Fighting Chance Read Online Free PDF Page A

want to speak to
whoever is in charge here.”
    Silence. She tried again, “Who’s in charge here, dammit?!”
Again, silence. Slapping herself on the forehead, she amended her question.
“Jarvis, who is in charge here?”
    “Commander Mikael R’Varsel,” the computer answered.
    What kind of name is that? she thought to herself.
“Jarvis, where is the Commander right now?”
    “Commander Mikael R’Varsel is walking in the hallway of the
living quarters. He will arrive at room 241-B in ten seconds,” he replied.
    It took only a second to realize that was her room number.
Desperately, she searched the room for anything she could use as a make-shift
weapon, but there was nothing to be found. With a soft swish noise, the
panel at the front of the room slid open to reveal a towering man. Mahoney
struck a fighting stance as the man stepped into her room and looked her over
from head to toe.
    “You!” Mahoney spat, her furious gaze recognizing the bearded
man from her memories. “You’re the son of a bitch that kidnapped us. What do
you want from us?”
     

Chapter Five
     
    He didn’t answer her right away. Instead he continued to eat
her up with his unusual eyes, running his gaze over her long, muscled legs and
up to her torso where her nipples puckered to form two peaks in the strange,
shimmery fabric of her shirt.
    “Hey! Eyes up here, buddy!” she snarled, drawing his gaze
back to her face.
    She didn’t drop her fighting stance even as he stepped into
the room and the door slid shut behind him. He continued to regard her
carefully, so she took the time to catalogue his appearance, as well, so that
she may be able to describe him fully to the authorities when she and Jessica
escaped. He was at least a foot taller than her, which was unusual in her
opponents, and his body was ripped with wide muscles that were barely contained
under his form-fitting gray jumpsuit that resembled Air Force flight suits. His
dark black hair was cut close to his head, but it continued over his face to
form a dark, scraggly beard several inches past his chin. She couldn’t tell his
age by looking at his face, but he appeared to be in his 30’s. Her gaze
continued to scan his body, looking for any sign of weakness she could exploit,
but found nothing but more bronzed muscle. The color was beyond anything she
had ever seen. It was a rich, dark caramel color, as if he had been born under
the sun, but seemed to shimmer under the lighting of the room. His eyes, as she
well remembered, were more arresting than anything else about this strange man.
They were ghostly pale with a light sea foam green hue. And they were staring
at her with no expression.
    “What is your name, woman?” he spoke with a thickly-laced
accent.
    Mahoney did not release her fighting stance as she narrowed
her canted eyes. “None of your business, asshole. I want to see Jessica. Take
me to her immediately.”
    His lip curled in amusement before he spoke again. “Command,
search the foreign international database using facial recognition software and
identify this female.”
    Jarvis, as she had come to think of the computerized voice,
responded, “Accessing database. Match found. Female is named Katsuko Mahoney.
Subject was born on a military base named Torii Station located in Okinawa,
Japan on the Earth calendar date of January 15 in the year 1984.”
    “Shut up, Jarvis! Not another word!” Mahoney shouted
desperately.
    The man’s face creased in a smug smile. “Command override.
Compile data on Kat-su-ko Ma-ho-ney and deliver to my quarters.”
    “Data file completed and delivered,” Jarvis answered.
    Mahoney could feel the steam of her fury rolling off her in
waves. “You son of a bitch! What do you want with me?”
    His big shoulders shrugged as he cautiously made his way
further into the room. She circled him, keeping her feet light, as she braced
for an attack. He watched her carefully, but made no move toward her. Instead,
he pulled out a chair at