The Abduction (13 page)

A knock on the door startled Samantha from her book. She looked up
from where she sat on the couch, freshly showered and dressed. She listened, and jumped when the knock came again. She stood and walked toward the hall.

“Rikist?” she called. “Rikist?”

The door to his bedroom opened, and Rikist stood in the doorway in a clean shirt and trousers, the metal brace stark against the khaki material. He glared at her. “What?

She licked her lips, taken aback by his rough delivery.
She glanced past him to his bed, where his bags and folded clothes laid spread out as he packed his things. “There’s someone at the door.”

Rikist
’s face blanched, and ducked back into his room before he limped to the front door with the crutch, one hand behind his back. He pressed several buttons and then looked out of a slit that appeared in the center of the door. His shoulders stiffened, and then he stepped back and opened the door.

“
Yes?” he asked, wary.

“Krissik
Sa Tskir?”

Rikist shook his h
ead. “What business do you have with my brother?”

“He requested a preliminary health check on his new mate.
I am the physician for the area.”

Rikist glanced over his shoulder at Samantha, his brow furrowed, and then
nodded and stepped to the side. The man stepped inside carrying a silver case, and Rikist shut the door behind him before slipping into the kitchen.

Samantha stood still as she assessed the newcomer.
Tall and thin, the hunched alien appeared old; his skin wrinkled around his eyes and his gray and white streaked mane reached the middle of his back.

Rikist
limped from behind the kitchen counter; whatever he’d been holding in his free hand left behind. His eyes were wide and pupils narrowed to slits, and his claws clicked against the crutch nervously; a startling resemblance to his younger brother.

“Captain
Sa Tskir,” the man held out his hand and rubbed his age-spotted wrist under Rikist’s jaw in greeting. “I was not aware you were living here as well. It is an honor to meet such a brave and devoted solider to our people.”

“Temporarily.
” Rikist nodded. “I was injured during my last deployment and required assistance.”

“So I heard.” The physician bent stiffly to peer closer
at Rikist’s leg. “I could inspect your wounds if you should need it.”

“No,” Rikist dipped his head in respect. “It is nearly healed. Thank you.”

“As you wish.” He looked at Samantha. “Is this the female?”

Samantha
paled.

“Yes,” R
ikist answered after a moment. His tongue rolled along the inside of his cheek. “You had an appointment?”

The physician
nodded. “Yes, but not until later. I had an earlier stop cancelled, and so I wanted to push this one up so that my old bones can return home earlier this evening.”

Samantha’s pulse
pounded in her ears, and her palms grew sweaty as she watched Rikist considering, and the room spun dangerously when he nodded.

“I’ll show you to the bedroom,” he said, his voice low. He held out a hand toward Samantha, though would not look her way. “Samantha?”

Samantha froze, her feet rooted to the floor. She stared at the silver case in the physician’s hand and her breathing quickened.

She jumped when she felt hands on her arms, and looked up to see Rikist staring down at her. His face was an unreadable mask, and his eyes did not quite meet hers as he gently pushed her forward.

“Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” he whispered. His grip on her arms tightened as he gently squeezed. “It will only take a few minutes. Then he will leave.”

Samantha looked around Rikist. The physician was shuffling toward the hall, his attention focused on his feet. Her eyes pleaded upward.

“Can… can you stay?” she whispered.

Rikist’s eyes darted to the
unsuspecting physician, a trace of fear flitting across his face. Then the emotion quickly disappeared as he brought the walls back up. “That is a highly inappropriate thing to ask of me.” He whispered. He pushed her forward, faster, and pointed to Krissik’s door. “In there.”

He reached around the physician to the keypad and opened the door, pulling Samantha inside. He forced her to sit on the bed and then stepped back, bar
ring the door with crossed arms.

The physician set his case on the bed beside Samantha and
flipped it open to reveal a small metal box, test strips, several empty vials, long swabs, and a metal speculum.

Samantha squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to breathe, knowing exactly what type of exam this was going to be.

The physician noted her discomfort, and patted her arm with a kind hand. “Do not worry, I have been performing this procedure for nearly two hundred seasons, and I have a gentle touch. You will not feel a thing.”

He finished prepping his equipment, and then had Samantha lie back on the bed. He glanced over his shoulder at Rikist and nodded.

Samantha tilted her head to look at Rikist as he stepped back with a frown and then closed the door.

Samantha smoothed out the front of her dress as she sat on the edge of the bed while the physician typed in his notes on his tablet. He
muttered to himself as he pressed the tips of the swabs to the test strips, and dropped blood from the vials onto small glass discs that he pressed into the top of the small metal box. He swiped a command onto his tablet, and the small box hummed to life and began spinning rapidly as it hovered above the case.

She looked toward the door, where she could hear Rikist’s muffled voice through the door as he spoke on the phone; his words a quiet rumble below the whir of the box and the clicking of the physician’s claws on the tablet.

The box slowed to a stop, and a reading appeared on the screen of the tablet. Samantha’s heart leapt into her throat as the man paused to read, his eyes widening. He flipped through the notes again, and then moved to the row of three test strips. He inspected each one, focusing more attention on the last as he compared it to his notes.

After a moment the physician straightened and replaced all of his items in his case and stepped back. “It has been a pleasure.”

He turned to leave, and Samantha stood as he reached for the door.

“What…” she started. She took a shaky breath. “Is everything alright?”

The old man glanced at her over his shoulder, then opened the door and stepped out.

Samantha stared after him as the man walked down the short hall toward the front door. Rikist came into view, lowering his phone to his side. He looked toward Samantha, and then addressed the physician.

“Well?”

The old man frowned at him. “It is not my place to discuss these matters except
with her mate.”

Rikist’s eyes narrowed. “This is my house, and what goes on inside these wall
s is my business.”

“Captain, with all due respect, this is not the first
female I have inspected and know well the rules in place.”

The physician
moved toward the door, and Rikist stepped in his way. The man frowned.

“I also know that men in your position
,” he continued, “while you tend to believe so, are not above the law. Bar my way again, young soldier, and you shall receive a rude awakening on how little sway your title brings in the upper rings of court.”

Rikist
hesitated, and then stepped back with lowered eyes.

The physician opened the door and patted Rikist’s shoulder. “I know you are concerned for your brother. Speak with him on the matter after I send him my report.”

Rikist shut and locked the door after the man left, and stood looking down at his feet.

Samantha stepped out of the bedroom, wringing her hands. “Rikist?”

He raised his head, his eyes vacant. “Hmm?”

“What—”

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” he said quickly, snapping out of his thoughts. “I called Krissik while you were in the room. He’s on his way.”

“When will we know?”

“Krissik will most likely have read it before he gets here.”

Samantha shuddered, and her shoulders sagged as she leaned against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. Her hands shook as she hugged her
legs to her chest. He squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead to her knees.

“He didn’t look happy,” she whispered.

Rikist stood still, his amber eyes staring down at her. He tapped his fingers against his legs, a nervous twitch in his right cheek. He swallowed and took a step toward Samantha, decided against it, and walked into the kitchen.

Samantha heard him open the refrigerator, open a beer and gulp it down. The bottle settled on the counter, and a second cap hissed loose and clattered across the floor as he
limped past Samantha and slammed his door shut.

Krissik arrived at the apartment an hour later, his face flushed and eyes wide. He dropped his tablet and drawings on the counter and shucked off his jacket and tossed it onto the table. His eyes darted around the apartment, and stilled when he found Samantha seated
nervously on the couch with her hands in her lap.

Krissik quickly crossed the space between them and knelt before Samantha. He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles.

“I am so sorry that I was not able to be here while the physician inspected you,” he said. “He came much earlier than I had expected—”

They looked up as Rikist appeared from the hall and took a seat at the table.

“It’s fine, Kris,” Samantha put a hand on Krissik’s arm. “What… what did he say?”

“Not much.”
Krissik swallowed, his eyes haunted. He leaned forward and kissed Samantha, his hand brushing against the metal tip of the translator behind her ear, and then stood and motioned for Rikist to follow him.

“
Tsik ark satiks?”

Samantha’s blood ran cold and she touched the
translator stuck in her skin, realizing Krissik had somehow disabled it. Tears sprang to her eyes as the reality of the potential trouble she was in dropped on her shoulders like a ton of bricks.

Rikist
glowered at Krissik, a frown etched deep on his features. He grunted and pushed himself out of the chair, and then passed Krissik on his way toward the bedrooms. Krissik turned and gave Samantha a forced smile. 

Samantha’s blood ran cold as Krissik disappeared behind Rikist into his bedroom, and waited in silence as she strained to hear their conversation.

She didn’t have to wait long before the yelling started. She couldn’t understand their words, but even in their harsh tongue the anguish in Krissik’s voice was unmistakable; as was the anger in Rikist’s.

The door to the bedroom suddenly opened, and Krissik stumbled back
wards into the living room followed by a red-faced Rikist. Krissik stepped to stand in front of Samantha and raised his clawed hands.

Rikist
stalked forward—his limp ignored—as he rounded his shoulders and bared his fangs. He growled something in their alien tongue, and Krissik hissed back, his lips pulling back to reveal his own fangs. Krissik took a protective position in front of Samantha, and let out a tiger-like roar.

Rikist gnashed his teeth
roared back. His deep and resonate voice vibrated off the walls and sent chills down Samantha’s spine; drowning out Krissik’s higher-pitched cry.

Krissik
dove forward. Rikist lunged to the side, barely dodging Krissik’s reach as his brother swiped his claws out. Claws caught Rikist in the shoulder as Krissik spun around, splattering blood against the wall. Rikist dropped to all fours and lunged, his fist rocketing out to slam into Krissik’s stomach.

Krissik crumbled over his brother’s arm, and he let out a gasp as his knees gave out and he slipped
to the ground. He sucked in air; his face pained. Then he spun and swung his leg out to kick, connecting with Rikist’s side.

Rikist roared
again; his jaws expanding and lips pulling back to reveal two rows of pointed fangs. He blocked Krissik’s next kick with one arm, trapped it against his side, and slammed his free elbow into Krissik’s thigh. Then he used his leverage to flip Krissik onto his stomach and pin Krissik’s arm far behind his back.

Krissik groaned and thrashed as he tried to free himself. He angrily screamed something at Rikist, trying to claw his brother’s eyes out with his free hand.

Rikist kept his upper body hidden and head down behind Krissik’s twisted shoulder; staying free of the raking claws. He barked a series of commands, hesitated when Krissik did not answer, and then repeated himself.

“Rak tsi kist tra!” Krissik shouted, his face red.

Samantha cowered behind the arm of the couch, her eyes wide. Her heart raced, watching the two brothers tear at each other. Even wounded, Rikist was by far the better fighter, and watching from the sidelines Samantha could see that Rikist was doing his best to tire Krissik without quickly ending the fight with violence like he obviously could. The problem was that it was Rikist who was tiring first.