Alien Alliance Box Set

again?”
Yul stared in defiance.
“Thought so. That’s what happens when you hire amateurs to do a pro job. Damn fools, Sim and Lebbie too. Came down to deal with my annoying problem, and I find you.”
Yul shook his head. His father stood eyes glazed, and for the first time, hunched in fear.
A dazed light-headedness joined the throbbing pounding away at the back of Yul’s head. Looking at his father, he realized just how this would all go down and it drowned his heart in sadness. The Vrean family would sink into quicksand…and soon.
Rande stared, closed his eyes, as if to blink away the pain. “Sorry, Yul. I came out with Banzari to see what was up. Wish you hadn’t come along…”
“We all came at the wrong time, Dad.”
“Okay, very touching,” said the thug. “Family reunion. You going to sign over, Banzari?”
“Never.”
Ymir shrugged. “Your call. You all die. What do I care? Either way I get paid.”
Yul drew a deep breath. If he could edge his way over and smash this rogue with his mechanical fist... No, Ymir had them covered too well. Could they rush him at once? Yes, but two of them would get blasted to shit before the other could get his hands around Ymir’s throat. This rambling was going nowhere. Ymir was an incorrigible bastard.
“Yo, daddy-o,” Ymir motioned to Rande. “Bind your bum buddy to the chair. Now! No fucking dawdling!”
Ymir set a pen and the deed to the estate on the table, reached over to pull Banzari’s head back and jam the rifle barrel in his ear. “Tell you what, Banzari. I’ll break every finger of your left hand, one by one, then start with your toes, until you sign that paper. After that…” He flicked out a hypodermic from a pouch at his waist.
Banzari gave a snarl of rage. In one fluid, desperate motion, he backhanded Ymir in the face. A shot rang out, clipped Banzari in the calf. He went down howling.
Yul moved in like a cat. He clocked Ymir in the ribs, bulled his head into the extortionist’s side, slammed the breath out of him. Smashing him sideways, he sent him stumbling against the wall. At the same time, he grabbed for the gun.
His metal fingers nearly tore it out of the murderer’s grasp. But not quite. The barrel went rolling, clattering to the floor.
Rande grunted and dove for it. A boot whipped out and caught him in the teeth, sending him teetering back wheezing in pain. Yul and Ymir tumbled to the floor, wrestling like bears. Yul lashed a punishing blow at Ymir’s midriff. He heard a grunt of anguish. Ymir squirmed out of his grip and snatched the long syringe from his waist pocket. He stabbed out wildly, trying to jab the end into any part of Yul’s body he could reach.
Yul caught the wrist. He smashed the hand aside. He felt the cold squirt of liquid on his exposed cheek. Grimacing, he bent the quivering arm back. The needle pricked the gunman’s neck. Ymir let out a horrid shriek. Juice from the needle pumped into his jugular.
“You fucker!” cried Ymir. “What have you done?”
“Get a taste of your own medicine, bastard.” Yul scrambled away. “Play with poisons, get yourself dosed. Hope it kills you!” He gloated in triumph.
Rande, recovering from the boot kick, scrambled to his knees to snatch up the fallen weapon. He trained it on the villain.
Ymir frothed at the mouth. He swayed, eyes bulging. “You’ve killed me…it’s a bio-inhibitor—we give it to the orneriest beasts to prepare them for surgery.” He gurgled, more froth forming at the mouth. “Makes—them—resistant, crazy, rearranges their cells—” His eyes slid back in their sockets. Then his body convulsed. He spat like a rabid dog, then lay still.
Yul staggered over to Banzari. He set the rancher’s back gently against the table leg.
“I’m okay, just grazed.” Banzari winced. “No broken bones. Hurts like a bitch though.” He clutched at his calf.
“Gunshot wounds have that tendency.”
“Gotta get you to a doctor.” Rande pulled out his handheld and dialed emergency.
Yul wheezed, “I told Trixie to dial the cops. She’s out there somewhere. Maybe she’s taken off. Police should be here soon.” He stood, swallowing the urge to heave at the ruin of what once was Ymir. Yul felt no pity. The sudden tension and exhaustion caught up with him and he sank to the floor.
His father hurried over and crouched at his son’s side. “You okay, Yul?” His eyes blazed with concern. “That was some nasty hit you took from that creep.” His father put a hand out to steady him. Yul nodded, blinked as his double vision shifted back to normal.
They stared at each other a moment, unvoiced emotions passing between father and son. Something Yul hadn’t felt since...well, not since he was a young boy about ten-years-old. He forgot the pain thumping in his skull and gave over to the peace streaming through his body.

Chapter 6
The next afternoon Yul and Banzari sat under the gazebo staring out at the dengal pasture. Trixie’d been given the week off to recover. Banzari had in the meantime, hired temporary help. The police had been through with a fine-tooth comb and had required miraculously only minimum testimony from Yul.
“All the evidence is sound, Banzari. We all squeaked through this with just a few cuts and scratches.”
Banzari nodded, hobbling on his crutch to replenish his drink. “When the buggy broke down, took me hours of walking and wading through swamps and fields, cutting through bush to get to your dad’s. Knew something was off at the ranch. Should never have come back here to get those damn legal papers. Ended up paying for it.”
“Could happen to anybody. We’re lucky to be alive. Past couple days have been a shitstorm.”
Banzari shook his head