Free Xantoverse Shadowkill by T. F. Grant, C. F. Barnes Page B

volume as she dared. She arced her vision around the entire space. Where the hell had he got to… To her right she saw more explosive materials and another door.
    She just caught sight of Tai’s booted feet being dragged away through the opening.
    Shaking the dizziness from her head, Kina set off in chase, but came to a skidding halt. She spun round and looked up, having the sense that someone, or something moved behind her. Above her, she hadn’t noticed before, there was a second level that led off into the gloom. Standing up on the edge, wielding a katana, Lanat looked down at her with an expression of utter disdain.
    The Wraith held out her hand palm up and flicked her fingers closed twice in a ‘come and get me’ way. Kina aimed her pistol and fired of a single round, knowing she’d miss. Lanat already disappeared into the gloom before the bullet struck the edge of the deck.
    Kina had a choice: go after Lanat, or get Tai.
    The bastards had planned this… but then they must know that she’d never leave Tai behind. Before she ran to find him, she briefly considered going after Lanat, calling their bluff, but she wouldn’t put it past them to know her so well that they would have anticipated that.
    Freck, caught with indecision, she let loyalty win out over vengeance and dashed through the doorway, turning left and running down the corridor to try to save her friend and ally.
    She came to an open junction of the ship. A central round meeting area of sorts. A dozen passageways led off in all directions. With her hearing still affected by the explosion she couldn’t hear anything, no dragging or voices, nothing to give her any indication of where they’d taken Tai. Assuming he was even still alive.
    “Tai!” she screamed with frustration, not caring who or what heard her. Her voice echoed up the high ceiling and down the corridors. No reply. Not even a mocking laugh.
    “You think you’ve won?” she shouted, hoping to taunt them into action. “You think you know me? You will never know me, you hear? You can hide in the shadows all you like. I’ll find you… soon enough, I’ll find you!”
    Kina turned on the spot in the middle of the room holding the Piercer out in front of her. When her echo finally died she waited for what could have been a lifetime. Her muscles and tendons were taut with tension like a coiled snake ready to attack.
    She knew they’d be looking on from somewhere—why didn’t they just strike and be done with it? They knew too much not to be so rash. Hating herself for it, she returned to the room where she saw Lanat, knowing she’d never find Tai now if they didn’t want her to. She might as well play the game and get this over and done with and take the opportunity if it came.
    Tai would do the same—had done the same before.
    She had faith in his abilities…
    Kina climbed up the bent and twisted wall panels to get to the next level where Lanat had stood. Yet another corridor stretched off with a number of rooms branching off it. Only this time they had left her an obvious clue. The third door on the right spilled light from its frame, shining like a beacon on her night-vision goggles.
    Stepping foot over foot with the Piercer aimed in front of her, she approached slowly, scanning above and all around her. Ten or so meters at the end of the passageway she saw the shadow of sideways movement. She fired off a round the instant she noticed and dropped down into a crouch.
    A shattering noise came soon after the bullet struck… what the… a mirror!
    Kina spun round, brought her gun up, but too late.
    A shock-stick hit her in the ribs, sending a disabling charge of electricity through her muscles, making her drop the gun and hit the deck. A continuous spasm paralyzed her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t will her hands to grab the stick and remove those charged forks from her muscles.
    A shape stood over. Smiling down at her was the grim aspect of Dzagnev.
    Kina tried to