Page 81 of Seven Oars
She described the weapons rack’s contents, giving as much detail as she could muster, limited by her weapons knowledge.
Phex listened attentively.“It sounds like they are simple handguns. Some projectile, some laser. May not even be Rix in origin.”
Gro paced nearby.“Wouldn’t hurt to get ahold of them.”
Phex, as usual, was more reserved than the women. He just wasn’t a gung-ho plans kind of guy.
“There’s a reason those guns are under lock and key,” he said.“Notice that our combative overlords don’t have shootouts inside the station. Even they aren’t that stupid.”
“I get that,” Gro said, stopping her pacing and crossing her arms.“But we’re talking about fighting for our lives, not entertainment. Sure, there’s a risk of hitting a wall and making a hole, but we’re not stupid either. Shoot only as a last resort. Aim only at a body.”
“Are you a good shot?” Phex asked.
Gro let her arms drop.“Me? No. We’d only give the guns to those who can shoot,” she amended.
Phex turned to the room.“Hey, everybody! Who knows how to shoot a gun? Stunners don’t count.”
Blank stares were his answer.
“Bro, we’re from Meeus,” Fawn said.“You can’t get a real gun there. It’s against the law.”
The notion didn’t sit well with Phex.“How were you supposed to protect yourself?”
“On Meeus, we had a peacekeeping force,” Fawn said.“They come when you call.”
Phex sighed.“We’re far from Meeus. Who will defend you here?”
“You, bucko,” Gro said quietly.“You were supposed to defend us.”
In the ensuing silence, the covers heaved, and Sassa appeared.
“I do,” she announced.“I know how to shoot a gun.”
Phex’s jaw tensed when he saw Sassa.
“Have you ever shot a live target?” he asked stiffly.
“Yes,” she said, looking him square in the eye.“I shot a man. In the chest.”
“Good lord,” Anske muttered.
Sassa turned her dry, burning eyes to Anske.“He survived, unfortunately. He was—is—a high-level political appointee with a lot of influence. He abused me in the worst way a man can abuse a girl since I was little. He’s my father.”
Phex’s face revealed nothing, but all the women looked sick. Rosamma knew she did, because that’s how she felt.
“I knew I couldn’t take it any longer,” Sassa continued.“I waited until he was in a good mood and begged him for money, pretty please. For a necklace, I said. I bought an illegal gun with that money and hired a bearded, one-legged dwarf to teach me how to use it. He was a sorry trainer who ogled my boobs more than he improved my aim. In hindsight, I should’ve practiced on him first, but too late now.”
Anske gasped.“Sassa, surely you don’t mean that.”
“Oh, I mean it.” This was a different Sassa from the one who cowered and cried. This was a woman with nothing left to lose.“I was fully prepared to go to prison for murder. There are no men in women’s prisons, so I figured it couldn’t be that bad. But I messed up.” Her voice cracked, and with it, the hard facade.“I panicked and ran, hoping to disappear on Priss. The worst decision I ever made.”
She looked tearfully, beseechingly at Phex.“I’m afraid. He comes to me in my dreams and makes me do disgusting things with his body. It makes me want to die.”
It was impossible to say if Sassa still meant her father.
Phex exhaled in one long whoosh. The base of his neck, visible in the open neckline of his shirt, vibrated with the pulses of his hearts, a sign of strong emotion.
“I’m sorry,” he ground out.“I never meant to hurt you.”
