by KD Jones
MarjAY looked at the new male. He was striking with his blond hair but she didn’t like his eyes. “Who are you?”
“I am Interrogator StrykER.”
“Interrogator? I have already answered TylOR’s questions. I need to be let go. I am female and should be treated with more care than this,” she said with demand.
StrykER ignored her demand. “I will ask you a series of questions. Answer them truthfully and if you are found innocent, you will be let go.”
“I do not have to answer anything.”
“To refuse means your guilt. You will be charged with aiding in setting a bomb in the Colonial Prime Building, injuring over twenty and killing two. Then there are the charges of you breaking into Commander TylOR’s quarters and assaulting his bond mate. Commander TylOR may not be a true Prime by birth but the Kiljorn people think of him with high regard and the attempt on his mate’s life will be treated with extreme prejudice.”
MarjAY just stared at StrykER in shock. She looked over at TylOR but he showed no sign of sympathy for her. She gulped and backed up to sit on her cot.
“Good. Now, the first question I have for you is how well do you know Commander TylOR?”
An image popped into MarjAY’s mind of their shared sex years ago. “I met him while he was vacationing. We shared sex.”
“Did he promise to mate you?” StrykER asked. He ignored the growl that emitted from TylOR.
Another image entered MarjAY’s head of the short flame haired Earth female. She hated the female with a passion and wished her a painful death. She took comfort that it may happen sooner than later. “No. He mated that Earth scum.”
“I see.” StrykER looked over his should at Commander TylOR. “You were right, Commander, this female is involved in the Purist Rebellion. You should also keep a close watch on your mate because she will be in danger.”
“How dare you say such lies!” She sounded outraged. Another image popped into MarjAY’s head of meeting the Purist Leader and being influenced to join their cause. Two other male’s faces appeared in her mind and two names.
“There are three males. One is Kiljorn but the other two are Purist rebels posing as Kiljorns. I only get one name, RojAY.”
“This is ridiculous!”
“RojAY? Is he any relation to MarjAY?” TylOR asked.
“No!” MarjAY yelled out, throwing herself against the bars.
“Her younger brother,” StrykER answered.
“What about the names of the other two males?”
“Sorry, I am only getting one name, the brother’s. Usually I don’t get names but he is a close relation so the image projects his name too,” Stryker told him, rubbing his temples.
TylOR walked out of the holding facility and hit his comm link. “This is Commander TylOR, I want security liaisons to get Lieutenant RojAY and any males he is currently with and bring them to the holding facility. They are dangerous and with weapons. Use extreme caution.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Lieutenant, send more security to my quarters to help guard my mate.”
“Yes, sir!”
TylOR hit his comm link again. “Lieutenant DugER, I am sending more security to help guard my mate. We have a serious situation here.”
“Yes, sir. We will guard her with our lives.”
*****
Males approached Lieutenant DugER and LoEK. They eyed the males suspiciously.
“Commander TylOR has sent us to help guard the Earth female,” the taller male said.
DugER had mixed feelings. He was just told that more security was coming but he did not like the look in the males’ eyes. “You can help guard the outside while I will guard Miss Connell on the inside of the quarters.” He gave Lieutenant LoEK a look of be careful before he knocked on the door.
Lizzie opened the door and smiled up at Lieutenant DugER. “Hi, are ya’ll bored and want to take a walk?”
“Actually, the Commander did not want you leaving your quarters at this time. We have increased your security with two more lieutenants. I thought it would be good to have at least one of us inside with you until the situation is contained.”
“Sure, come on inside.” She stepped back to let him in.
Lizzie gasped when DugER suddenly fell forward onto the floor. He tried to get up but a man she did not recognize stepped inside and shot DugER in the back. She screamed but the intruder clamped a hand over her mouth.
“I’ve got her!” The man dragged her out of the quarters kicking and jerking trying to get away. “She is going to cause a scene.”
The other man stepped in front of Lizzie. She recognized him from the observation room. “Be calm, female. We need you to get off this ship. Come with us quietly to the docking bay and we will let you go. If you do not, I will kill Lieutenant LoEK.” He pointed at her other guard who had a bruise on his face. His weapon had been taken from him. The man then turned to the lieutenant. “If you cause any problems, I will kill the female. Do you understand?”
Lieutenant LoEK nodded his head reluctantly. “You will not get away with this crime.”
“You better hope we do. Otherwise both you and this Earth female will be dead.” The man then motioned for Lizzie and the other man holding her arm to walk ahead of them.
She could feel his laser gun pressed into her back. At that close a range she would die from a blast instantly. She tried to look back to see if LoEK was okay but the man holding her jerked her forward. Her heart raced when she spotted other men coming in the opposite direction. If she could get them to notice what was happening.
The man holding her leaned over and whispered in her ear. “If you say one word I will kill you and them.”
Lizzie looked away from the men as they passed by. Possibility of escape was narrowing down. A memory of a similar event she had lived through flashed before her eyes. When the Morins attacked the transport ship she was on. She, Lola, and a group of other women from Earth were being dragged to the docking bay by the ugly looking Morins. The thought of what might have happened to her and what actually did happen to Lola made her feel sick to her stomach.
She shivered with dread. If they get her on a shuttle, she was a dead woman. She would rather die here on the Kiljorn transport than be taken by these assholes. But she didn’t want to risk LoEK’s life. DugER probably bled out on her floor in her quarters.
“Let us go. You are almost to the docking bay. You can even lock us up in an empty room or something. You’ll be able to get away a lot easier without me and LoEK.” Lizzie didn’t want to beg but she had to try to see if the man could be reasoned with.
“No way. You are our guarantee that we will get off this ship safely. No one would fire a weapon that could hit the Commander’s mate.”
Well, it was worth a try. She looked back and LoEK to make sure he was okay. He shook his head for her not to do anything stupid. Uh…he didn’t know her that well yet. Guess he was about to find out.
*****
TylOR’s comm link went off. “Commander TylOR here.”
“Commander, we have a breach in security and a wounded in the Medic wing in critical condition!”
“Elizabeth! Is it my mate?” TylOR ran out of the holding facility heading toward his sleeping quarters.
“No, sir. It was Lieutenant DugER. He was shot in the back.”
“Where is my mate?”
“She was not there and neither were the other guards. We had a report that someone saw her heading toward the docking bay.”
TylOR changed directions and headed toward the docking bay. “Send all security to the docking bay. Shut it down. No one gets on or off this ship without my say!”
“Yes, sir!”
TylOR felt fear for what was happening to Lizzie. He did not like feeling helpless. He could not remember if he had told her he loved her before he left her. Please, Goddess, watch over my mate.
He saw some of his security reaching the docking bay before him but then they suddenly froze
what they were doing. He felt like he was reliving the past with the Morins trying to take Lizzie. In his nightmares he never makes it in time to save her. Would he get there in time now?
TylOR stopped just behind his guards to assess the situation. Lizzie was being pulled toward a shuttle by one male and he had a laser gun pointed at her. Lieutenant LoEK was limping as another male that he recognized from the observation room pointed a gun at him. The shuttle was completely surrounded by his crew who had their weapons drawn ready to fire at his command. TylOR pushed through his crew in front of him so the two Purist rebels could see him.
“Let them go!” TylOR ordered. One of his lieutenants came to stand by his side. He frowned. He knew the male was there to protect him. But right at that moment he was in TylOR’s way. He tried to ignore him.
“Open the shuttle door and let us leave. We will release her when we get to our rendezvous,” the man holding Lizzie said.
TylOR hit his comm link. “Open the shuttle door. As soon as Miss Connell is inside shut it.”
The Purist rebel smiled smugly as the shuttle door lowered. He pushed Lizzie in front of him as he maneuvered himself and started to back up into the shuttle.
Kitana! He wasn’t expecting the male to go into the shuttle first. He whispered a command to the lieutenant beside him who hit his own comm link. He gave the order to start shutting the shuttle door. TylOR hoped it would jostle the man's hold on Lizzie, allowing his crew a clear shot.
The second male from the observation room panicked when he saw the shuttle door closing. He released LoEK and raced to try to get onto the rising door. In his haste he knocked Lizzie loose from the already weakened grip the other male had on her. She fell forward off the door of the shuttle. LoEK was there to help her steady herself.
“Shut down all power to the shuttle and open the doors back up!” TylOR commanded.
The males onboard the shuttle realized all power was shut down. They were trapped. The one who had held Lizzie raised his laser gun. “Die Earth scum!”
“No!” TylOR watched helplessly as the male shot the laser blast at his mate. She and LoEK went down to the bay floors in a spray of blood.
Chapter Nineteen
A rage unlike anything he had ever experienced before went through his system. It shut off all logical thought processes. The only thing that was clear to him was the male that took his mate from him must die.
He ran for the shuttle despite the shout from his crew to stop. He dodged the laser shots sent his way and jumped over his mate’s prone body, hurling himself into the shuttle. He took the Purist down with a roar.
Why couldn’t she move? There was something heavy on top of her. She felt a wetness on her face. Had she been shot? Lizzie blinked her eyes open. LoEK was lying on top of her. He had jumped in front of her at the last minute when the guy with the laser shot at her.
“LoEK?” She tried to push him off her. He didn’t answer or move. “LoEK!”
Two lieutenants were at her side-helping move the body off. She sat up and looked at LoEK’s dead body. Oh God, no. He had gave his life for her—to save her. She wanted to scream and she wanted to cry. However, a roar loud enough to shake the entire transport ship made her look up at the shuttle.
Blood was shooting out everywhere. She tried to see who was inside the shuttle but she only got glimpses. She looked around the docking bay for TylOR. She didn’t see him. “Lieutenant, where is TylOR?”
The lieutenant was looking at the shuttle with a pale face. “The Commander went inside the shuttle after the rebel.”
Fear gripped her body. No no no! She couldn’t handle if something happened to TylOR. “Go help him!” Another roar came from inside the shuttle.
“He is in a killing rage because he believes you are dead. If any of us try to go inside he might kill us in the state he is in.”
“Well I am not dead! Help me up!” She allowed the lieutenants to pull her to her feet. She tried to walk closer to the shuttle but she only got about five feet from it before the lieutenants stopped her.
“Do not go any farther. He is so distraught he may not recognize even you. I have never see a male in this state before and I do not know how to handle it. We called for medics to bring tranquilizers but we cannot use it while he is inside the shuttle.”
Damn it! She needed to see him, make sure he was alright. “TylOR, I’m fine, honey. TylOR!” There was scuffling inside the shuttle and then another roar. Did he even hear her. “TylOR, you get ya sorry ass out here right now or so help me I'll find me another mate!”
There was silence inside the shuttle. Then the sound of boots coming toward the shuttle opening. That’s all it was now because the doors were somehow knocked loose. She bit her bottom lip waiting as her heart raced. What she saw next would stay with her for the rest of her life.
TylOR appeared in the opening completely covered in blood. He used what he could to wipe his eyes so he could see. He looked out and searched the docking bay for the voice that he thought he heard. A sweet voice that broke through his fog of rage. Then he found her.
“Elizabeth,” he groaned her name as he leapt out of the shuttle onto the docking bay floor.
“TylOR!” Lizzie tried to rush to him but the lieutenants were holding her back.
TylOR growled at the males holding his mate. “Let her go!” His thoughts were going back to rage again. Kill the male touching his mate. Take his mate and keep her safe.
“Let me go,” she whispered to the lieutenants.
“But he could hurt you.”
“No, I think I will be safe. It’s you men, I am worried about. He got a look in his eyes when he saw you holding me back. I don’t think that is a good look. Let me go. Get the tranquilizers ready just in case.”
The lieutenants reluctantly released Lizzie and slowly backed away from her. Lizzie now free rushed toward TylOR. His eyes were still focused on the lieutenants. She called out his name before launching herself at him. “TylOR!”
TylOR caught sight of his mate jumping toward him. He caught her in his arms and pulled her tight against him. “Mate!”
“Baby, I was so scared.” The tears finally came now that she was safe in his arms. Now that he was safe. She felt his thundering heartbeat start to slowly slow along with his breathing.
“Me too. I thought you were dead. I lost it.” He sounded angry with himself for losing control.
“It’s okay.”
He pulled back to look at her. “There is so much blood. Are you injured? Do you need a medic?”
“I’m not hurt. Lieutenant LoEK jumped in front of me and took the hit. He didn’t make it. The blood is his. Are you hurt? You are covered in blood too.” She ran her hands over his shoulders and chest looking for injuries.
“It is not my blood.” He told her. He looked up for his second in command, TenON.
“Commander, are you okay?”
“There is still one male on the shuttle breathing. He had hidden himself inside a storage cabinet and locked it from the inside. The other male is…dead.”
“We will take the living male to a holding cell. Maybe you and your mate should both go to the Medic wing to be checked out,” TenON suggested.
“Yes, that is a good idea.” TylOR lifted Elizabeth into his arms and carried her out of the docking bay.
*****
Negotiator StrykER watched as the lieutenants dragged in a crying male. "This must be one of the Purist rebels. Where is the second male?”
One of the Lieutenants cringed. “Commander TylOR believed his mate had been killed and went into a killing rage. He ripped the other male’s head and arms off him. Blood and body parts were everywhere. I do not think I have ever seen anything so gruesome.”
Interesting. “Is Miss Connell okay?” StrykER couldn’t imagine the world without the spark of the small woman with beautiful hair.
“Yes, Commander TylOR took her to the Medic wing to be checked over.”
StrykER turned his attention
to the Purist rebel whimpering in his cell. “So, what is your name?”
“Lieutenant CalamRI,” the male answered.
“What was the dead male’s name?”
“Lieutenant HarvEY.”
So far the male was being forthcoming. The images StrykER saw in his head matched his answers. “Where are the two of you from?”
There was a pause as the male finally calmed down. “East coast of Kiljor.”
“Really? I thought RojAY said you were from one of the mining colonies.”
“That is a lie! I never said anything!” RojAY yelled from the cell next door.
“Do I need to have you removed?” StrykER glared at the irritating male.
“You have no power here. You are not the Commander. You are not even a real officer.” RojAY sneered.
Stryker got that a lot. He resigned from his military post in order to become an interrogator. Because of that, a lot of males did not respect his position. Though the position was one of prestige among the council.
“Do you want me to call for the Commander? He just got finished ripping one male’s head off. I am sure he still has the energy to handle another one,” StrykER warned him.
“No! Do not bring him here.” Lt CalamRI looked scared. “The male has gone completely crazy!”
StrykER did not react when he picked up images of TylOR tearing apart the other male. “That happens when your bond mate is threatened.”
“It was an accident. We were not going to hurt her.”
StrykER grew angry. He hated it when they out and out lied. He got images from the male of the things they had planned to do to the poor female. She wouldn’t have stood a chance with them.
“Tell me about the Purist rebels. How big is the Rebellion? Who is the leader?” As he shot off question after question the Purist rebel verbally denied any knowledge of a Purist Rebellion. But the whole time image after image popped into his mind, which told a different story.
*****
Lizzie rested her head against TylOR’s shoulder. She ignored the blood. Males jumped out of TylOR’s way. If it weren't such a horrible situation, she would have found it hilarious. At that moment her humor left her.
