Fighting Chance (3 page)

Mahoney rolled over onto her side and snuggled into the warm
softness of the bed. Absently, the thought floated through her mind that she
didn’t remember the hotel bed being this comfortable, but she dismissed it in
favor of returning to the delicious dream she was having about Gerard Butler
from the movie
300
.

Unfortunately, her bladder had other ideas. With a sigh of
regret, Mahoney stretched her arms and legs, relishing the feeling of energy
and total relaxation coursing through her body. She couldn’t remember the last
time she had awoken without myriad aches and pains flaring to life in her body
from her previous day’s work as a stuntwoman or after a vigorous match against
an opponent in the ring.

When her body could no longer deny the urgent need for
relief, she finally opened her eyes and tossed back the covers of her bed. Her
brows crinkled in confusion as her gaze roamed across the unfamiliar room.
Jumping to her feet, she was instantly alert as her body prepared for flight or
fight. She appeared to be alone in this strange place, but she proceeded with
caution until her suspicions were confirmed.

Besides the bed, the room was spartan in its unnatural
cleanliness. There was no discernable scent to the air and the floors were
solid navy and cushioned under her bare feet. Glancing down, she saw that she
was dressed in a simple, loose tunic of stretchy black material, but her
undergarments were missing. The only other items in her room, besides the bed,
were a small table and two chairs made out of some type of material that
appeared to be a cross between wood and plastic. A panel on the wall flashed
with different colored lights and strange symbols she had never seen before.

Ignoring her aching bladder, she cautiously padded over to
investigate the panel. Reaching out her hand, her fingers hovered over the
complex electrical system, but she was too nervous to touch it. Promising
herself she would return for further study, she prowled over to test the door
at the front of the room. It had no door frame and appeared to be no more than
a sliding wall, but all her efforts to make it budge did nothing but make her
wish for a bathroom even more fervently.

“Where the hell is the bathroom?” she murmured out loud, her
eyes scanning the strange room carefully.

An uncharacteristic squeak escaped her mouth as a portion of
the wall on the left side of the room slid open with a soft
swish
. When
nothing rushed out to attack her, she crept toward the opening and peered
inside. With a sigh of relief, she saw a metallic bowl attached to the wall
vaguely in the shape of a toilet, as well as, an enclosed closet that resembled
a shower stall. Choosing to ignore the unusual design, she gratefully made use
of the facilities.

When she finished, she looked around curiously for the
toilet paper and began to get worried when she didn’t spot anything to wipe
herself with. “Where the hell is the toilet paper?” she asked aloud, beginning
to get angry.

Another squeal of surprise split the air as a clicking noise
sounded from the bowl and a concentrated beam of warmth bathed her skin that
was exposed to the toilet. Startled, she jumped up from the seat to inspect
herself. To her utter surprise, her entire bottom was dry and free of any
moisture.

“What the fuck?” she cursed, her skin pebbling with goose
bumps as she stood frozen in place.

A disembodied male voice answered, “Command not found.
Please rephrase your command.”

Mahoney jumped and stifled a scream behind her hand, her
eyes rolling wildly around the room looking for the owner of the voice.

When nothing happened after several moments of tense
silence, she decided to break it herself. “Hello? Is there anyone here?”

“Hello. Current occupation is one human female,” the voice
answered her again.

Her hands began to tremble, but her common sense told her
that the voice was coming from some type of computer system piped in through a
speaker. She decided to try to get more information. “Where am I?” she asked
hesitantly.

The answer came immediately. “You are located inside the
living quarters in room 241-B.”

Now that her panic was beginning to subside, her temper
began to take its place. “That’s not very helpful information, smart ass. What
is this place? Who are you? Why am I here? Who brought me here?”

“Access denied. Computerized vocalization module model
number 874G9. Access denied. Access denied,” came the swift reply.

Mahoney simmered at the non-answers to her questions.
Looking around the room more carefully, she spoke aloud, “Where is the mirror?”

She jumped back as another panel on the bathroom wall slid
open to reveal a screen. Stepping closer to it, she peered inside and gasped
when her image was reflected back to her in high definition. She studied her
face carefully, and realized that her hair was clean and shiny and fell down
her back in a sleek curtain of inky blackness.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered, fascinated horror in her tone.
“How did my hair grow? Where is the scar that was on my cheek? And where the
hell are my freckles?!” she shouted, her voice gaining volume with each new
discovery.

“Hair growth was accelerated during corrective treatment.
Scar tissue has been repaired during corrective treatment. Sun damage and skin
blemishes were repaired during corrective treatment,” the computer replied.

Angrily, Mahoney jerked up the shirt to check her body. Sure
enough, every scar, every bit of puckered flesh, every healed burn mark, and
even the dark mole to the left of her belly button was gone. Pulling up the
sleeve of her shirt, she cursed to see that even her tattoos had been erased. In
a daze, she wandered out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, barely
noticing when the wall panel slid closed behind her.

“Computer, what is corrective treatment?” she demanded,
absently hopping from one foot to another, much like she did before a work out.

“Corrective treatment is a medical procedure that restores
the body to pristine condition,” the monotone male voice replied.

Mahoney continued to stretch and prepare her body for a
fight. She felt light, flexible, and in top form. If only she had some clothes,
then she would be ready to escape. She had no idea where she was or what had
happened, but she knew without a doubt that she hadn’t come here willingly. Her
mind was full of snarls and twisted memories, but she knew there was something
important she was forgetting.

The only way she would remember was to empty her mind.
Mindful of her near nudity, she dragged the bedcovering off the bed and folded
it until it was small enough to provide padding for her bottom and placed it on
the floor. She lowered her body until she was sitting on the blanket and
arranged her legs in the lotus position. Bringing her body to perfect
stillness, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, filling her lungs to
capacity, and then slowly exhaled. She repeated this exercise over and over as
she emptied her mind of all thoughts. It took longer than normal, thanks to her
current circumstances, but eventually, she reached that place where nothing
existed but breathing in and then exhaling.

Like pieces of a puzzle being snapped together, memories
began to flare to life in her mind.
She was on a motorcycle making the jump
for the movie stunt. She was standing in front of Bruce waiting to be let into
the trailer. She was agreeing to teach Jessica self-defense lessons…Jessica.
Her mind stuttered over the picture of her friend in her mind. She let the
feeling pass and continued to allow her memories to resurface.
A commotion
was occurring outside the trailer. She was snapping off the end of a broom
handle. The door was opening and a strange man peered inside. She was planting
her boot in his face. Three huge men were facing her as she brandished her
staff. She was stabbing a man in the shoulder with the handle. She was facing
one man alone. She was striking his hand to disarm him. He was speaking, “I
will be taking you, too.” Too.

With a gasp of pain, she launched to her feet. “Jessica!
They were there for Jessica,” she murmured aloud, her blood pumping with the
need for action. “Computer, where is my friend, Jessica MacGregor?”

“The human female named Jessica MacGregor is located inside
the living quarters in room 268-B,” it answered her readily.

“Is she okay? Has she been hurt?” Mahoney demanded,
clenching her fists in anger.

“Jessica MacGregor is unharmed and in pristine health. She
continues to sleep at this time,” came the answer.

She stalked over to the door panel at the front of the room.
“Computer, open this door and direct me to where Jessica’s room is located.”

“Access denied. Access denied.”

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit!” she snarled, twirling around to
deliver a roundhouse kick to the door. The only purpose it served was to leave
her foot throbbing.

The panel to the bathroom opened again and Mahoney stared at
it in confusion. “Why did you open the bathroom door?” she wondered aloud.

“User requested access for defecation,” the dry male voice
responded.

Mahoney rolled her eyes as she realized that computer took
her cursing literally. “Very funny, Jarvis. I didn’t realize that computers had
a sense of humor.”

“Being named Jarvis unknown. Computerized vocalization
module model number 874G9 is not equipped with humor or emotion upgrades,” it
replied.

Mahoney rubbed her temple where a headache was starting to
bloom behind her eyes. “You can say that again,” she mumbled wearily.

““Being named Jarvis unknown. Computerized vocalization
module-“

“Shut up! Not another word from you unless I address you
first. If I say the name Jarvis, then that means you can speak, but otherwise,
I don’t want to hear it!” she snapped.

Blessed silence descended on the room. Mahoney began to pace
the length of the room while her mind raced to figure out an escape plan. She
replayed the memories in her head over and over again, but the only thing that
kept coming back to her mind was the bearded man with the hauntingly pale green
eyes.

Looking up to the ceiling, she called, “I want to speak to
whoever is in charge here.”

Silence. She tried again, “Who’s in charge here, dammit?!”
Again, silence. Slapping herself on the forehead, she amended her question.
“Jarvis, who is in charge here?”

“Commander Mikael R’Varsel,” the computer answered.

What kind of name is that?
she thought to herself.
“Jarvis, where is the Commander right now?”

“Commander Mikael R’Varsel is walking in the hallway of the
living quarters. He will arrive at room 241-B in ten seconds,” he replied.

It took only a second to realize that was her room number.
Desperately, she searched the room for anything she could use as a make-shift
weapon, but there was nothing to be found. With a soft
swish
noise, the
panel at the front of the room slid open to reveal a towering man. Mahoney
struck a fighting stance as the man stepped into her room and looked her over
from head to toe.

“You!” Mahoney spat, her furious gaze recognizing the bearded
man from her memories. “You’re the son of a bitch that kidnapped us. What do
you want from us?”

He didn’t answer her right away. Instead he continued to eat
her up with his unusual eyes, running his gaze over her long, muscled legs and
up to her torso where her nipples puckered to form two peaks in the strange,
shimmery fabric of her shirt.

“Hey! Eyes up here, buddy!” she snarled, drawing his gaze
back to her face.

She didn’t drop her fighting stance even as he stepped into
the room and the door slid shut behind him. He continued to regard her
carefully, so she took the time to catalogue his appearance, as well, so that
she may be able to describe him fully to the authorities when she and Jessica
escaped. He was at least a foot taller than her, which was unusual in her
opponents, and his body was ripped with wide muscles that were barely contained
under his form-fitting gray jumpsuit that resembled Air Force flight suits. His
dark black hair was cut close to his head, but it continued over his face to
form a dark, scraggly beard several inches past his chin. She couldn’t tell his
age by looking at his face, but he appeared to be in his 30’s. Her gaze
continued to scan his body, looking for any sign of weakness she could exploit,
but found nothing but more bronzed muscle. The color was beyond anything she
had ever seen. It was a rich, dark caramel color, as if he had been born under
the sun, but seemed to shimmer under the lighting of the room. His eyes, as she
well remembered, were more arresting than anything else about this strange man.
They were ghostly pale with a light sea foam green hue. And they were staring
at her with no expression.

“What is your name, woman?” he spoke with a thickly-laced
accent.

Mahoney did not release her fighting stance as she narrowed
her canted eyes. “None of your business, asshole. I want to see Jessica. Take
me to her immediately.”

His lip curled in amusement before he spoke again. “Command,
search the foreign international database using facial recognition software and
identify this female.”

Jarvis, as she had come to think of the computerized voice,
responded, “Accessing database. Match found. Female is named Katsuko Mahoney.
Subject was born on a military base named Torii Station located in Okinawa,
Japan on the Earth calendar date of January 15 in the year 1984.”

“Shut up, Jarvis! Not another word!” Mahoney shouted
desperately.

The man’s face creased in a smug smile. “Command override.
Compile data on Kat-su-ko Ma-ho-ney and deliver to my quarters.”

“Data file completed and delivered,” Jarvis answered.

Mahoney could feel the steam of her fury rolling off her in
waves. “You son of a bitch! What do you want with me?”

His big shoulders shrugged as he cautiously made his way
further into the room. She circled him, keeping her feet light, as she braced
for an attack. He watched her carefully, but made no move toward her. Instead,
he pulled out a chair at the table and sat, still regarding her thoughtfully.

“I have not decided yet, Katsuko Mahoney,” he answered
truthfully. “My mission was to retrieve the female Jessica MacGregor only. You
were…intriguing to me. I have claimed you as part of my payment for
successfully completing my mission.”

Mahoney dropped her hands in shock. A hysterical shout of
laughter erupted from her mouth and she exclaimed, “
Claim me?
You can’t
stake your claim on another person without their consent. I’m a human being,
not a stray dog!”

He shrugged again, and replied flippantly, “It does not
matter what you believe. I have claimed you and you are mine until I decide
otherwise.”

Mahoney’s jaw dropped. Of all the arrogant, misogynistic…
Time to change tack. “Where are we? What do you want with Jessica?” she demanded.

He stood and turned his back to her and began pressing
buttons on the electric panel on the wall. “Come, Katsuko Mahoney. You must be
hungry. We will eat while I explain your situation.”

Before she could protest that she wasn’t hungry, her stomach
betrayed her with a loud gurgle. “How do I know you won’t poison me?”

He shot her an aggrieved look and pointed at the opposite
chair. “Sit. I have no desire to harm you. We will eat and we will talk. That
is all.”

She watched him warily as he continued to press buttons.
When his body stayed loose and unthreatening, she inched her way toward the
chair and gingerly lowered herself to the seat. Moments later, a panel slid
open on the wall next to the electrical board revealing a tray laden with
heavenly-smelling food. Carefully lifting the heavy tray, he placed it on the
table between them. While she watched him closely, he sat a plastic-looking cup
in front of each of them and poured a clear liquid from a pitcher until they
were both mostly full. Her mouth flooded with saliva at the smells coming from
the dishes of steaming food, but she refused to begin eating until he did.

Finally, he sat opposite her and calmly picked up his cup to
drink deeply. When he didn’t appear to be fazed by the drink, she lifted her own
cup to her nose. She couldn’t detect any aroma other than a mild fruity scent,
so she tentatively took a sip. The flavor was much like the fruit-infused water
she made for herself at home, so she drank until her thirst was quenched.
Feeling his eyes on her, she glanced at him to see a satisfied expression on
his face.

Nodding his head, he indicated the plates of unusual food,
but she refused to go first. With a heavy sigh, he reached over to a plate that
held a stack of flat breads and ripped one in half. Using the bread as a
utensil, he scooped up a large bite from the plate. It reminded her of some of
the food she had tried in an Indian restaurant with chunks of meat and some
type of vegetable covered in a light brown gravy. When he continued to eat with
no ill effects, she hesitantly reached for the other half of the flat bread and
followed his example.

Scooping up a chunk of meat, she brought the bread to her
mouth and bit off a delicate bite. The flavors burst across her tongue and she
couldn’t hold back a groan of pleasure. It tasted like a mix between venison
and lamb, without the tough strings of tendons, and the gravy was rich and
seasoned. The vegetables still held a slight crunch, giving the dish texture,
and complimented the other ingredients perfectly.

Deciding to ignore her dinner companion for the time being,
Mahoney made short work of the meal. She would need to keep up her strength if
she was going to get them out of here. The Commander remained silent, seemingly
content to watch her eat her fill as he sated his own hunger. When she showed
signs of being full, he refilled her glass and then settled back in his chair
with his arms crossed.

“How did you learn to fight, Katsuko Mahoney?” he asked,
breaking their tense silence.

She glared at him and took another drink before replying,
“Check your precious files if you want to know about me. And don’t call me
Katsuko. Only my mother calls me that.”

His dark eyebrow arched. “You are called Mahoney by others,
then?” At her firm nod, he continued, “I like your first name better. I will
study the data at my leisure, but I would prefer to hear the answers from you,
Katsuko.”

Pushing her chair back from the table, Mahoney stalked back
across the room to face him. “And I would prefer not to be held here against my
will. I demand you release us immediately.”

His laugh was deep and booming, causing equal parts anger
and unwelcome desire to course through her veins. “You are in no position to
demand anything, little warrior. Even if I did not wish to receive full payment
for my mission, I could not release you and the other female. We are far away
from any settlement and you would still be trapped on my ship.”

She looked around the room in confusion. “What do you mean
‘ship’? This doesn’t look like any boat I’ve ever seen, and I don’t feel the
rocking of the ocean.”

He smiled lazily at her, much like the cat who had gotten
into the cream. “I never said we were at sea, Katsuko. You are aboard a space
vessel bound for our home world of T’Kala.”

She blinked at him, waiting for more laughter, but none
came. “You’re full of shit. If you don’t want to tell me the truth, then that’s
fine. I’ll still get out of here and I’m taking my friend with me.”

Like a coiled spring, he shot to his feet and stalked over
to her. His face was a thundercloud of anger, and Mahoney immediately adopted a
fighting stance. He stopped just out of reach and snarled, “Do not ever name me
a liar again. I have killed men for less insult than that.”

Her heart raced with trepidation and fear at the absolute
sincerity in his face. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she whispered, “Prove
that we are in space. I will not believe you until you do.”

He tipped his head in agreement, and never taking his eyes
off hers, he announced, “Command, open window panels.”

Above her bed, a large, rectangular window appeared. The
picture was inky black with streaks of light whizzing past at a blinding speed.
Dropping her hands, she slowly approached the bed and stared at the dizzying
tableau. Her voice barely a whisper, she said, “This could be nothing more than
special effects or an HD video.”

His voice came from right behind her. “You do not believe
that, Katsuko. You are an intelligent member of your species. Place the facts
together and see the truth.”

Her body began to tremble and she sucked in deep breaths of
the sterile air. She startled when his big, warm hands settled on her shoulders
lightly and ran up and down her arms in a calming touch. She made no move to
stop his caress other than a token protest. “Don’t touch me without my
permission.”

He ignored her words and pulled her back against the solid
wall of his chest and buried his nose in her hair. “You forget, little warrior.
You belong to me now.”

Taking advantage of her shock, he spun her to face him. She
stared at him, wide-eyed with panic, and watched as he slowly lowered his head
to hers. She could have stopped him, but the part of her that wasn’t frozen in
fear was heating up with his nearness. His lips met hers in a gentle,
exploratory kiss, his mouth clinging to hers. She sucked in a sharp breath and
he took advantage of the opportunity by sliding his tongue along her bottom lip
before dipping inside her mouth for a quick taste. Mahoney felt her resistance
begin to melt as she returned his kiss with more urgency.

He answered by wrapping his arms around her and burying his
hand in her hair, holding her captive as his mouth devoured hers. Her hands
slid up over his chest as she sank into his body, eager to forget the
uncharacteristic panic of a few moments before. In that moment, it didn’t
matter that he had kidnapped her and taken her off her world. All that mattered
was the feel of him under her fingers, his mouth against hers, and the hardness
of his body against the soft swell of her breasts. She could feel the evidence
of his desire pressed against her abdomen where his shaft was swelled and hot
and deliciously large. She couldn’t keep her hips from bucking against him as
her blood raced with need. It had been so long…

When he moved to lower her to the bed, sanity returned in a
rush of adrenaline. Fast as lightning, she pulled away from him and dropped
like a sack of flour. Grabbing behind his knee, she yanked toward herself,
upsetting his balance, and pushed his chest with a burst of power. His arms wind-milled
as he tried to restore his equilibrium, but it was too late. He fell to the
padded floor with a loud thump and lay there sprawled in all his masculine
glory.

Taking the opportunity for greater height, she hopped up on
the bed and prepared to leap over him and make for the bathroom. Before she
could move, however, he grumbled, “A simple refusal would have sufficed.”

“I thought you said I belonged to you. Property doesn’t have
a choice,” she sneered, daring him to make a move.

He rolled his eyes in exasperation as he slowly pulled
himself to his feet, careful to keep her in his sights at all times. “It is
true that you are mine, but I do not bed unwilling females. It is dishonorable
on my world, not to mention that it is not as fun if you are having to worry
about protecting your manhood from kicking feet,” he added, his face creasing
with a wry grin. “I will wait until you are willing to join me in my bed.”

 “Yeah, don’t hold your breath, buddy. I don’t make a habit
of sleeping with alien kidnappers,” she shot back.

He laughed as he walked back toward the door. “We will see
about that, little warrior. I must leave you now, for a time, but I will return
to take you to your friend when she awakes. It is my wish for you to be
comfortable here. Speak your request to Command and it will see to your needs.
Perhaps you will wish for more clothing. I would hate to kill my crew should
they get a glimpse of your lovely round bottom or sweet woman’s center.”

His smile was wicked and his eyes full of promise as he left
her standing speechless on the bed. When the door closed behind him, she raised
both middle fingers in an American salute. “Damn, arrogant, sexy bastard,” she
muttered, collapsing back on the bed to stare out the window at the stars.