“Exactly. I’ll let Iolyn know he has command of the squadron while we are on the planet. He can deal with anyone attempting to leave Tarn.” Wulf walked toward his command chair, taking Mel with him.
As Huw rose from his seat, a feeling of fear and rage swamped him. His body reacted immediately. He reached for a weapon that wasn’t there and looked around the Command Deck searching for someone to fight. Then he realized—they weren’t his emotions, but were Nadia’s.
“Wulf!” His brother turned, a question in his eyes. “We need to hurry. Nadia and her team are in danger.”
Wulf barked out an order to the communications officer. “Call down to Ard and see what in the hell is going on! Huw, get those security teams down there … now.”
On Tarn in the military facility
Nadia and Bram had managed to avoid several men running toward the weapons command center. So far the path to the escape tunnel had been too easy. But they had yet to get to their destination. So she wouldn’t count her chickens, as her farmer grandmother had always said, just yet.
She’d thought too soon. Anger. Fear. Pain. The strong emotions rode the air currents of the subterranean corridor. She upped her shields against the emotions coming from the direction of their ultimate destination.
Nadia pulled on Bram’s belt, staying his movement. He turned and mouthed, “What is wrong?”
She signaled four men ahead and mouthed, “A’tem. Danger.”
Bram’s ramping up to battle readiness was evident in his aura—and oddly enough seemed to supplement her fight readiness. And then it hit her—Huw! She’d drawn on him without realizing it, using him to help her utilize the Prime battle rage Bram emitted.
Nadia moved to the corner and peeked around it. Her control over her emotions at the sight was tested. Bram touched her arm, holding her back. He whispered over her ear, “Steady. Plan.”
She nodded and Bram let go of her.
A’tem was bleeding and down on the ground. His eyes were closed and his skin, pale, its normal blue now bluish white. For a split second, she’d thought him dead, but a frisson of his emotions brushed up against her. He was alive and pissed. He was waiting—he knew they would come and he played opossum until they did.
She turned to look at Bram and mouthed, “Not dead.”
Bram’s fiery gaze lightened. He pointed at her open jacket and the expanse of skin it revealed, a question in his eyes. Bram had learned quickly her female attributes were a boon in distracting the enemy.
Nadia thought for a second and shook her head. There were only three of the enemy, and A’tem was on the ground out of the line of fire. It would be quicker to take the bastards out all at once with a wide blast from the laser rifles. She slipped her rifle off her shoulder and set it for a wide blast.
Bram must’ve agreed with her strategy, because he mimicked her motions.
She hand-signaled one, two, and on three both of them surged around the corner with lasers blasting. The three mercenaries had no time to react—just die. This time she gave no additional thought to the dead men she stepped over. They’d hurt her friend.
Nadia went to help A’tem as Bram fired insurance kill shots into the heads of the three. “A’tem? How badly are you hurt?”
The Volusian allowed her to help him stand. He stumbled slightly before gaining control of his stance. He heaved a sigh and eyed the most serious wound on his upper left chest. He applied pressure to the wound with his hand. “I’m fine, Nadia. I’m thankful the enemy didn’t have a rudimentary understanding of Volusian anatomy—or I would be dead.”
Nadia was thankful also. The stab wound looked deep and was bleeding sluggishly, but was nowhere near A’tem’s heart. The Volusian heart’s major chamber was centrally located behind a solid carapace of bone. The enemy had aimed for a Terran heart location. All the Volusians had in that position was muscle, bone, and fat. The wound would hurt like a bitch, but it wasn’t life-threatening.
Bram joined them with the enemies’ weapons in his arms. He looked A’tem up and down and smiled in grim satisfaction. “Well met, warrior. Are we ready to move? I will dump these weapons in the escape tunnel.”
“How far are we from the entrance?” Nadia followed Bram as he took the lead. She stayed by A’tem in case he needed her assistance. But he moved just fine.
A’tem answered before Bram could. “Not far. I was at the door when the enemy attacked me. They attempted to drag me away, and I resisted. I knew you’d be coming along the corridor soon and figured I had a better chance of escaping if they didn’t attempt to take me to their leaders.”
“Did they call in your capture?” Nadia looked over her shoulder and found only empty corridor.
“Yes.” A’tem chuckled and shook his head. “But Bram’s trick with the door codes had locked up the closest backup which was why they started to drag me away. The enemy is now very shorthanded from what I overheard.”
“That’s good.” Nadia would make sure the Alliance Command knew Bram deserved a commendation for his efforts. A’tem would get a medal also for being injured while engaging the enemy.
As a team-building exercise, this had been trial by fire. So far, Gold’s crew members had proven they were the best of the best. She was proud to call these men her peers.
“We are here, Commander.” Bram indicated the door that looked like every other door but was gray.
Nadia frowned. “Aren’t gray doors waste disposal access doors?” She was sure that was what she’d learned while poring over building plans with Mel. But she now knew not everything about this facility was reflected on the plans, so the gray doors might’ve been a red herring also.
“Yes.” Bram smirked. “No one likes to deal with what is behind them. This one leads into the caves and not the waste recycling system.” He turned to the door and accessed the control pad and monitor hidden in the wall.
Bram’s snarl of rage set the hairs on Nadia’s body on end. A’tem stiffened at her side and emitted an answering low-level growl.
“What is it, Bram?” she asked. “What do you see?” But she knew. She could feel and almost see the rage. Red. Heat. Pain. Fear. Battle rage.
“The enemy had a unit,” a unit meaning nine soldiers, “guarding the exit into the cave. Our people are under fire.”
“Get us in there, Bram.” Nadia signaled Aeron. “Aeron, the team you sent us is under attack. We’re engaging the enemy.”
Aeron’s voice came back instantly. “Will send additional help.”
When the door opened, the sounds of laser fire, yells, and screams blasted Nadia’s ears. Yelling a Hunnic war cry handed down through the ages, she leapt into the fray. A berserker’s rage swept through her, supplemented by the batel rabia from Bram and, through their link, from Huw. She fought her way into the mass of large male bodies fighting hand to hand and with knives.
With a Prime battle cry, Bram leapt into the battle. A’tem followed with a Volusian battle cry, his wound obviously not a problem.
For a fraction of a second, even though Nadia knew the two men were on her side, their cries and those of the three Prime Aeron had sent struck fear in her heart. Shaking it off, she let instincts as old as the galaxy and her training take over—and she fought, knowing in the back of her mind that Huw was connected and doing what he could to keep her alive by sharing his strength and knowledge. God, what is this connection we have?
Chapter 7
With Nadia and her team attacking the enemy from the facility side, the all-Prime team of three Aeron had sent surged forward from the cover they’d sought when first engaging the enemy. Fast and furious moments of fighting tipped the former standoff in favor of the Gold soldiers.
With four of the enemy on the ground, dead or dying, Nadia’s crew surrounded the four still standing, who threw down their weapons in surrender. None of the eight were Prime, but were a mix of Terran, Antareans, and some who looked to be from the Umbraxi system. The Antareans were the most dangerous and she didn’t
have a damn dart gun. She kept her battle blade in her hand, just in case.
“Bram, shut the door behind us,” Nadia ordered. He hurried to do so while she and A’tem kept the four remaining enemy under guard. The men Aeron had sent collected weapons.
“Secure them at wrists and ankles.” Nadia threw one of the men her extra set of restraints as did A’tem. “We’ll leave them for the Prime military to deal with.” She counted heads and frowned. “I thought there were nine mercenaries.”
“Commander.” One of the three Prime crewmen, all of whom she recognized as Galanti crew members, spoke. She hadn’t learned all the new crew members’ names yet.
“One of the mercenaries got past us and headed into the main tunnel which leads to the surface. He will bring others.”
“If he attempts to make it back to the military compound, I’m fairly certain he’ll run into the Gold rescue teams.” The teams should’ve landed and begun to secure the facility not long after she and Bram had shut down the weapons system.
The three men bellowed their approval. Prime tended to be a noisy bunch when their battle hormones were elevated.
Nadia should talk; she’d yelled just as loudly during the attack. She clicked her com unit. “Aeron?”
“Nadia! Status?”
His concern came over the headset clearly—and it was more than concern for the general welfare of the men. Aeron had feelings for her. Too bad her emotions and heart were already tied to another man—one who was too stubborn to give up a pipe dream and accept what was in front of him.
“We’re fine. The men you sent held their position and we trapped the enemy between us. One got away and is probably heading for the surface.” She looked over the three-man team. “All wounds, but for A’tem’s, are superficial.”
A’tem protested. “And I’m also fine, Aeron. It’s a minor chest wound for a Volusian.”
Aeron came back. “Good. Make your way back. Gold has sent teams to the surface from the Galanti and the Leonidas. They are taking the battle to the enemy. They should make short work of it.”
Nadia chuckled. “Should be like shooting fish in a barrel.”
The trussed up enemy glared. But when her team eyed her as if she were crazy, she laughed and explained, “An old Terran saying which means the battle would be easy.”
“Very colorful,” Aeron said. “And true. Be alert. There could be isolated groups of the enemy on and in the mountains.”
“We’ll be fine.” She looked at the three Prime standing over the downed enemy and then at Bram and A’tem. “I think the team-building aspect of the maneuvers has been very successful. I’m proud to serve with such brave and quick-thinking soldiers. We’ll see you soon.”
After she signed off, Bram came to her side. “Commander, you neglected to tell Commander Ard you are among the wounded.”
“No, I’m not.” She took a mental inventory and concluded she had no pain, thus she wasn’t wounded. “It must be the enemy’s blood.”
“It’s your blood.” A’tem came to her other side. “A laser cut along your waist. Your uniform top is shredded and singed. Doesn’t it pain you? It looks very deep.”
Nadia looked down. “Well, damn. I don’t feel it. Must be the adrenaline.” Or Huw’s extra-strength adrenaline coming over their connection. He was very close now—and raging mad.
A’tem pulled a small med kit from his waist pack. “Let’s just make sure it continues to be painless, Nadia.”
Before she could protest, A’tem injected a bolus of painkiller and then applied a smaller version of the healing cold laser to the deep laser tear at her waist. She shuddered as the icy numbness swept over her side.
“That should hold until Dr. Morgan can look at it.” A’tem repacked his field medical kit and stowed it in the pack attached to his utility belt.
“Thanks, A’tem.”
“Nadia! You are hurt! I am coming.”
“I’m fine. Pay attention to your surroundings. No need to come. See you at the cave.”
Huw didn’t need to be distracted by her minor injuries while he was fighting off mercenaries, especially the Antarean ones. He could get himself or his men killed.
Gritting her teeth, she cut off the pathway to Huw. Cutting the connection, with him so close and his battle rage so strong, felt as if a piece of her soul had been torn from her body. Every one of her instincts demanded that she stay in touch, lend him her strength, monitor his health.
Also, with the mental connection now blocked from her side, the pain from her wound and her general exhaustion almost took her breath away. She barely managed to stay upright. Only the painkiller and ice laser treatment kept her from whimpering in pain. All she wanted was a warm meal, a good, stiff drink, and eight solid hours of sleep—but she knew she wouldn’t see that particular combination of luxuries anytime soon.
Glancing at the concerned faces of her team, she shrugged. “I must’ve zigged instead of zagged. I’m fine.” She waved a hand toward the exit from the small cavern in which they’d battled. “Let’s get back to our people. Oh, and keep a look out for our missing team. They might’ve sheltered in this cave system.”
The six entered the tunnel and used LED lights to illuminate their way. The Prime on point spoke up. His voice while low carried easily as it echoed off the stone walls of the narrow, roughly hewn tunnel. “Commander, the missing team came into the secured perimeter after you and your team left on your mission. They are all well. Just tired and dehydrated.”
Thank God, they were safe. It had been a constant worry niggling at the back of her mind even as she’d dealt with all the other issues of keeping her people alive. No matter how successful she’d been—if she had lost those six, she would’ve failed.
“Thank you, Crewman…” She needed to stop thinking of them as Prime crewman one, two, and three. Plus, she was fairly sure the one who’d spoken was under her direct command in the science lab. He was her exogeologist. The merger had occurred so quickly, she was still attempting to put names and faces together.
“Science Technician Jod … Bre Jod.” He continued to walk, shining his light from side to side. “And, Commander, we heard what you said to Commander Ard—and we are equally proud to serve with you. You fight like a Prime.”
And coming from a Prime male—that was an extreme compliment.
“Thank you, Tech Jod.” Nadia looked over her shoulder at the other two; the movement pulled her wound and made her hiss. Dumb move, Nadia. The two crewmen trailing looked a lot like Bre. Well, all Prime looked a lot alike, but these three more so than others. She suspected they were kin and using last names would become confusing quickly. “And your teammates, Bre? Would you introduce them, please?”
Bre looked over his shoulder. “Gladly. The one your left is my youngest brother, Cred Jod. And the one on your right is the middle brother, Cas Jod. We entered the military and trained as Elite at the same time. Our mother has worried ever since.”
Bre’s brothers looked slightly embarrassed by their brother’s words. She chuckled.
Mothers, got to love them. They even embarrass the most alpha of males.
“Nadia?” A’tem touched her elbow. “What’s so funny?”
“Sorry, but Bre’s words and his brothers’ obvious embarrassment brought up a memory. I thought my mother would have a heart attack when she heard I’d entered the Alliance Military rather than go into research or teach at the university. Mothers never want their children in danger. But I bet Bre’s mother is proud of her sons all the same.”
“Yes, sir,” Cas said from behind her. “She is.”
Bre held up a hand. “We must be quiet now. The tunnel to the surface is near and it intersects with several other escape tunnels in this particular cave system. The apayebo who escaped could be lurking anywhere. I suggest you all stay here while I scout ahead.”
The men circled around Nadia, awaiting her orders. The mood was one of confidence in her leadership, and for the first time since the A
lliance had merged Wulf’s crews into Gold Squad, she felt optimistic about a woman’s role managing a mostly Prime crew.
“Do it, Bre. Click your com unit if you see the enemy, and we’ll come to back you up,” Nadia said.
The Jod brothers looked at her, the trio’s eyes glittering like bonfires in the relative darkness of the cave tunnel. She read them as being somewhat in shock and wondered what she’d said to cause them to feel so strongly.
“Thank you for your trust in my judgment,” Bre finally said. “I won’t be long.”
Turning off the light he carried, he slipped into the darkness and disappeared.
“How does he see?” Nadia asked his brothers.
Cred grinned. “He doesn’t. He uses his spatial sense. For some reason, our brother has one of the early traits of a Prime warrior. His abilities are similar to the Terran creature that flies and sends out signals. It is why he went into exogeology. He is in his element underground.”
“The Terran creature is called a bat.” Nadia couldn’t stand any longer. Her knees were shaking and her body trembled with adrenaline drop. Plus, she kept fighting the instinct to drop her mental shields and check on Huw. She sat on the cold rough ground of the cave tunnel and rested her head against the rock wall. She took a drink from her water bottle and allowed herself a small sigh of relief. “Just before Bre left, you all seemed shocked by something? What was it? Did I misstep?”
“No, sir. We couldn’t believe you accepted Bre’s suggestion on how to proceed.
Prime officers tend not to appreciate rank-and-file soldiers making suggestions,” Cred replied.
Cas and Bram mumbled their agreement.
Cred sat by her side and placed his light on the ground. The way the light reflected around the tunnel reminded her of sitting by a campfire on the Steppes of Russia on hunting trips during her early childhood.
Bram and Cas sat on her other side and A’tem sat in front of her. Her men had surrounded her with the protection of their bodies, and she wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or insulted. She decided to be neither; she was too tired.
Prime Selection Page 8
