Through The Fire and Flame (The Kurtherian Endgame Book 3)

by Michael Anderle

  Kael-ven shook his head. “Nothing, but my first thought is that the substance could be sending a signal. You can understand why I'm cautious about returning to High Tortuga, so, for now, we've pulled up in a system that's out of the way. I don't want to get any closer to home until I’m certain that we’re not being followed.”

  Bethany nodded, distracted momentarily by waving goodbye to Cheryl Lynn and Tabitha, who were just headed out of the door. She refocused her attention back on Kael-ven once the door had closed behind Tabitha. “You made the right decision, Kael-ven. Just hold tight where you are. I'm sending someone out there to bring you in.”

  Kael-ven nodded. “I think that would be best. You have our coordinates.”

  Bethany Anne nodded. “I do. Stay safe. Your backup will be with you soon.” She ended the call and fired off a series of messages on her way to her closet to change out of her girls’ night outfit into something less casual before she went to the Security Pit to coordinate the rescue.

  She walked through the children’s closet, hesitating before opening a mental link to Michael. She wished for a split second that she had kept her surveillance on him just so she could make sure he wasn’t in the middle of some perilous moment where a distraction could be the difference between life or death. Can you talk without getting killed?

  What can I do for you, my love?

  Bethany Anne smirked despite the urgency of the situation when he replied almost right away. She was getting to be a little bit girly, if being girly meant her heart skipped a bit faster when her husband’s voice confirmed he was still in one piece. Hey, honey. How is your hunt going?

  Michael sounded less upbeat. We had some early success, but it all went downhill from there.

  Bethany Anne repressed her delight at the news her base would not stink of cooked T-rex for the next six months. There was no amount of A-1 sauce or the equivalent here on High Tortuga to make that a palatable consideration. I’m sorry you didn’t get the fight you wanted. She sensed a momentary irritation over their connection. Everything okay?

  It is now that Akio has his hand over Peter’s mouth, Michael assured her. I have to ask why it was you didn’t think to beat Peter’s erroneous idea that he is a comedian out of him when you beat the common sense into him.

  Bethany Anne snickered. Yeah, you’ll have to ask John about that. I outsourced his education to the guys. At least Peter’s in a better mood than Tabitha.

  She’s still mad at him?

  Mmmhmm.

  Michael groaned. Between things not working out with the hunt and Peter acting like a teenager? Let’s just say I’ll be glad to get home to you and the children.

  Bethany Anne remembered the reason she’d interrupted in the first place. That makes me feel better about cutting the hunt short. There’s been a development. The missing scout ship has been recovered, and it’s a problem.

  Michael’s confusion came over the link clearly. But they did find the ship? That doesn’t sound like an issue.

  Bethany Anne sighed. Kael-ven’s findings were worse than a problem. Finding the Loralei was the easy part. It’s what happened after that. Kael-ven got the ship aboard the G’laxix Sphaea without any issues, but when they rebooted the EI, she warned them she’d been tampered with. Now he thinks he’s being followed.

  So you’re sending someone out to retrieve them safely?

  Bethany Anne looked down at her leggings and shrugged, then chose a black shirt to go over her black vest. She went up on her tiptoes to slide the shoebox she wanted out from the upper shelf. Uh-huh. I’ve already given orders to ready one of the superdreadnoughts.

  Just the one?

  For now. She kicked off her fluffy slipper boots and slid her feet into her heels, then arched her feet inside them. Much better. I’m sending ancillary ships and whatever support they need as well. It will give the Guardians something to do, even if nothing goes down.

  You could send Peter to ride herd on the teams.

  Bethany Anne noted Michael’s concern. I’m not sure that’s wise. He’s not at his most sensible right now. The arguments between him and Tabitha are getting to them both.

  I think the time apart will do them good, Michael countered. Some distance will give them the opportunity to miss each other.

  Bethany Anne chuckled sadly. Or for them to decide they don’t miss each other at all.

  High Tortuga, Over Open Water, Transport Pod, Cargo Compartment

  Bethany Anne cut the link, and Michael walked back to where Peter and Akio sat fishing with their legs hanging out of the Pod’s cargo doors. “Change of plan. We need to get back to the base.”

  “Was that Bethany Anne?” Akio asked.

  Michael nodded that it had been.

  “How did the news about the hunt go down with her?”

  Michael shrugged at Akio. “I told her the truth. That we had some early success, but that it went downhill from there.”

  Peter snickered as he pointed down, then up and spread his hands. “Yeah, downhill, uphill. That thing was spread pretty much all over the hills.”

  Akio ignored Peter. “You did not tell Bethany Anne that the hunt was finished,” he pointed out to Michael. “That is not going to go well for you.

  “Technically, it is not finished,” Michael countered. “However, there is no need to tell my wife that just now.”

  Peter twisted around to look at Michael and made a show of peering at his forehead. “Just move your hair to the side?”

  Michael frowned. “Why?”

  “So I can see the mark,” Peter deadpanned. “Y’know, from where Bethany Anne…” He made a pressing motion with his thumb.

  Michael looked at Akio, who shrugged, then back at Peter with utter incredulity and more than a small amount of concern. “You do realize I could just kick you out that door as we streak through the sky and Akio wouldn’t breathe a word of it, right? Do you have a death wish?”

  Peter burst out laughing and turned back to wind his line in. “Nah. I was just checking to see if you were still in vacation mode.” He scrambled back to bring his legs into the Pod and got to his feet.

  Michael shook his head and smiled. “Alexis and Gabriel will have returned from their Mother’s Day shopping and they will need my help preparing their surprises for Bethany Anne, no doubt.”

  Peter made a face. “Aw. I was kind of enjoying the guy time, you know?”

  “I also need to break the news to William.” Michael inclined his head sagely. “Luckily for you, Kael-ven needs an escort home from the scrape he’s gotten himself and the crew into.”

  Peter’s smile faded instantly. “Kael-ven’s in trouble? Of course, I’ll go. I’ll take Jian’s team with me if they’re free.” He turned and left the compartment in a hurry. They heard him calling from the passage to the bridge. “I’m taking us back to the base right now, so get your legs in if you want to keep them, Akio.”

  Akio gained his feet with more grace than Peter had managed. “He jumped on that quickly. What’s going on with him?”

  “Love,” Michael replied.

  That explained it all.

  Devon, First City, Merchant Warehouses

  Mark shook the man’s hand with a smile. “Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Morrisey. Let me see you out to the front; this place is a maze if you don’t know where you’re going.” He ushered the man out, still talking quietly with him as they left.

  Sabine, Ricole, and Jacqueline waited until they heard Mark and their new client get out of earshot and broke into excited squeals.

  Sabine bounced happily. “Our first contract!”

  Demon spoke up from her nest on the windowsill, made from the blankets Sabine had brought for her on their first day in the warehouse. I do not understand why our services have been engaged. What exactly does this man want us to do?

  Sabine met the mountain lion’s inquisitive amber eyes with a smile. “We are to take care of his money. Keep it safe until his deal with the other company is com
plete.”

  Demon rolled ono her back and looked at Sabine upside-down. Is that not the function of the bank you told me about? To keep everyone’s money locked away? She tilted her head in confusion when they all broke into laughter.

  Mark returned to the office, also laughing since he’d heard the whole exchange. “Our client’s recent success has spurred his competitors to sabotage the deal. You know how corrupt this planet is. Morrisey is employing us to make sure the payout is not stolen before the negotiations for the contract are completed.”

  Demon’s tail flicked, and she yawned. That sounds boring.

  Jacqueline nodded. “Yeah, but it’s boring with a profit for us at the end. That means we get to keep this place running.”

  Ricole looked up from filing her claws. “We should celebrate by finally taking some time off to go to the fights.”

  Jacqueline nodded. “Yeah, but after we complete the job.”

  Mark walked over to the desk and dropped his datapad in front of Jacqueline triumphantly. “We have even more reason to celebrate!” he exclaimed, perching on the desk. “I secured us a further bonus by offering to act as the middleman for the exchange.”

  Jacqueline’s smile faded as she scrolled through the agreement. “You realize that if we sign this, anyone who wants to check will be able to find out we’re involved. It won’t take a genius to work out we’re the ones holding the money.”

  Mark faltered. “Um, no?”

  Jacqueline pointed out a line of text on the screen. “Yeah, look. We’ll be a named party in the deal.”

  Mark looked at it and frowned. “How does that translate to our involvement being made accessible to the public?”

  Ricole put her nail file down and looked at Mark, pointing her finger at him. “Because that’s the law.” Her eyes narrowed. “Didn’t you read up on the legal system here?”

  Mark shrugged. “I wasn’t aware that there was one beyond what Baba Yaga instituted, and ‘don’t piss me off’ is not exactly detailed.”

  “She did more than that.” Ricole gave Jacqueline a sympathetic look. “Typical male, rush in with a blindfold on.”

  “Mm-hmm,” Sabine agreed. “Just like a man.”

  Mark looked at Jacqueline to defend him, but all she did was purse her lips and shake her head. “Nope, we have a business to run, and that includes knowing the environment we’re operating in. Baba Yaga instituted transparency laws to cut corruption, and we have to work within them.”

  Sabine wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “This deal is public knowledge, as are the names of all the parties involved. If we sign this, it paints a target on us.”

  Demon rolled onto her belly and stood. I have no problem with being a target. She stretched out on her front paws, then turned around to warm her face in the morning sun. We can make sport of it.

  Mark clapped and pointed at Demon. “That’s the attitude! Jacqueline, how long until the information goes public once we sign?”

  Jacqueline pressed her fingers to her forehead as if in prayer and sighed. “Probably a few hours. By morning at latest but I wouldn’t count on it.”

  Mark looked around at them all. “You’re missing the opportunity here, ladies. What’s the one thing we’ve not had since we arrived here?”

  Jacqueline snorted. “A day off?”

  Sabine raised an eyebrow. “A good night’s sleep?”

  “A properly cooked meal,” Ricole offered.

  Mark rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in frustration. “A fight! A real one.”

  He began to pace, his hands doing a fair amount of the talking.

  “We did exactly the right thing by getting ourselves set up before we got involved in anything here, but now it’s time to reap the rewards of that preparation. The warehouse is defensible enough. We set ourselves up for a siege, stock up on food and water, plus plenty of booze and a few decks of cards. Then we let everyone who wants the money come at us.”

  Ricole snickered. “All the essentials, then.”

  Mark smirked and wiggled his eyebrows. “You know it. It’ll be like one of Eve’s games. We hole up here, all nice and snug while the enemies swarm in.”

  Sabine smiled darkly. “Only instead of virtual reality constructs, we will be ridding this planet of murdering thieves.”

  “And we don’t even have to go looking for them,” Ricole chipped in.

  Jacqueline tapped the desk while she formed her thoughts. “You know, I think this might not have been such a bad idea. It’s going to take all five of us to defend the money, which means we all get a workout. Okay. If you’re all happy to do this, then I am too.”

  “I’m game,” Sabine agreed.

  Ricole grinned. “Suits me. We should set some boobytraps up, funnel the bad guys in.”

  Jacqueline grinned as she pointed at her friend. “That’s a great idea!” She spun around in her chair and opened the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet behind her. “Ah-ha! I knew it was in here.” She spun back to the desk and shoved Mark off to make room for the building plans. “The reason we chose this place is because the ground floor is a warren.”

  Mark nodded enthusiastically. “Turn the warehouse into a killing ground, keep the enemy confused while we take advantage of our smaller numbers to pick them off a few at a time. As long as we have a bolt hole to escape from, we’re golden.”

  Demon sat on her haunches and began washing her whiskers, showcasing her perfect fangs. The opportunity for snacking will not go amiss, either.

  Mark gagged. “No. I am not watching you eat a Skaine.” He flipped his hands. “No way. Go find your food elsewhere.”

  Demon jumped down from her perch. She padded over to Mark with her nose in the air and sniffed. Who wants to eat a Skaine anyway? They’re all rubbery. No flavor at all. She tossed her head and sauntered out of the room, pausing only to touch her cheek to Sabine’s hand on her way.

  Mark glanced at his partners. “Was that a joke? Can cats joke like that?”

  He turned to look out the door Demon had gone through, asking in a plaintive voice, “Someone please tell me she was joking.”

  High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Hangar 014

  Peter made his way through the throng beneath the ship, looking for Tabitha. He didn’t know how he was going to break it to her that he was headed straight back out, but he didn’t want to stick around either.

  He breathed out the pain of that thought as he searched the crowded hangar for his love. The nagging gut feeling that he and Tabitha were on a downward turn in their relationship was an actual physical pain at times. It couldn’t go on like it had the last few weeks, but he didn’t want to rock the boat any more than it already was by Tabitha’s sudden shift in attitude toward him.

  It was driving him to take risks, to find the heat of the moment so he could lose himself there and forget that his heart was breaking. She couldn’t end things with him if he wasn’t there, and what better reason to be absent than a friend in trouble?

  Tabitha found him.

  She appeared at his side, linking her arm through his as she fell into step beside him. “Looking for someone, mi amor?”

  Peter’s heart contracted with relief. “Only you, Tabbie.” He bent his head to kiss her. “Only ever you.”

  Tabitha’s cheeks flushed. “Bethany Anne told me you’re going to help Kael-ven out. I didn’t want you to leave without saying goodbye, and that I’m sorry we fought.”

  Peter shook his head. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I should have just accepted the rifle in the first place since it saved my ass.”

  Tabitha looked up at him with wide eyes. “Shit, was it glorious?”

  Peter squeezed her arm. “You know it was, babe. I wish Michael had allowed video. I jumped in that thing’s mouth and shot it up from the inside.”

  Tabitha raised an eyebrow. “Really? Well, this mission should be a little bit less dramatic than your inner dinosaur experience.”

  Peter could tell she thought he was ex
aggerating but he didn’t correct her. “Are you sure you’re okay with me going straight back out again? If you need me to be here, I’ll find someone to take my place.”

  Tabitha sniffed her tears back. “No, and that you would even offer to do that means so much to me.” She went up on her tiptoes and took Peter’s face in her hands to kiss him. “You go rescue our friend. Duty comes first, and I would never keep you from it.” She released him and walked away.

  Peter grinned and called after her, “You know what they say, babe. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  Tabitha turned back and smiled. “Yeah…but if you’re absent for too long, I’m not going to be responsible for the results.”

  She strode off without another word, leaving Peter mystified. He shook it off and moved on to the next item on his list—finding his team.

  7

  High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Michael’s Offices

  William stared at the storage room Michael had just disappeared into. “You want me to do what, now?”

  Michael came back out carrying a double armload of weaponry. “I want you to modify the grill again, and I need all these weapons in good working order.”

  William ran a hand over his head. “I heard you. But why?” He accepted the rifles from Michael with a baffled look. “What does that have to do with all this?” He raised his hands in question. “And what happened to the T-rex?”

  Michael ducked back into the storeroom and came out with his arms full again. He waited for the lock to engage and then turned to answer William. “My quarry was eaten by a much larger creature, which I then had to destroy utterly. I have come up with a new plan.”

  He led William down the corridor from his storage area to the workroom, pausing on arrival. “CEREBRO, the door, if you will.”

  “Of course, Michael,” one of the base’s EIs answered.

  The lock pad at Michael’s head height flashed green. Michael turned to push the door open with his back, and the two men went inside.

  William looked at the piles of weaponry on the benches. “I see why you had the locks installed.”