut as I raced back to the lab.

I burst through the door, just in time to hear Samira’s terrified scream over the communicator.

SAMIRA

Islumped against the console, my muscles quivering from exhaustion. The last drone buzzed out of sight, carrying its precious cargo of the counteragent.

We’d done it. The mind-control crop would soon be neutralized.

A series of muffled explosions outside jolted me back to reality. Arkon was still out there, battling the bounty hunters. My chest tightened. I wanted nothing more than to run to him, to make sure he was safe. But I had to trust in his skills, his strength. He’d promised to protect me, and so far, he’d kept that vow.

One last task remained. I pushed myself away from the console and stumbled towards the server room. The data had to be destroyed. We couldn’t risk anyone recreating this research.

The door to the server room slid open with a soft hiss. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the dim light within. And then I saw him.

Dr. Zhen’la.

My mentor. My savior. The one who’d plucked me from obscurity in that wretched labor camp and nurtured my talents.

“Dr. Zhen’la?” I breathed, hardly daring to believe it. “You’re here. You came to help us?”

His mandibles clicked together, a sound I’d once found comforting. Now, it sent a chill through my veins.

He laughed, the sound grating and harsh. “Oh, Samira. My brilliant, foolish Samira. How could you be so stupid?”

I took a step back, confusion warring with a growing sense of dread. “What do you mean?”

“I’m disappointed in you, child.” His antennae twitched, betraying his agitation. “I found you. I trained you. Iownedyou. And this is how you repay me? By destroying years of work?”

The truth dawned on me. “You... you’re with the Consortium?”

“Of course I am!” He gesticulated wildly with his four arms. “With the Consortium backing me, we could have ushered in an age of peace. Imagine what we could have accomplished without people making stupid choices, starting trouble.”

Horror dawned as I realized the full implications of his words. “You mean... controlling everyone’s minds? That’s not peace. It’s slavery!”

Dr. Zhen’la’s mandibles clicked in a dismissive gesture. “They would be happy. Or at least, they wouldn’t know any better. Imagine the scientific progress that could be made.”

His words chilled me to the bone. The mentor I’d once revered now stood before me, advocating for the enslavement of billions. My stomach churned with disgust and betrayal.

Dr. Zhen’la advanced, his massive form looming over me. I stumbled back, my heart hammering against my ribs. The server room suddenly felt claustrophobic, the walls closing in around us.

A flicker of pride sparked within me. “I’ve stopped you,” I said, tilting my chin up. Sure, it was false bravado, but it was allI had. “I’ve protected countless lives from your twisted idea of peace.”

Dr. Zhen’la’s laughter was grating and painful. “Oh, you foolish child. Do you really think this is the end? I have powerful backers. This isn’t the end.”

His words sent a fresh wave of fear through me, but I clung to my resolve. Even if I couldn’t stop him forever, I’d bought time. Time for others to prepare, to fight back.

“But I have no use for little humans who don’t behave,” Dr. Zhen’la continued, his voice dropping to a menacing growl.

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