In
last
week's episode, Max fought Red Beard, gaining the attention of the poachers who then discovered his sword and confiscated it. This, understandably, upset Addy. But by the chapter's end, she snuggled into Max's warm body and fell asleep, knowing he'd protect her and Noah.
An abducted cop and a
gladiator prisoner must learn to trust each other with their lives…and their
hearts…to escape their alien captors.
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CAPTIVE
Chapter Forty-Five
She
woke to the fresh, dewy scent of morning, and a bound man hanging in a tree.
Was
this what Red Beard had meant by suspension? Were criminals hung in trees until
taken by death, wild animals, or poachers, whichever came first? The Hyboreans
retrieved the man.
“Are
you going to fight him, too?” she whispered to Max.
He
yawned and stretched his arms. “If need be.”
“Why
don’t you sniff each other’s genitals instead?”
He
smirked. “Actually, the alpha wolf does the sniffing; the beta wolves roll over
and allow it, but I’ll be damned if I’ll do either.”
The
cage opened and a Hyborean dropped the man—unbound—inside, feet first. He fell
in a heap on the floor.
“Did
the poachers really think it necessary to tranquilize him? He was tied up and
hanging in a tree for Pete’s sake. It’s not like he could have gotten away.”
As
soon as the vehicle started moving, the newcomer jumped to his feet with fists
on his hips and chest puffed out in a Superman pose. He had dark olive skin,
dark brown hair with a peppering of gray, and striking blue eyes. “Nobody fear.
I’m here to rescue you.”
Both
Max and Red Beard relaxed back against the bars they had been leaning on, an
apparent indication neither thought the newcomer a threat to their alpha
status—the winner of that honor remained a mystery. To avoid another rumble in
the cell, she didn’t dare ask.
Red
Beard plucked grapes from the bunch he received for breakfast. “Rescue us.
Where did this idiot come from?”
Max
looked the new guy over as if trying to place him. “You look familiar. Have I
killed you before?”
Nice conversation starter, Max.
“I
am an HGC agent. I’ve been cracking down on human hunting and have apprehended
and arrested twenty-nine poachers this year alone.”
“You’ve
arrested Hyboreans?” Max sounded doubtful. You could tell he thought the guy
was loony.
“Well,
no. I didn’t do the arresting.”
Red
Beard spat a grape seed through the bars. “What did you do?”
“I
was the bait for the sting operation.”
“Congratulations,”
Max said. “You make a hell of a night crawler. These Hyboreans fell for you
hook, line, and sinker, huh?”
“Are
you mocking me, sir?”
“Sorry,
pal. I find it hard to believe you’re anything but a crook suspended for some
offense.”
“I
told you I work for the HGC. Sometimes I roam loose in an area near suspected
poachers. Sometimes I’m suspended. Either way, it’s not long before I’m
captured.”
“What’s
HGC?” Addy asked.
“Human
Gaming Commission, ma’am. I protect human wildlife from the black market.”
“What
about captive humans? Do you protect them?”
“That’s
not my duty, ma’am.”
“Not
your job, huh?” She turned to Max while poking a thumb in the agent’s
direction. “Sounds like he worked for the United States government before his
abduction.”
“Earthling
poaching is illegal, ma’am. No one has been taken from that planet in fifteen
years.”
“Hate
to burst your bubble, but that’s so not true.”
“Yes,
it is. I should know. I was instrumental in the undercover op that stopped
poaching to that little planet for good.” Puffing out his chest, his white
shirt pulled tight over his muscles. Genetics didn’t endow him with a huge
frame like Max or even Red Beard. Still, for a smaller man, he appeared nicely
cut. “By getting myself captured along with some Earthlings, my master had
evidence that interplanetary poaching existed.”
His
eyes narrowed at their cellmate as if trying to place a familiar face. “What’s
your name?”
“Cyrus.”
“Son
of a bitch.” Max’s tone sent a chill through the cage. His eyes smoldered, as
if embers within him were burning dangerously hot below the surface and
required a slight breeze to set them ablaze. “You.” He shot to his feet,
grabbed Cyrus by the throat, and threw him up against the bars.
“Max!”
“You’re
the lost hiker. Except you weren’t lost. You knew the fucking poachers were on
the mountain, and you lured them into our camp, you bastard. You made us
the fucking bait!”
“It
was the only way to prove Earthling poaching,” Cyrus rasped out, trying to pry
Max’s hands off his throat.
“Where
was your little band of government agent Hyboreans when they saw us getting
shot with tranquilizers? Why didn’t they arrest the poachers then? Why!” Max
thrust Cyrus’s head into the cell bars again.
“If
they did, others would have taken their place,” he choked out in a high-pitched
voice. “They needed to track us to the black market and shut down the operation
from the top.” His words were barely understandable, his face red.
Recalling
the ice cavern and Max’s powerful hand around her own neck, cutting off her
circulation, she rubbed her throat in sympathy and fear for Cyrus’s life. “Stop
it. He’s here to help us.”
“Why
didn’t he help me then? Why didn’t he help my brother or my cousin or the
eighty other men in those cages?” His contempt and hate were greater than
anything she had witnessed before. Squeezing harder, Cyrus’s face turned purple
and his fingers slipped from Max’s. His eyes drooped like on the verge of
sleep, or death.
“Max,
you’re killing him!”
“I
know.” Her gladiator’s icy tone and evil grin set her hair standing on end. He
was losing control over the beast raging inside. If he killed this man, he
would kill their last hope of escape. Then afterward, when the beast calmed and
he realized the consequences of his hatred, he would withdraw deeper than ever
inside his bitter cave.
If
Cyrus died, Max the man would, too.
“Let
go of the beast!”
Max
glanced over his shoulder. His gaze locked on hers, and she knew he saw himself
through her eyes. He understood what she meant. His hands opened.
Cyrus
slumped to the floor.
Max
turned his back on the HGC agent and Red Beard, and held his hands in front of
him, watching them shake. He’d scared himself with his loss of control.
She
moved past him, crouched next to Cyrus, and made sure he was breathing. His eye
lids fluttered open. “He’s coming around.”
Cyrus
jumped up, nearly knocking her over, and imitated the Superman pose. “Fear
not,” he rasped. “I’m here to rescue you.”
She
met Max’s gaze with a didn’t-we-already-go-through-this expression. She was beginning
to think he was right—this guy was loony.
“Cyrus?
Are you okay?”
Cyrus
stumbled backward and leaned against the cage bars, rubbing his temple with one
hand and throat with the other. He eased himself onto the floor, glancing from
Max to Red Beard—who sat watching with mild interest—to her until recognition
dawned on his face. “I blacked out.”
“I
know. If it makes you feel better, Max has that effect on a lot of people.” She
cast Max a contemptuous look, but it was wasted on his back. He stood rigid,
watching the passing flora through the cage bars. She knew he wasn’t interested
in the scenery. He was trying to calm himself and gain composure without
appearing weak. The man in him was trying to tame the beast.
He
was better off alone for the moment.
“I’ll
get you some water, Cyrus.” On the way to retrieve the canteen, Addy checked on
Noah asleep in his makeshift bed. He appeared plump and healthy and peaceful.
Her heart swelled. She returned with the canteen, crouched next to Cyrus, and
waited until he finished drinking before asking, “Can you really get us out of
here?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Sit
tight and wait. My master and his agents will move in, capture the poachers,
and free us.”
“Where
are they now?”
“I
couldn’t say. They don’t hang around while I’m suspended. Hang around.
Get it?” Laughing at his own joke, the weathered lines around his eyes creased
and his Superman-blue irises sparkled.
“Yeah,
I get it. I’m not in a laughing mood right now.” Not with Max’s back still
turned. She wanted to go to him but feared the others might take that as a sign
of weakness and start trouble again. Stupid alpha dominance games.
“Don’t
worry, ma’am—”
“It’s
Addy.” She extended her hand.
He
took it, but instead of shaking it, he covered it with his other hand.
Apparently no one on this planet practiced the custom of a handshake. “Don’t
worry, Addy. I’ve been captured over fifty times, and every time my master has
come through.”
“Except
when they stole eighty-three people from Earth.” Max’s voice came off as gruff
instead of pissed, indicating he was starting to relax. He glanced over his
shoulder, and his gaze went straight to their hands. His eyes flared with anger
and something else. Could it be jealousy?
She
pulled her hand free. “If your master doesn’t stick around to watch the
poachers, how does he know if you’ve been captured? How does he know where
you’ve been taken?”
“By
this.” Cyrus peeled off his shirt, confirming her earlier suspicions about his
well-cut, wiry physique.
Max
strode over with murder in his eyes.
Oblivious,
Cyrus turned his back. “Implanted behind my shoulder blade is a tracking
device.”
Before
she could stand up to run interference, Max stopped short. She sighed her relief.
“See
the bump?” Cyrus said. “Touch it. Go ahead.”
She
leaned in. Max crouched down. Red Beard, who had lost interest in the
conversation almost from the start, crawled over to inspect the small bump on
Cyrus’s back.
Gently,
so as not to hurt him, Addy ran a finger over the little bean under the skin.
“It’s true.” She smiled up at Max. He wasn’t smiling back, but he wasn’t
scowling anymore, either. “We’re going to be rescued.”
Cyrus
turned to face her again, his blue eyes shining bright. Why hadn’t she noticed
before how attractive he was? Though he had a young boy-next-door face, his
short brown hair had a few strands of gray peppered in it. Maybe he was about
forty. “All we have to do is wait for my master.”
“How
long?”
“Should
be some time tonight.”
Like
a geyser releasing its built-up pressure, elation erupted inside. They would be
freed. She threw her arms around Cyrus, knocking him over, landing on top of
him.
“Fickle
bitch, isn’t she?” said Red Beard between snorts.
Sitting
up quickly, she shot him a dirty look, mostly to avoid seeing Max’s expression.
His voice boomed. “What will the HGC do with us?”
All
eyes turned to Cyrus.
“First,
they’ll check the database of lost and missing humans to get you back home. If
you’re not listed, they’ll find your previous owner by matching your markers to
your records on file.” Her confusion must have shown on her face because he
explained that markers included things like coloring, familial birthmarks, and
genetically altered abilities. Max’s eyesight must have fallen under the latter
category. “If that doesn’t work, they can match your DNA.”
“What
if you don’t have records? Say you were born in the Tuniit village or in the
wildlife refuge?” Or on an umiak.
“Tuniit’s
brand their humans. They’re easily returned. Everyone else is recorded and put
up for adoption.”
Duncan
had said she’d been tracked all her life, therefore, she likely had records.
Noah didn’t. She’d be returned to Ferly Mor, and he’d be put up for adoption.
That was out of the question. What of Max? He’d said he was without an owner.
Where would he go? “What about setting us free in the refuge?”
“Oh
no,” Cyrus said as if that were an incredibly insane idea. “The Hyboreans never
go there.”
“Why
not?”
“It
makes them crazy.” It was Red Beard. “I saw it happen. A Hyborean chased me
through the river once, but when he grabbed me on the bank of the refuge, he
let go and dropped to the ground. He covered his temples and thrashed around
and screamed like no beast I ever heard. Well, seeing as how they’re
telepathic, you know what I mean. It scared the piss out of me. He tried to get
up and turn back, but he staggered and stumbled like a drunkard, fell into the
river, and got swept into the rapids.”
Memories
of being pummeled by the rapids on Klamath River flooded her mind. She had died
then…for the first time. “What happened to the Hyborean?”
“Ultimortem,”
Cyrus said as fact. “No one can survive the rapids.”
“But
what happened to make him go crazy in the first place?”
“The
island’s cursed,” Red Beard said. “Except for that one, no Hyborean has ever
come into the refuge in the ten years I’ve lived there.”
“It’s
not cursed,” said Cyrus. “It’s electromagnetic waves. Hyborean brainwaves are
different from ours. The electromagnetic pulses in the ground there affect
them. They are unable to think, to communicate, to function. That’s why that
area has become a wildlife refuge. Humans and other creatures can live there
but Hyboreans cannot.”
“Are
you telling me they know how to travel a gazillion miles to Earth, yet they
can’t step foot into a section of their own planet?”
“Yes,
ma’am.”
That
was ridiculous. People might not live under Earth’s oceans, but they could
travel there in a submarine. “Why don’t they make a machine that allows them to
enter the refuge?”
“Think
about it, Addy.” Max’s voice sounded relaxed now and void of his earlier anger.
“Every piece of Hyborean technology is activated by thought. If their
technology runs on the same wavelength they exist on, then all their technology
will be affected by the same electromagnetic fields. We already know their
equipment is sensitive. That’s why they disable the shock collars inside the
exam rooms.”
For
the first time since she’d come to this planet, she finally had an advantage. A
weapon, really. The Hyboreans couldn’t enter the refuge without risking death.
The prospect of emancipation hit her with electrifying excitement. It was as if
she had awakened fully, rejuvenated by a rush of adrenaline. “You mean once we
cross that river, we’re free? I mean really free? We won’t have to live
in fear of the Hyboreans? We won’t have to hide in foxholes when they come
looking for us?”
“No
fear. No foxholes.” Max’s reply took her breath away, and she sucked in air as
if she’d finished a race in first place. Noah wouldn’t grow up living in
terror. He’d be protected inside the refuge.
She
almost burst with renewed hope and the possibilities of a life in a safe haven.
If the other men weren’t there, she’d jump into Max’s arms and kiss him. She
had to keep her composure. They weren’t free yet. “Then we have to figure some
way out before Cyrus’s master gets here. We are not going back to
HuBReC.”
“The
next time the vehicle stops, I’ll kick out the cage bar we cut. You and Noah
will squeeze through and head southwest toward the river.”
“Yes!”
She couldn’t stop herself from jumping up and down. So much for keeping her
composure. “We’re almost free.”
Max’s
head cocked to the side as he fingered her hair. His green eyes filled with
regret and longing.
“What’s
wrong?”
“I
can’t go with you.”
“What?”
Panting, she stepped away from him. “Why not?”
“I
don’t fit between the bars.”
#
Oh no. Addy
and Noah can escape, but Max can't? What are they going to do? Will she leave without him or stay? Will Max force her to leave him behind? Find
out next week
in Chapter 46 or read the full story now at your favorite retailers.
K.M.
Fawcett
Romance with a rebel
heart
