Page 56 of Anna's Bounty
Before I even make the conscious decision, I’m aiming my blaster at him. “Die, motherfucker,” I whisper under my breath and squeeze the trigger.
The blaster buzzes in my hand, but nothing else happens. I squeeze the trigger again and still nothing.No!I slap it against my palm, but it only makes that buzzing sound.
“Anna!” Deja hisses beside me. “Your cartridge is empty.”
Volethos takes off running. He’s getting away, and I want to scream.
“What is wrong?” Deja asks as she grabs my wrist, pulling me back behind the counter.
“That was Volethos,” I tell her through gritted teeth. “I had a shot but missed because of…” I want to throw the damned, useless blaster.
Deja snatches it from my hand and ejects the spent cartridge, snapping a fresh one that she produces from her pocket back in its place.
“You’ll get another shot,” she says, handing it back to me.
I hope she’s right.
We go back to picking off the never-ending supply of aliens. When their numbers are finally dwindling, an uproar has me spinning around to where Rovos and Volethos explode into the room. Volethos flies through a doorway first, with Rovos throwing himself on top of him as soon as he hits the ground. They are both growling and snarling like a couple of angry lions. And all activity comes to a stop as everyone turns to watch the Vesens fight like a couple of alley cats.
They pummel each other with lightning-fast strikes and ear-splitting roars as they roll across the floor, taking out chairs and tables that get in their way. I train my blaster on them, but I can’t get off a clean shot without the risk of hitting Rovos.
At one point, Rovos ends up on his back with Volethos on top of him, and I smile as I line up my shot. Just as I’m about to squeeze the trigger, Rovos kicks Volethos, sending him across the room and into a pile of chairs.
I follow him with my blaster, but he’s hidden beneath the heap of broken boards and chair parts. Maybe the laser might catch the wood on fire? Before I can squeeze off a shot to test that theory, an arm snakes around my neck and plucks the blaster from my hand.
When I scream, the arms around my neck tighten, choking me and forcing me against the hard body. The smell of unwashed clothing assaults my nose, and my eyes water.
No!How?—it’s not possible.
Deja lets out a scream beside me as two of the gray aliens jump her, pinning her to the ground and stripping her of her weapons.
“Ah-ah,no you don’t,” Volethos tuts, swinging me around. Rovos comes to a stop on the other side of the counter. Volethos presses the warm barrel of the blaster press against my temple, and I squeeze my eyes shut. “Not another step, Rovos. Or I shoot.”
* * *
Rovos
“
Not another step, Rovos,” Volethos says, his lips curled up in a smile.
In his arms is my Annah, her face gone pale and her eyes squeezed shut because he has a fucking blaster pressed to the side of her head! What thefuckis she doing here? She’s supposed to be in the safe room deep beneath this damn compound.
“Or I’ll shoot.”
Annah’s expressive eyes snap open and bore into mine. She knows he won’t shoot her because he needs her alive. But it seems Volethos doesn’t know she knows that.
“You’re so full of shit,” Annah tells him through her clenched teeth.
“What was that?” Volethos growls.
“I said, you’re full of shit!” This time she says it loud enough for the entire room to hear. “You won’t fucking touch me because you need me alive so you can sell me.”
“Annah!” I growl in warning. What in the Seven Systems is she thinking? She has nothing to gain by provoking Volethos.
“You are correct; I do need you alive,” Volethos rasps against her ear. “But that doesn’t mean I need you all in one piece. Your cunt will work just fine without both of your hands.”
Volethos lets the blaster fall away from her head so he can reach for her hand, and I watch as her eyes narrow. What is she cooking up in that pretty head of hers?
