Black Hole Heartbeat

Isoline - 47

Forr and Lavell were hanging from thick branches, suspended by their

ankles, swaying like dead fruit. Too fast, too foolish. Brack was on his knees,

hands tied together behind his head. A Human pressed the butt of his gun to

Brack's forehead, stabbing it at him repeatedly.

"I don't suppose I could get you to stop that, could I?" Brack said.

The Human jabbed the gun against him once more.

"I'll take that as a no?"

The hard wooden handle of the rifle crashed down into the side of Brack's

face.

"Shut up, Brack," Lavell said.

The Human looked up at her with a snarl that became a manic smile.

"You will never breach our city!" he screamed at her, "An army of thousands

guard its walls!"

"Lesson well and truly learned. Set us free and we won't bother you

anymore."

Another smash to the cheek was Brack's only reward for his wit.

Isoline was hidden behind shrubbery, biding her time. Thorns poked at her

back, unable to breach her stiff scales. While the rest of them had rushed

forward, she had evaded capture.

The Human took pleasure in their arrest. He strolled, snaking his steps around

them with his rifle held in a loose, cocky grip. Isoline waited until he was in

front of Brack. She pounced. The fright alone was enough to make him drop

his weapon. A spinning kick sent it careening away. Isoline forced her pistol

past his teeth, chipping them. Sweat rolled down his red skin. Isoline stared at

him.

"You're going to untie these people. Then we're going to get on our shuttle,

and leave. If you signal for your army to come and save you, my boyfriend's

going to be wearing your face," she said.

"I do quite like my own face, though," Brack said.

"Shut up."

She shoved the pistol further down his throat. Like a steering wheel, she used

it to direct him to Brack's knots, then to Forr and Lavell's. They landed with a

crash. Isoline drove the Human down to his knees. She kept her gun in his

mouth but swapped her hands on the grip, thrusting her free hand out to

Brack.

"Call the shuttle for me."

He keyed the buttons and she moved it back to her lips.

"Roka, you can come and get us now. Can you see our location on your

tracker?"

"Yep. You guys got what we came for?"

"Their city is heavily fortified. We need a new plan," Isoline said.

"I read you. Elizabeth's team came back early too."

He handed her arm back to Brack for him to disconnect the com link.

Isoline kept her pistol pushed down the Human's throat until Roka arrived.

"Stay here until you starve to death," she told him.