The Leider's Audience Chamber, Wildebeest Digger Colony,

African Continent

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Jinx's words scratched at a throat still tender from the memory of the Leider's fingers. The mountainous man hadn't moved, staring down at her with corporeal curiosity.

"We're here to negotiate your peace treaty," she added.

"So why did they send you?"

"Is this because I'm a woman?"

The Leider didn't respond, but his foot pressed down again. Jinx groaned.

"I'm one of the best they have." He cocked his head as if considering her words. "You're fucking lucky you got me."

He reached down and grabbed her braid, hauling her up until she was on tip toes. He forced her head back and peered into her eyes.

"If you are, in fact, so exceptional then why are you not fighting back?"

White hot rage incinerated her fear. It roiled inside her, tensing every muscle in her body. He must have sensed a change in her; bemusement touched at his features.

His eyes caught a distant light, glittering. "More a kitten than a lion."

Jinx's mind dissociated itself, standing back and giving years of training and instinct full control of her body. She gripped the man's forearm, her legs lifting in one smooth motion. Both her booted feet slammed into his stomach. The hand holding her braid opened and she fell into a crouch, spinning into a roundhouse kick aimed for the man's stomach.

He caught her ankle and jerked. She crashed to the floor. Her chin rebounded from the smooth stone with a crack. Lights flashed and sparkled in her eyes. She shut them, taking a deep breath to push back the grabbing darkness. Jinx was dimly aware of pain, but with thought went sensation. Get up!

She twisted, her ankle shrieking at her, and pushed herself off the floor with her hands. The movement jarred her ankle free, allowing her to deliver a kick to his kidneys. He made to grab her ankle, but she jerked her foot back. Jinx lunged at him, her full weight behind the fist that drove into his stomach.

Ah. She was obviously attacking the wrong section of his anatomy. Her fist rebounded from what felt like a brick wall. Jinx hissed as she staggered back in her effort to get out of his reach. She wanted to howl at him, the fury burning inside her turning her blood to steam.

Jinx lunged again.

She brought her knee up, but the Leider stepped back and grabbed her raised leg with both hands, pulling her off her feet again. This time her head cracked against the floor. She gripped it, reeling with pain as she curled into a tight ball.

He used his toe to turn her onto her back.

"I must have overestimated Rooivalk's strength if you are the best they have," he said.

Jinx grabbed his ankle and tugged, but it was like trying to move a mountain. The man's laughter echoed in the empty chamber.

"It's a pity, but you'll have to be returned. You're absolutely useless to me."

He turned on his heel and began walking away.

Jinx straightened and stared at the Leider's retreating back. Send her back? She couldn't go back, not without finding Zachman and getting her answers. Not without Stander's obscure box.

She wanted to scream as she raced toward the man, but her jaw had locked. Jinx launched herself at the retreating figure. She grabbed his shoulders and clung to his back. Jinx bit down, aiming for his neck, but he twisted. Her teeth tore into a bulging trapezius.

Jinx expected him to cry out, but all she received was a surprised grunt. He shook his shoulders in an attempt to dislodge her. Her legs snaked around him, her ankles locking around his torso. She gripped her wrists over his chest, attaching to him like a barnacle. Blood poured into her mouth, drowning her, but she didn't release her bite. She took short, harsh drafts of air through her nose.

The Leider staggered backward and slammed her into the wall. Agony reverberated through her. A howl of pain drove the air from her lungs. The force of the cry dislodged her teeth from his flesh. Again and again the man rammed her against the plaster, crushing her. Her ankles and wrists slipped further apart with each impact until she slid to the floor, choking on his blood, gasping for air.

Her head down, she didn't see him draw his foot back. The kick to her stomach came without warning. She had no breath to cry out. Jinx collapsed. The Leider loomed over her. Surprise flickered in his eyes as he touched fingers to his injured shoulder. A wave of pride rushed through Jinx at the sight of her teeth marks in his muscle. As he watched, Jinx spat out a mouthful of his blood.

She dragged her hand across her mouth. "Everyone bleeds," she croaked.

"And everyone fights when they're backed into a corner," the man murmured. "Get up."

Jinx pushed herself up. She tried staggering away when he reached out for her, but it felt as if she'd been pulled behind a bakkie going a hundred klicks an hour. She ached everywhere and her limbs trembled with the effort of keeping her upright. His fingers encircled her throat again, this time with less pressure than before. He touched her chin and studied the blood that stained his fingertip. His thumb dragged down her lip, exposing her teeth. He peered at them as if she was an animal at market. She jerked her face away and he blinked. His eyes were brown, flecked with gold and green, a whirlpool of colour and texture. His pupils contracted as he gazed at her.

"You often bite people?" he asked.

Jinx struggled in his grip, grimacing at the question. "Only enemies."

His eyebrow twitched. "You consider me your enemy? We've only just met."

"Yeah, and you've already tried to kill me. Not exactly the kind of things friends do."

"I don't have friends." The man injected scorn into the word.

"I'm not surprised," Jinx muttered.

An unreadable expression flickered across his face. His gaze slid to her hair before returning to her eyes.

"I'll allow you to stay." He squeezed her throat. "But the day I find out you've been lying to me, that's the day you'll draw your last breath. I will take great pleasure in strangling the life out of you. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes," Jinx managed.

"Good."

The Leider's hand opened. Jinx took a hurried step back in case more violence was headed her way. His golden eyes watched her for a moment. He gave her a slow smile before turning and leaving the chamber. Jinx waited until the door had shut behind him before allowing her shaky legs to deposit her on the floor. She crawled to where Pearce's stricken body lay and grabbed him. At her touch, his eyes fluttered open.

When his gaze focused on her, he shot up, his head whipping around. "Where's he?"

"Gone," Jinx said.

She spat again, trying to rid herself of the metallic taste of blood.

"What did he do to you?" Pearce demanded his eyes fixed on her bloody face.

Her eyebrow cocked. "His blood. Not mine."

Pearce retrieved his gun from the shadows and slipped it into his holster.

"Your throat," he said, his fingers wiggling around his own throat as he grimaced.

"Ja, that was him. He thought I was a spy." She reached up and gingerly placed her fingertips against the tender welts on her neck. "Piece of shit," she muttered.

She turned to leave.

Pearce caught her arm. "We can't just let him—"

"Not here," Jinx hissed.

Pearce followed her from the room. The two guards outside didn't move as they exited. They were clattering down the rickety metal staircase before Jinx spoke again.

"Listen, Pearce. Just let it go," she said, her eyes fixed on their treacherous footing.

"I can't allow one of my men—"

"One of your men? I don't belong to you!" Jinx snapped.

"That's not what I meant."

"I said let it go. Just pretend nothing happened."

They reached the last step. Pearce again grabbed hold of her arm. She tore free, frowning at him.

"Jinx, this is not okay. No one—"

She wasn't aware she was moving until she had Pearce pressed against the wall with her forearm. The man's eyes narrowed as he struggled to draw breath.

"I don't need you to protect me," she hissed. "I don't need anyone to protect me. I said let it go, so let—it—go!"

The last words were expelled with as much force as she was applying to Pearce's neck. He didn't struggle, staring at her with a blank expression.

"Got it?" she prompted.

"You know you have blood all around your mouth. And in your teeth?" Pearce enquired politely.

Jinx ran her tongue over her teeth and peeled her lips back. "Better?"

"Sure," Pearce replied with utter tact.

She withdrew her arm, and he glared at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"Why do you have to take everything as an insult?"

"Because it usually is," Jinx replied.

They started toward their temporary bunk.

"You bit him?"

"He was ramming me into the wall. What would you have done?"

"Pissed myself," Pearce said.

Jinx suppressed a smile. "Ja, well, he's not exactly the smallest man I've ever fought," she said.

"Why does he think you're a spy?"

"Because I'm female."

"Barely." Pearce sidestepped the punch she threw at him.

They stepped into their quarters. Quinn's head lifted, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. He was still only wearing his briefs. His eyes passed over Jinx and hastily returned. He rose to his feet, eyes flickering between her and Pearce.

The cigarette muffled his words. "The fuck happened to you?"

Jinx strode up to him and took the cigarette from his unresisting mouth. She took a long, deep pull at it. The taste reminded her of Sol. Her eyes closed as she slowly exhaled, allowing the smoke to trickle out between her parted lips.

"The Leider tried to fuck her up. So she bit him," Pearce said.

"You tease." Quinn let out a bark of laughter and clapped her on the shoulder. "Playing with your supper again?"

"If you don't take your hand off me you'll lose it." She bared her teeth at him for emphasis.

Quinn leaned away from her. "She know she's got blood like all over her face?" Quinn murmured to Pearce as Jinx pushed past them, heading to her pallet.

"Yup," Pearce replied behind her.

Taking another pull at the cigarette, she savoured the taste and the memories it brought with it. Then she ground it out under her heel. Only when she'd slipped under the thin, scratchy blanket did she touch the welts around her neck. In the darkness, tears pricked at her eyes. Her lip slipped between her teeth and she clamped down on it, trying to keep the tears at bay. But, once the first tear managed to squeeze past her defenses, she relented.

She'd long ago taught herself to cry silently, so she allowed herself to weep until she was spent and could finally surrender to the numbing emptiness of sleep.

. . .