by Anna Hackett
“What if the aliens can track it?” Roth said.
Finn shook his head. “I ran a prelim scan on it in the Hawk. There’s no signal coming off of it and it’s entirely organic. No alien tech. At least that I can tell.”
General Holmes was staring at the small chick. “Well, we’ll have to check it out. Maybe we can learn something from it.”
Suddenly a body ran into the hangar. Selena’s long hair flowed out behind her. “I sensed…” Her green gaze scanned the space. “I sensed my own kind.” Then she spied the chick and her entire face lit up, her skin glowing. “A baby gyr.”
She moved over to them, holding her hands out. The chick started chirping madly and flapping its small wings. It leaped from Finn’s palm and into Selena’s.
“The gyr the Gizzida stole must have been pregnant.” The alien woman lifted the bird and it nuzzled against her cheek.
Mac smiled. It was the first time she’d really seen Selena look happy and at peace.
“Well,” the general said. “I think I know the best person to be in charge of the gyr chick and our study of it.”
More people entered the hangar, and Mac saw Doc Emerson in the lead with a team of her technicians pushing hovering iono-stretchers.
Mac stiffened. “I’m not going on a stretcher. I’m walking to the infirmary.”
“I don’t think so,” Niko said.
She pulled a face. “There’s your bossy-leader voice again.”
Doc Emerson’s gaze landed on Mac. “Ahh, Mackenna, looks like you’ll be the lucky person getting the needles and nanomeds today.”
Mac managed a weak smile. “Lucky me.”
***
Mac stood, watching Niko address the crowd in the Garden.
“Thanks to the bravery and skill of Squad Nine, Hell Squad, Devlin Gray, our Hawk pilots, and Lia Murphy of the drone team, the drone killer has been eliminated.”
The crowd broke into cheers.
Niko kept talking, telling them about the hope for the future, and how they were now a single group of survivors working together.
He had an easy charm and a steady strength that people responded to.
And he was all hers.
Her shoulders were still aching from where the projectiles had hit her, although they were all healed up. Niko had stayed by her side the entire time as the doc had patched her up. With him, she felt okay about leaning on someone. She no longer felt the need to be tougher or stronger…she could just be Mackenna.
“Now the hard work begins,” Roth murmured from beside her.
She knew what he was talking about. “We have to formulate a plan to take down the Gizzida, once and for all.”
Her boss nodded. “We gather our intel, we look for their weak spots, we find a way.”
Mac saw his lips turn up into a smile. She followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at Avery, who was over with Santha.
“And we keep living,” he said simply.
Mac understood now, and she nodded. She was looking forward to that second bit. She glanced over at Niko. She was looking forward to it a lot.
“So, you and Ivanov?”
Not so long ago, Roth’s question would had made Mac nervous. She would’ve wondered if he was second-guessing her judgment, or considering if she was going soft. Not anymore. “Yes. Me and Niko.”
Roth gave a nod. “Good. I like him. Do I need to question him about his intentions?”
Mac snorted. “Only if you want me to kick your ass.”
Roth laughed and squeezed the back of her neck. “Roger that.”
She looked over to where Niko was now surrounded by people—both Enclave and former Blue Mountain Base. He was patiently answering their questions, smiling, and nodding.
Then she saw a woman with a young girl approaching him. Mac’s chest hitched. Anne and her daughter.
Mac had taken a step forward, then stopped. Anne threw herself into Niko’s arms, a sad smile on her face. Niko hugged her back, saying something. The woman nodded, and they both drew Anne’s daughter into the embrace.
It would soothe that dark hurt in him. Mac smiled. And all of them could start to find a way to heal.
To live.
In her head, Mac started planning something special for her man. “See you later, Roth.” She pushed through the crowd and left the Garden.
***
Niko had seen Mackenna sneak off from the talk. After he had finally broken free of the crowd and all their questions, he’d expected to find her in his apartment. But she wasn’t there.
He figured she’d turn up, so he’d taken out a piece of wood he’d been saving for the last few months. Now it was speaking to him, and he was carving it in a frenzy.
It was taking shape exactly how he wanted it to.
The door opened. Niko looked over and there she was.
She smiled. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself.”
She was carrying a tray and she set it down on the table. Then she moved closer. “What are you working on?”
He just nodded his head toward the wood.
“God, it’s beautiful, Niko. You are so talented.”
“It’s not finished yet.”
It was clearly Mackenna. Her slender but strong body pressed back against a man’s chest. His hands were covering her breasts possessively, and her face, as she looked up toward him, showed love.
“Is that how I look at you?” she asked quietly.
“It’s how I hope you look at me.”
She reached out and stroked his hand, following the line of paint staining his skin. “I’m in love with you, Nikolai Ivanov. Who you were, who you are, and who you will be with me.”
Niko released a breath, fighting the flood of emotion in him. He pulled her in for a kiss. “God, Mackenna. You bewitched me from the moment you held a gun to my head.”
She laughed. “You are so easy. And you’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Never. Now that I know you, now that I’ve held you, touched you, I love you so much.” He deepened the kiss, nipping at her lips. Then the two of them were stumbling toward the bed.
She helped him tear his T-shirt over his head, and then she surprised him by pushing him back onto the bed.
“I want to share moments with you, Niko. Sexy, indulgent moments.” She grabbed a bottle off the tray she’d brought in. “Vodka?”
He grabbed it from her and took a healthy swig. He enjoyed the burn, but he really didn’t need it. Nothing could match the heat she generated in him.
She slowly pulled her clothes off, a sexy little show just for him, until she stood there in pretty black lace panties and matching bra. “I want to spoil you, too.” She grinned. “I heard a rumor that you like dark chocolate.”
“I do.”
She reached out and grabbed a bowl. “I stole some from the kitchen and I melted it.” She tipped the bowl up, dripping some of the chocolate onto his chest.
Niko swallowed a gasp. She set the bowl down, climbed up on top of him, and put her mouth on his skin.
Jesus. He reached down and cupped her face. “I love you, Mackenna.”
“I love you, too.” She lapped at his skin, her gaze never moving from his. “Now how about we make some of those sexy memories together? I seem to recall you promised to spoil me with daily orgasms.”
Niko reached down and pulled her against him, smearing them both in chocolate. He loved the sound of her laugh. “I did, didn’t I?” He let his hands skim down her body and got to work.
---
I hope you enjoyed Niko and Mac’s story!
Hell Squad continues with FINN, the story of Hawk pilot, Finn Erickson, and head of the drone team, Lia Murphy. Coming August 2016.
If you’re looking for more action-packed, science fiction romance, then read on for a preview of Among Galactic Ruins, the first book in the Phoenix Adventures.
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Preview: Among Galactic Ruins
As the descending starship hit turbulence, Dr. Alexa Carter gasped, her stomach jumping.
But she didn’t feel sick, she felt exhilarated.
She stared out the window at the sand dunes of the planet below. Zerzura. The legendary planet packed with danger, mystery and history.
She was finally here. All she could see was sand dune, after yellow sand dune, all the way off into the distance. The dual suns hung in the sky, big and full—one gold and one red—baking the ground below.
But there was more to Zerzura than that. She knew, from all her extensive history training as an astro-archeologist, that the planet was covered in ruins—some old and others beyond ancient. She knew every single one of the myths and legends.
She glanced down at her lap and clutched the Sync communicator she was holding. Right here she had her ticket to finding an ancient Terran treasure.
Lexa thumbed the screen. She’d found the slim, ancient vase in the museum archives and initially thought nothing of the lovely etchings of priestesses on the side of it.
Until she’d finished translating the obscure text.
She’d been gobsmacked when she realized the text gave her clues that not only formed a map, but also described what the treasure was at the end. A famed Fabergé egg.
Excitement zapped like electricity through her veins. After a career spent mostly in the Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation and on a few boring digs in the central systems, she was now the curator of the Darend Museum on Zeta Volantis—a private and well-funded museum that was mostly just a place for her wealthy patron, Marius Darend, to house his extensive, private collection of invaluable artifacts from around the galaxy.
But like most in the galaxy, he had a special obsession with old Earth artifacts. When she’d gone to him with the map and proposal to go on a treasure hunt to Zerzura to recover it, he’d been more than happy to fund it.
So here she was, Dr. Alexa Carter, on a treasure hunt.
Her father, of course, had almost had a coronary when she’d told her parents she’d be gone for several weeks. That familiar hard feeling invaded her belly. Baron Carter did not like his only daughter working, let alone being an astro-archeologist, and he really didn’t like her going to a planet like Zerzura. He’d ranted about wild chases and wastes of time, and predicted her failure.
She straightened in her seat. She’d been ignoring her father’s disapproval for years. When she had the egg in her hands, then he’d have to swallow his words.
Someone leaned over her, a broad shoulder brushing hers. “Strap in, Princess, we’re about to land.”
Lexa’s excitement deflated a little. There was just one fly in her med gel.
Unfortunately, Marius had insisted she bring along the museum’s new head of security. She didn’t know much about Damon Malik, but she knew she didn’t like him. The rumor among the museum staff was that he had a super-secret military background.
She looked at him now, all long, and lean and dark. He had hair as black as her own, but skin far darker. She couldn’t see him in the military. His manner was too…well, she wasn’t sure what, exactly, but he certainly didn’t seem the type to happily take orders.
No, he preferred to be the one giving them.
He shot her a small smile, but it didn’t reach his dark eyes. Those midnight-blue eyes were always…intense. Piercing. Like he was assessing everything, calculating. She found it unsettling.
“I’m already strapped in, Mr. Malik.” She tugged on her harness and raised a brow.
“Just checking. I’m here to make sure you don’t get hurt on this little escapade.”
“Escapade?” She bit her tongue and counted to ten. “We have a map leading to the location of a very valuable artifact. That’s hardly an escapade.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess.” He shot a glance at the window and the unforgiving desert below. “This is a foolish risk for some silly egg.”
She huffed out a breath. Infuriating man. “Why get a job at a museum if you think artifacts are silly?”
He leaned back in his seat. “Because I needed a change. One where no one tried to kill me.”
Kill him? She narrowed her eyes and wondered again just what the hell he’d done before he’d arrived at the Darend.
A chime sounded and the pilot’s voice filtered into the plush cabin of Marius’ starship. “Landing at Kharga spaceport in three minutes. Hang on, ladies and gentlemen.”
Excitement filled Lexa’s belly. Ignoring the man beside her, she looked out the window again.
The town of Kharga was visible now. They flew directly over it, and she marveled at the primitive look and the rough architecture. The buildings were made of stone—some simple squares, others with domed roofs, and some a haphazard sprawl of both. In the dirt-lined streets, ragged beasts were led by robed locals, and battered desert speeders flew in every direction, hovering off the ground.
It wasn’t advanced and yes, it was rough and dangerous. So very different to the marble-lined floors and grandeur of the Darend Museum or the Institute’s huge, imposing museums and research centers. And it was the complete opposite of the luxury she’d grown up with in the central systems.
She barely resisted bouncing in her seat like a child. She couldn’t wait to get down there. She wasn’t stupid, she knew there were risks, but could hold her own and she knew when to ask for help.
The ship touched down, a cloud of dust puffing past the window. Lexa ripped her harness off, trying—and failing—to contain her excitement.
“Wait.” Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her back from the opening door. “I’ll go first.”
As he moved forward, she pulled a face at his broad back. Arrogant know-it-all.
The door opened with a quiet hiss. She watched him stop at the top of the three steps that had extended from the starship. He scanned the spaceport…well, spaceport was a generous word for it. Lexa wasn’t sure the sandy ground, beaten-up starships lined up beside them, and the battered buildings covered with black streaks—were those laser scorch marks?—warranted the term spaceport, but it was what it was.
Damon checked the laser pistols holstered at his lean hips then nodded. “All right.” He headed down the steps.
Lexa tugged on the white shirt tucked into her fitted khaki pants. Mr. Dark and Brooding might be dressed in all black, but she’d finally pulled her rarely used expedition clothes out of her closet for the trip. She couldn’t wait to get them dirty. She tucked her Sync into her small backpack, swung the bag over her shoulder and headed down the stairs.
“Our contact is supposed to meet us here.” She looked around but didn’t see anyone paying them much attention. A rough-looking freighter crew lounged near a starfreighter that didn’t even look like it could make it off the ground. A couple of robed humanoids argued with three smaller-statured reptilians. “He’s a local treasure hunter called Brocken Phoenix.”
Damon grunted. “Looks like he’s late. I suggest we head to the central market and ask around.”
“Okay.” She was eager to see more of Kharga and soak it all in.
“Stay close to me.”
Did he have to use that autocratic tone all the time? She tossed him a salute.
Something moved through his dark eyes before he shook his head and started off down the dusty street.
As they neared the market, the crowds thickened. The noise increased as well. People had set up makeshift stalls, tables, and tents and were selling…well, just about everything.
There was a hawker calling out the features of his droids. Lexa raised a brow. The array available was interesting—from stocky maintenance droids to life-like syndroids made to look like humans. Other sellers were offering clothes, food, weapons, collectibles, even d
ragon bones.
Then she saw the cages.
She gasped. “Slavers.”
Damon looked over and his face hardened. “Yeah.”
The first cage held men. All tall and well-built. Laborers. The second held women. Anger shot through her. “It can’t be legal.”
“We’re a long way from the central systems, Princess. You’ll find lots of stuff here on Zerzura that isn’t legal.”
“We have to—”
He raised a lazy brow. “Do something? Unless you’ve got a whole bunch of e-creds I don’t know about or an army in your back pocket, there isn’t much we can do.”
Her stomach turned over and she looked away. He might be right, but did he have to be so cold about it?
“Look.” He pointed deeper into the market at a dusty, domed building with a glowing neon sign above the door. “That bar is where I hear the treasure hunters gather.”
She wondered how he’d heard anything about the place when they’d only been dirtside a few minutes. But she followed him toward the bar, casting one last glance at the slaves.
As they neared the building, a body flew outward through the arched doorway. The man hit the dirt, groaning. He tried to stand before flopping face first back into the sand.
Even from where they stood, Lexa smelled the liquor fumes wafting off him. Nothing smooth and sweet like what was available back on Zeta Volantis. No, this smelled like homebrewed rotgut.
Damon stepped over the man with barely a glance. At the bar entrance, he paused. “I think you should stay out here. It’ll be safer. I’ll find out what I can about Phoenix and be right back.”
She wanted to argue, but right then, two huge giants slammed out of the bar, wrestling each other. One was an enormous man, almost seven feet tall, with some aquatic heritage. He had pale-blue skin, large, wide-set eyes and tiny gills on the side of his neck. His opponent was human with a mass of dreadlocked brown hair, who stood almost as tall and broad.
The human slammed a giant fist into the aquatic’s face, shouting in a language Lexa’s lingual implant didn’t recognize. That’s when Lexa realized the dreadlocked man was actually a woman.
A security droid floated out of the bar. Its laser weapons swiveled to aim at the fighting pair. “You are no longer welcome at the Desert Dragon. Please vacate the premises.”
