Guardian Outcast by G J Ogden

Author:G J Ogden [Ogden, G J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ogden Media Ltd
Published: 2020-04-12T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Hudson opened his eyes and then grimaced as a crippling pain flooded his body, forcing him to shut them again. It was as if a giant needle had been inserted through his temples. It was a full minute before he was able to again force open an eyelid, but the throbbing in his head remained. It was like the hangover from hell; worse even than the morning after a session on Ma’s whiskey.

He was cognizant enough to realize he was still in the cockpit of the patrol craft, still slumped up against the bulkhead. He tried to sit up, but his hands and feet wouldn’t move. Hudson looked down, and saw they were bound with the same thick, dark grey tape the RGF used to seal up boxes of seized relic claims. He knew the material was too tough to break with brute strength alone. Instead, he began searching around the cockpit for anything he might be able to use to rip or cut through it. It was only then that he realized Griff was no longer with him, and in his absence an eerie stillness filled the air. Even the familiar thrum of the deck plating, vibrating in mechanical harmony with the ship’s main reactor, was absent. With the pain clouding his ability to think clearly, it took Hudson a few seconds to realize why – the patrol craft was no longer moving.

A gut-wrenching swell of dread added to the cocktail of physical sensations that Hudson was struggling to process. There could have been any number of reasons why Griff had stopped the ship, but he feared the worst. Then he caught a glimpse of a second ship just visible through the cockpit glass. Panic gripped him, blanking out every other sensation, even the pain. Please no… please no… he repeated in his head as he heaved himself into the center of the deck to get a better view. As the shape of the vessel became more distinct, he was consumed with a feeling of grim hopelessness. His body fell limp and his weary head clattered against the cold metal beneath him. There was no doubt it was Ericka’s ship. Griff had caught her and there was every chance she was dead already.

Get up… Get up! Hudson urged himself, refusing to permit the darkness to consume him. There’s still a chance... Get up! He hauled himself upright again and then cried out, “Griff!” It was a near animalistic roar, filled with all the anger and pain and despair that had polluted his every thought. “Griff, where are you?!” There was no answer. Either Griff was ignoring him, or he was already on-board Ericka’s ship. He’d obviously managed to knock out its engines and latch on to the light freighter’s docking ring. However, other than this he had no idea what had occurred during the time he had been unconscious. Griff had threatened to kill her; and Hudson knew it wasn’t an idle threat.

His roars combined with the awareness of the mortal danger Ericka was in caused adrenalin to surge through his veins.

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