Hostage To The Stars: A Sectors SF Romance by Veronica Scott Read Free Book Online

by yourself to rescue me?”
    “I’m kind of an informal rescue party,” he said. “Are you hurt? I have a field medkit.”
    “The bastards hit me a few times, including today. “
    “I heard you scream this morning. I’m sorry I couldn’t intervene sooner.”
    “The guards always wanted me to earn my food and water,” she said, closing her eyes and shivering again. “Umarri gave strict orders not to rape me,” she said while he struggled to frame the right question. “But there are…other things the men did.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll be ok. I can march.”
    He caught her wrist gently, rotating it in the light. “At least let me clean and treat these lacerations. You fought hard.”
    She sat absolutely motionless and tears leaked from her eyes. “I’ve been so scared every moment for the past two months. Or is it three now?”
    “About fifty days, near as I can figure.” Unable to bear the pitiful sight of her weeping and shaking, Johnny gathered her close, moving with deliberation, in case his touch was going to upset her more. He was on uncharted territory here but he could well imagine she’d be wary of a large man such as himself, unknown to her. Sara held herself stiffly at first, but didn’t reject the comfort he awkwardly offered, putting her arms around him and leaning into his tentative embrace. As she wept, close to a complete breakdown, he rubbed her back and whispered in her ear. “You did what you needed to do to survive, Sara. You’re tough and brave.”
    “Not as tough and brave as you appear to think,” she said a few moments later, sitting with her spine straight and wiping her eyes on the tail of his shirt. “I’ll be all right now, I promise. No more waterworks. The whole situation hit me at once. I’ve had to keep the emotions bottled up to survive, you know? Not let them see how terrified I was.”
    “I know.” He released her and moved a foot or so away. “Let me take care of your ankles while you sit and eat. Then I’ll do the wrists. How are your feet?”
    “Sore. Blistered.” She stuck out one foot and grimaced at the condition of her shoe. “Not the best footgear for mountain climbing, not like your combat boots. But I’m not complaining.”
    “I can’t do much about the shoes. I tried to take the easiest path I could,” he said. “Your feet will feel better after I treat the blisters and apply a coating of shieldseal. Sit back, try to relax.” He eased her shoes off.
    Taking a deep breath, Sara made a visible effort to relax. He kept his movements slow and explained what he was going to do before he touched her. Anger at the way she’d been brutalized burned inside but he maintained his calm demeanor. Her breathing evened out as he finished her feet and moved to care for the raw marks left on her ankles by the chains. She would have permanent scarring but he didn’t think she needed to be told right now. “How did you know where to find me?” she asked. “Who sent you? You said the Sectors but even I know they’d never send just one man.”
    “I was an advisor to a squad sent in to rescue Tresha Immer. She told us about you… so I came to find you.”
    “She tried to help me, tried to make them keep me with her as long as she could, pretended we were colleagues, but once the pirates figured out I had no value as a hostage, Umarri put me into a cell. Didn’t the sector governor ransom her?”
    “Apparently his wife was bidding against him.” Johnny smiled.
    “There wasn’t anyone to pay ransom for me,” she said. “My parents probably don’t even know I was kidnapped. I didn’t leave them a fixed itinerary or a timetable of check-ins. The warlord said he’d sell me to the Shemdylann slavers, but apparently the ship’s late in arriving. Overdue, lucky for me.” She studied him for a moment. “The other soldiers you came with, they were going to leave me, weren’t they?”
    He glanced up from what he was doing, wrapping bandages