Delivered by the Defender (Kindred Tales)

She stuck her hand into the pocket of her jeans and fingered the silver kill-pill. Could she get it into her mouth and down her throat before anyone could stop her? Would it really only take five minutes to end her life? And what awful things could Big Horn do to her in the short amount of time before it took effect?

I bet it won’t feel short, once he gets his hands on you, whispered a panicked little voice in her head. Take it now, Selena! That way, hopefully by the time you get to the transport, you’ll drop dead.

But damn it, she didn’t want to die! She clenched her fist around the suicide pill. She wanted to live. She wanted to believe that there was some way out of here—that she would be saved at the last minute—that somehow Valen would show up after all.

Dream on, whispered the skeptical little voice in her head. That kind of last-minute rescue where the hero swoops in to get the heroine just in time only happens in movies and romance novels!

“Come on, you lot—transport’s down the hall,” the lead guard called. And then the line of prisoners were being herded out the metal door of the holding cell and down a long hallway, in the opposite direction of the court.

“You know,” Big Horn said to her, in a conversational tone of voice. “I don’t know if I’m going to fuck your mouth or your pussy first, little bimbap.” He leered at her. “But I can promise, you’re not gonna like either one.”

“Leave me alone,” Selena said tightly. Up ahead, she could see an archway leading to the outside. A hover-bus was parked there, its open door yawning like a mouth. It was painted industrial green with a cloud of black and red smoke roiling beneath its undercarriage.

To Selena, it looked like the gateway to hell.

“I’ll leave you alone until we get on board, bimbap, but then I’m gonna tear that sweet little pussy of yours up,” the big Ma’shorkan snarled. “Gonna stick my shaft into every hole you’ve got—multiple times. It’s a lonnng ride to Hammerdown—hope you’re ready for some fun.”

Selena didn’t bother answering this time. She had slipped the silver kill-pill out of her pocket and was clutching it in her fist, which was sweaty with fear. Heart pounding, she began to raise her hand casually to her mouth. She would slip the pill beneath her tongue and act like she was covering a cough, she told herself. Hopefully it would work like Veelah had said it would.

“I might even get tired of you,” Big Horn went on, still in that same, horrible, conversational tone, as though he was discussing the weather. “Pass you around to some of the other males. Your little pussy and mouth and ass are gonna be all worn out before we get to where we’re going, bimbap.”

The entrance to the hover bus transport loomed before them. Most of the male passengers had already boarded and Big Horn was next. Selena raised her hand to her mouth, intending to slip the silver pill beneath her tongue…

And it was then that she heard someone calling her name.

“Selena Bates! You got a Selena Bates here?”

It was one of the High Court workers—possibly a clerk. He wasn’t dressed in the white and black uniform the guards wore, but he had a black and white striped scarf hanging around his neck. It fluttered as he hurried down the hallway.

“Yes! Yes, I’m here!” Selena turned and stepped out of line, her heart pounding.

“Guess we do,” one of the guards, who was herding them aboard the transport said. “What do you want her for?”

“She’s needed…needed in court.” The clerk was out of breath. “Magistrate Harsher sent me down here to get her up there now!”

“Take her.” The guard shrugged. “Not that it’ll do any good—you know Harsher never changes his rulings. Once he hands down a sentence, somebody is going to prison.” He spit on the floor. “So I guess we’ll be seeing this little female on tomorrow’s transport.”

Selena’s heart sank. So much for a last-minute rescue! But at least she’d gotten a short reprieve.

“You hear that, bimbap?” Big Horn said from behind her. He was standing on the steps of the transport, facing her with a grin on his face. “You hear that? Doesn’t matter that you got away from me today—you’ll be coming to Hammerdown just the same, tomorrow.” He leaned forward, leering at her. “And I’ll be waiting.”

“All right—move it along,” the guard said, sounding bored, as though he hadn’t just heard the big prisoner threaten Selena. “And you, get her to court,” he said to the clerk. “Hurry up—we don’t want Harsher getting angry.”

“Right away!” The Ma’shorkan clerk nodded and grabbed Selena by the arm. “Come on—hurry.”

Selena shoved the kill-pill back in her pocket and followed him. She might still need to use it in the future, but for right now she was going to take her chances in court…no matter how slim those chances might be.