Supremacy's Outlaw: A Space Opera Thriller Series (Insurgency Saga Book 3) by T.E. Bakutis (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📗

“Did you put torture nanos inside my friend?”

Bharat’s discussion with Jan inside the Greasy Bowsprit, almost a day ago, came rushing back. “You’re Pollen.” Bharat realized then he might be about to have a very bad day. “To be clear, it was Senator Tarack who forced him—”

The woman charged him like an enraged bronto, teeth bared as her clawed hands rose. Rather than trying to escape, Bharat dashed right at her and was pleased to see her slow visibly. A woman this big and intimidating would not be used to the people she wanted to pummel running toward her.

Pollen tried to tackle him. Bharat ducked under a clutching motion from her massive hand and slammed a fist into her stomach. The blow should have doubled her over, but it simply seemed to piss her off. She turned with surprising agility and almost clotheslined him with a swing of her massive arm.

Bharat smashed into Pollen’s side before she could fully turn. He was again surprised when she kept her feet and crushed him in a clenched hug. Bharat smashed his palms into her sides, aiming for kidneys or armpits, but her body armor blunted his strikes. It was only when he felt pain in his spine that he realized how badly he’d misjudged this giant woman’s strength.

As spots danced before his eyes, Bharat knew he couldn’t hold back. He pushed out and kicked up, using his Advanced strength both to loosen her grip and support himself in it. He planted both boots firmly in her abdomen and pushed.

Even the strength in Pollen’s impressive natural-born arms was no match for the genetically enhanced muscles in Bharat’s Advanced legs. He broke Pollen’s grip and, even as he toppled backward, caught himself on flat palms. He flipped backward and landed on his feet, hands raised in a fight stance.

“Not fair,” Pollen said, glaring from a few paces away. “He did not tell me you were flipping acrobat.” She stalked forward.

Her English was a little odd, which was unusual but fine. “Wait,” Bharat said, keeping his palms up as he backed in a shallow circle. “I told you, I didn’t inject Jan with anything. I need to find him before those torture nanos kick in again.”

“How do I believe you?”

“I can disable the nanos inside him permanently.”

“Seems you’re the reason he’s got nanos at all.”

“Listen to me. I’m working with Fatima. She’s the—”

Pollen charged with an animalistic snort. This time, Bharat ducked her arm and struck her side before dashing off. She howled with anger as she once again missed her grab.

“Just stop!” Bharat shouted. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

“You won’t!” she shouted back, and charged once more.

That was when the autocar hit her.

12: Dead Weight

Emiko Okazaki had not been certain where Jan’s latest scheme to retrieve Tarack’s data disc would go, but she had been certain she’d enjoy it. She always enjoyed working jobs with Jan, and having him back in her life was an unexpected pleasure. At least, once she’d ensured Elena Ryke wasn’t going to chop off his balls and dump him in the swamp.

Yet Emiko knew now how foolish she had been to think this job would be easy. When she’d agreed to help Jan, it had been under the condition that she not find herself walking a lizard-infested tunnel, dragging Jan’s unconscious body, with her face and hair gunked up with lizard spit. At least — she would have made that a condition of helping him retrieve Tarack’s data disc, had she known at the time that this might happen.

“Twenty minutes until the nanos kick in,” Kinsley said from Jan’s other side. Her voice sounded strained. “My map shows an old maintenance bay ahead. It may have what we’re looking for.”

Emiko simply grunted in response, putting one foot in front of the other. Why did Jan have to be such a nutsack about a little torture? It wasn’t like he was giving birth.

“Continuing as we are is not tenable if we want to succeed,” Kinsley said, as they both struggled on. “I doubt even your lip gloss will keep Jan unconscious once those nanos kick in.”

“Yeah?” Emiko breathed.

“The nanos stimulate his brain as well as his nerve endings. Once that begins, he will wake and become impossible to carry. Too much thrashing around.”

“Just have to get him to the Hole,” Emiko managed. “He wakes up, I’ll dose him again.”

“Inadvisable,” Kinsley said, and stopped. “Your gloss is toxic in large doses. Fortunately, we have me.”

Emiko stopped as well, unable to carry Jan forward without Kinsley’s aid. “So what’s your bright idea?”

She knew that was snippy, but it was hard not to be snippy after Kinsley still refused to say anything about her little secret from five years ago. If Fatima hadn’t betrayed Jan five years ago, why was Kinsley being so cagey about it? And if Fatima had betrayed him, was Kinsley looking for some way to justify it? Not having an explanation was maddening.

“Help me put him down,” Kinsley said.

Despite her guilt at what he might soon endure, Emiko was perfectly happy to set down Jan’s heavy body. She and Kinsley settled Jan beside the rail. He looked peaceful now, but he would be furious with her when he finally woke up.

Still, at least he wouldn’t be cutting his own throat.

“Find some way to restrain him,” Kinsley said, “to minimize the damage he does to himself, and us, once his torture begins. I’ll forage for what we need.”

“And what’s that?” Emiko knelt beside Jan and stroked his forehead, brushing a sheen of sweat off his dark and glistening skin. “What we need is an autohauler.”

“A litter will have to