Page 103 of Stealing Mercury
“Grande wanted me to whip you first. Try to get you to tell us where Carn is hiding. I convinced him that would be pointless. Pointless and bad for our image. The crowd should always see you looking strong.”
They’d heard that axiom often enough.
Mercury coughed up a bitter laugh. “Still trying to earn your way into your master’s good opinion? I’m surprised he let you live after how badly you failed.”
A flush crept up Drake’s neck. If his features tightened any further, his face would crack. He turned and stalked a few meters away.
Mercury locked gazes with Lo. “She told me you didn’t follow because of my strategies or my success. After stumbling at every turn this day, I’m thinking she must have been right.”
“Sheisright.” Lo yipped. “She wouldn’t want you to waste time blaming yourself.”
Mercury dipped his chin in acknowledgement. “We have no time for regrets.”
“No regrets,” echoed Lo. His voice dropped and turned wistful. “I regret nothing.”
“She also said there’s always hope, brother. We won’t give up now.” Mercury howled and Lo joined him. All around them, other voices rose up and merged into a song of grief—an expression of agony known to all Arena Dogs.
Drake spun around to face them. “Shut the fuck up!” He turned in a small circle and shouted the command out to all the Dogs being prepped for matches. “Shut up!”
Mercury let his howl fade to nothing and the others followed. “We are Arena Dogs!”
“We are Arena Dogs!” The shout came back to him, clear and strong with the power of every Dog close enough to join in.
Mercury sucked in air and shouted again. “We are strong!”
“We are strong!”
Mercury’s heart surged with the combined will of all Dogs. “We will be free!”
The chant thundered back to him. “We will be free!”
“We will never give up!
“Never!” Their voices drowned out the arena crowds as they broke into howls and hoots and discordant cheers.
Mercury met Drake’s blood-red complexion with a smile of satisfaction. He wouldn’t give up. Samantha would not die on Roma, nor would she live under the thumb of the owners.
Mercury forced all his energy and breath into making a low-sound alert. Many of the others joined him. He took another breath and dove back into the silent booming of their infrasound calls. It had to be enough to alert Saber. It had to be enough to give them some small opportunity to fight back.
Chapter Thirty-Four
RomaRexArenaMedicalCenter,Roma
Earth Alliance Beta Sector
2210.185
Could it be true? Samantha’s hand went to her belly. “I had a blocker. It should be good for another year.”
“I double-checked the test results,” said Chelle. “Just four weeks. It is their baby, isn’t it?”
“We’ve always suspected the males had sturdy swimmers,” said Abel.
Chelle scowled at him.
“Uh, sorry. We’ve suspected for some time that the females are the problem.”
Samantha had no reason to trust them. “Why should I tell you anything?”
