Page 5 of Bound to the Bounty Hunter

Anger flared within me. The idea that someone had developed a weapon specifically to target my kind was infuriating. More than that, the realization of my own vulnerability left me feeling exposed in a way I hadn’t experienced since I was a child.

“No,” I admitted finally. “But I intend to find out.”

As Samira returned to her work, grinding leaves between stones with precise, practiced movements, I needed to reassesseverything I thought I knew about this mission. The scent of crushed vegetation filled the air, mingling with the ever-present dampness of the jungle and something else – the faintest trace of fear. Whether it was hers or my own, I couldn’t be sure.

“You seem to know what you’re doing,” I admitted grudgingly.

Samira glanced over her shoulder, a small smile playing on her lips. “I should hope so. It’s kind of my job.”

“Here,” Samira said, approaching with a bowl of greenish paste. “This should help with the pain and accelerate your healing.”

I eyed the concoction warily. “What’s in it?”

“Local flora with analgesic and regenerative properties,” she explained. Her fingers were gentle, a touch of bliss as they moved across my skin.

As she worked, her eyes studied my face intently. She seemed to come to a decision. “You’re here to take me back, aren’t you? That’s your mission.”

I felt my jaw tighten. No point in denying it now. “That was the assignment. Find Dr. Samira Radu and bring her in.”

“And who exactly am I being brought in to?” she pressed, her voice tense.

I hesitated, the weight of my mission suddenly feeling heavier. “My employer... didn’t specify. Just said there were interested parties.”

Samira’s eyes flashed, a mix of fear and anger. “Interested parties,” she spat, her hands clenching at her sides. “Is that what they’re calling themselves now?”

A gust of wind rustled through the foliage, carrying with it the acrid scent of fear. My senses picked up on the quickening of her heartbeat, the slight tremor in her hands. Something was very wrong here.

“What aren’t you telling me, Dr. Radu?” I asked, my voice a steady warning. I took a step closer, using my height to intimidate. “Why are you really hiding on this godforsaken planet?”

Samira stood her ground, chin lifted defiantly. “Because if I don’t, millions could die.”

The weight of her words hung between us. I studied her face, looking for any sign of deception. Finding none, I nodded for her to continue.

“Six months ago, the Consortium hired me, brought me here,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “They wanted me to work on what they claimed was a new relaxant. But it was so much more than that.”

She paused, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting Consortium agents to materialize from the jungle. When she continued, her words came out in a rush. “It’s a mind-control drug, Arkon. More potent than anything we’ve ever seen. When I realized what they were planning, I escaped the lab. I’ve been hiding ever since.”

I pieced together the implications. The mysterious disappearance, the conflicting interests searching for her – it all pointed to a conspiracy far larger than I’d imagined.

“Why here?” I asked, gesturing to the landscape around us. “Why not leave the planet entirely, tell someone what’s going on?”

A bitter smile played across Samira’s lips. “Where would I go? The Consortium’s reach is vast. At least here, I have a chance of stopping them before they perfect their weapon.”

I stood abruptly, needing to move. My mind raced, weighing my mission against this new information. The implications were staggering.

“Arkon,” Samira said softly, rising to face me. “I know you have a job to do. But I’m asking you to look at the bigger picture.If we don’t stop this, the consequences could be catastrophic. I need your help.”

I stopped pacing, turning to her. “And if I decide to help you? What then?”

She offered a small, hopeful smile. “Then we work together. Your skills, my knowledge. We might actually have a chance at stopping this.”

I fell silent, considering. Everything in me rebelled against the idea of abandoning a contract. But the thought of that kind of power in the wrong hands...

Finally, I spoke. “I don’t like going back on a contract. But I like the idea of mind-controlled armies even less.” I met her eyes, feeling the ghost of a wry smile on my face. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a partner, Dr. Radu.”

SAMIRA

Arkon’s red eyes bored into me. “So what’s your plan?”

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