“Yes.”
Mya stumbled as they hit a patch of slippery leaves. Aurora locked her arm more firmly around Mya’s waist and pulled her upright. “Where are the six targets in relation to our position?”
“Three hundred seventy meters to the southeast, following your trajectory.”
Maybe they could outmaneuver them. She changed course so that they were now heading due west. Leaves crunched under their feet and the rasp of their labored breathing filled her ears, but she forced her legs to pump faster, dragging Mya with her. After they’d crested a small hill, she spoke again, the air escaping her lungs in bursts.
“Now…where…are they?”
“Two hundred thirty meters. They adjusted their path to match yours.”
Dammit! How could they possibly be tracking them? She kept moving, not because she believed they would outrun them, but because giving up just wasn’t in her genetic code. She could reach into her tunic for her small pistol, but that would mean releasing her hold on Mya. Not a good idea since she seemed to be the only thing keeping her friend upright. The weapon would be a last resort.
She pushed forward, climbing another low rise, although her calf muscles were screaming and her lungs were on fire. That also didn’t make sense. She was used to this kind of physical effort, had in fact run five miles during her morning workout. But for some reason, she felt like she was moving through glue, each step pulling at her, trying to stop the motion of her feet.
They were at least halfway through the orchard now, pale moonlight drifting down through the breaks in the trees above. She should ask Star how close the creatures were, but she honestly didn’t want to know. The answer might sap what little strength she had left.
How much time had passed since she’d spoken to Kire? Four minutes? Five? She didn’t know. And he was very far away.
As the thought tumbled through her exhausted mind, she heard a new sound off in the distance, coming from somewhere due west. She struggled to identify it over the pounding of her heart, but as it grew louder she nearly cried with joy.
It was the high-pitched whine of a jetbike.
22
The jetcycle screamed in protest as Cade pushed it to its upper limit.
Why hadn’t he figured out a way to hide in the orchard? Instead, he’d set up three kilometers away in the closest wooded location. Stupid. He’d allowed his concern that Aurora would spot him override his instinct to stay close. What had seemed logical only a few hours ago felt ludicrous now that her life was in danger.
As soon as the six targets had moved in Aurora’s direction, he’d put his team on alert. He’d barely controlled a flare of panic when Aurora told Emoto she needed help. He’d thrown his cycle into gear, determined to reach her before the creatures did.
He turned hard to the left as he crested the ridge west of the orchard and swept under the tree line. The moonlight flashed in alternating patterns of light and shadow as he raced through the grove. His visual display helped illuminate the trees, but they weren’t planted in neat rows. He had to dodge around them while navigating the hills, which slowed him down.
The display lit up a moment later with a glowing red mark, indicating the location of Aurora’s comm signal. She’d asked Emoto for a connection to Star, which didn’t make sense. It could be a nickname she’d given Kelly, but Cade wasn’t hearing an Irish accent. If they all got through this, he’d ask Aurora. Whoever Star was, she was providing updates on the locations of the creatures.
He glanced at the display. Aurora was further south than he’d anticipated and heading due west. He banked to the right, putting the bike on an intercept course. A moment later six heat signatures appeared at the top of the display, moving rapidly toward Aurora and Mya.
He was close enough now that she’d be able to hear his bike. Heart pounding, he scanned the area, trying to make out her form in the darkness. That’s when he saw it—a pearlescent shimmer fifty meters ahead. Her energy shield was activated!
He adjusted his path so it would place him between her and the approaching figures. He kept his gaze fixed on the targets, who were now visible in the distance, as he swung in behind her, bringing the bike to a halt.
Aurora approached, her voice breathless and strained. “Thank you for stopping! We need hel—”
She cut off abruptly as he faced her. “Cade?”
“Get on the bike.” He looked back over his shoulder. The figures were only a hundred meters away. He reached for the pistol strapped to his thigh.
“You need to help Mya, first.”
That got his attention. Mya was leaning heavily on Aurora, her head drooping on her shoulder, even though he didn’t see any sign of trauma.
“I’ll take her.” He wrapped his arm around Mya’s shoulders and settled her onto the seat in front of him. She wobbled like an infant, and he tightened his grip. Whatever was wrong with her, it was serious.
Aurora hopped on behind him and slipped her arms around his torso. But rather than holding onto him, she placed her hands on Mya’s upper arm and thigh. Cade felt a subtle tingle and then Aurora’s energy shield enveloped them. His breath caught. He’d forgotten the incredible sensation of being surrounded by that energy.
A series of unintelligible shouts snapped his attention back to the creatures. They resembled rampaging beasts as they thundered toward him as quickly as their contorted bodies would allow, their arms flailing. The guard, however, had slowed, as though he was unsure how to deal with this new complication.
As Cade gunned the motor back to life, the outline of the hunched figures changed. Large wings unfolded from their backs, and they lifted off the ground, their voices and movements becoming wilder and more frenzied. A shot of adrenaline poured into his veins. Time to get the hell out of here.
Whipping the bike around, he took off in the opposite direction, the motor shrieking as it struggled to haul the weight of two additional passengers up the steady incline. Now that the creatures were airborne, it would be tough to outrun them, but they’d have just as much trouble navigating through the trees as he did. He could outmaneuver them, buying time for his reinforcements to arrive.
But when he checked the display, expecting to see the figures in pursuit, their heat signatures indicated they were moving to the east, back out of the orchard.
They’d caught a break. “It’s okay,” he called out to Aurora over the roar of the motor. “They’re moving away.”
She rested her head on his shoulder, her body sagging against him. Her energy shield flickered, too. She must be exhausted. She mumbled something he couldn’t understand.
He slowed the bike so he could hear her. “What did you say?”
“I said, I know.”
For some reason, her comment made the hair on his arms stand up.
They were almost to the edge of the orchard before she spoke again. “Stop.”
He turned his head. “Stop? Why?”
“Kire. He still thinks we’re out there.”
Cade sighed. Now things would get complicated. She’d accepted his presence in the heat of the moment because she’d had to, but the questions would come fast and furious from here on out. And he was expecting a lot of furious.
Checking the display to confirm the figures hadn’t changed course, he slowed to a stop. The sudden silence was oppressive.
She let go of Mya and tapped her earpiece. “Kire? Can you hear me?”
With her head so close to his, he caught Emoto’s vocal response even over the distortion.
“Roe! I’m almost there. Where are you?”
“We’re okay. Cade’s here.”
A pregnant pause followed her statement. Emoto had probably stopped his headlong rush so he could pay attention to the conversation. “Ellis is with you?”
“Yes. But Mya’s not doing well. We need somewhere safe to go while we wait for Celia and Jonarel. Somewhere closer than the shuttle.”
“Let me talk to Kelly. Hang on.”
Cade
turned his head so he could see her over his shoulder. “I have somewhere you can go.” He’d already blown his cover. And now that he had her with him, he was determined not to let her out of his sight.
She was quiet for a moment. He would bet she was considering the wisdom of trusting him. Her voice didn’t betray any emotion when she spoke to Emoto. “Cade has somewhere we can go.”
“Where?”
“Where?” she asked him.
“It’s a cabin about five kilometers up into the mountains.”
She went very still. She was way too smart to think any of this was a coincidence.
And he was in serious trouble. Better to keep her agile mind working on the problems at hand. “I’ll give you the coordinates and directions.” He brought up the information on his comband and sent it to hers.
She took a moment to look it over before forwarding it to Emoto. “Kire, I’ve sent the information to you. Pass it on to Kelly, then contact Jonarel and Celia and apprise them of the situation. We’ll discuss our next move when I see you.”
He noticed she’d carefully avoided providing any identifying information as to where her crew was or what they were doing. She was at a disadvantage, something she would hate.
Emoto’s tone indicated he wasn’t pleased by the turn of events, either, but he kept his comments brief before signing off.
Cade restarted the motor and pointed the bike in the direction of the cabin.
Aurora brought her mouth next to his ear. “When we get there, you and I are going to have a long talk.”
Her warm breath against the soft shell of his ear sent a tremor through his body, but her words produced a shiver of an entirely different kind. Odds were good he was heading into the lion’s den.
23
They didn’t speak as they drove up the winding mountain road to his team’s temporary headquarters. Mya was unconscious, although her breathing was steady. Aurora’s energy shield continued to surround them, but when they reached the clearing in front of the one story cabin, it abruptly disappeared.
He hadn’t bothered alerting Drew, his second in command, to their impending arrival. She was in charge of monitoring all of the Starhawke crew’s transmissions, so she would have already heard everything she needed to know.
He parked the bike next to the porch steps and shut off the motor. The front door opened and Drew stepped outside, her petite form temporarily backlit in the doorway.
She came down the steps, but halted a few feet away from the bike. “Emoto will be here shortly. Clarek and Cardiff are still in the ravine, but our team is in intercept range.” The light from the front windows illuminated the wariness in her expression as she gazed at Aurora.
Aurora slipped off the bike and removed her visor. A similar wariness showed in her eyes. “How do you know my crew’s locations?”
Drew glanced at him and he gave a slight nod. She turned back to Aurora. “I’ve been monitoring your communications.”
The muscles around Aurora’s mouth tightened. “I see.” The two sharply clipped syllables spoke volumes.
Cade considered pointing out that without his interference, she and Mya might have been attacked or even killed by the creatures. But he liked his face the way it was, and Aurora looked far too eager to rearrange it for him. “What can we do for Mya?” he asked, swinging his leg over the back of the bike and lifting Mya into his arms.
The hostility dropped from Aurora’s expression as she focused on her friend. “We need to get her inside. Do you have a bed or couch where we can lay her down?”
He nodded. “There are several rooms at the back. Come with me.”
Drew held the front door open as he carried Mya through the doorway and down the hall. Aurora followed him into the small bedroom and turned on a light as he settled Mya onto the comforter. She was still unresponsive, and her skin had grayed out. He glanced at Aurora.
“Will she be okay?”
Aurora sat on the edge of the bed and clasped Mya’s hands in hers. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Pearlescent energy bloomed to life, dancing around their joined hands and tripping lightly over their bodies.
The first time he’d seen that beautiful glow, they’d been in her dorm room at the Academy, absorbed in a passionate kiss. He’d felt the same tingling sensation he’d experienced tonight on the bike and when he’d pulled back to look at her, he’d seen that glow.
At the time, Aurora had been more shocked than he was. According to her, the energy was invisible to most people. For some insane reason, knowing that had made him feel special—that he could see a side of her that others couldn’t. He’d cherished that knowledge, even after everything had fallen apart.
The glow faded and Aurora opened her eyes. “It’s as though she’s been drained of energy. I’ve done what I can, but the best thing for her right now is rest. I’ll want to get her back to the ship as soon as the others arrive.” She raised her hand to stifle a yawn as she stood. Her eyelids and shoulders were drooping, too.
He stepped closer. “What about you?” A lock of hair had pulled out of her braid and fallen over her forehead, adding to her road-weary appearance. “You look like you could use some rest.”
She shook her head and pulled her shoulders back, though it seemed to take effort. “I’m fine.” She placed her hands on her hips and fixed him with a steely gaze. “The only thing I need right now are explanations.” Anger punctuated her words. “Like what the hell you’re doing here and why you’ve been monitoring my crew.”
Aurora was one of those people whose mere presence commanded attention, but when she was angry, she filled the space in a way that intimidated even the stout of heart. Of course, Cade knew better than most what she could do when provoked.
He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck to ease the growing tension there. “Those aren’t easy answers to give.” He gestured toward the hall. “Let’s go to the main room so we don’t disturb Mya.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay.”
The defensive posture told him just how wary she was. Either that, or she was tamping down the impulse to wring his neck. Either way, she had good reason for her anger. He was on very thin ice, with fissures in every direction. He’d have to tread carefully.
She followed him down the hall and into the small room that served as their command center. Cade motioned to Drew, who had resumed her seat at the monitoring station. “This is Bella Drew, my second in command. She’s our tech specialist.”
Aurora nodded at the other woman but faced him. “How many people are on this team of yours? And what exactly are you doing here?”
He was given a reprieve from responding by the sound of a male voice from outside and the banging of the front door. “Where are they?”
Emoto appeared in the entryway, his normally sunny expression eclipsed by a deep scowl. Justin Byrnes was right behind him. When Aurora caught sight of Byrnes, her mouth dropped open in shock.
He might as well start there. “You’ve already met my first officer, Justin Byrnes.”
Justin smiled tentatively. “It’s nice to see you again, Captain.”
Aurora looked at a loss for words. She’d just learned the depth of the surveillance she’d been under. He didn’t envy her that feeling.
She gave a tight nod of acknowledgment. “Mr. Byrnes.”
Emoto crossed to Aurora, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Are you hurt?”
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
“Good.” He glanced around the room. “Where’s Mya?”
“In the back bedroom, sleeping.”
“Is she okay?”
“She will be. I’ll explain later. Have you spoken with Jonarel and Celia?”
“They’re on their way.”
She tilted her head in Cade’s direction. “Apparently Mr. Ellis already has team members standing by to escort them.”
The look Emoto gave him contained equal portion
s of dislike and distrust. “I had a feeling he might. Do they know where to locate them?”
“Their team has been monitoring us.”
Emoto’s expression darkened.
Aurora touched his arm. “I need you to tell Jonarel and Celia to rendezvous with Cade’s team.” She glanced at Cade. “Who will they be meeting?”
“Christoph Gonzalez, Tracy Reynolds, and Tam Williams.” Or to be more specific, his weapons expert, security chief, and team doctor.
Aurora returned her attention to Emoto. “Contact Kelly and bring her up to speed, and find out the current status on the targets.” She paused, her gaze swinging back to Cade. “Unless you already know the answer.”
He didn’t, but Drew spoke up.
“All of the targets have returned to the ravine. There’s been no further sign of movement from them.”
Aurora’s head dipped as she bit her lip to keep from voicing her reaction to that statement. But she nodded in acknowledgment.
Emoto looked like he had some choice words to share as well, but after exchanging a glance with Aurora, he headed out the front door.
She rounded on Cade. “Is there somewhere we can talk? Privately?”
Time to face the music. He turned to Justin. “Contact the team and tell them to bring in Cardiff and Clarek. If anything changes, alert us immediately.” He motioned to Aurora. “Follow me.”
He led the way to the large family room. She settled on one end of the couch, so he sat in the overstuffed chair on her right, facing the doorway. She gazed at him steadily, saying nothing. He didn’t have to be psychic to know she was reading his emotions. Most likely trying to ascertain where the deception ended and the truth began.
Emoto appeared in the doorway a moment later. “Everything’s arranged.” He joined Aurora on the couch. “Kelly will contact me if there are any problems.”
“Thank you. Your timing is perfect. Mr. Ellis was just about to explain why he’s been keeping us under surveillance.”
“Good.” Emoto looked like a general about to discipline a soldier who’d gone AWOL in the heat of battle. Not very reassuring.
The Dark of Light (Starhawke Rising Book 1) Page 13
