Free Hunting Kat by P.J. Schnyder Page A

her.
    “The only reason I’m playing along with this is because I can’t think of a better plan.” Of course, the plan she’d come up with bordered on the ridiculous. Success relied completely on several things furry. Rygard would take solid weaponry and standard tactics any other day.
    He put his hands on the steering grips and started through the maze of corridors, headed for the holding areas Boggle had located for them. It was in a different portion of the station, on lower levels where the poverty and squalor coated every surface. Rygard kept his weapons obvious and close at hand to discourage the silhouettes lingering in shadowed alcoves and doorways.
    Her plan turned out to be elegant and simple. As a soldier, he knew it had the best chance of success. And beyond saving his own ass, he needed to do this to make things right.
    They traveled together in silence. The sounds of his boots echoing in the corridors as he deliberately made his presence known. He knew they were close when Kaitlyn started pacing. A few more steps and even he could smell the stench, hear the strange cacophony of animal calls mingled with human misery.
    “What’s this?” The guard on duty looked rough around the edges, bleary-eyed and slurring. His uniform hung on his frame sloppily, stained and thrown on like an afterthought. One hand buried in the tangled hair of a slave at his feet, her eyes dull and her lips wet.
    Rygard could take the bastard if things went south. Hell, he wanted to bash the other man’s face in now. Reining in his temper, he gave a simple answer. “Last-minute entry for the auction.”
    The guard’s gaze narrowed in suspicion. “Thought all of the shipments were in.”
    Rygard tensed when the man kicked the slave girl to one side and reached for a comp tablet, typing with clumsy fingers. Glyphs and images flashed across the screen in a sluggish progression. Finally, the listing came up for the panther. Boggle had done his thing.
    “It’s late.” The guard checked the listing as received.
    Rygard shrugged, not relaxed but not ready to take out the guard and go to plan B either.
    “I’ll take it in.” The guard reached for the platform and Kaitlyn turned, letting loose a bloodcurdling scream. Her lips drew back to reveal an impressive set of teeth accented by a pair of fangs capable of ripping into a man and doing serious damage. Despite the containment field, the man backed away. Pale and wide-eyed, he waved Rygard in, calling out, “Felines are toward the left back corner. Park it and get back out here.”
    Walking through aisles of cages, Rygard did as he was told, trying to ignore the misery around him. Merchandise had been arranged on shelves all along the aisles, tagged and ready for auction. Some of it live and not all sounded animal. Some called out to him, wailing for mercy. Others huddled, cringing when his gaze swept over them. The room stank of desolation and despair.
    The ones who didn’t respond at all frightened him the most, sitting in their cages with the glazed eyes of the lost. Dead already, their bodies simply hadn’t caught up yet. He couldn’t save them all, not there and then. And even if he could, they’d have no place to go.
    Finally, he had a visual on the cubs, the ones he’d personally collected. Kaitlyn saw them too, her ears perked forward and her mouth dropped open as she panted. Rygard halted the platform near the cubs, in the shadow of a stack of cages, and set it to remain stationary. With luck, sensors wouldn’t register movement until Kaitlyn broke cover.
    Pausing, he stared into her sapphire eyes.
    “Thank you for helping me make things right.” No guarantee he’d have the chance to say it later. “If anything goes wrong, I will come after you, sweetness. I promise.”
    Those eyes didn’t blink, but he couldn’t read them either.
    He turned on his heel and headed back out.
     
    Kaitlyn considered his words when he left, using them as a lifeline as she struggled