Olivia heard a sound. A voice. A woman in distress. “Is that… Harper!”
She bolted ahead, racing to help her friend. Rykker and Arkness shared a quick look and a shrug. It looked like their plan was out the window. It was go time.
They quickly caught up to Olivia just as she slid to a halt at the edge of a small clearing. Five Raxxians were there, twoof them bandaged but the other three looking quite spry and healthy. Fortunately, they only had one rifle on them. The rest were only armed with their customary knives. This was a good thing as Arkness and Rykker had already discussed tactics and decided that any weapons fire at all might draw more of the enemy to them if they happened to be nearby. Whatever they did would have to be silent and fast.
A blade buried itself into the thick scales of the Raxxian holding the weapon, not killing him outright, but dropping him to his knees from the severity of the injury, his blood gushing from the wound far too fast to survive. The others reacted at once, drawing their knives and rushing to meet the charging men.
Olivia sprinted to where Harper had been unceremoniously dumped on the ground. Two of the Raxxians noticed her and moved to stop her, but Rykker put himself between them and the women, ready to rumble. Arkness was already deep in it, fighting fast and violently against the other two. Rykker launched into his attack as well, not seeming to care that this was an outnumbered situation.
“Harper, it’s me,” Olivia reassured her friend, pulling off her gag and blindfold.
“Olivia? Where were you? You said you’d be back.”
“I had a run-in. Got captured by some locals.”
“Locals?”
“Yeah,” she said, nodding toward the men fluidly battling the Raxxians. “These guys took care of me. And now they’re going to rescue you too.”
Harper watched in awe as the two muscular, red-skinned men absolutely dismantled the Raxxian guards in a way she wouldn’t have thought possible. Raxxians were tough. Durable. And they had no fear. And yet, somehow, these two were utterly kicking their asses.
“Impressive. You did say they’re on your side, right?” Harper asked.
“Yep. And that’s a good thing. These five didn’t stand a?—”
“Did you sayfive? Olivia! Look out!” Harper blurted as thesixthRaxxian emerged from the trees.
He assessed the situation in an instant, dropped the dead animal he had killed, and raced right toward the women, intent on keeping the prize while the others fought.
Olivia lunged forward on instinct, driven by anger, fear, and a protective mama bear instinct toward her friend. She should have realized she stood no chance against the much larger creature, but in the moment only one thing flowed through her mind and body alike. The will to fight.
“Get away from her!” she yelled, driving her fist hard into the Raxxian’s chest.
He didn’t even try to block her. He recognized this one. A small female from the ship’s livestock. Nothing to worry about from her. Or so he thought.
His ribs snapped violently as his body flew backward, his feet sliding out from under him. The force of the impact was so great even Arkness and Rykker briefly spun to look, shock and amazement on their faces.
The Raxxian shook off the blow, painfully forcing himself back to his feet. Olivia had surprised him. He would not make the same mistake again. He charged her once more, intent on ending this one’s life once and for all.
The flurry of fists and knives from the two men came from nowhere, laying him out and ending his effort, as well as his life, in a bloody flash. Arkness and Rykker nodded to one another then returned to the other adversaries, making sure they were as dead as they seemed. Finally, satisfied with their handiwork, they sheathed their knives and walked back to the two women.
“You must be Harper,” Arkness said with a little bow. “I am called Arkness. And he is Rykker. I am sorry to meet under these circumstances.”
“You just saved my ass, so I’d say the circumstances are just fine.”
“Are you hurt?” Rykker inquired. “I see your leg is splinted.”
“Olivia did that when we crashed. Damn thing is broken. But otherwise I’m okay, thanks to you. And you, Olivia. Thank you.”
She crouched beside her friend, pressing her forehead against hers. “I swore I’d be back. I just got delayed, is all.”
“Better late than never.”
“Yeah, but good thing we got here when we did. Any later and who knows where the Raxxians would have taken you.”
Harper’s expression hardened. “I heard them talking about other livestock they need to recapture in other nearby crash sites. It sounded like there were more of them lurking around out there.”
“Recapture parties,” Rykker noted. “Standard protocol for Raxxians in this sort of situation.”
