by Smith, S. E.
His brothers nodded in agreement. Derik wanted to protest that he could save her himself, but the words died on his lips. The thought of Amelia in danger again, this time from a human killer known for his cruelty, made his blood run cold.
Derik glanced down at the timer on the device in his hand, and gripped the warm metal tighter. The next four minutes were going to seem much longer than they really were.
“We find Derik’s mate, and bring her and Afon Dolinski back. The man will pay for his part in Adam Raines’ death and Merrick’s torture,” Teriff ordered.
“I agree,” J’kar seconded.
“Amelia comes first,” Derik tersely added. “If Dolinski threatens her, I want him taken out.”
He looked up at his father when Teriff placed a hand on his shoulder. “We will not let anything happen to your bond mate. I promise,” Teriff quietly stated.
Derik nodded. Pride filled him when he saw his brothers rise to their feet and look at him with the same grim expression of determination. He would take his father’s advice and bring Amelia to Quadrule Five. It was far too dangerous to leave her on Earth.
“The Gateway will open in five, four, three, two…,” DAR counted down.
Derik took a deep breath when the portal opened to the living room of the townhouse. He stepped through the opening, followed by his father and three brothers. He immediately reached out to Amelia—and felt down to his soul the silent void where she should be.
Chapter Sixteen
“RITA!” Derik called as the silence engulfed him.
Derik stumbled back several steps when FRED appeared in front of him, looking very unhappy. He shot the AI a fierce glare.
“Where is Amelia?” Derik demanded.
A tinge of red swept over FRED’s glowing blue form, turning the AI’s color to a dark purple. In the back of his mind, Derik wondered if Cosmos was aware of the extensive emotional adaptions that his AIs were developing. He made a mental note to take a look at the programming when all of this was over. Pushing his fascination aside, he listened as FRED answered him.
“Your female menace has gone to find Afon Dolinski,” FRED informed him.
“I know that. What I don’t know is where!” Derik impatiently snapped.
“FRED, be a dear and program the GPS in the… the SUV,” RITA said, her voice slurring slightly. “The keys are in the locked cabinet in the garage.” She added in a conspiratorial whisper, “FRED will unlock the cabinet for youuuuuu.” Her last vowel seemed to get stuck for a moment, then she cheerfully said, “Oh! Never mind, Robert is here.”
“I summoned him,” FRED replied. “Avery reminded me that any attempt to retrieve Amelia should be done without drawing attention to the alien squadron behind it,” the AI dryly commented.
“Avery… Oh, yes… I’m still re… re… recovering. Amelia’s program makes me—sluggish. I feel like I’m on dialup!” RITA said.
“Dialup? That sounds like a very nasty word,” FRED growled.
“It is, love. I feel like I’m running at about 40 kbps,” RITA replied in a mournful tone.
“I’ll bar Amelia from ever accessing you again,” FRED threatened.
“Nonsense! I would much… much… much… rather have Amelia show us where our weakness is than some other little snip!” RITA dismissed.
The sound of footsteps outside of the room drew his attention. A moment later, Robert stood at the entrance to the room. Robert’s eyes widened and he warily looked at their small group.
“Uh—Avery said you needed a ride,” Robert said.
Teriff, and Derik’s brothers all moved in unison. Robert’s face paled when Teriff pulled out his weapon. Derik held his hand out in front of his father.
“This is Robert, one of Cosmos’ men,” Derik quietly stated.
“Can he take us to your mate?” Teriff commanded.
“Yes,” Derik replied, turning back to Robert with a fierce expression.
* * *
The scooter wobbled as Runt pulled it to the side of the deserted road. She placed her feet down on the ground and turned off the ignition. At the same time, she lifted her chin in surprise and relief. She could feel Derik again.
“Maybe I’ll give him another chance,” she mumbled.
She still had her mental walls up, but there was a reluctant smile on her face and an odd warmth in her heart because he’d been telling the truth—he had planned on coming back. Sliding off the bike, she pushed it into the shadows under a tree near the high, ivy-covered stone wall that surrounded Afon Dolinski’s estate.
She lowered the kickstand and leaned the scooter against it, making sure it wouldn’t fall over before she reached up and removed the helmet from her head. She looped the chin strap over the handlebar and stepped away from the scooter, scanning the wall. Confident that her mode of transportation was as safe as she could make it, she took off in the direction of the service entrance.
The damp grass, wet from the earlier rain, muffled her footsteps as she scanned the area. Light from the moon danced between storm clouds that still lingered, creating enough light to see and yet enough shadows to remain concealed. She grimaced when she felt her wristband vibrate. RITA was back online. She crouched and pressed the glass face of her micro-computer. In seconds, RITA’s face appeared.
Always quick on the uptake, the AI had chosen to use a dark red, low-powered hologram to preserve Runt’s night vision and emit as little noticeable light as possible.
“I have one of Cosmos’ satellites aimed at the compound,” RITA whispered. “There are two heat signatures within one hundred yards. They are walking away from you, going east along the inner fence. There are also two guards at the service entrance, and cameras mounted every forty feet.”
Runt blinked in surprise. “You aren’t mad at me?” she exclaimed in a soft, surprised voice.
“No, love. I know why you did it. You’re good, but I’m better. I’ve read the file,” RITA replied.
“Oh. I didn’t know he was—that I was…,” her voice faded.
“The fact that Afon Dolinski is your uncle does not negate the fact that he is a very dangerous man,” RITA gently advised.
“I know,” she murmured, bowing her head to hide her expression. “I don’t want anyone to know about Dolinski yet. I need to….”
“You want to have a chat with him first,” RITA prompted.
Runt nodded. “I have to know,” she replied.
“So, what is the plan? I take out their security system and you sneak in?” RITA asked.
Runt thought about Dolinski and everything she had learned about him. A suddenly brazen idea formed in her head. It was totally crazy and probably just a little suicidal, but…. She rose to her feet and started to retrace her steps back to the scooter.
“Are you leaving?” RITA asked with surprise.
Runt shook her head. “Nope, I’m going to wake up Dolinski and introduce myself. I’ll let you know if I need any help,” she said with a half grin.
“Oh my,” RITA replied in a faint voice.
Runt pressed the top of the micro-computer, pulled her helmet free of the handlebar, and put it on. Then she slid back onto the scooter, started it, and pushed it forward to release the kickstand.
Making a wide U-turn, she decided that if she was going to make an entrance, she would do it through the front gate. She had done a lot of crazy things in her life, but this had to be one of the craziest.
Derik, are you there? she tentatively reached out.
Wait for me. I am on my way, he instructed.
No, I don’t want to risk you getting hurt again. I’ll be alright. I just… wanted to say I’m sorry, she said.
For what? he demanded.
For thinking that you had left me. I wouldn’t have blamed you, you know, for leaving, she murmured.
I am coming for you, Amelia, he said.
Runt smiled wryly. I know. Just wait for me this time. I’ll let you know if I need you to come in guns blazing, she instr
ucted.
I hope you have a better plan than your last one! he retorted.
Rolling her eyes at the exasperation in his tone, she didn’t say anything. There was no doubt in her mind that Derik would have a cow—or a herd of them if aliens had such things on their world—if he knew what she was about to do. Still, while she did pull away and shield her thoughts from him, she was comforted by their muffled connection. If the worst happened, it might be nice to have some of that alien healing technology on hand.
Taking a deep breath, she turned the small scooter into the driveway and pulled to a stop when a guard stepped up to the gate. She stared at the man for a second before she looked at the weapon in his hand. Doubts filled her mind, and she wondered if perhaps there was a better way to meet Dolinski. Perhaps she should schedule an appointment after all—one that wasn’t in the middle of the night.
“This is private property,” the guard stated.
She pulled off her helmet and looked at the guy with a wry expression. “Yeah, I kinda figured that from the wall, the gate, and the gun you’re holding. Tell Mr. Dolan I want to talk to him,” she stated.
“Take off, kid. Mr. Dolan doesn’t talk to punks like you,” the guard jeered.
“You’d be surprised. Tell him this is about Arianna Dolinski,” she said.
The guard shook his head. “Get lost,” he ordered, shifting his weapon until it was pointing at her.
“What is going on?” a deep voice demanded.
The guard lowered his weapon and turned to the man who stepped out of the shadows. Runt studied Mr. Tall, Dark, and Expensive Suit, and recognized him as Afon’s Chief of Security.
Now, she thought, I’ll get somewhere.
“This kid is demanding to see Mr. Dolan, sir,” the guard replied.
Runt sat back on the scooter and returned Marcelo Moretti’s scrutiny, silently waiting for him to finish his assessment of her.
“What do you want?” the man asked.
“Tell Dol…an that I’d like to speak with him about a woman named Arianna Dolinski,” she replied, silently cursing herself for almost saying his real name.
“Why should I disturb Mr. Dolan at two in the morning to discuss this woman, Ms.…?” He waited for her to tell him her name, but she remained silent.
“Maybe because I’m here now, Mr. Moretti,” she finally answered.
The guard’s snort was cut short when Moretti stepped closer to the gate. She didn’t flinch when she saw his expression harden, nor when his hand moved to the inside of his jacket. He was much more intimidating than DiMaggio, but when it came down to it, he was still made from the same fabric that she’d dealt with all her life—a thug.
“Open the gate,” Moretti ordered.
“…Yes, sir,” the guard grudgingly replied.
“Allow me,” Runt said. “RITA, please open the gate.”
Moretti froze when the security gate suddenly hummed and began to move. The guard’s mouth hung open; his eyes wide with shock.
Runt pulled her helmet on and started the scooter before she slowly entered when the gates parted far enough. She couldn’t help showing off, but it occurred to her that she had revealed two of her aces to get inside—knowing who Moretti was and having RITA open the gate. She would have to be careful moving forward.
“Follow me,” Moretti instructed.
Moretti strode over to the UTV that had been idle in the driveway while the driver waited for the Chief of Security to return. Moretti sat on the back seat, facing her with his pistol in his lap. She drove her scooter several feet behind the UTV.
Less than five minutes later, the driver stopped the UTV beside a beautiful mansion. Moretti slid off the seat and waited for her to park the scooter. She turned off the engine and pulled the bike onto the kickstand before she slid off. Removing her helmet, she gazed at the impressive house.
“Nice digs,” she commented.
“This way,” Moretti said in a curt tone.
Runt rolled her shoulders in response. Moretti’s grouchy tone didn’t bother her. Long ago, she had learned the knack of irritating people, and by now she’d practically turned it into an art form. She slid the strap of her helmet onto the handlebar and gave the driver of the UTV a sharp nod.
“Make sure nobody touches the bike. It doesn’t belong to me,” she instructed.
The UTV driver shot her a startled look before he looked at Moretti for instructions. Marcelo nodded to the man, and Runt kept her expression blank when she saw the Chief of Security’s barely concealed irritation.
“Is there anything else?” he dryly inquired.
“Nope, just take me to your leader,” she quipped.
Chapter Seventeen
Across town, the black SUV raced through the empty streets. Robert’s skillful driving wasn’t lost on Derik. The man handled the vehicle with impressive ease.
“How much further is it?” Teriff demanded.
“Six miles if you’re a bird, ten if you’re in an SUV navigating Washington’s love of one-way streets,” Robert cheerfully replied.
“I’ll be glad when human technology improves,” Borj muttered as he tightly gripped the armrest.
Derik tightened his own grip when Robert rounded a corner and the back of the SUV slid on the wet pavement. His breath caught on a curse when he saw their vehicle sliding toward another car parked along the curb. Robert straightened their vehicle mere inches from the parked car.
“Hello, everyone,” RITA announced through the car’s audio system.
“RITA, are you functioning at full capacity yet?” Derik asked, leaning forward and grabbing the back of Robert’s seat.
“Yes, I’m fully functional. I wanted to give you an update on Amelia,” she stated.
“Is she safe?” Derik ground out.
There was a brief pause before RITA responded. “Define ‘safe’,” she said.
The SUV filled with a chorus of groans. Derik ran his hand over his face. One night! He had been here for one night and his mate was in danger again! He never should have left her alone. One thing was certain, when he got his hands on her again, he was sweeping her off her feet and taking her to Quadrule Five like his father suggested!
What’s Quadrule Five?
Derik dropped his hand to his lap when he heard Amelia’s question in his mind. He really needed to figure out how she was able to slip in without him knowing. Surely that wasn’t the way their connection was supposed to work. He should be able to know at all times if she was there with him.
You have a very noisy brain. It’s easy to come and go, she informed him.
Noisy brain? I don’t think I have ever heard that description before, he dryly retorted.
One of the counselors I used to go to said that. I thought it was funny, she explained.
Please tell me you are somewhere safe, he pleaded.
Well, no one is shooting at me, trying to strangle me, or threatening to do all of the above, she joked.
Why would you go after Afon Dolinski alone? You know what he can do—what he has done. Merrick alone would be happy to kill him, not to mention my brother Mak, he said.
Silence greeted his statement. For a moment, he feared that she had withdrawn from him again—or worse, something had happened that prevented her from answering him. When she spoke, he exhaled the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
I told you, this is personal. I need to do this on my own. If I need help, RITA is with me. If I really need help… well, I hope you brought more backup than just Bert and Robert. These guys are a lot more serious about their fire power than DiMaggio’s goons, she said.
“You are killing me, Amelia,” Derik groaned, unaware that he had spoken out loud.
“How is she killing you? Does she have some kind of special powers?” Teriff demanded, twisting in his seat to look at him.
“It is a human female thing,” Mak said with a chuckle. “My mate did the same thing. If there was a way to make my heart stop and my stomach s
ink, she figured out how to do it,” he wryly added.
“Mine as well,” Borj quietly agreed.
“Mine is a danger to anyone who gets in her way,” J’kar muttered.
“I saw that when she snuck into the Council Room and attacked Merrick and Core,” Teriff remembered.
Derik ignored them—including Robert—as they chortled it up about how their mates drove them crazy. Instead, he focused on his mate. She appeared to be cool, calm, and collected. He didn’t know if that should make him more or less worried.
Less. I’ve got a pretty good feeling about this, she reassured him.
He might have felt better if she had not said ‘pretty’ before she said ‘good’. For once, he wished the Gateway could work like Cosmos had originally intended. If he could open the portal from here to there, he would have done it in a heartbeat…. Blas ja de Juangans! Why didn’t I think about this sooner? He groaned in self-disgust and turned to his older brother with a grim expression. Two could play this game. If Amelia wanted to casually walk into the Juangan’s lair, then so could he.
“What is it?” Borj asked.
“I have an idea,” he quietly said as Robert slowed the SUV and pulled over to the shoulder of the road down the street from Dolinski’s estate.
* * *
“Wait here,” Marcelo ordered.
Runt didn’t reply. It wasn’t like she was going to go anywhere. Between the thick, dark wood doors in front of her and the two guards that had magically appeared to trail behind them when Marcelo escorted her through the kitchen area, she was literally stuck where she stood.
She looked around her. The mansion was beautiful. It was tasteful, not gaudy like some she had seen in magazines or DiMaggio’s office earlier. It was definitely on the masculine side, though. The walls were framed by dark mahogany baseboards. Brilliant Post-Impressionist artwork hung in heavy frames along the walls.
She wiggled her nose when she recognized a painting called Young Italian Girl Resting on Her Elbow by Paul Cézanne. She had seen copies of it in one of the art history books in the library. She’d loved looking at the details of the paintings. It reminded her of computer coding. Each programmer had their own unique stroke when it came to writing code.
