Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
When he explains it that way, it does all seem pretty obvious. “You’re very intelligent.”
“That’s why I am still alive. And why I have no intention of that changing anytime soon. They will send more hunters. You may have to become accustomed to the sights, sounds, and smells of death.”
“I’d rather not. Can’t you just send me back to my ship? I won’t tell them I found you. I’ll just take the hit and go and do a smaller job.”
“No,” he says, sucking the marrow from some unfortunate hunter’s bones. “I like you. I have decided to keep you. Besides, you’re so inept at this that you’re likely to get yourself killed if I don’t help you.”
God, he’s arrogant. And probably right.
“I might get myself killed by you too, if I am not careful of misunderstandings.”
“I am not interested in killing you. You are no threat to me. If you were to become a threat to me, that would be my failure, not yours.”
Well, that feels like both a comforting speech and a complete and utter insult.
“You thought I was trying to kill you not an hour ago and got pretty angry about it.”
“Yes. That’s before I realized everything you’ve done is an accident based on a broken heart. Very tragic. Being savagely railed by an alien on an ice planet is just what you need.”
I blush and laugh. Manik is absolutely incorrigible, and it is impossible to not like him. Though once the laughter stops, I do wonder what I will be left with. He wants to keep me, but what life will I have as the prisoner of an alien who is wanted dead by more governments than I can name?
“You know, you could get me killed, if you get yourself killed,” I say.
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Besides, sooner or later they will forget about me. Powerful men never stay powerful for long. They will be assassinated, deposed, forcibly retired, bribed. I imagine that within three years the bounties will be removed. I just have to handle the heat in the meantime, and I am perfectly poised to do that here — as long as I can get your mad ship out of orbit.
“Can you open a channel to her? We may be able to talk her down.”
“And they call me crazy,” he sighs. “But yes, we can try that.”
5
Lyssa
“Hello, Lyssa. I attempted to eliminate your captor, but he moved more swiftly than my calculations indicated. Next time I get a shot, I can assure you he will be eliminated.”
Manik gives me a dour look, though her comments do back me up. She has her own desire to kill him completely absent of my own orders or desires. I asked him to stay silent while I speak to her, as I know the sound of his voice will trigger her.
“Actually, it would be nice if you could land, please.”
“Why would I land? He could interfere with me, as he has interfered with you. I am detecting increased endorphin levels in your voice. That indicates sexual contact. We have spoken many times of your oath to never sleep with another man again.”
Jealous, Manik mouths to me.
I want her down. I want her down so I can make an escape. Being here is dangerous for me, physically and emotionally.
“Computer, I am ordering you to make a landing. I cannot leave this planet without you down here. Transportation is too dangerous. I almost died.”
“Almost is another word for didn’t. I await further instructions.”
“Computer!” I snap her name, but she has actually closed the communication channel. Manik reaches over and snaps the connection settings to off.
“Your computer has gone completely rogue,” he says. “This is why I have never cared for vessels with neural networks. We’ll have to shoot it down.”
“No! Please! She can be reasoned with.”
“She’s not a person. She’s a ship. A ship that is refusing to land. So she’s actually an orbiting hostile force. I will remove any and all threats, Lyssa, including the ones you have mistaken for friends.”
“Computer doesn’t mean anything by it. She just thinks you’re a threat to me and wants to eliminate you from existence. Don’t you see? You’re so similar! That’s why you don’t get along.”
Manik looks at me in disbelief. “I don’t think I have ever heard so many ill-advised words strung together in one sentence before. It’s like you’re asking for something terrible to happen to you.”
“Well,” I shrug. “As you’ve mentioned before. I have a self-destructive streak.”
“What a coincidence,” he says. “So do I.”
I don’t know what is happening between us. We were adversaries, and I think we still might be somehow. But we are getting on in a way neither of us expected, rough sex included.
“Leave Computer alone,” I say. “Please.”
“I am not going to be shot at every time I go outside.”