Mindee Arnett - Avalon

He closed his eyes, still refusing to give up the fight even as a voice whispered over and over in his mind— This is it. The end, the end, the end. This is it .

BOOM!

The room shook so hard pictures fell from the walls and a decanter of liquor on a nearby table plummeted to the floor, shattering. The pressure on Jeth’s arms loosened as Dax and Sergei were knocked off balance.

“Something hit us,” said Hammer.

The ship rocked again with another fierce blast.

“We’re under attack,” Sergei said.

“That’s impossible,” said Hammer. Yet even before he finished speaking, they heard the unmistakable sound of distant gunfire.

Jeth pushed against the hands holding his head, and this time they gave way. He looked up at Hammer’s annoyed expression.

“I can’t get a straight answer from anyone,” Hammer said, touching the back of his head where the red implant sat nestled against his neck. He motioned to Sergei. “Go find out what’s happening. Take the others with you. Dax and I will finish here.”

Sergei let go of Jeth’s arm at once and trotted from the room, drawing the gun from his belt. Before Jeth had a chance to react, Dax grabbed him by his wrists and lifted his arms again, forcing him to bend forward.

“Hold him,” Hammer said, stepping near.

Jeth struggled, but it was no good. Whatever was happening outside wasn’t going to get here in time to save him.

Once the implant is inserted, it can never be removed .

Hammer finally found the hole in Jeth’s skull. The touch of the implant’s stem against the architecture sent a wave of pain cascading down his spine, the feeling intensified by his terror.

He closed his eyes and stopped struggling.

The end, the end, the end .

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.

This time the sound wasn’t from outside the ship, but close, the loud eruption of gunfire. The door slid open and more bullets ripped through the air. The hands holding Jeth released him, and he fell forward, his face smacking the ground. He rolled over at once, his mind and body focusing instinctively.

Two people charged into the room—Sierra and Lizzie, both armed. No time for relief, Jeth jumped at Hammer, who’d been shot in the arm. He grabbed the gun from Hammer’s holster, released the safety, and racked the slide in one smooth motion. Then he pressed the barrel to Hammer’s temple.

Hammer froze, a big man reduced to cowering. He raised his hands in surrender. Do it now! a voice screamed in Jeth’s mind. Finish this. Once and for all . It would be so easy, a slight increase in pressure and the bullet would eject from the barrel, tearing a death hole through the man’s brain.

“Don’t, Jeth,” Sierra said, panic in her voice.

Jeth glanced over his shoulder, keeping his hand steady even as a shudder went through him at the sight awaiting him. Dax had somehow managed to capture Lizzie and was now holding her in front of him like a shield, a gun pressed against her neck

Stalemate.

“Let go of Hammer,” Dax said. His face was pale but his eyes hard and steady. He looked like he was having trouble standing. Jeth glanced down and saw blood pooling on the floor at Dax’s feet. He must’ve taken a bullet in the leg.

Jeth froze, unable to move. Sierra had her gun aimed at Dax, but she had no angle to take him out. Not without hitting Lizzie too.

“I mean it, Jeth,” Dax said. “I will kill her.”

“Shoot him,” Lizzie said, her terrified gaze fixed on Jeth.

But he couldn’t risk it. Maybe if he already had his gun pointed the right direction. But if he wasn’t fast enough, if his aim was off . . . None of this will matter if Lizzie dies .

“Why do you want to save him even after all he’s done to you?” Jeth said.

Dax shook his head, the action oddly jerky, as if he’d developed some kind of nervous twitch.

“Don’t deny it. I know the story you told me is true. Think about your brother. If we kill Hammer, he’ll be free.”

“No,” Dax said. “Keeping Hammer safe is the only way to save him. The only way.” Even Dax’s voice had developed a kind of twitch.

Understanding clicked in Jeth’s mind. He glanced at the red implant in Hammer’s skull. It was the master implant, the one that controlled all the others. He reached for it, meaning to yank it out of Hammer’s head.

The motion brought him in too close. Hammer lunged forward, snatching the gun from Jeth’s hand and knocking him over.

Before Jeth could recover his feet, Hammer had the barrel pressed against his forehead.

“Get on your knees and put your hands on top of your head,” Hammer said.

Jeth did so, turning his gaze toward Lizzie, who was still trapped in Dax’s hold.

Hammer motioned to Sierra. “And you. Put the gun on the floor and get on your knees, too. We both know you’re not going to let anything happen to Jeth.”

Sierra hesitated, then did as Hammer ordered, kneeling down next to Jeth.

Hammer bent toward her, grabbed her ponytail, and twisted the blonde strands around his hand. He yanked her head back, forcing her gaze up to his. “If I wasn’t so concerned about keeping things smooth with Renford, I would kill you.” Then he let go of her hair and shoved her forward. He stepped on her back. “Stay down, why don’t you?” Hammer waved at Dax. “Bring Lizzie over here and put her in front of her brother. I want her to have a front row seat for this.”

Dax pushed Lizzie forward. He seemed to be using her as a crutch as he limped along.

“Don’t do this, Dax,” Jeth said. “Don’t be like him. Help us.”

Hammer chuckled. “Nice try, but Dax is Brethren. His loyalty belongs to me.”

“His loyalty is forced by that implant,” Jeth said. “Fight it, Dax. Do it for your brother. Help us.”

In response, Dax pushed Lizzie down to her knees in front of Jeth, his actions in perfect obedience to Hammer’s will.

“Now come around and hold Jeth still,” Hammer said, stepping away from Sierra.

Dax shuffled over, leaving blood splatters on the floor. If he would just pass out, Jeth thought. They could easily overtake Hammer.

Outside in the hall, the noise of shouting and gunfire was growing louder, and every few minutes the ship shook as if struck by missile fire.

Dax holstered his gun and grabbed Jeth by the wrists again, pushing him forward. His grip wasn’t as strong as last time but powerful enough to do the job. For the third time, Jeth felt the stem of the implant prod the hole of the architecture. The pressure against his skull grew stronger as Hammer began to force the thing in.

Then, without warning, Dax’s grip on his wrists let go. Jeth fell forward as a wet, sucking noise sounded behind him. Jeth clambered to his feet and spun around to see that Dax had yanked the red implant out of Hammer’s skull.

Hammer blinked dazedly, as if he couldn’t understand what had happened. Jeth punched him in the face, throwing the full force of his body into it. The big man stumbled backward, blood bursting from his nose.

Dax caught Hammer before he could fall and held him there long enough to grab the clear-colored implant still hanging loose in Hammer’s hand. Then Dax pushed Hammer down into a kneeling position.

Jeth stood there, transfixed by the scene unfolding before him as if in slow motion. Dax raised the clear-colored implant to Hammer’s head, his body no longer shaking. Then he thrust it downward.

Hammer’s eyes went wide with shock. It lasted only a moment and then his gaze turned hollow, his expression slackening into the dulled features of catatonia.

Dax let go, shoving Hammer forward onto his face where he continued to lay, stupid and unmoving.