Page 24 of Saving the Space Pirate

I heard a ship approaching at the same time as Zak’s voice, as if from a distance. “Thank Groth.”

And then, for the second time that night, I fainted.

When I came around again, I knew I was on board theHelldiver. For a minute, the familiar feel of her relaxed me. I was home. I was safe.

Then I sat up abruptly.

“Ruby!”

Zak stood beside the bed. “She’s dead, Kill. I’m sorry.”

The words didn’t make sense. She couldn’t be dead. I wouldn’t believe it.

I sat up and swung my legs off the bed. The pain was gone. I ran my fingers through my hair and staggered to my feet. I had no clue where we were headed, but we had to get back to Groth. I had to find my girl.

For a second, I swayed, then steadied myself with a hand against the wall. I headed out of the room. Zak followed me, without saying anything. I went straight to the bridge. Creb sat in the pilot’s seat. She turned as I entered and pity flashed across her face. “Glad to see you’re up.”

I ignored the comment. “Turn the ship around. We’re going back to Groth.”

She looked past me to Zak and raised an eyebrow.

“Who’s fucking captain here?” I snarled.

Zak sighed. “There’s no point, Kill, she’s dead.” He sounded so…defeated that for a moment I believed him. But she couldn’t be dead. I’d feel it somewhere inside me. Whereas right now, every cell screamed that she was still alive.

“And the last thing she asked me was to go back to Earth, make sure they know the truth. It was what she wanted.”

I grabbed onto that. “So she was still alive when you left?”

Zak swallowed, and then gave a quick nod. “She asked me to take you to safety and then go to Earth. Finish her mission. She would hold them off as long as she could. There was no other choice. It was that or we all died. And she wanted you to live.”

Red hot rage engulfed me. “You fucking ran away and left her.” I drew back my fist and punched him, but there was no strength behind the blow, and he just stood there and looked at me.

“She didn’t want it to all be for nothing.”

I forced myself to breathe slowly, to push down the panic, think this through. I paced the small room a couple of times, my mind scrambling for an answer that wouldn’t mean the end of everything.

Something occurred to me. “Their guns were set to stun. Otherwise, I’d be dead. I took a direct hit.”

Zak rubbed his forehead, as though he was thinking it through. I knew I was right. “So?”

“So. She’s likely also still alive. They would have stunned her, not killed her.”

“Maybe.” He scratched his head.

“We have to go back for her. If there’s a chance, however small, we have to do it.”

“We’ll never make another break in. They’ll be on their guard.”

“Then we attack the place. They were going to execute you at dawn. My guess is they’ll do the same with Ruby. We have to go in in theHelldiver, shoot them all and rescue her.”

“We don’t have the firepower. It would be a suicide mission.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” I yelled. “I have to do something.”

Think. Just think.

He was right.

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