Read Online Clan and Conviction (Clan Beginnings) by Tracy St. John - Free Book Online

was far gone. 
    He screeched, “What about how he’s hurt me?  How you’ve all hurt me?”
    Wynhod knew there was no talking sense to someone as lost as Hurs.  There would be no negotiation.  All that was left was the shooting and hopefully saving lives that would never be the same after this day. 
    He watched how the blaster wavered in Hurs’ hand.  The agitated Nobek’s elbow stayed close to his body, the perfect spot for Wynhod to aim for, disrupting the tarsal nerve and rendering useless the hand dependent on it.  If done right, he would not have to kill Hurs in front of his fathers.  Unfortunately, Wynhod’s angle was not quite right.  If he shot from here, the plasma bolt would travel through Hurs’ arm and into his gut, tearing apart vital organs.
    The easy answer was to take the kill shot now, which would keep innocent Clan Moli alive.  However, it would no doubt devastate the fathers to see their one child die, not to mention silence a potential witness to the Delir gang.
    Wynhod deliberated for no more than a second.  He had learned to trust his instincts, and his gut told him to try to keep Hurs alive.  He had to make the attempt, even though it put Imdiko Dran in danger of Hurs finally losing all control and firing the blaster into his skull.
    Wynhod signaled the rest of the squad to not follow but to be ready to move as soon as he fired.  The sign language he used was one everyone in territorial law enforcement was familiar with, and the nods from the team assured him they were prepared.
    The quiet voice Wynhod assumed belonged to Dramok Moli spoke once more.  “No one wants to hurt you, my son.  We only want to help.  Tell me what we can do.”
    Hurs focused on his father, allowing Wynhod to crawl very low to the ground across the gathering room floor.  He reached the circle of seating cushions and peered over them.  Hurs shook violently.  Any moment he would break, losing the last of his sanity to the agony of withdrawal.  Wynhod slid the barrel of his rifle over the cushion in front of him, letting the soft surface hold the firearm steady.   He aimed carefully, getting Hurs’ elbow in his sights.  Wynhod drew a calming breath and released it, waiting for Hurs’ blaster to waver just right again, giving his father a chance to survive should it go off.
    Meanwhile, Hurs reacted wildly to Dramok Moli’s last statement.  Despite the quiet, controlled tone the elder man used, the young Nobek shouted, “Stop screaming at me!”  His eyes shifted slightly to the right.  “And you – you stop looking at me like that!  I told you to keep your eyes closed!” 
    A rough but careful voice, no doubt that of the Nobek father, answered, “My eyes are closed, my son.  Look at me.  They are closed very tightly.”
    “Do you think I don’t know what you’re doing?  You think you’re so smart, that you can get to us before I blast his head off.  Well, you’re wrong—” 
    Hurs got no further with his threat.  His blaster hand shifted up, and Wynhod decided that the opportunity was as good as it was going to get.  The officer depressed the trigger of his plasma rifle.
    A bright red flare traveled from the end of Wynhod’s barrel in a stream to Hurs’ elbow.  The young man’s forearm flopped downward, the blaster falling from his nerveless fingers.  Wynhod had already released his own weapon, hurdling over the seating and racing through the doorway into the greeting room.  The instant before Wynhod plowed into him, Hurs looked down at his arm in befuddlement, the pain of Wynhod’s shot not even registering yet. 
    Wynhod took the young man down.  The other enforcers were right there less than a breath later, grabbing Hurs and cuffing him in a coordinated attack.  Not until he was completely helpless did the drug addict realize he’d been arrested. 
    Hurs screamed.  The sound was both savage and lost, giving Wynhod the chills.  He’d never heard its like. 
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