Alien Hostage (45 page)

She hugged the edge of the door, sticking the blaster out just far enough to send volleys of deadly discharges at the men who hid at either corner of the home. It didn’t matter than she couldn’t get a clear shot. She just had to keep them busy. The vessel was exposed right now, as Wekniz didn’t dare fire the extinguisher rifle near the unprotected Narpok as Noelle was loaded on board. It was up to Tasha to keep their enemies off the shuttle until it could take off. Only Noelle’s presence and the Basma’s desperation to have her kept his men from firing at the shuttle itself.

Tasha wanted to cheer when she heard the mini-shuttle’s engines wind up to a fast buzz. The craft lifted off, clearing the lingering mists of extinguishing gases. It hung there for a moment, a monstrous mosquito hovering. Then it zipped straight up at high speed, becoming a dark mote in the sky in the blink of an eye.

Tasha didn’t have time to gape at the little shuttle’s astounding velocity, nor could she celebrate Narpok and Noelle’s escape. The fog from Wekniz’s rifle was billowing heavy fog again and heading her way. There were also blaster shots coming from within the cloud. She fired off a few of her own as soldiers dared to edge out from the corners of the house. Then the cloud obscured her vision, and she jumped back as Wekniz, Nur, and Falinset entered at a run. Nur supported Falinset, who barked violent coughs.

“Door close and lock!” Wekniz shouted as soon as they were inside. The door obeyed, shutting out the fog of retardant.

Falinset sagged to the ground, retching. Nur rubbed his back as he looked up at Tasha. “He inhaled a little of it. Are you okay?”

“Great,” she confirmed, pulling her mask off her face as did Nur and Wekniz. “Falinset? Are you going to make it?”

She only half-teased. His face was nearly purple from the force of his continued hacking. He waved off her concern as he fought to speak. “Just ... just need a ... second.”

Wekniz held a blaster. Nur was armed too, holding two blasters.

“Window vids up,” Tasha called. “Scan views around house exterior.”

She grimaced to see Maf’s soldiers converging from every direction. They were armed with blasters and knives, and their faces were set in bloodthirsty grins. They had come ready to fight.

Tasha turned to Falinset to check on him. He’d stopped coughing, though his eyes streamed from exposure to the extinguishing gases. He took one of the blasters Nur held and checked its power supply.

“Narpok brought some extra firepower, huh? That wasn’t in the plan,” Tasha grinned.

Wekniz grinned back. “The woman was born to perform espionage, I think. Not that we’ll hold all those assholes off, but at least we’ll make them work for it.”

Falinset armed wetness from his eyes. He scowled at the vids for a moment, and then his com crackled to life. Narpok’s voice emerged from it.

“Hitting upper atmosphere now. Shit! It looks like the Basma’s entire fleet has arrived.”

“This side of the moon is opposite Kalquor right now,” Falinset told them grimly. “No doubt Maf has control over the sensors of Lobam and is keeping his fleet hidden. We hadn’t counted on that.” He spoke into the com. “Narpok, can you get through? Are they challenging you?”

“I’m pretty sure I can dodge the destroyers if it comes to it. It’s the fighters this thing won’t outrun. Speak of the devils. Fighter bay doors are opening on the nearest two destroyers. I think they know what we’re up to.”

Falinset shook his head. “Run for it, but surrender if you have to. Stay alive. We’ll find some way to get you two back.”

“I’ll do what I have to, to keep her safe. In the names of all my ancestors, except Pwaldur who had no fucking decency. For honor and Empire.”

“For honor and Empire. Good luck, Narpok.”

Falinset turned to his pale Imdiko. “Come on, Nur. Next phase of the plan. They’ll be trying to take down the doors in a few seconds.”

They started for the back of the house, where they would guard the rear entrance. Before they went, however, Dramok and Imdiko paused to kiss Tasha on the cheek. Then they were gone, leaving her with the ghostly feeling of their lips pressed to her face.

Swallowing a lump in her throat because she knew that had been their goodbyes to her, Tasha moved into position near the front door. She stood on one side, while Wekniz stood on the other. They looked at each other for a moment before moving their attention to the window vids. They watched the soldiers approach and waited for the fighting to start.

Please get Noelle home, Narpok. Please.

All she could do now was fight to survive and hope their plans had not been in vain.

* * * *

Wekniz saw the grim look on Tasha’s face as she watched Maf’s men approach. The situation was bad. He had real fears that none of them would survive the coming fight. He knew his death was almost certain. He also hated that just as the perfect woman for his clan had come along, he wouldn’t be around to enjoy her.

And yet his blood was pumping, adrenaline surged, and he’d never felt more alive than this moment. How could it be he enjoyed the prospect of fighting even though it’s outcome couldn’t be good?

Tasha glanced at him. A short laugh burst from her lips and she shook her head at him. “Screw what Ket says. Only a true Nobek would have that look of anticipation in the face of impossible odds.”

He winked at her. At least he’d help her ease up a little. “Let there be no doubt of my breed.” He sobered as the soldiers outside drew close to the home. “It’s time to show these gurlucks they’ve messed with the wrong clan.”

With that, he barked a command. The front door slid open just far enough for him take aim with his blaster and fire on the group outside. He downed two of the enemy before the rest dove out of range.

“Nice shooting,” Tasha complimented him.

“Not really. Having it on wide burst at close range makes me look like I know what I’m doing.” He felt pleased she was impressed nonetheless.

Blasts sounded from the back of the house. The enemy was converging on that door too. When the firing stopped, Wekniz called, “Are you still there, my clan?”

Falinset’s voice rang with pride. “We’re here. I managed to tag one.”

“Good work, Falinset.”

He had no time to encourage his Dramok any more than that. The window vid showed five men rushing for the front door with egg grenades. Before they could get close enough to toss them, Wekniz opened fire again. Three fell under his barrage, and the grenades they dropped took out the other two, along with leaving a huge crater in the front lawn.

Tasha looked a little pale as she viewed the carnage, but she kept her tone light. “You are having too much of the glory, you hog. Let a lady have her turn.”

“Do you really want to?” Despite what she’d been through in the past and the things she’d had to do, Wekniz was sure Tasha wouldn’t kill without experiencing some doubt.

She nodded. “I need to see if I can. If I’m going to freeze, it’s better to know now than when our backs are really up against it.”

She was so damned perfect in every way. Wekniz couldn’t stop himself from saying, “You know, I love you.”

Her eyes widened for an instant before she gave him an exasperated look. “Trust a man to declare himself when there’s little chance he’ll have to prove it later.”

Wekniz chuckled. “I’ll be glad to tell you again if we survive this. I think my Dramok and Imdiko would as well. You know, I thought for a moment earlier that Falinset was going to ask you to join our clan. I was hoping he would. And that you’d be insane enough to accept.”

A host of emotions rolled across Tasha’s face: fear, hope, and a tentative tenderness. She muttered, “Damn it. I keep asking myself how the hell did you three sneak into this iron heart of mine?”

Wekniz detected movement. Another attack was coming their way. He stepped aside, letting Tasha have the chance to take her shot. “Hopefully we have had more success then you’ll let these assholes achieve.”

Tasha stepped up. Three men this time came at them, firing as they ran for the house. She kept herself covered and aimed. A moment later, her percussion blaster boomed its killing cry. One of the men fell and the other two peeled off and ran back for cover.

“I guess I’m good to fight,” she said. Her voice quavered slightly, but the blaster held steady in her hands and her jaw was set.

“I guess you are.” He looked at her, this amazing woman who felt so right at his side, even in a blaster battle. He loved her, all right. A few weeks had been all it took for her to claim his heart.

The next half hour was more of the same: Maf’s soldiers approaching, Wekniz and Tasha taking turns shooting at them, the enemy retreating, and Wekniz gazing at Tasha so he could enjoy what time he had left with her. The only real change during that time was Maf’s men getting better at making them miss their shots. Tasha checked her blaster’s power charge and cursed colorfully.

Then more men showed up to fire at, fresh faces that hadn’t dared them before. “Reinforcements,” Wekniz scowled.

Tasha snarled at the window vid showing the extra troops. “Damn, I recognize those assholes from the prison camp. Come on, you guys in particular deserve to have your faces shot off.”

She got her opportunity as they continued to try the house’s defenses. Now neither side scored a hit. They had reached an impasse.

“They haven’t been able to shoot us,” Tasha said after listening to a few seconds of sustained firing from the back of the house where Falinset and Nur kept guard. “Why do they keep showing up? Some sort of honorable Nobek death wish thing?”

Wekniz snorted, but he didn’t feel a lot of humor at the moment. “They’re goading us into wasting our blaster power.”

As if he’d realized the same thing while Wekniz spoke, Falinset yelled, “Keep coming! I’ve got a stockpile and I can do this all day!”

Wekniz smiled bitterly at the bluff. They each had one blaster apiece. His was down to a quarter of its power, and he doubted the rest were faring any better.

The Basma’s men didn’t know that, however. They might decide to try and wait Clan Falinset out … except they knew as well as Wekniz did that if Narpok got away with Noelle, the Empire would be alerted to the fleet of enemy ships gathering on the blind side of Lobam.

No, he was sure the soldiers outside would rush the house in the end, putting their lives on the line to destroy Clan Falinset and the empress’s cousin. If their loyalty to Maf was blind enough that they’d defy the Empire and honor, then they were loyal enough to die for the cause.

Wekniz discovered his error minutes later. A familiar scent wafted to him, putting him on alert. He inhaled deeply to be sure.

Smoke.

“Shit. All vids, scan exterior of home!”

The vids switched to a view aimed at the house. As Wekniz had feared, they showed multiple fires had been set around the smooth-walled structure.

Like most homes, Clan Falinset’s man-made exterior was fire-resistant. However, no residential walls were entirely fireproof. The roof was even more susceptible, its light material sprayed with an anti-flammable coating that was good up to 1500 degrees. However, the flames around the house were shooting up high and blue-white was at the center of them … a sure sign accelerant had been used and burning far hotter than what the home could withstand. 

Wekniz’s fangs unhinged and he bared them at the window vids as if he could frighten the flames into putting themselves out. The initial reaction was over in less than a second. He yelled, “Falinset, they’re trying to burn us out! You and Nur, get your masks on!”

He started towards his private room, grabbing his discarded mask as he called to Tasha, “Keep an eye on those assholes outside for me. And put on your oxygen mask.”

She was already tugging it over her face. “I got it.”

Wekniz had faith she could handle anyone who tried to rush the house … though it was pretty obvious the Nobeks only had to wait for them to run out as the house went up. He raced down the corridor to grab more equipment, wondering what the hell they were going to do when they had to run from the coming inferno. 

* * * *

Tasha watched the door’s opening grimly. No one tried their luck against her. Why should they? The fire would flush her out soon enough, if she didn’t elect to die in it.

Smoke drifted her way, and she scowled. What a pathetic pack of Nobeks. What kind of warriors avoided a stand-up fight anyway? She’d thought it was beneath the breed.

“Cowards!” she screamed at the Nobeks she couldn’t see.

She got no response. The smoke thickened. Suddenly, she started laughing. Was this long-awaited karma coming to kick her ass for her neighbor’s killing years ago? Cissy had started the fire at his home, but Tasha had used the opportunity to murder the man. Now it was her turn to be trapped in a burning house. It was funny in a twisted way.

She could hear Wekniz yelling behind her, deep in the back of the house. It sounded like he gave directions. A moment later, Nur’s voice shouted back. “My private office!”

“Concentrate the spray on the doorway!” came Wekniz’s reply.

They were fighting the multiple fires that had moved within the home. Tasha guessed Falinset was guarding the back door since he wasn’t yelling too.