Well, tonight was meant for relaxation and fun. They needed to unwind a little, so they could focus more completely on their mission.
They sat at a small table in the back corner of Vingarra. The restaurant had only been open for a few days, so it was packed.
“Trask, could you please help us order?” Alyssa asked their guard. “Neither of us reads Rodyte.”
“Of course.” He moved away from the wall and pivoted so he could see the menu.
A thunderous explosion shook the dining room, and chaos erupted all around them. Kelsey was rocked backward so hard, she had to grab the table to keep from toppling over. Screams echoed as terrified people rushed for the door.
Kelsey kicked her chair out of the way as she stood, drawing her compact pistol from the makeshift holster strapped to her ankle. “Out! I don’t think this is over.”
Clearly agreeing with her assessment, Trask half-escorted, half-dragged Alyssa across the dining room. Kelsey shadowed them, pistol still ready should the explosion herald a more personal attack. Rodytes were running and shouting, arguing about the best course of action.
Another explosion hit, more destructive than the first. Both Trask and Kelsey covered Alyssa, shielding her as full-grown men were knocked off their feet and the room was reduced to rubble. She glanced at Trask and found suspicion gleaming in his dark gaze. Obviously, he’d noticed her odd behavior and her weapon.
“Who are you?” Another explosion hit as he growled the question.
They reached the outer walkway as they glared at each other. The rebels knew she’d been a Marine. Surely protecting a friend wasn’t that out of character.
The tier was just as chaotic as the restaurant. Merchants rushed past, likely having no idea where they were going. Flight or fight appeared to be hardwired into all humanoid species. A few of the soldiers were attempting to bring some semblance of order to the scene, but everyone was too panicked to pay attention.
Vingarra had become an inferno. Kelsey glanced at the smoky interior, praying that everyone had gotten out. Overturned tables cluttered the floor, sections of the ceiling were already collapsing, and the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room was shredded. She thought she’d left this sort of thing behind when she was discharged from the Marine Corp.
An ominous pop and rumble drew her gaze to the kitchen just as flames flared inside the enclosed space. Smoke billowed and Kelsey shook her head as pity surged through her other emotions. There was no way anyone was still alive in there.
Suddenly Alyssa darted past her and ran back into the burning restaurant.
“Alyssa!” Shock and fury tore through her composure. What the hell was she doing?
Alyssa was her responsibility, so Kelsey had no choice but to follow. She ran after the stubborn blonde, baffled by her irrational behavior. Frantically trying to blink smoke out of her eyes, she reached out for Alyssa. Her fingers just missed Alyssa’s arm as she veered sharply to the right. Then she knelt beside a pile of debris and her actions snapped into focus. The hostess was buried beneath the rubble. Alyssa was playing hero!
Trask had reached them by then and they all worked together to unbury the hostess. Coughing nonstop, Trask picked up the hostess and rushed from the restaurant. Alyssa ran after him, Kelsey half a second behind.
Firefighters were on scene by the time they reached the tier. Hovering tanker-drones blew water directly over the fire, while the firefighters used high-pressure hoses to target specific areas of the blaze. Enforcers and medics directed the wounded toward the cordoned-off triage area. Everyone else was urged to go home or back to their ship.
Kelsey turned to Alyssa, still shocked by her reckless impulse. “That was incredibly stupid.”
Alyssa ignored the criticism and nodded toward the hostess, who was still cradled in Trask’s strong arms. “Is she alive?”
“Barely.” The guard paused for a fast, visual sweep of the unconscious woman. “I think she’s still breathing.”
Alyssa held her hand in front of the hostess’s face, then blew out a shaky breath. “She’s breathing, but she could have internal injuries. That was a ton of debris.”
Suddenly the hostess stirred and a pathetic moan escaped her. “Hont.” Her voice was so rough she barely got the word out. “Where is Hont?” Her lids fluttered then stilled. Trask whispered to her and rocked her like a baby, but the hostess wouldn’t have it. “Did my mate escape the fire? He was in the kitchen.”
Shit. Kelsey had to look away from her tormented face. Echoes of screams and memories flitted in the back of her mind. All this was too familiar, too… She shoved it all aside, refusing to give in to her emotions. She had to be strong, had to think. She was here to protect Alyssa.
“I’m not sure. People went running in every direction.” Alyssa squeezed the poor woman’s hand, but even the hostess knew the truth. With another moan, she slipped back into unconsciousness.
Trask looked around, gaze sharply assessing. “I should take her to the Intrepid. The medics have their hands full already.”
“Go,” Kelsey urged. “I’ll take Alyssa back to the village.”
His reluctance was obvious, but he nodded. “We will have a lengthy conversation about your behavior when I return.”
Unconcerned with his suspicion, Kelsey waved him on. Then to Alyssa, she said, “Let’s get out of here.”
They were hurrying toward the nearest staircase when Dakar called Alyssa’s name. She immediately stopped and turned around.
“Are you hurt?” Finally reaching them, he placed his hands on her shoulders and swept his gaze down her body then back to her face.
“I’m fine. A little singed, but unharmed.”
Without letting go of Alyssa, he looked at her. “And you?”
Still pissed about Alyssa’s recklessness, she said, “I’m not the one you need to worry about. I don’t have a death wish.”
Dakar’s dark brows drew together and he sounded impatient when he asked, “What does that mean?”
“Don’t.”
She ignored Alyssa’s warning. If the crazy fool wouldn’t listen to her, maybe she’d listen to her mate. “She ran back into the burning restaurant to save the manager’s wife.”
“I’m fine.” Alyssa glared at Kelsey, clearly annoyed by the betrayal.
“Come with me.” Dakar grabbed Alyssa’s upper arm and led her toward the triage station. They approached one of his men and he stopped. “Morin, please disarm Ms. Lindon, then take her to village one.”
“Of course, sir,” the enforcer replied.
“I’ll bring Alyssa to you once things settle down and I’m sure she’s unharmed.”
Kelsey nodded to Dakar, then reluctantly gave her gun to the enforcer and followed him through the gradually thinning crowd.
“Are you sure you’re all right, miss? You look pale.”
She smiled at him, but the expression even felt fake. “I’m fine. Really.”
He didn’t look convinced, but didn’t argue. With strict efficiency he led her to the apartment complex and escorted her into the lobby. “Is there someone who can stay with you? I’m not sure you should be alone right now.”
She rolled her eyes and faced him squarely. “I was in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years. This isn’t my first bombing. I. Am. Fine. Now go back to work.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He finally smiled and gave her a smart salute. “I’ll let the senior enforcer know you arrived safely.”
The elevator saved her from more of the awkward conversation. She ducked inside and maintained her fake smile until the doors slid shut. Then she collapsed against the wall and pressed her hand over her mouth. Images came pouring in, memories it had taken three years of therapy to control. Smoke stung her nose and screams filled her ears. Explosions, gunfire, and screaming…always the screaming. Tears blurred her vision and she was shaking so badly she barely stayed on her feet.
A bell dinged and the elevator door slid open again. She stumbled forward,
blinded by tears. Battling for composure, she rushed to the apartment she shared with Alyssa and scanned open the door. The barrier slid shut and emotions crashed over her, driving her to her knees.
Hard, racking sobs shook her shoulders and made her throat burn. Reality blurred and she was consumed by the tortured memories of yesteryear.
Chapter Four
Jakkin fidgeted in his chair as Tylar Fedmal ran yet another scan of the encrypted transmissions’ log. If Jakkin had known this process was so damn tedious, he would have told Tylar what he was looking for and left him to it. All Jakkin could do was sit here and watch the other male work, after all. This wasn’t Jakkin’s field of expertise.
“Well, this is odd.” Tylar selected an entry and tried to open the file. “This is not standard encryption. In fact, this is not like any encryption I’ve seen in years. It’s simplistic yet…strange.”
“Then you can’t open the message?”
“No, but there’s no destination code, which is what caught my eye in the first place.” He shifted his right hand, switching applications without deselecting the message. “Here we go. The message wasn’t received by a Rodyte vessel.”
“Where was it received?”
Manipulating another section of his holo-display, Tylar zoomed in on the Earth, then North America, and finally a state near the center of the U.S. “It’s a private residence a few clicks north of Boulder, Colorado.”
General Lux and the governor were frantically working to identify Shadow Leader, but they had determined that an inordinate amount of activity took place in and around Boulder, Colorado. “The message was definitely sent by Statton?”
“Absolutely. He tried hard to hide it, but it was Statton.”
“Any other messages to the same location?”
Empowered with specific parameters, his next search brought up three additional messages. “Sorry. I can’t open them either, but he has no legitimate reason to communicate with Earth.”
“I agree. Can you patch in General Lux and Governor Lasenger?”
“Let me see if they’re available.”
“Better include Dakar too,” Jakkin decided.
Miraculously, all three responded to their pings and Jakkin quickly filled them in on what he’d learned.
“You should have asked before bugging a volunteer,” Raylon grumbled. “We should probably keep that element of this to ourselves.”
Sedrik found his caution funny, which was unusual for the ever-serious general. “I think this has less to do with her being a spy and more to do with her being his potential mate.”
“I hate to agree with my big brother,” Dakar grinned, “but he’s right.”
Raylon shrugged. Jakkin still wasn’t used to seeing him in civilian clothes. Raylon had been military for decades before accepting the position as governor. “Either way, the rest is circumstantial. I wish to all the gods we could open those messages, but without knowing the content, the connection is pretty weak.”
“I’ll keep trying,” Tylar assured him.
“I say we have enough to bring her in for questioning,” Sedrik asserted.
Dakar watched the debate without commenting.
Raylon rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure. It might make sense to continue observing her and see if she gives us something more definitive.”
“That’s unlikely with Statton out of circulation,” Dakar pointed out.
“May I have permission to question her in a non-official capacity?” Jakkin asked. “She is my potential mate. I need to know what she knows and her real purpose for being here.”
“We all need to know that,” Sedrik argued.
“I agree with Jakkin.” It was strange to see Raylon and Sedrik take different sides. They generally agreed on everything. Was mated life softening the governor? “If we can unravel this without an official…”
A tremor shook the security hub, distant, yet distinct, almost like thunder. “What was that?”
Tylar looked up, so engrossed in his attempts to decode the message that he’d barely noticed the shaking. “No clue.”
Dakar disconnected as he turned and ran, likely in the direction of the disruption.
Raylon pushed back from his desk and stood just as a second blast violently shook his office. “Bomb!” He ran from the room without further explanation and his connection terminated.
A shrill alarm rent the air, jarring every person in the security hub to full alert. The hub was in a different building than the commerce tiers, but Dakar and Raylon had both been onsite.
“What the hells happened?” Sedrik demanded.
Tylar brought up security feeds of the commerce tiers.
“There.” Jakkin pointed to a section of one of the middle tiers.
Tylar zoomed in and Jakkin’s heart lodged solidly in his throat. One of the restaurants was a shambles, the wreckage in flames. Something was wrong, not just the devastation of the bomb, something was wrong with Kelsey. “I have to go.”
Tylar looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, but Jakkin didn’t stay to argue. He ran out of the security hub and flew down two flights of stairs, much too impatient to wait for a lift. If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. He should have kept her on the Fearless, should have protected her.
He sprinted along one of the railed walkways, cursing the secluded location. It was strategic to have headquarters separated from the busiest areas in the outpost, but that didn’t make him feel any better right now. Cutting through a small section of the industrial zone, he shaved a few minutes off his frantic commute. “Damn it!” he cried to no one in particular.
The commerce tiers had just come into view when Dakar pinged him. “This is Arvik.”
“Can you go check on Kelsey. One of my men escorted her home and said she looked pretty shaken.”
Shaken? He could deal with shaken. “Then she’s unharmed?”
“Yes.”
“How about Alyssa?”
“They both made it out without—”
“Made it out? They were in that restaurant?”
“She’s probably fine. Just go check on her. She’s in village one.” He ended the transmission without further ado.
Jakkin gave himself a firm mental shake. Kelsey was fine, just upset. He turned around and headed for the residential section of the outpost, realizing he was being incredibly selfish. His potential mate might be unharmed, but doubtlessly others were not. Bombs didn’t go off in crowded restaurants without people losing their lives.
He paused and glanced back. Should he go see if he could help? He didn’t have medical experience, but sometimes all that was needed were willing hands and a strong back. No, Dakar was head of security. If he’d needed help, he would have asked for it. Dakar had given him a task. Jakkin resumed his hurried trek toward village one.
The guard on duty nodded to him, but didn’t ask where he was bound. He crossed the lobby, then realized he didn’t know which apartment was hers. Retracing his steps he opened the transparent door and asked the guard, “Where can I find Kelsey Lindon?”
“3B.” Then his gaze narrowed and he stepped away from the wall. “Are you one of her matches?”
“I am.” Not willing to waste any more time, he added, “She’s expecting me.” He nodded to the guard, then turned around in time to see the elevator open.
Her apartment was just around the corner from the elevators, which made it easier for her to sneak in and out. He sighed, torn between concern and anger. He had been given the most precious gift in the universe only to find out she worked for his enemy.
He stepped in front of the scanner, so the computer could identify him. He heard the computer announce him, but Kelsey didn’t open the door. “Repeat greeting.” The computer did, but there was still no response. Not yet ready to break down the door, he pinged Dakar. “Are you sure she’s in there. She’s not answering the door.”
“Use my code and let yourself in.” Dakar rattled off his code then e
nded the transmission, clearly still in the thick of things.
Jakkin repeated the code, then said, “Security override. Open door.”
The door parted and Jakkin moved into the open threshold. “Kelsey? It’s Jakkin. I’m coming inside.”
No response.
Frightened now, he rushed into the apartment and searched each room one after the other. The apartment was small and sparsely furnished, so it didn’t take him long to find her. She sat on the floor in one of the bedrooms, back against the wall, legs drawn up to her chest. He knelt beside her hand gently touched her shoulder. “Kelsey.”
She stared straight ahead, but her gaze was unfocused, glassy.
He shifted to his seat and pulled her into his lap. She was dead weight, but she didn’t struggle. He brushed the hair back from her face and tried again. “Kelsey, can you hear me?”
She remained motionless, expression completely blank. The Intrepid would be overrun with victims from the explosion, so he contacted the bio-stream engineer on the Fearless. “This is a medical emergency. Stream me and the person near me directly to the clinic.”
“Our clinic, sir? Wouldn’t you be better served aboard the Intrepid?”
Jakkin gritted his teeth. He was not in the mood to explain himself. “Our clinic. Now!”
The bio-stream engine engaged and he pressed Kelsey to his chest, remembering to unfold his legs as sensation returned. They materialized in the middle of the clinic and Dr. Iftar was waiting for them, clearly having been warned by the engineer.
“What are her symptoms?” Iftar motioned toward the nearest treatment table and Jakkin carefully placed her on it.
“I’m not sure. I found her like this, completely unresponsive. She was involved in the explosion.”
Dr. Iftar activated the scanners surrounding the table, then glanced at Jakkin. “What explosion?”
Fearless (Battle Born Book 12) Page 6
