Page 21 of Saving the Space Pirate

“Probably not for long. We have to keep moving.”

“Wake up, Killian.” I shook him, but his eyes stayed closed. “He won’t wake up. Oh God.”

Zak reached down and hefted him over his shoulder. Then we were running again.

But I could hear them behind us. They were through the door and coming after us fast. Heavy boots beat on the stone floor, loud and getting louder. I struggled to keep up with Zak, but his legs were twice as long as mine, and I was falling behind. He glanced back over his shoulder. A shot hit him in the side, but he didn’t flinch.

We had to find some way to slow them down.

Up ahead, the corridor turned. Once we were sheltered from the blasts, Zak dropped Killian to the floor, grabbed his laser pistol and shot around the corner. The footsteps skidded to a stop, and everything fell silent.

I peered around. There were so many of them. Ten at least. There was no way we could take them all, and they’d soon realize they could rush us and it would be all over. A laser blasted out, and I ducked for cover.

Killian was still dead to the world, though thankfully not actually dead. His chest rose and fell with his shallow breaths.

“Go,” Zak said. “I’ll hold them off. Give you a chance to get away.”

My feet twitched with the need to run. I didn’t want to die.

I could get out of the palace. Hide away. Survive.

But at what cost?

Killian would die. So would Zak.

And there was something else. Inside of me, every cell screamed that I couldn’t let them win. This whole thing was set up so they could exploit Earth, tear it apart and enslave its people.

No fucking way.

Which meant someone had to get back to Earth. Tell Pendleton what had really happened. Make sure the vote went the right way.

I couldn’t do that. Not alone.

But Zak could.

And he could take Killian with him. There was a chance Killian could get out of this alive, and that eased some of the terror inside me. Kill would come back afterward, help the rebels and do some good. I wouldn’t die for nothing.

I took a deep breath. I could do this. Just get the words out. “You have to take Kill and get out of here.I’llhold them off.” My voice sounded small and shock flashed across Zak’s face as though the idea hadn’t even occurred to him.

“No way.”

“I can’t carry Killian. If I go, you both die, and I can’t face that. I love him and you can take him to safety.”

“I’m not leaving you here.”

Shit. How was I to convince him? Get past that innate sense of chivalry? “Come on, Zak, how long do you think I would survive out there alone?”

“Then we all stay. We’ll get out of this. We’ve been in worse situations.”

“No, you haven’t. Any moment now, they’re going to realize there are only two of us, and they’re going to overrun us. Then we all die.” I rested a hand on his arm. “You know I’m right. Kill’s your friend, and you can save him. You know the city, where to hide. You could steal a ship. I can’t do any of that stuff. Please, Zak.”

His face was a mass of confusion. At least he was no longer adamant.

“And there’s another thing,” I continued, speaking fast, conscious that any moment they could overrun us. “I want to succeed. I came here with one purpose—to make sure that the vote for Earth went the right way. Promise me you’ll get to Earth, tell them what really happened. I can’t do that. Butyoucan. And that means more than anything. This can’t have all been for nothing.”

Every muscle in his body clenched as though he was fighting what he needed to do. Then he sagged, and I knew I’d won.

It was a bittersweet victory.

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