The Last Atonian

Chapter 4:

Rulon gave Don's throat a squeeze, making the psychologist gag and his face take on a peculiar hue. "Drop the gun," Rulon ordered.

Xander hadn't even realized he was still holding it. Belatedly, he realized that he should have been paying more attention to their flank instead of making Don and Suzan be in the back. Well, it was a little late for that, he supposed. It was time to improvise. "Well—"

"DROP IT!" Rulon roared, and Don gasped in pain. Xander grimaced and dropped the rifle almost instinctively. Suzan, held by one of Rulon's men, shot Xander a look he couldn't interpret. Irritation? Pity? Or a little bit of both?

Whatever the case, it was of little use to Xander. He stared at Rulon, but when one of the men moved to grab him, he was met with a punch to the face. Xander wasn't giving in so easily. "Stay away from me," he snapped. "I'm not giving in so easily. You've got to promise me something, before I turn myself in."

Rulon scowled, obviously not used to his prisoners making demands. But Xander wasn't finished yet. "And you should know, I know when people are lying. You can't lie to me. So if you try, I'll fight you, and I'll kill some of you before I go down."

"What is it that you want, then?"

"Promise me that you won't hurt any of them. You will treat them well and not beat any of them. Got it?"

Rulon hesitated, then relaxed with an untrustworthy smile. "Oh, I do. Very well, Weni. I swear not to beat any of them or harm them. Does that satisfy you?"

Oddly enough, he was actually telling the truth. Untrustworthy though he might seem, he wasn't lying. Xander relaxed and extended his wrists in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, then. I surrender."

True to his word, Xander didn't fight it when they cuffed his wrists and ankles together. Suzan sent him a frustrated look but likewise allowed herself to be restrained. Yulia shied away from the men, but they were careful and caught her before she could run. Silently, Xander hoped that Sareen had been killed by the slavers; otherwise, she'd hunt him down and kill him, then blow up his grave for letting the Atonian get captured.

For some reason, they didn't restrain Don. Instead, they shoved him to the ground and started dragging Xander, Yulia, and Suzan to the ship. "Wait!" Xander yelled. "What are you doing? Don!"

Rulon tapped a button and Xander's cuffs activated, immobilizing him. He toppled forward and his captors lifted him up. "You weren't lying," Xander said, struggling to come to terms with what was going on. They would leave Don in the landing bay, and when they pulled the ship out ... he would die, from the vacuum of space.

"I wasn't lying. I'm not going to harm him. I'm letting him go. Of course, he probably won't be let out of the room before we leave," Rulon added with a sly grin.

Xander swore as he realized he'd been tricked. How could he have fallen for such a ploy? He was supposed to be better than that! Suzan was wailing incoherently to his right, her phobia—whichever phobia it was—coming through. Yulia simply sniffled quietly, making no other sounds.

In short order, Xander and the others were brought aboard the slave ship. The last thing Xander saw of Don before his view was cut off was the psychologist, staring after them in horror, still on his knees on the floor.

. . . . . . . . . .

The ship was sealing itself off in slow motion. Don estimated that he probably had about five minutes of life left before their ship was ready for departure. There was no point in running to the deadlocked door back to the rest of the ship. It could only be opened from the other side, and the slavers had pulled Xander's boot from the door. He was stuck.