She shrank against the far side. As one of his hands emerged through the opening, trying to gain purchase on the door panel, she remembered the shears in her hand. With a scream of her own, she reached out and slashed at him, nearly taking off one of his fingers.
He pulled his hand back, roaring, enraged. “You fucking bitch! You’re going to pay for that!” He stuck the barrel of the energy rifle into the opening and fired, but the shot harmlessly hit the outer door.
Afraid the outer door would open and one of her men would be hit, she grabbed the barrel and yanked it into the chamber, knocking Eckhart off balance. She wouldn’t let go and pointed it toward the ceiling. He tried to pull it back, and she jammed it backward, again startling him. Apparently she hit him in the face when she did, because she felt and heard bone crunch, followed by a pained yell.
She yanked the energy rifle toward her again. This time she got it all the way into the chamber. That’s when the outer door opened a little as Aaron pried on it. She jumped to help, wrapping her fingers around the edge to pull, when Eckhart yelled again.
“I’m gonna kill you!”
Enraged, Emi grabbed the energy rifle, turned, and fired through the small gap in the inner doorway. She aimed low, but apparently he’d ducked. She heard the sickening thud of him hitting the deck. When she checked the setting, she realized he’d had it on the highest setting.
Lethal.
Aaron and Caph pried the door open wide enough to pull Emi out. She sobbed and fell into their arms as Ford took the rifle from her. “I shot him!” she cried. “I think he’s dead, but don’t take any chances!”
Ford handed her off to Aaron, and with Caph’s help, he overrode the lights and decon chamber controls.
Eckhart lay on the hydro lab floor. With half his face missing, there was no question as to his condition. Aaron cupped Emi’s chin in his hands. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head. “He didn’t hurt me.”
He pulled her tightly against him, crushing her against his chest. She felt his heart racing, his jumbled emotions finally settling as she wrapped her arms around him and held on.
“Get him out of there,” Aaron hoarsely said. “We have a couple of body cases in cargo.”
“We can’t eject him while in a jump,” Ford softly reminded him.
“I know. Seal him up in it, then lock it in the small life pod. We’ll dump him with the authorities on Mars.”
Emi closed her eyes and didn’t look as Ford and Caph carried the man’s body away.
Aaron scooped her into his arms and carried her to their cabin and into the head. There, he stripped her, and they engaged in a short real water shower. He soaped her body, never letting go of her, kissing her.
“Jesus, I thought he’d got you,” he hoarsely said.
Ford and Caph soon joined them. Together they stood, the men tightly wrapping their arms around her and each other, as the hot water sluiced down the drain.
Chapter Seventeen
Ford and Caph took care of cleaning up the worst of the mess in the hydro lab. They couldn’t repair all the damage, especially the cosmetic issues, but they did their best. The next time Emi went down there, Ford and Caph went with her.
It would take a while for her to regain her sense of security and serenity when working there, but she’d damn sure try. As it was, she couldn’t leave their crew quarters area, between the bridge, their cabin, the rec area, and galley, without one of the men with her. Nerves on edge, despite repeated scans to reassure herself they were alone on the ship, she couldn’t bring herself to do it at first.
She spent several private conversations on the com with Donna, as a fellow doctor, not just as a friend, trying to talk out her fear.
After two weeks, Emi forced herself to return to the hydro lab alone.
As she stood inside the inner doorway and stared at the few visible scars of Eckhart’s attack, her nerves twisted and churned, but she forced herself to remain still and calm.
After a few minutes, she walked into the lab and overrode the decontamination chamber, forcing both doors to remain open. Her peace of mind was worth more to her than losing a few plants.
She picked up a pair of small pruning shears and set to work. An hour later, she jumped when the com whistled.
“Emi? Are you okay, babe?” Ford’s voice sounded tinged with worry.
“I’m okay.” She realized what time it was, and while she wouldn’t say she felt happy, she was glad she’d lost track of time. “What’s up?”
“Need any company?”
She suspected Ford had been tracking her throughout the ship. It was his turn on watch, but Caph would be coming up for duty soon. Aaron was catching up on his sleep in their cabin.
“I’m okay. But if you want to come help me cart some of these veggies up to the galley when you finish watch, I won’t refuse the help.”
He sounded relieved. “I’ll be there as soon as the big guy shows up.”
She smiled and turned to look at her progress. Weeds weren’t an issue, thankfully, and she’d pruned back the plants needing it while picking everything that had ripened.
Ford arrived a few minutes later.
“Did you wake Caph early?” she chastised.
He grinned. “Won’t hurt him.” He glanced at the walls and ceilings where they hadn’t been able to erase all evidence of Eckhart’s attack. “We’ll get the retrofit crew to take care of this as soon as we get back to Mars, babe. You’ll never know anything happened.”
She let him pull her into his arms. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me about Aaron’s nightmares?”
She felt his body tense. “Oh.”
“Uh, yeah. Oh. You are in sooo much trouble, buddy.”
“He didn’t want me to worry you. Captain’s orders.”
“I’m going to put up an official crew medical decree that he can’t use that excuse anymore.”
“Did he tell you everything?”
“Yeah,” she quietly said. “Everything.”
They stood there for a moment in each other’s arms. “Are you mad at me?” he asked.
“Irritated.”
“Oh.”
“You ever withhold information like that from me again and I’ll set your chip so you can’t have any sex for a month.”
He laughed, squeezing her harder. “That would deny you too, babe.”
She evilly grinned. “I didn’t say I would stop you from being able to go down on me and the other guys, just you couldn’t get your rocks off.”
His grin slowly faded. “Um, you’re kidding, right?”
She turned away and picked up one of the baskets of veggies. “Maybe not.”
He grabbed the other two baskets. “I mean, you are kidding, aren’t you?”
“Who says?” She headed for the door.
“Babe, seriously, ha ha.”
“Fair warning, Ford.”
She fought hard to stifle her laughter at his softly muttered, “Oh, fuck,” as he followed her.
Ford helped her throw together a large pot of soup that would be ready in a few hours. They left it to simmer on the galley stove and joined Aaron in their cabin.
Aaron awoke as they climbed into bed with him. “What time is it?”
“Not time for you to get up yet,” she said.
“Oh, good.” He cuddled an arm around her and reached for Ford. “I didn’t want to get up yet.”
“She threatened me, Cap,” Ford snarked.
Aaron arched an eyebrow at her. “What’d you do to make her threaten you?”
“I told him the truth, that the next time he withholds important information about other members of this crew, I’ll set his chip so he can’t have an orgasm.”
Aaron snorted. “Well, Ford, she is the medical officer—”