.

in a gunfight.

      «And that is Cipher.» Hunter showed at his wounded comrade. «We need a way out of this place. And you have a ship.»

      «It’s not my ship. It obeys the Captain. The only way it will obey me, is if this collar is off my neck and the captain is dead.» Serena shook her head.

      She glanced at the blood, trickling down Cipher’s side, and slowly opened her belt bag. The man, called Pher tensed up, but when Serena took out a pack of first-aid wound patch, he grabbed it out of her hand and headed to his friend, leaving Hunter and Serena alone.

      Hunter met Serena’s gaze again and sighed:

      «Look, all we need is a way off this planet. The sooner, the better.» he flicked her collar. «You need this off. We can help each other, so how about we make a deal?»

      «I told you, the only way the ship will obey my commands is if the captain is dead. And that is a hard feat to do.» Serena shook her head once more.

      «How so?»

      «He installed a special protocol. The ship has cameras inside and outside. So if he is murdered there – I am stuck. The ship will shut down, sending a signal of a murder that occurred. If he’s killed anywhere else, his personal implant will send a signal back to the ship with the recording of how he was killed. The only way to kill him is by accident and not involving me.» Serena looked away, realising she had spent more than enough time thinking about all this.

      Hunter chewed his lower lip in thought, then glanced at his friends.

      «Alright… so… what if he breaks his neck falling off a staircase?» he asked.

      «That would be a plausible way to make his system make me the captain in charge.» Serena swallowed a lump. «But…»

      She didn’t finish her sentence, as her earpiece shot an electric charge into her ear, making her twitch from pain.

      «Report!» the captain’s voice sounded in a bark, obviously drunken from whatever moonshine he already drank on the ship.

      Serena clasped her palm on Hunter’s mouth, in an unconscious way stopping him from making a sound.

      «I haven’t found anything yet, captain.» the woman said, wincing from the pain that he delivered when switching her earpiece remotely.

      He loved tormenting her, and this faulty radio was one of those ways.

      «We won’t leave, until we find what we came for!» the captain growled. «Keep searching!»

      «It would be easier if I knew what exactly you’re looking for.» Serena felt sweat beads forming on her forehead.

      She wasn’t supposed to talk to him this way – he could punish her for such attitude. She heard the Ol’ Fart sigh in irritation and grumble:

      «I got a hint there’s some precious metals here. Look for anything worth our time, and stop asking questions!»

      «All I found so far is a bit of copper wiring and a silver plate. Any details you can spare?»

      «Gold, you dim witted whore! I’m looking for gold!»

      «Gold?» Serena met Hunter’s gaze and noticed him frown. «Got it.»

      «Report when you find anything!» the captain signed off.

      Serena felt the pain subsiding, as the earpiece shut down again. She felt her fingers starting to tremble, when she realised she prevented Hunter from speaking all this time, and slowly lowered her hand, understanding that this could mean the man becoming angry at her.

      But, on the contrary, he seemed calm and unaffected by her gesture.

      «He’s searching for gold?» he asked quietly.

      Serena nodded, nervous that she was surrounded by three armed men, but it was not as strong of a fear for her safety and life, than the fact that her captain was drunk, irritable and agitated, searching for something that could as well be elsewhere.

      Hunter stepped closer, making the woman press against the wall even harder.

      «And how would he know there’s gold here?» his voice grew lower, sounding like a growl.

      «He said, he got a hint. I would assume it was from one of his informants.» Serena felt Hunter’s breath on her neck.

      The man stepped back, falling into thought. He looked at his friends – the wounded one looking a bit better, being patched up by the first aid pack Serena gave them.

      «Stay here.» the man growled and walked up to his friends.

      Serena looked at her hands, realising they trembled even harder. She knew that if she were to help these deserters, she would need to calm down, before returning to the ship. The Captain was dangerous when he was drunk, and if he was searching for something as valuable as gold, he would be furious if he will notice her nervousness.

      She took a few moments to breathe in and out, calming her nerves, but felt that any outcome, really, would be not in her favour. The three men could shoot her and that was probably the easiest way to go. What the captain could do was something else entirely.

      The woman heard steps approaching, and looked up just as Pher pressed her to the wall again, his palm grasping her ass in an obvious sign of his lustful thoughts towards her.

      «You’ll help us, girl. And I’ll reward you with the best few nights of your life, pretty thing.» Pher grumbled into her ear.

      Serena dared not to move or push him away, too familiar to such advances and knowing what could happen if she were to fight it. She felt his hand caressing her body and closed her eyes, forcing down any remnants of dignity she had left.

      It was too long since she could allow herself to object to something like this.

      She felt Pher rubbing his body against hers, but a second later he was jerked back and Serena heard him crashing onto the floor. She opened her eyes, seeing broad shoulders in front of her – Hunter closed her with his body from his friend.

      «Touch her again, Pher, and I will break your arm!» Hunter growled.

      «For fuck’s sake!» Pher’s voice sounded irritated and coarse. «I was only having a bit of fun!»

      «Stop it, both of you!» the third man finally spoke up, his voice deep, but pained. «She’s our ticket out of here, not your entertainment, Pher!»

      Mumbling and cursing, the blond man got up, stepping away. Serena thought if the wounded man was their high in command or not – he definitely looked the part. But, then again, so did Hunter.

      «Are you okay?» Hunter turned to Serena, and she noticed his soft, comforting gaze.

      «I’m fine!» she slapped his hand away in a sudden irritation to his concern. «Nothing I’m not used to.»

      The woman noticed a deep frown on Hunter’s face. But before he could say anything else, the wounded man – Cipher – stumbled up.

      «So…» he said, leaning with his arm on the wall to keep himself up. «Your captain is looking for gold?»

      Serena nodded:

      «At least, that’s what he said.»

      «Let’s take a short walk, shall we?» Cipher gestured to the dark arch of a doorway at the end of the room.

      Serena dared not to object, heading that way and feeling the men following her behind. She stepped through the arch, seeing the staircase, leading down – deeper into the building. Stepping down the steps, she was thinking if she would be of any help to these men and if it will guarantee her safety after.

      The stairs took them to a small corridor, which was dim and slippery from all the stagnant water that accumulated there over the years. Serena walked on, stepping cautiously and noting the slippery green algae, which grew all over.

      The corridor