The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (e reader txt) 📕

Jackal quieted down. He looked to the floor.

“How are you going to explain this to HR?”

“Haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“You realize how bad this is? The Alliance is going to come down on our heads and all hope for a future will be gone.”

“It’s going to be fine. You can save him.”

“I…” She searched for the words. “I don’t think I can.”

“What do you need?”

“The amount of medicine I have for fleebeeron is limited and I used most of it for Fauriei.” She pursed her lips. “I need Trazocaine Olmezole, Abatanate, Neurobinol, and Asparamane. If I have those he may survive.”

Fenris held its hand out.

“Fen, I don’t have time. I need---”

“He wants a sample.” Jackal said. “To smell.”

“Oh! Right, here.” She waved her hand and hurried over to one of the counters. “I hope residue will help.”

Fenris nearly shoved the containers and bags up its nose to smell each one. When it finished it gave a nod and stepped out of the room.

“Can he really find it all?”

“Honestly, I think he can.” Jackal shrugged. “While he does that, I’m gonna check on Reaper he’s...pretty broken up about this.” He turned around. “Hey, do me a favor...Don’t yell at him, too. It was my decision to send him out there.”

Reynolds gave a faint smile, then turned around to join the team.

Jackal left, hurrying to find Reaper. He checked his office first. Empty. The only other place he thought of was the bridge. Sure enough, Reaper was there, standing next to Irzazee at the navigation console.

“What about that signal?” Reaper pointed at the screen.

Irzazee tapped on it. “Just a mining facility, sir. Looks like they trade directly with Solstice.”

“Expand the search. It’ll be an older signal.”

“Captain.” Jackal approached.

Reaper looked over to him, a frown stuck to his face. “How is he?”

“Turns out, doc doesn’t have meds for this.” Jackal shook his head. “But! Fenris is on it.”

“What?”

“Fenris is going to get what she needs.”

“Really? How does he know? He’s really willing to do that?”

Jackal smiled. “I don’t fuckin’ know. I’m a little shocked about him wanting to help Ianisse, too. Guy has been nothing, but an asshole to him since they met.”

Jackal waved the idea off. “Anyway, what are you doing?”

“At first I was hoping to try to figure out where Spec is headed to next. Then I thought about what she said…”

“That she’ll kill us if we interfere?”

“You know she’s bluffing.”

“I don’t know, man. She shot her fuckin’ dog. Y’know, the same dog she’s had since she was a kid.”

“He’s a machine. I’m sure he has been through worse.”

“I’m seriously interested in where the fuck the gun was.”

“Yeah, I didn’t see any weapons on her at all.” Reaper took a breath. “At the club, she mentioned some stuff about valkyries. Luckily, she talks too much when she’s drunk.”

“What’d she say?”

“I think she may have attacked a base nearby. The issue is, most of Apex’s bases are unnamed. A place making anti-alpha soldiers would definitely be unmarked. I think if she’s attacked, then there would be an---”

“Sir,” Irzazee cut him off. “There’s an SOS coming from the edge of the Rosette Nebula.”

“Can you tell what it is?”

“Looks like it’s an asteroid.” He typed, pulling up more information. “Apex...Avant-Garde.”

Reaper pointed. “That’s it! That’s what she said!”

“Avant-Garde?” Jackal raised a brow.

TWENTY-SEVEN

Luckily, Fenris made good time. It had gone and returned within an hour. It brought back exactly what was requested, along with several more. In fact, Fenris had gathered so much, it had to turn its cloak into a satchel to carry everything. Reynolds had a nurse take everything and store it while she handed off the needed medicine to another nurse. Ianisse had been placed into a pod at the back of the medical bay.

His environment needed to be controlled to help him regrow from the wounds. Open air bandages and braces helped stabilize form and stop the flow of blood. Pure oxygen was pumped into the pod. Orange lights mere feet from the glass to bathe his near lifeless body in sunlight.

Two nurses got to work, adding the medicine to I.V. bags, into the oxygen pump, and preparing it for a spray.

Concerned how it was able to procure so many supplies, she questioned Fenris. The answer made her run off to Reaper at the bridge.

“Captain!” She fell against the door frame. “Captain!”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Reaper hurried up to her.

“We should leave the station.” She panted.

“We were just about to now that Fen is back. Why in such a hurry?”

“Because he doesn’t know what money is.”

“I thought that was an oddly large amount.” Jackal laughed.

“Lieutenant Willis!” Reaper called, turning around.

“Already on it, sir! Lock is disengaged. We’re off!”

“Great. Now we’re thieves.” Reaper sighed, rubbing his face.

“Look on the bright side,” Reynolds waved. “We could treat an army now.”

“How did he know what to get?” Reaper asked.

“His olfactories are extremely sensitive.” Reynolds straightened her hair out. “I believe he tracked down the medicine by scent about four miles, in a city of a billion people.” She paused to think. “He even got other supplies that must have smelled similar. They share some ingredients.”

“That’s...amazing.” Jackal blinked. “We can’t even make machines that good.”

Her eyes scanned the room. She could see on the map projected in the middle of the room, they were headed for a place marked Avant-Garde.

“Hey...We’re going to Avant-Garde?” She pointed.

“Reaper thinks Spectre may have been there.” Jackal answered.

Fenris stepped into the room, watching Reynolds.

Their bodies lifted from the floor as the ship pulled from the station.

“Avant-Garde?” It questioned. “Why?”

“They have an active distress signal.” Reaper pulled himself down into his seat.

“Fen, you good?” Jackal asked, floating closer to it.

“Damage?” It asked.

“We’re not sure.” Reaper put his chin in his hand.

It looked at the map.

“I can’t believe we’re actually headed there.” Reynolds said. “Please let me come!”

“We could use a doctor.” Reaper smiled.

Jackal suddenly perked up. “Oh no.”

“What?”

“I never cleaned up from last night!”

Reaper snorted, covering his mouth.

Jackal rushed out of the room, pushing off