To Rescue a Villain

Chapter 29

Ace and Derek were attaching their sticky explosives to the pods, setting the timers to a few minutes so we'd have enough time to escape the blast radius. As they did that, I approached the mother's pod, feeling my heart warm from the kindness and fear in her face.

As I pressed my hand against the warm, vibrating surface of the pod, my mind traveled back to the events that had transpired before we'd arrived. John Philips had shot one of the pods when Derek was having a look at them and it had awakened the aliens, putting them on the defensive.

My question was: what if John hadn't done that? Would Derek and the scientists of Hikarius have been able to communicate with the aliens and get along with them? Could they have joined forces and made the world a better place?

I clenched my fist. If I hadn't been so hesitant about leaving Polly behind, I might have gotten here earlier and could have stopped John. I could have even warned John about it instead but had forgotten. This was all my fault.

As I watched the mother, blocking out the sound of the two men as they rushed back and forth across the room, I stared into her peaceful, sleeping face. She had no idea what was about to happen.

"I am so sorry," I whispered, leaning my forehead against the pod and sighing. "If I hadn't been so selfish I might have remembered to save you too. I'm sorry."

As I stared at her, my insides tightening, a single tear slipped down her cheek. She was starting to slowly open her eyes and turn her giant, black pupils toward me when Derek grabbed my arm and tried to pull me back into the tunnels.

"Mary, we have to go! The timers have started."

"No!" My fingers stretched out toward the creature, her eyes droopy and her expression one of surrender. "I think I can talk to her. I think—"

"Her 'people' killed my men!" Derek yelled as he pulled me into his arms and resisted my struggles. "They can't be negotiated with."

"I saw it in her eyes!" I screamed as we ran past the mercenaries, who gave us one glance before realizing what was happening and dashing after us.

"You can't save everyone, Mary," Derek whispered, already sounding regretful. "It's too late. The bombs can't be disabled."

"And by killing one person," Ace added, referring to the mother, "We can save millions on Manica. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Knowing they were right, I stopped trying to go back and allowed my husband to hide me behind some of the biggest rocks in the tunnels. The others did the same and prepared for the blast, covering their heads with their faces.

As I sat there, breathing heavily and waiting for the loud boom that would soon rock the moon, my mind rocked back and forth between the 'what ifs' of the past and those of the present. Was there a way for me to save them now? I could teleport there but wouldn't know how to disable the bombs and even if I did the aliens might already be too hostile to negotiate with now.

I squeezed Derek's hands between mine and shut my eyes as the bombs exploded and sent searing heat through the tunnels, warming up the rocks we were leaning against and burning the edges of my hair.

As the flames continued to fly past us, Derek pulled me against his chest and held me tight. He probably regretted this more than I did unlike Dark who had likely enjoyed it.

◑○★☆●◐

Dark couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he crouched behind the rock, alone, and counted down the seconds before the explosion. He couldn't wait to blow those monsters back into the hole they'd crawled out of.

58 57 56.

"Sir." Di's voice echoed in his ear.

"What is it Di?"

"...It's about your wife, sir."

"What about her?" Dark asked. She should still be on Manica with Polly.

Ace looked up from his hiding spot, Maddox and Jala by his side. The best friend frowned when he saw Dark's face pale and his eyes darken, his fists clenching before wrapping around the earpiece.

"What?!?"

His yell was immediately drowned out by the explosion and all four of them were forced to duck behind the security of their stones, covering their heads and gritting their teeth as the heat of the blast brushed past them.

Once the flames subsided and were replaced with a thick layer of black smoke, Dark leapt to his feet and threw the earpiece on the ground, crushing it under his boot before whirling around, unsure what he should do.

"Dark...What's wrong?" Ace hesitantly stood, brushing off his pants as he approached the enraged man. "What did Di say?"

Dark turned to him with tears in his eyes. "My wife she...she's dead."

"What? How?"

"I don't know. She..." He turned his gaze toward the explosion, a million expressions flying across his face. "I just talked to her yesterday on the phone. I don't know why she'd..." He finally broke down. "She was all I had!"

"Well, technically you still have your daughter," Jala offered, unaware of how sarcastic and cruel she sounded to his ears.

His face contorted into a scowl and he punched one of the steaming rocks, the skin on his knuckles blistering from the burns. Whirling toward the two mercenaries, who weren't quite grasping the situation, he pointed a burnt finger at them. "You think this is funny?" he yelled. "What do you know about my wife or me for that matter? She was so delicate and tried so hard to cover up her insecurities with a hard exterior. She was the only woman I ever learned to love and now she's gone forever!"

"To you, my wife was just a number. A toy to be played around with," he continued. "People like you are the ones who destroyed her. She was beaten and abused and molested and had no one to love her but me and—"

"Dark." Ace grabbed his arms, trying to pull him away from Maddox and Jala. "They didn't say anything against your wife. You're just trying to vent your anger—"

"Shut up, Ace!" Tears continuing streaming down his face as he punched his friend in the face and shoved him against one of the walls.

Ace grunted when he landed on his arm and heard a painful snap. Moaning, he gritted his teeth before looking back at Dark, who was kicking the walls and throwing as many rocks around as he could. His muscles were rippling and his eyes were beginning to burn red as they darted back and forth, mirroring the wild thoughts zipping inside his head.

"Ace," Jala whispered, pulling him to his feet and leading him away from Dark. "He's lost it. We need to leave."

"No," Ace protested, loosely holding up his broken arm. "There's only one ship down here. If we leave him now he'll be stranded."

"Better than letting him kill us," Jala answered, glancing one last time at the broken man as he stalked down the tunnels toward the remains of the alien control room. "I don't know if I can win in a fight with him."

Maddox nodded, already sheathing his sword and turning toward ship.

"But...he's my friend."

"If he'd thrown you any harder you might have cracked your skull," Jala whispered in his ear, growing tired of his protests. "He tried to kill you, Ace, and no longer deserves your pity. Now, we need to go!"

The blond continued to shake his head but allowed himself to be dragged back down the tunnel, his eyes trained on Dark's back as the villain entered the cave, his broad shoulders straight and head held high. This was the last time they'd see each other on the same side.

This was the final betrayal.

First the grandmother. Then John Philips. Then his wife. Then his friends and allies.

What Jala didn't know was that Di could send another ship to pick up her master after he was abandoned. He wouldn't be stranded here and when he came back, his fury would be stronger than ever.