Taming the Queen of Beasts

RIKA

Rika had a get an arm free. Had to—

Suddenly a communicator in the dashboard of the car crackled to life. "Command, we have confirmed natives on the radar. Something's interfering and they aren't as clear as we'd like. But there's a dozen identified so far, waiting for ambush."

Jared swore.

It was instinct. Jared's grip on her arms loosened as he was distracted, and Rika didn't even think. She tipped forward, pulling out of his grip and letting her full weight drop to the ground, yanking him off balance in the same moment she reached under the cot.

But just as her hand landed on the device, a cold gun barrel pressed into her temple.

Rika froze.

"Lots of people die in war, Rika. Did you know that?" His voice was cold and tight. "Battle is a fucking confusing and chaotic state. Even more so when you're fighting animals. My boss will be so sad to hear that you were on our side but killed by a stray bullet. He really did like you. Thought you were very smart. You'll be remembered well. Falsely, but well."

"No, please!" she shrieked, curling herself into a ball, tugging the device into her stomach, one arm over her head as if guarding it from him, the other under her chin, praying he couldn't see the device, that her body blocked it from his view, praying things were too frantic for him to notice her arm moving.

He chuckled and started to talk to her about how much pleasure he'd take in destroying her, and as his cold voice slid over her skin like ice water, she began to shake in earnest, her head screaming in fear. She was going to die.

But she had to do this.

With fingers trembling, praying he wouldn't notice, she hit the screen of the device and sobbed her relief when it came to life.

Menu.

Command menu.

System.

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Network—seek connection?

Yes or No?

YES.

The gray screen showed the symbol of the organization—rotating circles turning in and out of each other, like the nucleus of a molecule.

"…believe you really thought these primates were worth more than your own people. How stupid you are." He pushed the barrel of the gun harder into her temple and Rika made a small cry.

But finally, the screen changed.

Connection found.

Command menu—

Jared's voice continued to threaten and she wanted to cry. She wanted to plead. To run. But all she could think was that Gar was out there. And Tarkyn. And so many others. And they were about to be attacked. If she didn't do something right now.

The communicator crackled in the car again. "Command, instructions?"

Jared started shouting instructions for the driver to give them, and the vehicle slowed as the man tried to use the buttons on the communicator while still driving.

Jared's hand clamped on her shoulder like he would pull her to her feet, but he was still talking to the driver.

Fingers trembling so hard she was struggling to be accurate on the selections, Rika prayed for just one more minute, one more.

Command menu.

All Device Lock.

Unlock or save?

Unlock.

She cried, her teeth rattling in her jaw as Jared swore and shook her, the barrel of the gun leaving a humming scream in her temple.

But she couldn't stop now.

Code:

She hurriedly typed in her staff code, praying it still worked. That they hadn't had the foresight to take her off the system.

The rotating circles appeared again and Rika didn't breathe.

System unlocked. All devices unlocked.

Command Menu.

Sync

Find Device

Kill switch

WARNING

Rika clicked the warning tag, scrolling through the warning message in jerky little movements as Jared screamed at the driver to tell them to start shooting.

Kill Switch.

Do you wish to activate the universal kill switch?

Yes.

Are you certain? (This action cannot be reversed.)

Yes.

The circles appeared again, like her nemesis, as the device sought to make connection and access whatever hellhole was in the network that would let her do it.

Then it came back to life and Rika almost cried.

Enter authorization code:

She typed in her code again and hit CONFIRM, praying for help, for time, for a miracle as the rotating circles started again.

The car rolled over a dip in the ground and the device slid in the short space between her knees and her forehead. Above her, Jared was almost thrown off his feet. He swore at the driver, then his attention returned to her.

"Get up, bitch! Get on your fucking feet!"

But Rika only shrieked—her fear wasn't faked—and pulled her body in tighter.

Please, please, please, she prayed. Please.

The device made a long, loud warning beep as warning stars flashed on the screen. Rika gasped—she'd forgotten it would do that—in the same second as her head rang, like a basketball bounced on a court, with a blow that sent her reeling across the floor of the vehicle.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Rika was thrown off the device as it flipped, then skittered across the metal bed of the vehicle, towards the cab.

"NO!" she screamed and dove for it, but her head was spinning and her depth perception was off. Her outstretched hand landed on the bed of the truck, only slapping the side of it.

"Well, well, well," Jared hissed, pushing over her to grab it before she could close her fingers on it.

Gun still leveled at her head, he turned the device over with his free hand and his eyes widened. It took him a bare second to read the backlit screen in the early dawn light, then he shook his head.

"Did I say you were going to die tragically?" he said quietly, glaring at her with malicious glee. "I was wrong." He stood up straight, the gun aimed straight at her face, showing her the screen.

KILL SWITCH ACTIVATED.

ACCEPT?

"How does it feel to know you got so close—"

As the sound of guns exploded just to their right and they all startled, Rika threw herself towards him, smacking a hand at the blinking word on the screen.Â

*****Â

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