“You said you talked to Bruiser?” Condemner interjected. “Was DiMackerlyn with him?”
The young man nodded. “Yeah. They were heading for the restrooms, too.”
“Ah. Our missing parental couple have arrived,” Provoker remarked, staring past Deceiver. They all turned to see Star and Hunter getting their trays inside the cafeteria. They joined the others, taking a nearby table for their own.
“So how’s the little cherub doing?” Provoker remarked dryly.
Star ignored the man, leaving Hunter to answer. “She’s doing fine. I can’t believe how tiny she is.”
“Any indication she could have any special abilities?” Deceiver queried with a grin.
“None that we’ve seen. Right now, all she can do is eat, sleep, and dirty her diapers.”
“Better enjoy the itty bitty-ness while you can,” Perlakian remarked. “She’ll be running all over this place before you know it.”
“Oh, geeze. She’s right.” Star looked at her husband. “Does this mean we’ll have to baby-proof the base?”
A loud groan drew their attention to Provoker, who sat with one hand over his face. “Don’t tell me we’re going to have to install latches on all the doors and cover up all the comm ports with safety caps!”
The claxon erupted with nearly ear-splitting intensity. Commander grabbed Perlakian’s hand to bring her with him as the entire group rushed to the meeting room where Deceiver yelled out, “Who’s on comm watch?”
“Me!” Blender answered, already plugging himself in to the board in the table.
A holo screen jumped into view from the center of the table, but it remained dark. “Blender, where’s the video?” the Guardian leader demanded.
“No video. Audio coming in now. Feeding it through the interpreter.”
“…Command! We are on Tur De Me Fa, in the Silici quadrant of the Be Ta Du system. Our world has gone dark! Please help us! We need light to live! Guardian Command! We are on Tur—”
Blender closed the connection. “It’s a loop, but the message is tagged as a Priority Red One distress call.”
Deceiver turned to Provoker, who was already on his comm board. “What can you tell us about Tur De Me Fa?”
“Level two intelligent species. No advanced space travel. Discovered during the initial exploratory flights five hundred years ago. They are part of the Intergalactic Regency, but their status is non-participating, which means they follow the treaties, but they aren’t actively involved in policing others. They’re non-humanoid, and solely dependent on light for their survival.” He glanced up at the Guardian leader. “They need light in order to live. They can’t eat, or even breathe, without it.”
“Then let’s get there as soon as we can. Morning Fire, Corona, you supply what they need until we can find a solution to their problem. Commander, I’m going to need you to see if you can’t find some answers. Until then, maybe you can rig up something to aide them.”
Devorah glanced at her husband, whose face had faded a few shades. He gave her a haunted look, then nodded slowly in reply to Deceiver’s orders. She started to speak up when, to her surprise, StarLight remarked, “Why not send Wooly, now that he’s an official Guardian? Let him get his feet wet.”
Deceiver gave her a long look, then glanced over where the young man was sitting in the chair next to Destiny. “What about it, Wooly? Ready to prove your mettle?”
Wooly’s face lit up. “More than ready, sir!”
“All right. Provoker, you take the pilot’s seat. Challenger, provide backup. Any further questions or comments?” When no one answered, he nodded. “Then get to moving.”
Perlakian turned to StarLight as the five Guardians ran for the docking bay, but the woman was already out the door to return to the dining hall and her interrupted meal.
Chapter Fourteen
Missing
Hunter took his seat and reached for his utensil to resume his meal when a worried vibe drifted over to him. His first thought was Star, but a quick glance showed she was casually spooning soup into her mouth. She sensed his gaze, and looked up at him.
“What? I’m trying not to slurp.”
He slightly shook his head. “I’m getting a weird vibe from someone.”
Together they looked around the dining hall, but the rest of the group appeared to be enjoying their meal. Time Merchant and Disaster were holding an animated conversation, complete with hand gestures. Otherwise, everything appeared to be normal.
“Maybe you’re sensing Deceiver,” she suggested. The Guardian leader was absent, but that wasn’t unusual. Hunter figured he had gone to his comm to check for incoming requests.
“No. I know Deceiver’s waves. This one is…different.” He frowned. “Other than those who just left, who isn’t here?”
Star took another sweep around the room. “As far as I can tell, Bruiser, but he’s escorting our visitor around.” Lowering her voice to a whisper, she added, “I hope he keeps that man away from here long enough to where I can finish eating. That man makes me nauseated.”
That man. She couldn’t bring herself to say “my father”. Unconsciously, Hunter sent her a gentle ribbon of warmth to sooth her nerves. She gave him a loving smile in response.
They heard the side door open, and Bruiser entered the hall. Alone. Immediately, the feeling of worry intensified, and Hunter sat up straighter.
“Hey, Broos, aren’t you missing something?”
The giant man turned a pale face to them. “Yeah. That’s the problem. DiMackerlyn gave me the slip.”
Hunter felt Star go ice cold the moment the words were out of the man’s mouth. Animator and Blender were automatically on their feet.
“Where did you lose him?” Blender asked in a tight voice.
“In the restrooms in quadrant B.”
“How could you lose someone in a restroom?” Disaster inquired with a hint of sarcasm. “There’s no window. Just the door.”
Bruiser shook his head, almost in bewilderment. “I don’t know, but he’s gone. He needed to use the facilities, and since there aren’t any public ones inside Command, I took him over to the ones in B. He went inside and I stayed by the door, waiting for him. When he never came out, I went in to see if something was wrong.” The man shook his head again. “The place was empty.”
Hunter frowned. “There’s no way he could have slipped by you?”
Anger flashed across the man’s face. “Who do you think I am? The new kid in the barracks? I stood blocking that doorway for a good five minutes. Unless the man turned into smoke and exited through the ventilation shaft, there’s no way he could have gotten past me.”
“How long has he been missing?” Star finally found her voice, shaky though it was.
Bruiser gave her an apologetic look. “I’ve been searching for the past fifteen minutes. I checked the concourse first, then I came here, thinking he may have gone on ahead. The guy said he needed something to drink.”
“We would have known if DiMackerlyn showed up here,” Animator remarked.
“Hold on.” Blender hurried over to the dining hall comm board. “Let’s see if we can pick him up on one of the security cameras.”
“There’s a security camera in our personally-used restrooms?” Condemner inquired.
“Hallways only in our personal areas,” the big man answered. “None inside the individual apartments.”
“Oh, gee. That makes me feel a whole lot safer, then,” Condemner replied with obvious sarcasm.
The rest gathered behind him to stare at the bank of small vid screens projected on the wall. None of them showed a solitary figure roaming around the grounds.
“What’s going on?”
Hunter turned to Deceiver entering the hall. “DiMackerlyn gave Bruiser the slip. We’re trying to locate the man on camera.”
“Any luck?”
“No. None.”
“Have you backed up the timeline on the vids? How long has he been missing?”
&nb
sp; “At least twenty minutes,” Bruiser responded. “I took him to use the facilities in quadrant B.”
Deceiver frowned. “Over near the apartments? Why didn’t you escort him over to the public ones.”
“He said he had to go, and the public ones are clear on the other side of base. Besides, I was going to bring him here next. I figured it would be all right.” The man looked positively sick at the thought that he might have made a grievous error. Again, he apologized. “I don’t know how I could have missed him.”
Deceiver reached over to the comm board and punched a few buttons. “Blender, back the cameras up in that area and let’s see if we can’t spot him.”
All eyes were glued to the screens where they saw Bruiser and DiMackerlyn approach the men’s restroom. True to his word, the Guardian took a stance directly in front of the door after their visitor went inside. After a time, they watched as Bruiser went inside. Moments later, he emerged alone and with a puzzled expression on his face. More cameras caught sight of Bruiser checking the area without luck.
Disaster spoke up. “I’ve been watching the men’s dorm. He didn’t go there.”
“He didn’t go to the women’s side, either,” Animator added.
“Well, the man has to be som—”
Deceiver was interrupted by an orange light suddenly flashing on the board. Time Merchant voiced what everyone was thinking.
“Why are the overhead doors opening in the landing bay?”
The horrific answer came to all of them simultaneously.
Hunter was the first to pop out of the dining hall and into the immense chamber just as Transport One jetted into the sky, barely squeaking through the still-opening hatchway. He raced to catch up with the ship, but the craft hit hyperlight speed as it barely exited the stratosphere.
Furious and frustrated, he returned to the landing bay where everyone had gathered. “He’s gone. I couldn’t get to him in time. Son of a bitch!”
“Why did he leave? It’s not making any sense!” Animator asked. “I thought he was adamant about Star going with him.”
“Something is definitely stinky about this whole situation,” Blender commented.
Devorah jogged over to the comm board. Commander watched as she made a call.
“Calling Space Station Gregis Minor. Space Station Gregis Minor, in the Wodurati system. This is Guardian Command on Synaria.” The physician looked back at Time Merchant. “What’s my lag time?”
“Umm, fourteen minutes, give or take two seconds.”
Nodding, Perlakian went back to the board. “Space Station Gregis Minor, this is Doctor Devorah Perlakian of Guardian Command. I am seeking information about a patient you have in your medical unit. I am needing to know the condition of…” She glanced at Star. “Name?”
“Bellit DiMackerlyn.”
“Of Bellit DiMackerlyn. I’m attaching my credentials to this communiqué to show authorization. Please respond. This is a Code Orange Two.”
Punching the clear button, Devorah took a step back. “All right. Let’s see what they have to say.”
“Why? What do you think they’ll say?” Star demanded with narrowed eyes.
The physician shook her head. “I don’t know. Too many things aren’t adding up, and I’m getting a bad feeling about DiMackerlyn.”
“We’ve got a signal from One!” Sender stuck her head out of Two. “Seeker’s homed in on our runaway!”
They rushed into the downed ship where the twins had managed to trace the missing transport.
“Good job, you two,” Deceiver complimented them. “Where is it?”
“Here. You figure it out. It looks like cheel scrit to me.” Seeker moved away to let the Guardian leader take her place.
“It’s still in hyperlight mode, that’s why,” he informed her.
“Which means we won’t be able to pinpoint its exact location until it emerges,” Hunter commented.
“One thing’s for certain,” Time Merchant remarked. “If it comes out close to the Wodurati system, we know where he’s headed.”
“Yes, but I still don’t get it,” Animator persisted. “Why come all this way to beg Star to go back there with him, and then leave without her?”
“Maybe because he finally realized Star wanted nothing more to do with him?” It was a guess, but it was the best Hunter could do at the moment.
A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Glancing over at the nondescript woman standing a few feet away, he addressed her directly. “Destiny, did you see this coming?”
In reply, she lifted her hands, palms up, in a gesture they all recognized. Either she didn’t know…or she couldn’t say.
“I’m sorry he took our ship, but I’m not sorry he’s gone,” Star confessed softly, her relief and weariness evident in her voice and body posture. “Deceiver, how can I help to get One back?”
“I’ll notify the Stellar Police in that system to be on the lookout. Once they capture him, he’ll be spending several years as their special guest. Thank goodness intergalactic messages travel faster than ships.” Turning back to the board, he proceeded to make his call. Slowly the rest of them exited the ship.
Hunter drew an arm around Star’s shoulders. She leaned against him and sighed.
“It’s over,” she whispered.
“It would seem. Tired?”
“I feel wrung out.”
“Need to lie down?”
“Yeah. That would be nice. Maybe take a short nap. Hopefully by the time I wake up, we’ll have some news. Promise me you’ll wake me if I’m not up by then.”
Nodding, he enveloped her inside his bubble, and took her to their apartment. Once they emerged from the shield, Star automatically went over to check on their infant daughter.
Cold, unimaginable fear slammed into him as Star’s cry of horror ripped the air. Rushing to her, he barely managed to catch her as she slumped next to the incubator.
The empty incubator.
The baby was gone.
Yet the security light continued to glow a bright red, showing the system was operational and nothing had been breached.
Chapter Fifteen
Reply
“I don’t see how,” Star repeated for the third time. She pressed closely against her husband’s wide chest, but his warmth wasn’t enough to dispel the chills running through her.
Her baby was gone. Callaura was gone, and they had no idea where the infant could be.
Challenger stomped over to the incubator and tucked it under one arm. “I’m taking this over to my workshop and see if the security system is faulty,” he practically growled. His self-blame was clear to all who were gathered in the small apartment. He had built the small cradle to Perlakian’s specifications. If the transparent lid was disturbed in any way, from the inside or out, the alarm should have gone off. Angrily he strode out of the room.
Devorah sat on the bed, on the other side of distraught parents. Taking one of Star’s hands in her own, she soothingly said, “We’ll find her. Don’t worry.”
“But where could she be?” Hunter persisted. “She can’t even lift her head yet, much less lift the lid and crawl away.”
“And you’ve searched everywhere?” Animator repeated.
“I had the computer do a full scan of the compound right after I hit the inner alarm.”
Star’s eyes automatically rested on the small black button on the comm board a few meters away. As long as she had been a Guardian, she’d never known anyone to press that key that would notify everyone within Command that there was an emergency within their ranks. As the distinctive sound of a horn whooped on the outskirts of the base, she had been too distraught to care until the others came running.
“One thing is certain,” Deceiver remarked. “None of us could have taken her.”
“Yeah, but what if…” Seeker bit her lower lip. “What if DiMackerlyn did?”
The question hung over them like a cloud of terror. Sender immediately dismis
sed her sister’s question. “There’s no way he could have.”
“Then why did he take off in One like a shistick from hell?” Seeker countered. “It would make sense.”
“He would have tripped the sensors if he’d come inside,” Hunter answered. “That’s two sensors that would have…that should have gone off.” His voice trailed into a whisper, and he pressed his lips to Star’s temple. “We’ll get her back. I promise.”
Condemner leaned against the comm, arms crossed over his midriff, one hand stroking the short beard at his chin. “I think we need to look at this whole thing from a different perspective.”
Hunter looked at him. “What do you mean?”
The long, lean man uncurled himself, placing his hands on the comm board behind him. “I mean, we keep saying this is possible, or that is possible, yet it can’t be possible. But it did, folks. We have a stolen space craft and a missing baby. In my mind, the math is pretty simple.”
Bruiser moved closer to the man. “Explain the math, then.”
Condemner nodded in Hunter’s direction. “You could easily bypass those sensors if you were inside your little bubble, correct?”
“Of course, but the security grid has my profile on record. It would recognize me and allow me entrance whether I use my power or not.”
“True, true. Hear me out on this. Could you, inside your private little airlock, also reach inside the incubator and remove the baby without tripping the sensors?”
Hunter hesitated for a second. “Yes, I could. But I didn’t take her.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
“Then what are you implying? That someone with my power got inside this apartment and took Callie from her cradle?”
Condemner winced at Hunter’s angry tone, but stood his ground. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Sender sat on the bed next to the physician. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Someone with a power to move through walls like Hunter took the baby?”
“It would explain how the son of a bitch got past me,” Bruiser growled.
“DiMackerlyn?” Seeker gave a humorless laugh. “Are you saying DiMackerlyn has that kind of ability?”
HeartStorm (HeartFast Series Book 3) Page 9
