Predator: SVU

Title: Predator: SVU

Author: Prairiefire

Chapter: Eighteen: Two Down

Fandom: Predator AU

Rating: M/R

Warnings: Adult Situations, Controversial Subject Material, Graphic Violence/Gore, Rape, Sexual Situations

Orientation: Het

Pairings: Human Female/Male Predator, Female Predator/Male Predator

Summary: Two hunters separated by species and lightyears are about to team up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Predator, nor do I make earn any monetary compensation for the stories I write that feature such characters. However, all my original characters are just that, original. That makes them mine, and they cannot be used without my express written permission.

Feedback: Please. I will respond to all signed reviews on ffn, aff

Word Count: 5487

Only the wind could be heard through the seemingly deserted building. A soft rustling in the rafters was heard when the door was flung open. Feeling rather smug, Burns sauntered in knowing that soon he would be able to face the bitch of a cop that had caused him so much grief as of late. Underneath it all was the anticipation of getting to play with a new little girl when this was all over.

Burns knew that there were five snipers above him and he couldn’t feel safer, though he didn’t know that any or all of them would take him out if so ordered without regret. Cach and his lackey were somewhere in the building but Burns knew they wouldn’t reveal themselves until Hadley showed up. He settled himself down on the ground to wait, passing the time by cleaning his knife. The old adage went, ‘Never bring a knife to a gun fight’, but Burns thought there were plenty of other guns on his side. Besides, he wanted to get up close and personal.

XXXXX

The drive to the warehouse lot seemed to take far too long for Cass. The miles trickled by though it was past the main rush hour. The sun was just setting behind the cityscape, sending a golden haze over the city. Nervous energy vibrated through Cass as she parked the truck a block away from the Burns Shipping lot.

This is it, Cass thought, as she gripped the shotgun between her hands. Sitting in the truck she felt the first doubt about what she was doing. The cop in her yelled at her that killing Burns was wrong, the maternal cried for revenge. Her sudden indecision made her hesitate before she finally got out of the truck and slammed the door, the maternal finally winning the fight of conscience.

Vek’rin’ka was right there waiting for her; Cass could feel his prescence even without looking for his blurry outline. A heavy hand on her shoulder told her that he was waiting only for her. She took a deep breath and started toward the fence surrounding her target. Sticking to the shadows cast by the nearly set sun, she was able to see that Vek’rin’ka had indeed been correct. There were no cops guarding the area. Cass could only wonder why that detail had been pulled before she and Vek’rin’ka were brought up short by the fence.

Vek’rin’ka knew that he could jump over the fence with little effort but Cass would never make it. He pulled Cass back from the chain link and extended his invisible ki’cti-pa. The twin blades made two clean cuts through the metal of the fence.

“Nice,” Cass enthused quietly as she pushed her way through the opening. Vek’rin’ka followed closely behind, pulling the fence back so the hole would not be discovered readily.

Vek’rin’ka followed Cass as she stalked through the shadows to the storehouse that he had pulled the small pup out of all those nights ago. He could smell the ooman Bad Blood inside by there were more. The Bad Blood wasn’t alone. Quickly, Vek’rin’ka grabbed Cass and pulled her into him. Cass was about to protest when she heard a chuffing sound coming from behind Vek’s mask. His chest rose and fell sharply as Cass finally understood that he was scenting the air.

“What is it,” she asked quietly as she eased out of Vek’s grip.

Stopping his olfactory investigation, Vek’rin’ka continued to scan the area while he responded. “Bad Blood here.” He growled and continued, “Other male here, Ka’sh. More oomans.”

“What do we do?” The uncertainty rushed up in Cass again, thinking about what would happen if she killed Burns in front of witnesses.

“Hunt.”

Cass was stunned temporarily. “I can’t kill them.”

“Cass hunt Bad Blood. I hunt others.”

“Do you have to kill them?”

“Hunter’s Path. Oomans hunt yautja, yautja not allow.” Vek’rin’ka waited for Cass to tell him she understood but when she didn’t he could not help but feel disappointed. Instead of trying to explain why further he simply told her, “Law of yautja.”

Cass sighed and looked back up at Vek’rin’ka. She had briefly thought about what she could do to stop him but couldn’t come up with anything. Even reporting what she knew to whoever handled these kinds of reports didn’t seem right after the comfort Vek had given her. “So how do we handle this?”

Vek’rin’ka was relieved after his brief concern that Cass would pull out of this hunt and leave the Bad Blood when he was so close. “You go in on ground. I go in from up,” he said as he decloaked. He looked down at Cass with concern, though it was hidden behind his mask. The hunt had just gotten more dangerous than he had anticipated. “Watch behind,” he said as he patted her shoulder.

Cass watched him as he rounded the corner of the building before turning and continuing to the door. She approached cautiously while slinging the shot gun over her shoulder. She pulled the handgun out of her holster and crept toward the side door. Taking a position she waited what she thought was long enough for Vek’rin’ka to get to the roof then she carefully nudged the door open with the muzzle of her gun.

The nervous energy continued to surge through her as she quickly slipped through the door. She grabbed it before it could close behind her and eased it closed herself. She crouch walked up to a shelving unit concealing herself behind one of the dusty packing crates.

Burns was sitting on the floor at the center of the warehouse with his back to Cass but she was so close to her goal that she pushed herself forward. The pistol was held firmly in front of her in a tight two-handed grip. She aimed straight down the barrel at Burns’ head as she slowly crept up behind him.

Cass was sure that she had not made any noise but she was still ten feet away form Burns when he turned to her. He had a cold, vicious smile on his face that didn’t waver in the least as he looked right back down that same barrel.

“Hello detective,” he sneered. “We were expecting you sooner.”

“We?” Cass didn’t like that statement. Vek was right, Burns wasn’t alone. “I take it that that arsehole Cach is here too.”

Suddenly Cass felt hands grab her from behind and the unmistakable coldness of a gun pressed to the back of her skull.

“Hello Cassandra,” Cach’s voice was familiar but held a sinister note that Cass had not heard before. “We’ve been waiting for you. Please drop the gun.” The click of the gun’s safety reinforced the command. Cass let go of her own weapon with one hand and clicked her own safety on before crouching down and dropping the weapon. The stranger partnered with Cach quickly kicked it back the way Cass had come, well out of her reach if she dove for it. For now the left the shotgun slung over her shoulder, but were keeping a tight grip on her arms, negating its use anyway.

“So where is your friend,” Cach hissed at Cass as she stood back up.

Cass froze not knowing how to react to the men knowing about Vek’rin’ka. Finally she stammered, “Wha…what friend?”

Ignoring Cass, Cach started to look around him. Seeing nothing he turned back to Cass, “Looks like he’s shy. Should we call him out?”

“Do what you want, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cass growled defiantly.

Cach then threw one of his arms around Cass keeping his gun pointed at her head, making sure it could be seen from as many angles as possible. “Hey! Alien! Come on out, or I blow the brains out of your pet here.”

XXXXX

Vek’rin’ka had made his way up to the roof and slipped back in through the same access hatch that he had used the first time he had entered this building. From his vantage point he could see Cass stalking up to an ooman in the center of the building. Behind her, though, were two others, both carrying weapons. Vek’rin’ka suppressed his growl and give away his position to the other oomans he knew were in the building.

The tricky little things didn’t show up on the infrared setting on his mask and the criss-crossing supports for the roof made using the oomans’ visible light spectrum just as useless. Vek’rin’ka moved silently away from the open hatch and switched the artificial eyes of his mask to its bioelectric setting. One the floor he saw Cass and the three other oomans. Two of them were coming up behind Cass and Vek’rin’ka was about to jump down to deal with them when he saw a flicker out of the corner of his vision. He froze and studied where the flicker had come from. Moving closer he saw first one, then three oomans.

The concealed oomans were spread out through the very rafters Vek’rin’ka stalked on, setting an ambush he had almost walked into. Staying cloaked, he carefully crept up to the closest ooman and savored the moment before the kill. From his new position, Vek’rin’ka could see two additional oomans, bringing the total in the supports to five. Down below he saw the two oomans grab Cass from behind and force her to put her small burner down.

Vek’rin’ka didn’t have much time to figure out how to remove all the oomans in the rafters before the Ka’sh male yelled out. It was obviously a challenge to Vek’rin’ka and he was not about to disappoint the arrogant little ooman. More importantly, the male had once again placed his hands on Cass and threatened her life and such disrespect would not go unpunished.

The little ooman lying near Vek’rin’ka was completely unaware of his presence until he decloaked and grabbed the long hair trailing out from under the hat he was wearing. The startled croak have barely left the dead man’s throat before Vek’rin’ka slid his ki’cti-pa through his prey’s neck and severed the head.

Vek’rin’ka quickly left the body where it was, holding his bloody trophy and withdrew his smart disc. Taking a sight on two of the other oomans that had foolishly selected hiding spots nearly parallel to each other, Vek’rin’ka keyed the disc for those two. The disc’s mechanical whine was the only warning for the two men that they were staring death in the face and seeing nothing.

The first man didn’t have a chance to dodge out of the disc’s way, not that he had anywhere to dodge to. Seconds after being released from Vek’rin’ka’s hand, the disc sliced cleanly through his neck. The head and body fell out of the rafters even as the disc flew towards the second man.

Seeing his partner decapitated in the periphery of his vision, the second man pushed himself up to find another spot to hide, still assuming that his thermal suit would hide him from the alien predator’s vision. He was barely vertical on the I-beam that had been his perch when the black disc flew by with a hum. He watched it keep going and didn’t look down until he felt his shirt becoming tacky. The cut had been so clean and fast that he hadn’t felt it. The man gurgled in disbelief as he watched his entrails slip from the slice in his abdomen. He tried vainly to hold them in with his one hand while the other sought grip on the iron struts for support as he tried to get away. The attempt was futile as he slipped on his own spilled blood and he lost his balance. He fell backwards off the rafter, his one hand still cradling his exposed intestines while the other scrambled frantically for something to stop his fall.

The man found no purchase to save himself and screamed as the underside of the beam became visible. The cry was silenced with a wet thud as his body joined that of his teammate on the concrete floor of the warehouse.

Vek’rin’ka had not waited to watch the second male die or his disc to return before setting his laser sights on one of the two remaining snipers. The plasmacaster mounted on his shoulder armed and synced with the laser.

The human sighted had watched stunned as two of his comrades fell to the floor below. One of the men had been missing his head. Well, it wasn’t really missing since it fell with the body, it was just not attached to it. The other man that had fallen had screamed and as he lay on the ground now his entire front was covered in the bright red of his blood. It was then that he noticed the three red dots slowly making their way up his gun towards his body. His head snapped up in the direction that the lights were coming from and saw the creature.

Vek’rin’ka was crouched on a horizontal support in full view of his target. The ooman saw him and in that instant he triggered his caster. From the barrel raced a blue-white ball of superheated gas straight into the ooman’s chest. The recoil from the weapon caused Vek’rin’ka to tighten his grip on the support as his fourth kill fell from his perch.

Vek’rin’ka reengaged his cloak and quickly made his way over to the last ooman ambusher. He was ten noks away when he turned the camouflage off and pulled out his spear. Approaching swiftly from the side, Vek’rin’ka gave the ooman enough of a warning growl for it to turn and raise its weapon. The ooman didn’t have time enough to fire its burner before Vek’rin’ka carefully swung his ki’its-pa around in the close confines of the rafters. The move severed the man’s arm and cut through the weapon.

The hand and the piece of the weapon it had been holding clattered to the ground. The man dropped the other half of the now useless weapon and grabbed the stump that now spurted blood with each of his rapid heart beats. His eyes were wide with shock and his mouth opened in a silent scream as Vek’rin’ka brought the ki’its-pa around again. For the killing blow he thrust the bladed end through the man’s chest and was able to see it exit his back as the man keeled forward and tried to clutch the stave.

It took less than two heartbeats for the last of the ambush team to die on the end of Vek’rin’ka’s staff. Once he was dead Vek’rin’ka shook the body off and let it fall to the ground to join the rest of its teammates. The ooman’s challenge had angered him and the threat to Cass had pushed him far too close to the edge of reckless violence. Killing the five oomans had given him both time to collect himself and prevent an attack that could kill him or Cass.

Now, Vek’rin’ka circled around the building so that he was in front of the four oomans on the floor. When he was sure that he wouldn’t accidentally land on Cass, he jumped. Unlike the bodies that he had let drop to the floor, Vek’rin’ka sailed gracefully through the air and when he landed he let his knees absorb the four story landing.

Rising up to stand at his full height Vek’rin’ka let loose a roar that rattled the windows so far above him.

XXXXX

Burns stared at the bloody bodies that were laying across the floor of his warehouse. He had never seen so much blood, not even in his military days. Now he had started to figure out that Cach’s offer may not have been too great. For the first time since he had run across his first little playmate he felt he may not get out of this alive.

Suddenly there was a whoosh of air behind him and a deafening roar. He froze on the spot, fearing even to breath. He was Cach’s lackey back away, his gaze fixed on something behind Burns. Slowly he turned to face the new threat.

XXXXX

Cass’s fear evaporated when she saw Vek’rin’ka jump down behind Burns. She suspected he was furious, and the loudest roar she had ever heard confirmed it. When she felt the second man release her she knew it was time to move. Cach had tightened his grip on her and was using her as a shield but the gun that had so assuredly been pressed against her head before was gone. She knew it was still there, but she had to gamble that she would be able to pull off what she needed to.

Cass clasped her hands in front of her just as Vek knocked Burns away, backhanding him towards the side door Cass entered through. That was when Cass saw Cach’s gun come from behind her and point at Vek. Taking the moment she extended her arms and brought them back, sending her reinforced elbow into Cach’s kidney.

Cach wheezed from the blow and hunched forward, too late to absorb the impact. Seconds later, Cach’s pain was joined by a broken nose as Cass used her head and solidly head butted him. Without thinking Cach let go of Cass to bring a hand to his face.

Fluidly, Cass spun around and unloaded a powerful right hook into Cach’s abused nose. Blood sprayed her as he grunted in surprise. Now that Cach was thoroughly dazed Cass turned her attention back to Burns, leaving Vek to deal with Cach.

XXXXX

Vek’rin’ka didn’t wait for the Bad Blood ooman to finish turning around before batting him away. He was Cass’s prey, but still in the way. After he was removed, he saw Cass do an admirable job of extricating herself from Ka’sh’s grip. She looked at Vek’rin’ka before taking off after the fleeing Bad Blood. Vek’rin’ka turned his attention back his own two targets. Ka’sh was doubled over in pain as Vek’rin’ka marched up to him. Unable to fight right now, Vek’rin’ka picked Ka’sh up by his neck and threw him to the side.

The hunter’s focus turned to the rattled ooman backing away. This one was armed but seemed too scared to remember he held a weapon. Vek’rin’ka stalked up to the ooman and threw a punch to its face. He felt the bone crumple under his fist with the impact and the ooman’s head snapped back as he stumbled backwards.

Again, Vek’rin’ka stepped up to the dazed ooman and threw a punch to the other side of the ooman’s head. Already off balance, the ooman spun with the force of the blow. Vek’rin’ka was walking up behind his prey when it must have finally noticed the burner that was hanging from its shoulder.

When the ooman finished its uncontrolled spin it had grabbed its weapon and was leveling it at Vek’rin’ka. Vek’rin’ka snorted in contempt at the ooman as he used his ki’cti-pa to cut the ooman’s arm. It screamed as its other hand dropped its grip on the weapon to hold its arm. It squealed in pain as it backed away from the alien hunter.

Finished playing with the prey, Vek’rin’ka measured his strike and in a lightening flash slashed at the ooman with his newly drawn ki’its-pa. It’s mouth opened again, though whether it was in shock or to scream it didn’t matter. No sound escaped it except for the gurgling of the blood in its throat as it tried desperately to breath.

The dying ooman finally fell into the crimson pool forming at its feet. Vek’rin’ka picked up the body by the fur on the top of its head and prepared to take his trophy when he heard one of the ooman burners discharge. The noise was accompanied by a hot pain searing his right arm.

Vek’rin’ka spun, wretching the head in his hand from its body with a sickeningly wet tearing sound, leaving his ki’its-pa embedded in the body. He spotted Ka’sh with a small burner pointed at him. Vek’rin’ka flared his mandibles as far as his mask would allow and howled at the ooman male. Another projectile hit him and bounced off his shoulder guard. Without waiting for a third hit her charged the brazen ooman.

XXXXX

This was not part of the plan, Burns thought as he ducked behind a row of shelves. Hearing running steps behind him, Burns hoped it wasn’t the creature. Wishing he had more than just a knife on him, Burns continued to run along the length of the shelves. Reaching the end he ducked behind another set and taking a moment to catch his breath he peered around the corner. He could see Cass just entering the aisle.

XXXXX

Cass gripped her shotgun firmly and aimed it down the aisle Burns had disappeared into. She slowed down, expecting at any second Burns to jump out and start shooting at her. The ambush hadn’t happened when she was almost to the end and Cass began to wonder if there was a trap waiting for her. Crouching low she peered under the lowest shelf, raised six inches off the ground.

She saw two feet standing on the other side of the shelf waiting, undoubtedly for her. She didn’t know what kind of weapons Burns would have on him but she felt it would be a better idea not to walk head first into whatever trap Burns had set.

Burns was on the far side of the unit, not at the end, so Cass felt sure he would not leave his hiding place to check on her progress. Carefully and quietly Cass backed up until she came to an opening among the things that were stored on the shelf. Here she would be able to cross the aisle and get behind Burns. As she stepped onto the lowest shelf, ducking under the next one, she worried that Burns would hear her shoes on the metal plating.

Slowing down even more to cross the ten foot wide shelf Cass steadied her aim and peaked around a container into the next aisle. At the end, Burns crouched with his back to her waiting for Cass to come around the corner s he could ambush her. Keeping up the stealth of her approach Cass stepped off the shelf and crept up to Burns. She held her breath for the last feet, more out of anxiousness than an attempt to conceal her approach.

Burns didn’t suspect anything until Cass tapped him just behind the ear with her shotgun. Burns could not believe that she had gotten behind him.

“Don’t more a muscle,” Cass said through grit teeth. Her finger tightened on the trigger, begging to end the life of the miserable wretch in front of her. Staring at the back of Burns’ head, Cass’s mind whirled. The largest part of her screamed to finish this, but the small part that she thought she had crushed stalled her. Shooting burns in the back would not be justice, it said.

Taking a shaky breath Cass told Burns, “Get up and walk.” The near growl startled Cass almost as much as it startled Burns. Cass didn’t know what to do with him anymore. Now that she had him she hesitated to pull the trigger. She needed to see Vek she decided. He’d be able to help her she though, ignoring his obvious bias.

Burns was shaky as he walked in front of Cass to the end of the shelf. He admitted to himself that he really didn’t want to face that…creature. It scared the hell out of him. Mostly though, he was angry that he had allowed the female detective to sneak up on him. As they came out from between the shelves Burns saw the answer to his problem.

XXXXX

Vek’rin’ka glided over the floor of the warehouse as if he were on wings. The ooman’s one hand held his burner shakily as it tried to rise from the floor. It’s other arm dangled uselessly, broken, with the collarbone exposed through its coverings. The forearm was also bent at an unnatural joint.

Vek’rin’ka had left his ki’its-pa imbedded in the last ooman, leaving him with his ki’cti-pa and his own burner. With the laser sight solidly on his target Vek’rin’ka pulled Ka’sh to his feet as soon as his hand enclosed the slender throat.

When Ka’sh was solidly on his feet Vek’rin’ka released his throat and took a step back. He studied the shocked ooman with skepticism. It was small and weak, its bones broke so easily. Furthermore, it was no longer arrogant, it reeked of fear.

Growling deeply, “No one touches her, she is mine.” Vek’rin’ka didn’t reflect on how right these words felt, or how inappropriate there were. What mattered now was how his prey was going to react. Its burner was held unsteady in its uninjured hand, pointing at Vek’rin’ka, but using burners was not how Vek’rin’ka wanted to take this trophy.

While waiting for Ka’sh to make the first move Vek’rin’ka scanned him, checking to see if he had any more weapons. There was a knife strapped to one of his legs, small by Vek’rin’ka’s standards, but it was a blade. The ooman before him hadn’t moved, while Vek’rin’ka looked him over.

Suddenly, Vek’rin’ka lunged forward while Ka’sh was still in his daze. The gun that had been held in his hand was quickly removed and Ka’sh watched as Vek’rin’ka crushed the metal in his hand. The warped metal dropped to the ground with a hollow crack.

Never once did Vek’rin’ka take his eyes off of Ka’sh, challenging him to attack. The man stood before the powerful Arbitrator dumbfounded. His plan had fallen apart and now he would have to face the alien hunter himself.

Vek’rin’ka grew annoyed with waiting for Ka’sh to take out his knife. He grabbed the man and used his wrist blades to shred the material covering the knife. With a smooth swiftness he pulled the blade out of its sheath and thrust it into Cach’s hand.

Cach balked at the turn of events. He was not prepared to fight the extra-terrestrial hunter. Yet here he was, with only a combat knife as a weapon. With no other options left but to fight Cach darted to the side, striking out at the monstrosity.

Vek’rin’ka spun to the left sending a wicked hook into Cach’s arm. Jarred by the force of the punch Cach dropped the knife. He grew nauseous as he heard it clatter to the ground. He rolled back to it, laying at Vek’rin’ka’s feet.

With the knife securely in hand, Cach tried desperately to hamstring his opponent. The actions only left Vek’rin’ka with a clear opening to kick the bloody man square in the chest.

Cach was sent flying ten feet across the floor. He slid to a stop and Vek’rin’ka was instantly upon him. His talons tore into the flesh around Cach’s throat as he dragged the man up. With ki’cti-pa raised to rip through the ooman’s chest Vek’rin’ka sees Cach’s last attempts to save his own skin.

The knife came in a wild arc, the man wielding it crazed with fear. Vek’rin’ka dropped the shoulder that wasn’t bearing the weight of the man inadvertently cutting two shallow lines in the man’s chest down to his abdomen. With a screech, Cach loosened his already sweaty grip on the knife and as it glanced off Vek’rin’ka’s shoulder plate, he lost his grip entirely on it.

The blade sailed across the room before it skittered to a stop in front of a captive Burns, with Cass at his back. Neither hunter nor prey noticed the two humans, locked into battle as they were. Vek’rin’ka grabbed Cach’s empty hand and quickly snapped it backwards.

Cach howled again as the bones splintered at his wrist. Vek’rin’ka pulled him closer then and Cach could smell his bitter, oily scent as Vek’rin’ka stared him down. The wrist blades were replaced over Cach’s heart as Vek’rin’ka stared into his eyes.

Calm, collected anger replaced the rage Vek’rin’ka had felt when he entered this battle. The old teaching of never hating your prey was reasserting itself.

“What Way’lnd want?” Vek’rin’ka spoke in English loosening his hold ever so slightly so Cach could speak.

Cradling his broken wrist, Cach stared in abject horror, unable to respond. A shake from Vek’rin’ka loosened his tongue enough for him to stammer, “You…your technology. The…they want the weapons.” Vek’rin’ka growled lowly, the sound like thunder between the two. His grip closed again on the thin neck, barely avoiding crushing the windpipe.

With one arm, Vek’rin’ka lifted Cach over his head. A deafening roar ripped from his throat, shaking windows and dislodging dust from the rafters. Cach hung, wincing at the noise and the ringing in his ears that stayed after the roar subsided. It was because of that, that Cach didn’t hear what Vek’rin’ka said next.

“They never get it,” Vek’rin’ka paused only to growl again, and finished, “Ka’sh never get Ka’s. Mine.”

Having fought and defeated Cach, Vek’rin’ka plunged his ki’cti-pa through the yielding chest. Cach grappled at the arm that was now flush with his flesh. His struggle didn’t last long as blood started to drip from his mouth and his eyes glazed. Vek’rin’ka thrust his fist forward once more, ensuring that the ooman on his blades was dead.

Lowering the body to the ground, Vek’rin’ka had not yet removed his blades before he heard a yelp. He whipped around towards the sound. He saw Ka’s there, falling to the ground, with shock written across her face. Before her was the Bad Blood Burns. Held in his hand was the knife Cach had thrown.

XXXXX

Cass had Burns right in her sights as they came out into the open. She watched Vek in awe, distracted from Burns as he first crippled then killed Cach. She had seen death before, but that was not what caused her to stop.

When Vek had told Cach that he would never have Cass she felt safe once more. It was a feeling she had only gotten rarely in her life. First with her father, long lost to her. Then with Gerold, the first partner she could really say she trusted her life to. Now, she found in Vek someone who would watch her back despite their differences.

Burns sensed the gun lower slightly as both his and Cass’s attention was pulled over to the fight in the center of the warehouse. Burns recovered first and was also the first to notice the knife just in front of him. When the creature made his kill, Burns dove for the blade.

Burns curled his fingers around the knife’s handle and rolled. As he came up he spun on his knees. Using his momentum he thrust the knife deep into Cass’s thigh.

Pain lanced up Cass’s leg as Burns twisted the steel in her leg. The sound of her own yelp of pain brought her mind back to what she needed to do. Even as her leg crumpled under her she levelled the shotgun at Burns’ chest and fired.

Blood splattered Cass’s face and vest, though she didn’t take heed of it. She pulled the trigger a second time. The slug found its home in Burns’ head before it exited again, exploding out the back of his skull. Bright red gore laced with broken pieces of bone and brain matter hit the ground before Burns even finished falling over.

Cass slumped to the ground, the shotgun falling from her hands. In only a matter of moments she was relieved that it was finally over and horrified at what she had done. She looked at Vek, the one who had urged her down this path, and saw him running towards her. Calmness settled over her, knowing that her friend would help. She waited for him to come to her.

The calmness was broken when two hands grabbed her and pulled her off the floor.

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Vek’rin’ka saw Al’brk’vix drop from the shelves just behind Cass. The rage returned as he altered his course to run by the body his ki’its-pa was still embedded in. There was no way that he would allow the tarei’hsan Bad Blood harm her. Al’brk’vix would die today by his blade. The spear tip ripped out of the dead ooman as Vek’rin’ka ran by, grabbing it without slowing.

“What a nice little pet,” Al’brk’vix laughed as he threw Cass over his shoulder. Vek’rin’ka didn’t stop running at knowing that the Bad Blood was very fleet of foot. Al’brk’vix turned for the door, hitting it and barrelling out into the service way. He didn’t look back, knowing the Arbitrator would be pursuing him. He poured every bit of energy into running with his prize.