Finding Darkness

Chapter 47 No one touches us!

Tomas picked himself off the floor and dropped into a fighting stance. If Malachi wanted to fight, he'd oblige him. With Joshua's help, they should be able to subdue him. These suits weren't that powerful.

"No one touches us, NO ONE!" The scream blasted against Tomas like a tornado ripping apart a trailer park. It was unstoppable.

He closed his suits external audio, but the sound continued to batter him like million tiny sledgehammers. He dropped to his knees, his suit's internal warning systems screaming. Then the sound was gone. Looking up Captain Prey watched Joshua hit his brother with a football tackle. The unexpected assault knocked Malachi off his feet, giving Tomas time to climb back to his.

The reprieve was short live though. Grabbing Joshua like he was nothing more than a sack of potatoes, Malachi contemptuously threw him the entire length of the room to land hard at the smoking end.

"Commander, I know you're still in there, and you're still an officer on this ship. I'm giving you a direct..."

"NO!" The voice off to his left had his head turning even as Malachi advanced towards him again.

"Would you shut up? You're only pissing him off." The girl had somehow made her way back into this. If she got in Malachi's way, he wasn't going to have a single regret at what might have happened.

"You touched us!" Malachi screamed. "You wanted to kill us!" He leaped on Tomas like a cat on its prey. "We know who you are, and you," he slammed the captain onto his back. "Will never touch us again." Standing over him, one leg on either side of his chest Malachi lifted the captain off the deck only to slam him back down again, and again, and again, until with a shriek of tearing metal Captain Prey was slammed through the metal, landing in a heap on the next deck down.

Joshua barreled into him before Malachi had a chance to stand up right. This attack Tamar saw was much more forceful. It took Malachi off his feet, sending him careening through the middle of the medical wing. Without a sound, Malachi rose to his feet and charged.

"MAL!" Tamar screamed. She could tell how much this was costing him. He was bleeding in over three places, his blood pressure was dropping by the second. Deep in her heart she knew he wouldn't stop. These two men had touched her, and her revulsion to their touch had bleed back through their bond to him. He was doing no more than what he'd always done since she'd met him. He was protecting her. Only this time, it was going to get him killed. Tamar would not let that happen.

Sprinting as hard as she could, Tamar heaved herself between the two men. She ignored the man in gray, keeping her full attention on her man in black.

"Get out of the way, I don't think he's in the mood to talk." Joshua called from behind her. Malachi advanced as if she wasn't even there, his eyes fixed on his opponent.

"Mal, please, you've got to stop this." She raised her hand, but he didn't even slow down, he just kept coming.

"I know you can hear me in there. You're doing this to protect me. I know you are, but I'm right here. I'm fine." He was right on top of her now, looming like a darker than night shadow. Until he came in contact with her hand.

Her right palm touched his chest, and he flinched, a flash of red sweeping out from the contact point.

"Tamar?" His voice was so weak she felt it in her heart more than heard it. He took a hesitant step towards her. "Where am... are you...okay?" His legs gave up their battle to hold him up, and he toppled forward.

Tamar dove towards him, just managing to get her body under his as he fell. The instant he was down, his suit receded off of him, leaving him with just a pair of boxers on. Blood gushed from the wound on his side, running over her until she was covered with it.

"Help him!" she screamed, doing her best to hold his upper body off the floor.

At first, no one moved. With what had just happened, everyone seemed to be in a state of shook.

"Please DO something!" Her voice was as much of a plea as she ever uttered. "He didn't know what he was doing." she swung her gaze to look at Joshua. "He thought you were attacking me!"

Tamar whirled, baring her fangs when she felt someone brush against her. The growl she was about to issue died in her throat when she saw the dark-haired doctor dropping to one knee beside them. He pulled off his medical jacket, stuffing it into the heaviest flow of blood.

"Get a bed over here!" He thundered. "He's lost a lot of blood. Make sure we have someone ready with AB+ when we get him to a new room."

The bed arrived with two burly looking men carrying it. Tamar knew she had to let go of him, but it was harder than she'd ever thought it would be. She'd just got back to her heart, so when the team from medical lifted him, it almost broke. Within seconds, she was left on the floor, covered in blood and once again, alone.

Leaping to her feet, she moved to follow the team out the door she'd seen them leave.

"You have a lot to answer for!" The man in silver appeared in the door instead.

"Get out of my way." Tamar was done playing games with these morons.

"You don't get to give me orders. This is my ship and I'm still its captain." He started towards her but stopped.

"I figured you were the idiot Malachi talked about. I've never been more thankful to not be under someone's command. Now I'll tell you again. Get out of MY WAY!" She was dripping blood, his blood. Tamar needed to get to him. She had to be near him, to make sure he was safe. He would have done nothing less for her.

So, when Captain Prey stepped forward to block her path, her hand shot forward of its own accord. Tamar had no idea what she was doing until the bone shattering impact of her open palm against the man's chest. The blow landed with such force that it lifted him completely off his feet, pushing a shock wave out in every direction, sending him hurtling backwards to not only smash into the far wall, but through it. He didn't stop until he was two compartments away, where he landed in an unconscious heap.

Tamar didn't ever pause to inspect in handiwork, she whirled around to face Joshua who brought both hands up, his elbows out, palms facing forward. Tamar didn't say a word. She just sprinted out of the room, turning in the same direction she'd watched them carry Mal.