Fucking hell.
These clawed sharks just kept appearing. One climbed onto the platform. I quickly took aim and fired. The audience was frantically running to the exits as the fighter planes spread out over the city.
"Damn it." I switched my gun to flare.
They weren't going to be much help if I was dead before they found me. Pointing it at a tower, I pulled the trigger. The cartridge exploded on impact. a blossom of smoke rose up into the air. I shot again at the one next to it.
A shark cackling as it crawled toward me. I really hated this species. I placed a bullet in the middle of his forehead and shoved it back with my foot into the feeding frenzy. I checked my gun. I was out of flares and running low on power. They better hurry up, because my one knife was embedded in the wall.
One of the planes broke away from the group. I waved my arm and emptied my gun to keep the sharks occupied for a minute. I moved to the edge to make way for the plane to land. The cockpit opened, and I jumped in. The glass moved back into place right before a shark slammed into it.
"Shit, what the hell is that?"
"Andrus?" I clasped his shoulder.
He gave me a grin as he lifted the aircraft off the ground. "You're going to have to tell me how this one happened."
"I've had a pretty shitty day if that's what you're wondering."
"Looks like it."
A shark flew into the air and clamped down on the landing gear.
"Nasty little things." He swung the craft around and opened fire into the water.
"Knock it off. You're wasting time." I leaned over him and pressed the control panel. "This is General Hollins. On my orders, no aircraft is allowed to leave the surface. Do not attack, but keep all vehicles below flight height."
"Are we smoking this planet?" He continued to shoot holes into a clearly dead shark.
"No, Eadwyn has Raja. He'll try to leave."
Andrus nodded. "I know. The emperor found out about Eadwyn being here and sent us to help. You should have sent word earlier."
I slumped back into my seat. "Thanks, but I was handling it myself."
"Yeah," he scoffed. "A few more minutes of handling it yourself and you would have been fish shit."
I smacked the back of his head. "I just told you my pet is with the enemy. Find a place to land already."
"Yes, sir," he chuckled, pulling up and zipping off toward the palace.
"Tobias?" said Eric through the radio.
Andrus pressed the answer button, and the emperor's face appeared on the screen.
"Thank god," he breathed.
"I thought I had three days, Eric."
He shook his head. "Against a Taris's prince, I think not. You're coming back to Helix now."
"I need to find Raja first."
"Where is he?"
I shrugged. "Eadwyn has him. They're trying to flee the planet. If you want to keep Sora, I'd make sure no one does."
Clenching his jaw, he nodded. "Very well." The screen went blank.
"Where do you want me to land?" asked Andrus.
I tapped on the window. "Here."
He placed the craft down on a landing dock between the arena and the palace. The glass pulled back, and I climbed out.
"Give me your gun. I've run mine down to nothing."
He passed me it with a few power cartridges. "Here's this too." Andrus slapped a knife into my hand.
I raised a brow. "I'm planning on shooting him."
"Well, with this you can stab him." He gave me an exaggerated grin. "It's more satisfy."
Shaking my head, I slipped it into my belt and snatched a radio. "Get out of here, and go do your job."
"My job was locating you," he muttered as the shield slid back into place.
Snapping the transceiver onto my shirt, I jogged into the palace. Servants were running around. A couple pets were curled up in the corner. They turned pale when I walked by and cowered together. A bang rang through the area. I covered my face as the blast ripped through the doorway. Outside, a building was on fire.
"Andrus," I growled into the speaker.
"It's wasn't me," he exclaimed.
"Then who?"
"We don't know. It wasn't one of our guys, though. They were firing at us."
"Eadwyn," I muttered. "Circle the palace, and keep an eye out for Raja."
"Got it."
I hurried through the building, checking different rooms. Most, I was received with screams. I went to the pets' quarters to Raja's room. It was empty. Nyko's as well. I stepped out onto the balcony and pushed back my hair. Where would they have gone? They can't take to the air.
Underground.
Running through the bedroom and out the door, I raced through the palace. I collided with a man, sending him skidding across the floor. I marched over and grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Please," he begged. "Please, don't kill me."
"Are there any underground tunnels?"
He shook his head, looking confused.
I jerked him to his feet hard. "Underground tunnels."
"Yes," piped up a soft voice.
I turned to see one of the arena workers.
"To bring the animals in. There's one tunnel that goes under the arena to outside the city."
"Thank you." I shoved the man to the side and hurried toward the arena. "Andrus?"
"Yes, sir."
"I want a heat tracking of the area around the arena. Go deep. I'm looking for anything underground."
"Go it."
I picked up the pace. If I was too late and they got into space, let alone another galaxy, I might be leading Helix into another war. I arrived at an elevator and pressed the down button.
"General."
"Yes," I replied.
"Two tunnel goes out of the arena. There are people in it."
"Are there any junctions?"
"Yes, tunnels circle around a structure with multiple halls, but only two go beyond that."
"Do you have a heat signature?"
"Yes, sure. They're passed the junction."
I took a deep breath. "I want you to blow it up. Make sure you're far enough away that it won't cave in on them. Arranging a team to knock out all tunnels and herd them back to the center."
"Got it."
The elevator arrived as the ground started to shake. The lights flickered and soon after the elevator powered down. "Damn it." I banged my head against the door. "Really Andrus."
One job and the idiot knocked out the power. I started down the hall looking for a staircase. Another explosion rocked the ground, and I dropped to my knees. Bits of the ceiling started to crumble. Two women screamed as they ran out of the way.
I pointed at the door. "Go outside. You're safer out there."
"The fighters, though," one pled.
"They're not going to shoot you, so get out of here."
The pair hurried off.
"Wait!" called after them. "Where are the stairs?"
She motioned down the hall. "Further down."
Nodding, I hurried in the direction she pointed. I found a set of spiraling stairs that curved out of sight. Jogging down them, I made sure my gun was set. The building shook again. I leaned against the wall and waited. I don't know what he was doing to bring down a simple tunnel, but that boy had a happy trigger finger. I hurried to the bottom. It was too dark to see much.
"Andrus?"
"Yes, sir."
"How's it going?"
"Nearly finished."
"If you kill my pet, I will strangle you."
"They're not dead, I see them running back right now. Hey, I think I see you too."
"I'm going back up the stairs. If they don't follow, let me know."
"Yes, sir."
I hurried up to the main floor and found a position out of view of the staircase.
"How many?" I whispered, taking aim at the exit point.
"Seven, I believe."
"Four soldiers, Eadwyn, and two pets." I let out a slow, steady breath. "Location?"
"Closing in on the staircase."
I waited, fixing my grip on my gun. I'd finally be able to drop that pathetic prince. Quick footsteps echoed against the walls. The ground shook, and I hurried a muffled cry. Two large bodies came into view. Raja stood behind them. I pulled the trigger twice. Nyko screamed as both men fell to the ground. Raja just started at me in shocked.
"Move, move!" A man snatched him and shoved my pet down the stair.
A bullet sliced through his head.
"Andrus?"
"Two people have started down the tunnel. Do you want me to block it?"
"No." I checked the stairs and slowly descended.
"Someone's waiting," said Andrus.
"Only one person?"
"Yes."
"Raja?"
I heard a soft cry. "Nyko?"
The cry grew louder. I turned the corner to see the boy sitting at the bottom with a gash on his head. Blood was running down his face.
"He... He took Raja. They..." He pointed down the tunnel.
"I got it. I got it." I sat him up on the steps. "I want you to go outside, and I'm going to have a pilot pick you up. Andrus, are you hearing this?"
"Yes, sir. I'm on my way."
I helped Nyko to his feet. "He's going to take care of you."
The boy nodded.
"Can you make it?"
"Yeah. I can do it." He stumbled up the steps, holding onto the wall. His eyes lingered on the bodies blocking the path, but he was holding up fairly well.
I raced down the corridor and saw a light off in the distance. I increased the pace, trying to avoid the puddles. The pair came into view. Raja was struggling to get free. A splashed echoed, and Eadwyn head snapped up. He quickly pulled my pet in front of him.
"Drop the gun, Tobias."
The metal of a knife glistened in the light.
I jumped the gun. "Give him back, Eadwyn, and I'll let you go."
"For now," he said sharply. "You'll just track me down and finish the job later. I need him to pay my way out of this galaxy." He yanked my pet back. "Raja is very popular."
"Give him to me." I held out my hand.
"Oh, go back to hell, Tobias. I'm not giving him up."
The ground rocked, and water sprayed through the ceiling. Eadwyn held up an arm to block his face as a blast poured from above. I snatched the knife in my belt and hurled it at him. The blade sliced through his raised hand. He fell back against the wall. Raja turned around and kneed him in the crotch, sending Eadwyn to the ground. That was my boy.
He cut through the spray of water to get to me. I grabbed his wrist, and we ran down the corridor. A quake tore through the building, knocking Raja off his feet. I stopped to help him up heard the crack before the ceiling broke away. Water surged down from the arena.
"Oh shit." I wrapped my arms tightly around Raja as we were swept down the passage. The current drag us along and threw us into an outcropping. I planted my feet and lifted Raja out of the water. He gasped for air and clung to me.
The water level started to go down. I held onto Raja tightly as the jagged fin of the remaining sharks passed us.
Screams of pain sounded nearby. I held Raja's head to my shoulder to keep him from seeing Eadwyn stabbing at a shark. His other arm was missing. Another attacked, and the two dragged him under the water. Eadwyn let out a soul wrenching scream. I turned my head sharply when they two tore him into pieces. More sharks appeared, drawn to the fresh scent of blood.
Raja whimpered, tightening his hold on me.
"I got you." I hiked up his legs around my waist, and we walked across the corridor to the stairs.
Raja started to cry as a shark came swam us. I prepared to use my bare fist if I had too, but it stopped, turned sharply, and swam the other way. Thank god, Raja's belt still worked. I carried him up the stairs and set him down.
He dropped to his knees, visibly shaking.
I knelt in front of him and hugged him to me. "It's over. It's all over."
"I thought you died," he whispered. "I thought those things killed you."
Pressing my forehead against his, I gave him a smile. "I'm very good at not dying. From what I hear, it's one of my best qualities."