Page 60 of Healing Creek
When Creek nodded, Mercury chuffed a reassurance in the back of his throat. “Max, will you stand with us as we ask for your people’s help?”
“Yes, of course.”
Mercury and Max stood before the group and explained the situation, then divided the Arena Dogs into search groups. Each group was given a portable com unit. Mercury and his pack would accompany Creek through the escape route where the medic’s code had been used to trigger the locked doors. The humans would coordinate communications and see to the functions of the base.
Before Max sent the searchers out, Creek stepped forward to speak to the group. “I know many of you have good reason to hate me. But I beg you not to hold my deeds against my female. Grace is a gentle but brave soul, far too good for me and more than worthy of your aid. Please, find her and see her safely back to us.”
He might have once been too prideful to ask for their acceptance, but he didn’t hesitate to beg them now. It was all he could do.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Haven,Umbria
EarthAllianceBetaSector
2210.201
“Damn it!” The medic grabbed for the basher’s steering lever, but the damage had already been done. As the front end turned sharply it lost traction. The entire front end came away from the ravine wall and pulled them sideways then over. The world tumbled around Grace. The safety harness likely saved her life. The crushing force against her chest made it impossible to breath for several long seconds. Then everything stopped. The basher was twisted out of its original shape; the roof was crushed inward, and the front safety glass had popped free of its mounting. The transport lay on its side—sort of. Next to her, Zachary sat conscious but stunned.
Grace managed to get her harness buckle unlocked. Gravity pulled her down and out of her seat, but she was able to get her feet free of the twisted alloy. One good two-footed kick pushed the front window out enough for her to crawl through. She heard Zachary call her name but he was still locked in his harness.
She quickly surveyed the vehicle and determined there was no way for her to get to any of his supplies in the back. Zachary shouted again and this time he was working his way free of the wreck. Frantic, she searched for a broken bit of glass or a sharp edge of alloy to cut through the plasmold at her wrists. She spotted a piece of alloy trim on the ground. She grabbed it and ran. She would get her hands free when she was out of Zachary’s sight. She clutched it tight in her bound hands as she ran through the dense foliage.
The jungle slapped at her as if her passing angered it. Determined roots and vines grabbed at her feet. She stepped wrong and twisted her ankle, but she managed to keep going. Then a vine tripped her and she fell forward, feet flying out from under her. Her body hit the ground hard, jarring her to her bones. She lay there for a moment just trying to catch her breath.
Zachary was still shouting for her. She hadn’t made it far enough to lose him. She worked one end of the alloy trim under a thick branch laying broken and rotting just inches from where her face had hit the ground. Then she got to her knees and started scrapping her wrist restraints against the sharp edge of the alloy. It sliced through with satisfying speed. She got to her feet and took only a step before she came to the edge of a steep drop off. If she hadn’t fallen when she did, she would have gone right over the edge.
Grace spun in a circle before returning to the drop-off. The way was narrow but clear right along the edge. So clear it was as if someone had been using it as a path. She moved along the narrow trail with as much speed as she dared.
She knew the moment Zachary made it onto the path. He could see her now and he wasted no time letting her know.
“Don’t be foolish,” he shouted. “I’m not going to hurt you. Just come back.”
She ignored his shouts and picked up her pace.
She didn’t dare to turn and look back. But he was loud with his curses and shouts for her to stop.
She strode forward. Not quite running but moving as fast as she was able. Her ankle throbbed, but she was able to put weight on it, so nothing was broken.
Zachary didn’t seem to gain any ground on her, so he must have been cautious of the edge as well.
They went on like that for what had to be nearly a kilometer until finally the ground leveled out. Grace ran. The sound of Zachary crashing through the jungle grew louder. Now that they were back in the dense jungle, he was gaining ground on her.
He wasn’t taking her anywhere without a fight. Grace rounded the base of the next towering tree and stopped. She shifted her feet to find her balance on the uneven ground. She gripped the alloy in one hand and made a fist of the other. Again, she counted on surprise. He wouldn’t expect her to fight, and he wouldn’t see her until he passed the wide trunk of the tree. She waited and listened to him coming. The sound of her heart beating became loud in her ears.
The moment he was there standing in front of her, she swung her fist. Pain radiated though her knuckles and wrist. He wore a stunned expression on his face—his gaze caught on hers. He never saw the jab coming. With her other hand she thrust the alloy forward, aiming for his windpipe. She connected. He made a strange sound and blood sprayed across her hand. The blood startled her somehow and she stepped back. He fell to his knees and toppled over at her feet.
She didn’t wait to see if he would get up again. She ran.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Haven,Umbria
EarthAllianceBetaSector
2210.201
As Creek, Mercury, and Jupiter jogged down the long underground corridor, Creek couldn’t help but wonder if Grace had been afraid when the medic forced her along the dimly lit space. Had she tried to resist? Had the man hurt her? Had the lessons he’d taught her only caused her to be hurt more?
