Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
“Where…where are we going?” she gasped out as the doctor tugged her along. “Why are you taking me this way?” She had a horrible thought that he was taking her someplace private to rape her before dragging her back to the AllFather, and she started to tug against his hand encircling her arm. “Leave me alone—let me go!” she exclaimed, pulling backwards against his iron grip.
Instead, the doctor turned his head to look at her. And for the barest instant, his red eyes turned a rich, deep blue.
Torri stared at him, too shocked to say a word. Surely, it couldn’t be—she must have been imagining what she saw! The Scourge doctor’s eyes turned red again and he turned back to face front as he continued to drag her along.
Not knowing what to think, Torri stumbled after him.
Once in the docking bay, they were stopped by a pair of massive Scourge guards.
“Halt—where are you going?” one demanded.
“Out of my way!” snapped the doctor. “I have been ordered by the AllFather himself to take this human female out in the Kindred vessel and do some experiments on her.”
“Experiments?” the guard frowned suspiciously. He seemed to be more alert than most of the gray-skinned zombies Torri had seen aboard the huge ship.
“You heard me,” the doctor snarled.
“But…no one is allowed near the Kindred ship. The AllFather’s son, Xairn, said so,” the guard protested.
“These orders don’t come from Xairn—the come from the AllFather himself!” the doctor exclaimed. “Now, will you let me by or do you wish to question his authority? Perhaps you’d like to go tell him you think he’s a fool and you believe his judgment is lacking?” He narrowed his red eyes menacingly.
“No! No, of course, not!” The guard’s gray skin went pale and he stepped aside hastily. “Please don’t tell him I said anything like that, Doctor!”
“I won’t, so long as you don’t harass me any further. Make certain we’re not bothered during take-off—my experiments are very delicate and must not be tampered with,” the Scourge doctor snapped.
“Of course, of course.” The guard nodded as the doctor dragged Torri through the docking bay and right back to the ship where she and Vic had so recently been fighting for their lives.
A drying puddle of blood on the metal floor still marked where the big Kindred had fallen and Torri felt tears stinging her eyes again.
“Oh, Vic,” she whispered as the doctor pushed her into the silver Kindred ship. “Vic, I can’t believe you’re gone!”
“I’m not, sweetheart,” the doctor said. Closing the door, he turned to her and his eyes turned blue once more. “I’m right here with you,” he told Torri, speaking in Vic’s voice. “But you’ve got to trust me—I’m going to keep this form until we’re free of the Fathership.”
“Oh, Vic!” Torri felt joy and relief and disbelief overwhelm her all at once. “Oh my God—I can’t believe you’re alive! I saw you get killed!” she exclaimed.
“The Goddess sent me back,” he said grimly, starting the ship. “We have to get out of here, Torri—the Scourge are almost to Earth’s atmosphere. And once they reach it, they’re going to start killing.”
Then he gunned the engine and the sleek silver ship shot straight up and then forward, zipping out of the maw of the Fathership like a dragonfly escaping from a crocodile’s mouth.
They were free and clear, but could they stay that way? And would the Kindred get to Earth in time to save it?
Torri didn’t know.
Fifty-Two
Vic noted grimly that they hadn’t escaped a moment too soon. The blue and white ball of planet Earth was just ahead in the viewscreen. It was only the size of his thumbnail at the moment but it was growing ever larger and the Fathership was right on their tail.
“I’m going to try to contact the Mother Ship as soon as we’re far enough that they can’t jam our transmission,” he told Torri. “Are you all right, sweetheart? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” he added anxiously, looking her over. He was asking both because of the tear tracks on her face and the fact that she was completely naked.
“Hurt me? Oh, no—no, they didn’t,” she said, clearly seeing the worry in his face. “I think they took my clothes away just to demoralize me,” she added.
“Well, your duffel bag is still here if they haven’t taken it out,” Vic told her. “You’ll probably want to get dressed before I get Commander Terex on the com-link.”
“Oh yes—yes of course.” She blushed and tried to cover herself. “I just still can’t believe it’s you!” she blurted. “I never thought I’d see you again. I was sure you were dead.”
“I was,” Vic told her. “I told you—the Goddess sent me back. For you and also to save your planet.”
“Let’s hope we can.” Torri looked worried.
“It all depends on how quickly the Mother Ship can get here,” Vic told her. “You go change—I’m calling them now.”