My Angel of the Dawn (WomanxBoy, ManxBoy, Sci-Fi + Romance)

***34***

The two thugs left to guard her sat down in a corner to play cards. They glanced at Nelsa every now and then but didn't pay her much attention. She leaned against the nearest wall and tried to get them talking. But Holloran knew exactly whom to leave with her — the dullest ones, the most loyal. At first they pretended they didn't hear her questions and offers. Then they got nervous and strongly advised her to shut up. When Nelsa didn't, one of the thugs strolled up to her and kicked her in the ribs. The pain was so sharp, she couldn't breathe for a few seconds. Yet right after she just went on painting them a pretty picture of forty five thousand split only between the two of them, not the entire crew, and how much that would buy on Eldorado. In the end they threatened to gag her. The prospect of spending the next couple of hours with a filthy rag in her mouth didn't amuse her much, and she shut up.

Nelsa still had the crazy hope that Ariel had put up his little show only to get Holloran alone and make the mercenary uncuff him. He probably got very few chances of overcoming such a strong and skilled fighter as Holloran. But maybe, just maybe Holloran would lose his head, steaming with lust, and relax for only five seconds. Oh Lord, if you hear me, please, give the boy those five seconds!

But seconds became minutes, minutes became hours, and nothing happened. Nelsa's hope was slowly dying, and desperation started to wrench her guts. If the boy had only planned to seduce the mercenary and buy himself a place in his crew, how much time would he need? An hour, tops, and Holloran would have been back already, smug and well-satisfied.

No, Ariel must have attacked Holloran — against all odds — and failed. This very moment Holloran might be venting his anger and frustration on the boy. Her gentle, proud second pilot in the hands of the pissed-off sadistic bastard! The mere thought made her want to howl with rage.

Nelsa, you must do something!

"Hey, space heroes, the lady wants to visit the loo," she said hoarsely.

They looked at her, at each other and dragged her to the farthest corner where was a drain clogged with dirt and sand.

Nelsa smiled mockingly. "Will you open my fly for me, boys?"

The thugs hesitated, their faces showing that thinking was a very alien process for them. The idea of uncuffing the Nelsa Thorn clearly didn't appeal to them. They never saw her in combat but had to have heard of her martial skills. On the other hand, with her being rather short and delicate the rumors were hard to believe. Eventually they draw the exact conclusion Nelsa hoped they would — that she didn't pose a challenge, chained and beaten-up. The taller, burlier thug kicked her leg from under her, pressed her face-down to the floor and unlocked one of the cuffs, going to handcuff her again with her arms in front of her.

That was the moment Nelsa had been waiting for all along. Once the steel bracelet came loose, she whirled from under the thug and kicked him center mass with both her legs so fiercely he went airborne, landing good two meters away. Another one was already pointing his blaster at her. Nelsa dived under the muzzle, curled up into a ball and threw herself at his feet sending him sprawling flat on his back. His head hit the floor with a loud thump, and he was out cold, at least for the moment. Nelsa tried to pick up his weapon, but the first thug came at her, and they started to roll about, kicking and punching each other.

Finally Nelsa managed to get a chock-hold on her opponent, but then the second one whom she'd almost forgotten came from behind her and threw her off his half-chocked buddy. He fired a shot into the floor and threatened to put the next one in her knee unless she stopped resisting. She sat still on the floor with pretended innocence while slipping her hand out of sight and trying to get off her leg chains. Nope, no such luck.

The burly thug staggered to his feet, breathing hard. "What a crazy bitch!" he said with something close to awe. He wiped blood from his battered face. Nelsa grinned admiring her handiwork.

The thug with the blaster waved it in Nelsa's general direction, evidently not risking coming closer to her. "Put the other handcuff on!" he yelled.

She dangled it teasingly on its chain. "Like hell I will! Do it yourself!"

The burly thug worked up enough courage to approach her again. He tried to twist her arm behind her back, and they went at it again. Caution had never been Nelsa's strong suit. In a situation like this caution was counterproductive anyway. The more they hit her, the less they ask. And they just might accidentally kill her, in which case they wouldn't get her money. That'd be a consolation of sorts, something to cheer her up in the afterlife. If there was any afterlife.

All the more reasons to fight, and Nelsa fought furiously, like a Tryadian dragon defending its cub. Damn, if only her legs weren't chained, she would have beaten them both to a pulp. Her kick was even more deadly than her punch. But one against two and with her movements hindered she didn't stand a chance. Nelsa still managed to land a few strategically placed blows, but they only enraged the thugs. Before long she had to curl up in a ball covering her head and stomach while they kicked her, cursing and swearing.

So when one of the thugs crushed to the floor with a loud thud it came as a total surprise for Nelsa. His head had turned into a nasty mess by a blaster shot at close range. The other turned around just in time to receive a shot in his chest. He fell backwards and didn't move. Over him Ariel was standing with blasters in both hands, calm and collected, his hair loose, framing his pale face. That's probably how the Angel of God's Wrath would look like. The futuristic version of him anyway.