Free Vanished by John Shepard, Danielle Cloakey

she turned, following Radek.
    “You know what?” she asked Radek’s retreating back, realizing she didn’t want to be alone to face her demons just yet. “Would you be up for drinks?”
    He glanced over his shoulder at her, changing course. “Sure. Mess should still be open, not that it matters.” She hurried to keep u p with his long steps. The stairs down to the mess hall warned the room was dimly lit.
    Radek made his way down before her, and she heard him speaking in tense tones. She hurried down the last step and nearly crashed into Vendas.
    “Now it’s a party!” He gave her a joking smile, making his way to the bar.
    Papria stood, frozen in place. His glance turned worried, and she felt Radek close in on her, his arm touching hers.
    Vendas sat back, an easy elbow resting back on the bar. Despite the grin on his face, she felt his tension.
    Zoltan rose from the bar, his angry eyes shouting at her in the silence. “What? Am I not allowed to be in the same room as you, either? Worried I’ll rape you too?”
    The words left his mouth slurred, but she didn’t care. With a sharp scream, she launched herself at him. Rough hands clamped on her hips. She was guided to her feet and spun to face Radek.
    “ Look at me.” He held her, his hands moving from her shoulders to her cheeks. Dark blue eyes caught her attention, soothing the rage boiling within her. “Me! Look at me.”
    She obeyed, the fight draining from her body. His pupils dilated, the blue narrowing as he focused on her. His breaths deepened, and she realized hers were, as well. The calm whispering over her eased the tension binding her muscles, and she relaxed.
    “Really? You’re not going to threaten his life too?” Zoltan’s tone turned mocking and she broke from Radek’s grasp, rolling back out of his reach. She smashed into Zoltan, knocking him off the stool. They crashed to the floor, the blind struggle blurring the walls as they rolled over and over. His drunkenness and her rage evened the ground between them, though his weight still put her at a disadvantage.
    Coming out on top, she slammed his shoulders into the ground, her fingers around his throat. He lifted his head and she slammed it back.
    “How dare you mock me!”
    “You blamed me for something I didn’t do, you crazy bi-“ Her fist smashed into his face, ending the hateful words. He laughed, turning his head to spit blood on the floor.
    “You hit harder now. Your dad and I taught you well. Funny, he though t we’d end up together.”
    “I will never love you, I didn’t then, I don’t now.” Her rage broke free.
    His eyes snapped to hers and the world shifted. He pressed her into the ground, his livid face hovering close to hers. “You did love me.”
    She shook her head, but his lips pressed to hers. With a scream, she flipped him. Pain exploded through her fist as her knuckles connected with his jaw, his nose, his cheek. The pain flowed out of her in a rush, slowing only when exhaustion set in.
    Wiping the back of her fist across her stinging eyes, she stared at the blood on her hand in horror. Glancing back at the men, she saw Vendas and Radek studying her. Hunter green eyes met hers.
    “Feel better now?”
    She nodded, then shook her head. Radek ducked behind the bar, pulling forth a med-kit and removed a reconstruction tool. He tossed it to her, and she caught it, staring at it. She knelt beside Zoltan, pressing the tool to his battered face. Once he was healed, he sat up, backing away from her.
    “You’re drunk.” She glared at him, and he got to unsteady feet and stumbled out.
    With heavy steps, she crossed to the med-kit and replaced the tool. Both men gave her funny looks.
    “What?” she asked, glancing from one to the other.
    Vendas lifted his eyebrows toward her hands and her gaze darted to her knuckles. The deep purple bruises already dark marring her skin didn’t surprise her.
    “I earned them. Now I live with them.” She rubbed a thumb over the