Spears of Uu'kata

Chapter 66 A Girl in a Cage

The cell block hadn't drained like the rest of the upper office area had and the cold water was up to Charlotte's calves, soaking into her boots.

"Okay," Charlotte said calmly as the knife pressed into her throat. She raised her hands, letting the rifle drop to her side on its harness. "Be cool."

"Who the fuck are you?" The man demanded, shaking her roughly.

Bazruk stepped out of the stairwell. He was a hulking warrior with white hair, pale gray hide, and light blue, metallic eyes. Eyes that were narrowed in seething anger as he pulled a huge, nasty blade from his belt.

"O-oh, my God," the man holding Charlotte said. The arm holding onto her trembled. "Oh, my God! What the fuck is that," he demanded, panic raising his voice several octaves.

"He is Uu'k'asht. And you gotta know, if you actually manage to hurt me, I guarantee he will tear your arms off," Charlotte said.

Someone whimpered from inside one of the cells.

"W-what the fuck do you want?" the man demanded.

Charlotte shrugged with her hands, not wanting to move her shoulders or neck. "You," she said easily.

"What?"

"We want you," she reiterated.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"We came here to take all the people. We're doing our best to ensure no one is hurt. But we're taking everyone out of here, and to their planet, then blowing this farm off the face of the moon. So, you can put that knife down and come with us willingly, or I can drown your ass and you'll just have to hope my CPR game is strong enough to resuscitate you afterward. You know, if I'm feeling generous, that is," Charlotte said, turning her head and carefully craning her neck enough to look into the man's eyes as she smiled.

He just stared at her, eyes flicking to Bazruk and back again.

"Don't look at him," she said softly. "He's not the one you need to worry about."

As she said it, she crafted a small shield from Lilly's distortion and slid it between her skin and the blade, forming it around her throat like armor. The officer didn't notice it, but Bazruk's eyes flicked to her throat and the corner of his mouth ticked up into a gruesome smile.

"I see you have this under control," he said in Uu'k'asht. "I'm going to check the cells."

She grinned and said, "Yeah, I got this."

"Hey! Where the fuck is he going?" the officer demanded as Bazruk put his blade away and moved further into the cellblock.

Charlotte grabbed the man's arm and pushed as she snapped her head back, connecting with his nose with a satisfying crack.

The officer dropped the knife and stumbled backward as she spun to face him, water sloshing around her. Bright blood dripped from his nose, down over his lips, and his eyes watered, but he didn't hesitate to swing at her.

Charlotte jerked her head back and his meaty fist missed her face by a breath. Snapping her hands up, she gripped his wrist and pulled while kicking him in the ribs, hard. The air whooshed from his lungs and she pivoted as her foot came back down so she could slam an elbow into his ear.

He snarled in pain but didn't go down.

His other fist swung and she jerked her head back just enough to avoid taking the hit on the cheek but he hit her in the mouth and she felt her teeth pierce the insides of her lips as the impact snapped her head to the left, painfully wrenching her neck.