Read Retribution for Free Online

the Alliance had fucked with their lives. The night before his life had turned upside down. Rave clenched his fists at his sides, waiting for an answer.
    “I want you,” Kain said.
    “Well, I wanted you, too. Two years ago. Hell, I would have been happy if I’d had you a year ago. Where were you when I needed you?”
    “Will you let me tell you this time?” Kain sounded resigned.
    Rave sat back down on the bed but couldn’t turn to face Kain .
    “I’ll listen, but I’m not guaranteeing I’ll forgive you.”
    “Fair enough. I’ll start at the beginning. The day the Alliance arrested you, I was taken to the planet’s headquarters. They detained me until you were secure and on the way to trial. Once you were under lock and key, Commander General Fritz approached me and told me I was to do whatever he said or he would kill you and Se. I didn’t believe him at first, but the panel fast-tracked your trial. They took me to watch, and Fritz made sure to point out the snipers. There were two. One trained on you and one on Se.
    “When I heard the verdict, I tried to go to you, but again, Fritz stopped me. He told me the whole thing was a farce and I had to play along. If I didn’t, they would have you killed in prison. I knew they’d do it, too. Things have changed for the worse within the Alliance. They shipped me off to an outer planet with little to no communications where I sat at a desk, my every move watched. I tried to get off planet once. Fritz showed up two days later with a vid . You. God, Rave , it was you, unconscious in the hospital ward of the prison. They said if I behaved, they’d protect you better until your time was up. I had to stay. I remained on that planet until a couple of months ago. Every so often, someone would come back with vid of you, to show me they could hurt you at any time. I was told that you hated me, that you’d been informed the whole thing was my fault. I couldn’t come back after that. You’d been through enough.”
    Kain paused for a moment, and Rave took in everything . Could this have happened? He wanted to believe. God, how he wanted to believe. It could be another trick.
    “Why now?” he whispered.
    “Fuck, Rave. I should have come to you sooner. I know that, you know that, but I had to wait and hope you’d forgive me when I could finally get to you. Once I knew we were in the same port, I jumped ship. My orders were to wait, but I was done waiting. Fritz told me about the Royalists’ plans by communiqué before we docked. I know Mel lives on New Moon. I had to tell you as soon as possible. They’d fucked with us enough. I couldn’t let your sister be collateral damage in a war neither of us wants a part of.”
    “Is that why we’re headed to New Moon?”
    “Yes, we’ll get her off planet then go to Seid II to collect your cargo.”
    “What are the plans? I’m supposed to have kidnapped you.”
    “That’s how the Alliance plans to take the laser. The kidnapping report went live the moment I left, but the information about who took me won’t go over the waves until the weapon is on this ship. They are supposed to confiscate it, dismantle it then clear your name.”
    “And you believe that bullshit?”
    How could someone as smart as Kain fall for the Alliance’s crap, again? It had to be a trap. Was Kain in on it? He hated that niggling doubt in his mind.
    “I have no choice. I have to have faith in something.”
    “Your faith is misguided. No fuckin ’ way we’re coming out of this alive. We need a plan.”
    “Did you say ‘we’?” Hope laced Kain’s voice.
    Rave managed a small grin as some of the ice around his heart started to melt. Kain’s hope was contagious. He still had his back to Kain .
    He turned to face the man who had meant so much to him.
    “I did say ‘we’. I’m still not sure I can trust you. I see the Alliance’s fingerprints all over this. They played us like puppets on a string. The Royalists are no better.”
    “Will