“Kayla, get your ass out here now. These fuckers are destroying my camp.”
Kayla’s squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead against the side of the crate. She didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was pretty damning. How else could Lars have found them so quickly? “Leo, please tell me you didn’t sell me out to these assholes.”
Leo snorted. She lifted her head to peer over the crate at the camp leader. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was staring in her direction. “You’ve gotten soft, girl. I warned you about getting involved with traders and outsiders. They’re nothing but trouble, always sniffing around where they don’t belong. I have an entire camp to think about. Lars contacted me an hour ago and offered a generous finder’s fee if we helped keep you here. With OmniLab trading shut down, we didn’t have much of an option, did we?”
Shit.
Kayla forced herself to keep her expression calm despite the hammering of her heart. Even though she’d pushed the boundaries often enough, part of her never thought Leo would actually turn on her.
Stupid. So stupid. What the hell had she been thinking by staying here? She should have dropped off the supplies and left immediately. Now Leo’s entire camp was in danger, and their only play was to offer her up as a sacrifice.
As much as it rankled, it made sense Leo would side with the Coalition. The shipment she brought from OmniLab was the last one they’d see for a while, unless she got the ban lifted. At least she had an idea who was responsible for the corruption within the towers though.
Fuck.
Carl crossed his arms over his chest, watching as two guards carried Lisia’s body out of the room while Elyot followed behind them. Provided Carl agreed to Sergei’s request, Elyot would accompany Lisia’s body back to her former camp. He wouldn’t forget his promise to Lisia, but his focus needed to be on Kayla for the moment.
“What do you want with Kayla?”
Sergei casually leaned against the wall as though he couldn’t care less whether Carl agreed to his terms. “Our Coalition is terminating agreement with Lars. Your capture was not part of plan.”
Carl froze, turning back to study the blond man. Steely-gray eyes met his, but they told him nothing. It was impossible to discern his motivations based on Sergei’s demeanor. “What do you mean?”
“Vengeance is not our concern. Our first loyalty is to our people. Your Kayla understood this. Lars does not.”
“I’m not arguing that, but Miranda seems to disagree,” Carl pointed out. “She talked about how Lars has done a lot for his people.”
“I would not know,” Sergei said with a shrug. “Love can blind some people.”
Carl paused. “Are you saying Miranda’s in love with Lars?”
Sergei cocked his head. “It matters?”
“No. Although, I’m a little surprised she was willing to go along with Lars’s plan to try to bond with Kayla.” Carl’s hands clenched at the reminder. He needed to find her soon. The longer he spent chatting with Sergei, the more potential danger she was in.
Sergei pushed away from the wall and walked over to the map displayed on the wall. With the press of a button, the marked locations of potential resources lit up. “Why does OmniLab not harvest resources? You traders have not tapped into these areas. Your crews are limited. Why?”
Carl studied the map more carefully and was surprised by the extensive mapping of their territory. They must have been gathering data for years. “Until recently, the towers were self-sustaining. They’re just now beginning to supplement their existing resources with outside sources.”
“They use their ‘energy’ for this. Do you know how?”
Carl hesitated and turned back to Sergei who was watching him. “I can’t say. Until I met Kayla, I’d only heard rumors of their abilities. Even now, I don’t know much. They don’t discuss things with outsiders.”
Sergei gave a small smile. “My superiors believe OmniLab is regular facility. They do not believe these claims of energy.”
Carl raised his eyebrows. “How can they not? Haven’t they met Lars and Miranda?”
“A trick or superstition,” Sergei replied dismissively. “Many explanations are possible. They will not believe until too late.”
Understanding dawned. Their fears had been correct. The weapons Elyot had mentioned, plus the armed men, could only equate to one thing. “You’re attacking the towers. That’s why you’ve only got a skeleton crew still here.”
Sergei inclined his head but didn’t respond.
Carl ran a shaky hand over his face. I need to get out of here now. “The loss of life will be enormous if you treat the towers as any other facility. OmniLab won’t just lay down.”
“Agreed. An arrangement for cooperation would benefit both sides. That is why we are speaking now.”
Carl started to pace. He didn’t know what sort of firepower the Coalition had at their disposal, but based on the technology he’d seen, it wasn’t trivial. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to operate unnoticed for so long.
“I need to find Kayla. If something happens to her, there’s no way in hell OmniLab will consider negotiating with you. Do you know where she is?”
Sergei pulled a small tablet from his pocket, glanced at it, and then handed it to him. “This will help track Miranda. She is awake now. My men were instructed to allow her to leave. Follow her and she will lead you to Lars. When you find him, you will also find Kayla.”
Carl studied the map with a frown. The marker indicated Miranda was already on the move. He lifted his gaze again to focus on the Coalition leader. “What do you want in exchange?”
Sergei leaned forward and tapped the screen. A communication display populated the screen. “Give tablet to Kayla. She has one hour to agree to terms and negotiate with OmniLab on our behalf. I will arrange transportation for you.”
Carl frowned. “I can’t make any promises, but if anyone can get through to Alec and Seara, it’ll be Kayla. Can you delay your attack?”
“No. My men are already in place. I have negotiated small delay with my superiors, but no more.”
“Shit,” Carl muttered, sliding the tablet in his pocket. The clock was ticking. “Show me to the transport.”
Chapter Twelve
The atmosphere in the workroom was nearly stifling from the tension. Kayla stood behind Brant, who was currently facing off with Lars. The guards had temporarily stepped back, waiting for Lars’s command. Leo caught Kayla’s eye, and it was clear he wanted her to do something—and fast.
“Well, fucks to you, Leo,” Kayla snapped at her former camp leader. “Why don’t you go lick the Coalition’s boots for a while and let the adults talk? I wonder how long it’ll take the Coalition to realize their new asset is off by a couple of letters?”
“Mouthy shrew,” Leo retorted angrily, jerking his head upward in approval at her show of anger.
She blinked at him, wondering if her initial assessment was wrong.
There was something about his gesture that made her take notice, and his earlier words filled her mind. “They’re nothing but trouble, always sniffing around where they don’t belong.” It was the way he’d emphasized “sniffing.” Maybe Leo had been trying to tell her Lars had the camp under surveillance. Why else would they have asked Leo to keep her there? Felix was right when he said the camp’s security had gone to shit.
Leo narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger at her. “We’re done, girl. You’re no longer welcome here. You’ve destroyed my trading relationships, cost me countless credits, and endangered the lives of all the people in this camp. I’ll be damned if I know why Felix hunted you down after you got his brother killed. You two can go find a new camp for all I care.”
Even though she knew it was for show, his words cut deep. Everything he said was true, and Kayla couldn’t help but struggle to take a breath under the weight of the tight band of guilt constricting her chest. Despite her recklessness, Leo had supported her through everythi
ng. He was the closest thing to a father she’d ever known.
If she read between the lines, though, Leo didn’t say she wasn’t welcome in their camp. She was simply not welcome here, which didn’t matter because the camp was relocating. The mention of Felix was also telling. Leo must have given Felix the coordinates to their future camp. A wave of affection and gratitude washed over her, but she pushed it aside. She clenched her fists as she tried to rein in her emotions and keep up the act.
With one more hard look, Leo added, “Do what you want, Lars. I’ll be damned if I know why you want to bother though. I’m taking my people out of here.” With that final parting shot, he turned and stormed out of the room.
Kayla swallowed. Good. He’d get the rest of the ruin rats to safety. Dealing with Lars and the Coalition would be up to her. She turned back to Lars.
“That was rather unfortunate,” Lars acknowledged, rubbed his chin and studying her thoughtfully. “I’d heard there was some tension between you and your former camp leader. Now I see what they meant.”
“Yeah, well, Leo’s a bit like a hemorrhoid. Uncomfortable and always on your ass about something.” Kayla shrugged and crossed her arms, trying to appear casual.
She just needed a bit more time to make sure Leo got everyone out safely. Knowing her former camp leader, he had plans to come back and pick up the rest of the equipment after this situation was resolved. She just hoped it didn’t end with her being an ugly stain on the ground. Blood was a bitch to get out of electronics.
“I want to know more about this whole thing with the Shadows.”
Brant frowned and raised an eyebrow at her.
Lars seemed surprised as well. The renegade Omni eyed her with suspicion. “You would be willing to aid them? Why the change of heart?”
“I didn’t say I had a change of heart,” she pointed out. “I just want to know more about it. What can I say? I’m a girl who likes to know all her options.”
Lars clasped his hands behind his back, but the suspicion in his eyes remained. “I see. What do you want to know?”
“Well, let’s say you’re right and I can channel energy into any Shadow, which would turn them into kickass Inner Circle members. I mean, that’s kind of badass, right? Except, I would be able to choose who to bestow this power on unless they decided to steal my energy.”
“In theory, yes,” Lars agreed hesitantly, obviously wondering where she was going with this. “I believe it’s most likely possible to block Shadows from stealing your energy without your consent. There may also be easier ways to transfer energy than what you just experienced with Brant. We may even be able to find a way to circumvent the issue with Shadows being unable to sustain the energy you’ve channeled to them. But even if that’s not possible and we work cooperatively together, we could accomplish a great deal in that short period of time.”
She nodded. “Right. Except I’m still in training.”
“I would be more than happy to complete your training,” Lars offered.
Brant scowled at him. “I bet.”
Lars narrowed his eyes on the security officer, and Kayla bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. The inside of the camp was much quieter, and she had the distinct impression it was mostly empty. If she was going to make her move, it needed to be now.
“If you will agree to allow me to claim you,” Lars began again, “I can assist you with exploring your talents and helping the Shadows, if that’s your wish. I can assure you Alec will not make such an offer.”
“See, I don’t know about all that,” she said, angling her body close to Brant and gesturing to him. “What’s cool about Brant is he already knows how to use the energy. At least, theoretically. As for me, I fully admit I don’t have a clue as to what I’m doing, but all I have to do is slap my hand on him,” Kayla made a show of dropping her hand on Brant’s arm, “then just funnel a shitload of energy at him, and he can blow your asses totally out of the room.”
Realization dawned, and Lars’s eyes widened at her words.
“Get ready to blow, Fluffy,” she whispered. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed an enormous amount of energy and flooded it directly into Brant. His body arched from the sudden rush of power, and his weapon clattered to the ground.
Lars shouted out orders for the guards to rush them, but it was too late. Brant lifted his hands, expelling the huge force outward from his palms and pushing everything back in its path. Lars, the guards, and the crates were blown backward into the wall and tumbled to the ground in a messy heap.
Kayla dropped her hand and staggered from the sudden loss of energy. “Oh, shit. It worked.”
Brant’s hands trembled, and he reached down to grab his weapon. Tucking it into his side, he grabbed Kayla’s arm. A jolt of energy surged through them at the contact. She jerked, but Brant didn’t lessen his grip on her arm as he dragged her half-stumbling from the room. “We have to get out of here.”
Felix came rushing around the corner, wide-eyed and looking back and forth between them. “Fuck me. I saw the whole thing on camera. You’ve got some serious explaining to do, girl. But we’ve got to go right now. Leo’s got the crew evacuated, and they’ve officially abandoned this location. Mack’s running a distraction to buy us a little time, so let’s move.”
Kayla nodded and took a step forward, nearly collapsing from the effort. Impatient, Felix leaned down and hefted her over his shoulder. She’d normally object, but that last little maneuver had totally fried her. She watched the ground bob absently as they hurried to the exit. Darkness was starting to creep into her vision, but she tried to stave it off.
“Felix,” she whispered, trying to keep her voice low so Lars’s surveillance wouldn’t pick up her words, “head to the underground river. I need more time. If Alec finds out where I am, he’ll drag me back to the towers. This is the best chance I have to find Carl. We need to find a way to get OmniLab and Lars off our tail—”
Felix nodded. “No worries, crazy girl. I’ve got you covered.”
At least someone did—because she was all out of steam.
Alec slammed his fist on the table, not bothering to mask his fury at the incompetence in front of him. “What do you mean you lost her?”
Thomas straightened his shoulders. “Brant’s communication device was destroyed almost as soon as they left the towers. We eventually tracked them to a surface camp using the tracking device installed on Mistress Rath’Varein’s person. However, they must have discovered it.”
Seara frowned. “Why do you think that?”
“We believe the surface dwellers aided in the subterfuge and used the tracking device to lay a false trail,” Thomas explained. “They were gone by the time we realized what happened and raided the camp. The entire camp’s been abandoned. What’s more is we believe Lars and the Coalition may have had some involvement. They were somehow able to mask their identities from our security team.”
Alec’s jaw clenched, and he glared at his security commander. The implications were clear. “You suspect OmniLab involvement.”
Commander Thomas gave him a curt nod. “Yes. More than suspect at this point, but we’re still investigating. We believe there might be a connection to whoever opened the bay doors during the initial escape. Based on Kayla’s known associations, we suspected some of the surface dwellers staying within the towers as possible conspirators.”
Veridian shook his head. “Wait a minute. We weren’t able to open the doors. The codes had been changed. Kayla almost died because someone opened the wrong door. It wasn’t us.”
“You’re correct,” Commander Thomas agreed. “We traced the terminal used to open the doors and determined it originated from this tower, and not the one where the bay doors were housed. No surface dwellers were present within this tower at that time.”
Commander Thomas pressed a button on his commlink. “Bring her in, Director.”
A moment later, the door slid open and Director Borshin entered, followed by Brianna Kisbell a
nd an escort of two Inner Circle Shadows. The tall brunette tossed her hair back, glaring at Alec in defiance.
Alec leaned forward, pressing his palms against the table. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“Mistress Kisbell has been acting as your representative using your credentials,” Commander Thomas explained. “She issued instructions to some security staff members that Mistress Kayla Rath’Varein was to be kept under active surveillance, at your orders. They complied with her request, reporting directly to her as indicated, and allowed her unrestricted access to security feeds using biometric mapping to determine Mistress Rath’Varein’s location. She then used your credentials to open the bay doors, which endangered Mistress Rath’Varein’s life.”
Seara rose from her seat, her eyes flashing with barely suppressed anger. The similarity between mother and daughter was never more apparent until this moment. Seara crossed the room to stand before Brianna and regarded the young woman for a long moment. Without a word, Seara drew back and slapped Brianna across the face.
Brianna’s head jerked back in shock, her hand flying to her cheek. Alec rushed over to intervene, pulling Seara away from the young woman.
“How dare you,” Seara hissed, not tearing her eyes away from Brianna. “There is no excuse for your actions. You’ve violated one of our oldest laws.”
Brianna took a step backward, bumping into one of the Shadows. She gasped and pulled away, almost shrinking down upon herself. “There’s been a misunderstanding, Seara. I believed Kayla wanted to find the trader. I only wanted to help.”
Alec’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. He’d been witness to Brianna’s subterfuge and ruses more times than he cared to admit. He released Seara and stepped toward Brianna, taking her arm and weaving a thread of influence around her. “Did you try to kill Kayla Rath’Varein?”
Brianna opened her mouth and then clamped it shut. She opened it again, fighting against his influence. In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “Yes.”
Tremors of the Past Page 18
