Coming from Nowhere

CHAPTER EIGHT

JD sat in the cockpit until it was black outside. She would have stayed to enjoy the darkness, but she left to check on Chris. She went to his room to see if he was resting, and when she found it empty, she went to see if he was in the kitchen. He wasn't there, either. She stepped back into the storage room that was piled with crates, placed her hands on her hips, and scanned the room as she tried to figure out where he was. Her gaze found the door to the old bunkroom; she shrugged and stepped toward it. The lights flickered on as she pushed the door open, and her eyes grew wide as she discovered what was in there. JD turned to warn the guys, but someone grabbed her hair.

As she grabbed their wrists, she kicked straight back and caught them in their stomach. Their grip loosened, which allowed her to flip them over her shoulder. JD turned to the rest of the group, ready to defend against other attackers. Two men started advancing, but were stopped by a voice from the shadows. The person emerged and JD should have been surprised but wasn't. The two men attempted to grab her arms, but she took one out with her elbow and the other with her forearm. She stared at Roger. She was so focused on him, she didn't see the other person step out from the darkness and took a fist in the side of her head, causing black dots to flash in front of her eyes. The person kicked her in the hip, and she toppled to the ground. Looking up at her attacker, JD was surprised to see Skinner looming over her. As she climbed to her feet, the other men had enough time to regain their composure and used the advantage to detain her.

JD didn't fight. She let herself be captured, waiting for someone to say or do something. Roger stepped forward and sneered.

"I hate leaving Mars, JD, especially to go on errands such as these. Now, I realize that this is not your fault. I know that you have no idea what is going on, but someone has to pay for this debacle." He stepped to the side and motioned toward the floor.

JD's eyes dropped to where he indicated and fell upon Chris; his eyes were wide and glazed, mouth gaping open, and a large red stain covered his chest. Her heart leaped into her throat and she struggled to loosen the men's grip, but they were able to counter her every escape attempt. Roger stepped forward and stopped her struggling by grabbing and squeezing her neck, his fingers in the pressure points right behind her ears.

"It is a long trip back to Mars, and I would like to spend it being civilized. I'd hate for everyone to end up like Chris."

JD met his gaze and took as deep a breath as possible. "I'll behave if you promise me one thing," she croaked the words out, so he loosened his grip. "Promise me no one else gets hurt."

Roger chuckled and dropped his hand. "I can't make any guarantees."

"If you harm anyone else on this ship, I will kill myself."

Roger clasped his hands behind his back, still smiling.

Skinner looked her up and down in contempt. "She's bluffing," he hissed in Roger's ear.

She directed her attention toward his bird-like face and spoke between gritted teeth. "You just murdered the one and only person I cared about. I have nothing left to lose." She lowered her voice. "Do you dare tempt me?"

Skinner cleared his throat and the smile faded from Roger's lips.

"Fine," he spoke firmly. "No one else on the ship will be harmed." He paused and turned to Skinner. "Bring down the others."

Skinner turned and motioned into the shadows where fifteen men armed with guns filtered out of the room and disappeared up the ladder. The men holding onto JD pushed her into the dining hall. They shoved her onto a bench, then backed away. Roger stood at the end of the table. The rest of the men were brought down a few minutes later, angry and confused until they saw Roger, then understanding crept onto their faces and the anger flared. The men sat at the table with JD, except Alex, who glared at Roger.