The Abduction (19 page)

“Ka raki si tris!” Rikist growled back, standing from his position behind the overturned dining table. He held his weapon at the ready and advanced toward the kitchen. “Ri ta, Krissik!”

Krissik growled low in his throat and dropped to one knee, where the green glow of his weapon reflected his image in the black dishwasher. He took a deep breath, shifted his grip on the gun, and then spun around the corner, firing. Rikist roared and returned the fire, light beams ripping through the darkness, illuminating the toppled furniture and charred walls.

Rikist
cried out as the laser sliced across his left arm, and he dropped to all fours as another nicked the brace and shattered one side of the supports. He lifted his gun with one arm and fired again, but realized he didn’t need to; Krissik lay sideways across the back of the sofa, his eyes closed and blood seeping from his open mouth and a large hole in his side. His pistol lay in a puddle of blood on the floor.

Rikist
stared. He grimaced and coughed, cradling his left arm. Blood seeped through his fingers and dripped down his elbow. He glanced between his fallen brother and Samantha, his face torn.

“Samantha? Are you alright?”

Samantha stood and nodded, her hands shaking. She walked to her left and turned on the lamp in the corner, the yellow glow allowing them to see the full damage to the house. She covered her mouth and peered over at Krissik’s still form.

She was almost afraid to ask, “Did you kill him?”

Rikist licked his lips, his eyes wary. He looked too scared to move. He shook his head. “I… I don’t know.”

He took a breath,
used one of the standing dining chairs to leverage him to his feet, and limped toward Krissik.

The front door suddenly burst open, and Rodolfo stood in the doorway with a shotgun raised and trained on Rikist.

“Get back, hombre,” Rodolfo said evenly, his finger tightening on the trigger. “Drop the gun.”

Rikist
lowered his pistol to the floor and kicked it away, and then raised his hands and hobbled backward.

Samantha rushed in between them and lifted her hands toward Rodolfo. “Rodolfo! It’s OK, put the gun down!”

“I heard you screaming, and then some kind of gunfire.” His finger moved from the trigger, but he didn’t lower the weapon. “I told you he was trouble.”

“No, it wasn’t him!
” Samantha stepped closer to Rodolfo. “His brother—”

Rodolfo’s eyes twitched, and then swung to his left to where Krissik lay. His brow lifted in surprise at the sight of Krissik’s stripes and visible fangs.
“Madre de dios…”

Samantha pressed her hands on Rodolfo’s shoulders, trying to lower his aim.
“Look, Rodolfo, please put the gun down and I will explain everything. I promise.”

The older man hesitated, and then slowly lowered his gun while shooting a distrustful glare in Rikist’s direction. He tapped his boot on the floor.

“I’m waiting.”

Samantha nodded, her shoulders relaxing. She looked back at Rikist, who motioned toward Krissik. “I will. But first we need to take care of him.”

Rodolfo finished off his second beer, and shook his head. He sighed, and then looked across the table at Rikist as the shirtless alien bandaged his arm, eyeing the line of fur and stripes along his sides and shoulders. Rikist glanced up as Samantha handed him a pair of painkillers, and then looked away, doing his best to ignore the old man.

Rodolf
o snorted in Rikist’s direction and stood. He straightened his shirt and placed his empty bottle on the counter.

“What are you plannin
g on doing with the other one? You can’t keep him tied up in the stables forever.” Rodolfo glowered. “If you want him gone for good, then you need to just—”

“I will take care of him.”
Rikist glared. “Do not worry.”

“Of course I am going to worry.” He
spun on Rikist. “I have known this girl since she was a child, and hell if I will turn and just—”

“Thank you.”

Rodolfo paused, eyeing Rikist. His brow knotted. “Por que?”

“For caring
. For tonight. If my brother had beat me, then you would have been here to protect her.”

Rodolfo stared straight-faced, and then nodded and turned to the door. “Maria will be expecting you over in the morning. She’s probably still up waiting by the door.”

Samantha walked him out. “I’ll come by first thing. I promise.”

She opened the door for Rodolfo, and then wrapped her arms around his
thin chest, hugging him tight. “Thank you.”

Rodolfo returned the hug, and kissed the top of her head. They separated, and he nodded as he left. Samantha flipped the lock, and then leaned against the door. She frowned at Rikist.

“Are you really OK?”

He shrugged, looking down at
the remains of his leg brace. “I do not know what to do.”

Samantha walked closer and knelt beside his chair. She rested one hand on his
good thigh. She wanted to speak words of comfort, but she had none to give. She wanted to feel safe again, where no other alien knew where she was. She wanted her quiet, contented existence on her small farm with Rikist and Rodolfo and Maria to keep her company and live out her simple life in peace. She wanted—no,
needed
—Krissik to go away.

But
kill him? She just couldn’t condone it. He had been nothing but kind to her on their planet, and had come just back to take back the woman he loved. She had seen the hurt and betrayal in his eyes, and the sorrow etched across his face once he realized that Rikist had laid claim to her.

She looked up to Rikist’s face, and saw
his own inner battle raging inside. His face drawn and eyes dark, his lips trembled against the hard set of his jaw. He looked away, his nostrils flaring.

“He almost—”

“Krissik was not going to hurt me, Rikist,” Samantha cut him off. “He smelled you on me, and flew off the handle. Can you blame him if you were in the same position?”

He glanced down at her, his bloodshot eyes glinting wetly. “I would have killed him.”

“My point exactly.” She laid her head in his lap, and sighed when he ran his hand over her hair. “He’s your little brother, Rikist.”

The hand on her hair stilled. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t want you to kill him.”

Rikist gently pushed her head off his lap, and Samantha sat up
to stare at him.

“Is that what you want to do?” she asked incredulously.

He shook his head, and then shrugged. “No. I… Of course not. But I know now that if he could find us, and if he sent word back home… I do not know what else to do to keep you safe.”

“Stay, for one.”

Rikist stared down at her, his face guarded.

Samantha squared her shoulders and stood. “You heard me. If you really care about me that much and want me to be safe then you can’t just walk away.”

“It is not as simple as that…”

“Why can’t it be?
You said that you enjoy the simple peace that I have here. You can have that, too.”

“The jumps need to be closed.”

“How?”

He shook his head, defeated. “I do not know.” He clicked his tongue.
“And what about Krissik? You heard Rodolfo, we cannot keep him held forever.”

Samantha inwardly beamed, happy he did not dispute her earlier statements. “I… Maybe you can try to talk sense into him.”

Rikist hissed and bared his fangs. “You spent time with him. You know he is stubborn as a wall and will not give up on you.”

“Just like his ass of a big brother.”

“I am not stubborn, I am practical.” He shook his head. “He cannot live in a cage like one of your animals.”

“People change, Rikist. You have.”

He shot her a sideways glance, and then pushed himself to his feet. He tested his weight on his left leg, and grimaced as the brace creaked dangerously. He didn’t look happy as he leaned against the table.

“Can you help me?
” he asked. “I need to lie down.”

Samantha took his arm and let him lean on her shoulder. “
In your room?”

He looked down at her, his face tired and sorrowful. “I was hoping I could lie next to you.”

Samantha frowned. “Rikist, I’m really not in the mood after all of this—”

“No. I just… I just want to hold you for a while.”

She swallowed. “A while?”

“Forever.”

Samantha woke before Rikist, yawned, and quickly shut off her phone before the shrill alarm rang through the air. She rolled onto her side and stared at his sleeping face and frowned. She tested his skin, cursing at the radiating heat, and knew what she had to do.

It’s only because I love him…

She paused halfway off the bed, and grinned. “Yeah, I could at least admit it to myself.”

She dressed quickly and as quietly as she could
, not wanting to disturb him.

Rikist had tossed and turned most of the night; his delirious moans and whimpers keeping her up as well. Around dawn he’d woken
needing to use the bathroom and had been unable to move. He’d cried at the throbbing pain in his immobile leg, and she’d held him for nearly an hour until the double dose of pain meds kicked in and he fell asleep in her arms.

Samantha just hoped once she fixed him
this time he’d be able to keep off his leg and finally let it heal for good.

She grabbed her cell phone and shoes and tiptoed out the bedroom door, closing it behind her.

Outside, she dialed the number from memory and closed her eyes as she balanced the plate of food in her other hand as she walked.

The phone rang four times before a groggy male voice came on the other end. “H-hello?”

“John, it’s Samantha.”

Silence, then the ruffling of sheets. “What… Samantha, what the hell are you—”

“I need your help.”

John guffawed. “I tried calling for months after you left without a peep from you, and now you’re suddenly calling me asking for help. That’s rich.”

“Look you—” Samantha paused mid-step and closed her eyes.
One, two, three, four…
“John, I know we left on bad terms. You were cheating on me and broke my heart, I keyed your truck and disappeared off the face of the Earth. Literally… I’m sorry you felt slighted when I didn’t stick around after your secretive overnight ‘business’ trips—”

“
Samantha, I’ve told you before I never cheated on you…”

“
Listen, I really need your help right now.” She fought to control the emotion in her wavering voice, and knew she failed by the sharp intake of his breath. “Please.”

He sighed. “What is it?”

“Can you do an on-site surgery?”

“Jesus, Samantha, what happened?” Suddenly
John’s voice slipped into his professional vet mode; the one thing Samantha could count on was his dedication to animals. “Did one of the horses get caught up in your fencing?”

“Something li
ke that,” she muttered. “He’s um… torn up pretty bad. Lacerations up the thigh—uh, rear leg and side. I believe the joint is broken and tendons lacerated… it’s pretty infected. Can you bring over antibiotics and sedatives?”

“
I can see what I can do. If the damage is severe then I’ll have to bring the animal in. When did it happen?”

Samantha thought about it.
Earth time?
“Few days ago.”

“Few—why did you take so long to call?”

“I was out of town.”

“Where?”

She sighed. “In Vegas.”

John sucked on his teeth. “Vegas, huh?” He snorted. “
You know it would be a lot easier at my office with all my equipment…”

“Can you come over today?”

Hesitation. “When?”

“Now?”

“Sheesh, Samantha, I…what time is it?” He sighed. “I have an appointment at nine. I’ll try to make it out there afterward.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re going to owe me.”

She didn’t like the sound of that, though she knew she didn’t have a lot of options. “Please hurry.”

Samantha hung up before he could respond, and shoved the phone in her back pocket and hurried to the barn. She hated the fact that she’d had to ask John—the one person she
never
tried to initiate contact with outside of her animals—for help, but Rikist needed more than a few pills and ice packs. More if he ever wanted to walk normally again.

She slipped through the barn’s large swinging door as quietly as she could. The scratchy smell of hay hung thick in the warm air, mixing with the musky scent of horses and oiled saddles. The morning sun shone in through the thin windows high up near the rafters, illuminating the dust particles floating through the air. Several sacks of barley sat stacked in the corners between racks of tack and garden tools. One of the mares snorted and stomped its foot, and she deftly reached out with her free hand to caress the velvet muzzle.

“Hush!” she whispered, willing the horse to quiet.

She strained her neck toward the stall to her right and peered over the gate.

Krissik lay curled up on his side on the blanket she’d tossed across the hay pile bed, his arms tied tightly behind his back. Rodolfo had seen to his bindings; nylon and chain hobbles on his ankles, a length of rope connected the hobbles to one of Rodolfo’s dog’s prong collars around his neck, and a pair of police-grade cuffs tight on his wrists courtesy of Samantha’s private toy box. Rodolfo had given Samantha a suspicious and somewhat horrified look when she procured them, but to her relief had said nothing.

Krissik
shifted in his sleep, rubbing his chin against the blanket and pulling his knees closer to his chest, and Samantha was reminded of how young he really was. A fine sheen of sweat covered his brow and upper lip, and blood speckled the bandages she had applied on his ear and side. Samantha unlatched the door as quietly as she could, but the click of the lock cut through the silence, and Krissik’s eyes snapped open.

Surprise flooded
his face when he saw Samantha, before his cheeks reddened and eyes narrowed in anger. He swallowed and tried to twist into a sit up position, but the restraints and rope Rodolfo had used to keep his elbows tight against his sides made movement near impossible. He settled with growling and baring his fangs at her.

Samantha hesitated, and then knelt in the hay just out of reach. She
lowered the plate of eggs, bacon, and toast so that he could see.

“I thought you might be hungry.”

“Sri ak ta risti,” he hissed, venom dripping from his words.

Samantha pressed her lips together and tried to keep her face neutral.
“How are you feeling?”

She peered closer at his ear, and
carefully pulled at the edge of the bandage on his side. She sighed, relieved. Now that she could see the wound in good lighting; it really wasn’t that deep—a flesh wound—and Rikist had said the laser cuts were sterile so as long as they kept the area clean it should heal without any issues except minor scarring.

Krissik’s skin jumped under her touch, and he struggled to wiggle out of reach. “Riki
sra, Samn-tha!”

“I’m trying to help you,” she said, her voice rising higher than she’d planned. She grit her teeth and held out a forkful of eggs. “Here, take a bite so you can keep your energy up to heal.”

Krissik pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. “Sitka ri arsta ki—”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, you know.” Samantha’s shoulders dropped. “Unless you brought another translator with you…” She paused at his nod. “You did? Where is it?”

Krissik motioned with his head toward the barn doors.

“Outside?”

He nodded.

“Where?”

He shrugged, his face smug, and then leaned toward her and wiggled his hands in the restraints.

Samantha guffawed and shook her head. “Nice try. I’ll go searching for it on my own when I’m through here.”

She held up the fork again. Giving a defeated sigh, Krissik nodded. He leaned forward toward the fork, his eyes never leaving Samantha’s, and then lurched forward.

Samantha yipped and jerked her hand back just as his jaws snapped in the air inches from the skin of her wrist. She glared down at him and stabbed his shoulder with the fork.

“Son of a bitch!”

Krissik let out a pained mewl and then glowered at her. Pain, anger, and weariness waged war on his face, and
he concentrated visibly to keep his composure.

Samantha shook her head. “Kris, please listen to me. I know you’re upset, and I know you came all the way here to get me back. But I was never yours to take back.” She paused, watching the emotions play across his face. “You stole me, took me to your home without my permission. I… I don’t love you, Krissik. I care for you, I do.
I think you’re a great kid and would make someone very happy. But I can never be your mate.”

Krissik’s eyes went wide and wet as he stared at her,
unblinking. His breathing quickened.

Samantha took a deep breath, and decided it would be less painful to drive in the last stake now then drag things on. “I love your brother.”

Krissik swallowed forcibly, and tried to turn his body away but ended up stuck on his stomach. He buried his face in the blanket and let out a defeated scream, and then let his shoulders sag. He mumbled something unintelligible against the blanket, and then twisted his head to look back at Samantha with one red eye.

“
S-sor… Sree.”

Samantha blinked. “What?”

“Aye Sor…ree.”

The devastated look on Krissik’s face was heartbreaking, and Samantha ignored the fact he’d just tried to bite her and
scooted closer so that she could turn him sideways to face her. She wiped at his cheeks with the backs of her hands, and smoothed hay particles out of his short hair.

“I’m sorry, too,” she said. She leaned forward and kissed his brow, and then settled back to grab the plate and hefted the fork. “Do you want to try again?”

Krissik closed his eyes, and managed a half-shrug. He opened his mouth obediently when the loaded fork touched his lips, and chewed mechanically.

By the third bite he was already anticipating the food, revealing his true hunger. The plate disappeared quickly, and Krissik settled back against his arms. He shifted uncomfortably and looked at Samantha pointedly.

She sighed and shook her head. “Until we’re sure you’re not going to try anything, you’re stuck.” She hesitated. “Though I can see what Rodolfo says about loosening some of them.”

Krissik rolled his tongue in his cheek. “Ra
stikra, Rikist?”

Samantha
noted the concern in his eyes; the regret. “He’s sleeping. He’s in pretty bad shape, and his leg…” She shrugged, and suddenly everything that happened after the fight last night came out; the drugs, the fever, Rikist being unable to walk. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I have someone coming over later to see what they can do, but I’m afraid he won’t be able to fix Rikist’s leg.”

For the first time since the fight Samantha allowed herself a bout of tears. Everything had happened so suddenly, and she’d had to be so strong—for both her and Rikist. The lack of sleep from the last night ate at her, and Rikist’s vulnerable condition tore at her heartstrings.

She jumped when Krissik’s cheek rubbed against her leg, realizing he’d inched his way closer. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, and forced a smile down at him.

“I have to go and check in on someone. I’ll come back later and see how you’re doing.”
She stood and looked down at Krissik’s annoyed and hurt look. “I’m sorry. Like I said, you tried to kidnap me back and almost killed Rikist. You’re staying put until I’m sure you’re harmless.”

“Samn-tha!” Krissik protested. “
I sor-ree! Sirta ri ka, Samn-tha!”

She picked up the plate and fork, and then waved to him on her way out of the barn.

Samantha nearly jumped out of her SUV before she’d fully put it in park behind John’s company van, her heart racing when she realized he wasn’t in the driver’s seat.

“Shit!” she ran to the house. “John!”

The quick visit to calm Maria’s fears had turned into a longer ordeal than Samantha had planned, morphing from a simple check in to a detailed explanation of her living conditions off-planet and current relationship issues. She’d seen John’s van roll up her driveway from across the field separating the two houses through Maria’s window, and nearly had a heart attack. Jumping into her car she’d sped down the road to intercept him, Rodolfo and Maria in their truck not far behind.

B
ut John hadn’t wasted any time going up to the house.

Samantha
skidded across the porch and reached for the doorknob, whispering, “Please, please, please, please!”

“Samantha?”

Samantha spun around to see John appear around the corner of the house. She gulped in surprise.

It had been nearly a year since she’d seen
John in person, and as much as she hated him for the choices he’d made, having him suddenly in front of her made her heart flip. He was tall with a pale complexion, genes from his mother’s German side, and a wide, even smile. He had always been on the slim side, but now his arms and chest had filled out expanded nicely against his polo shirt and khakis.