She scowled. “Is this a seduction tactic of yours? Do you do this with all women?”
“Hell, no. I don’t usually need to put much effort into it at all.”
Her eyes narrowed and he decided to not dwell on that point.
He touched her hair. “I think you’re worth it, Second Commander.”
“How would you know how to spoil a woman, then?”
“I have three sisters.”
She shook her head. “No spoiling, no kissing. We have work to do.”
“I know.”
“And I don’t have time for a dalliance. Ander was right, I have a demanding job to do, and I—”
“I won’t be around forever, Airen. I’ve no desire to have what Malax and Wren have.” Although, saying that strangely made his throat tighten.
She eyed him steadily. “Really?”
“Really. Love isn’t real, it doesn’t last, and it hurts people.”
“Malax and Wren love each other and are very happy. Her sisters, Allie—”
“All exceptions that prove the rule, plus there’s the whole mating thing that makes their connections different. I watched my father leave, and it tore my mom to shreds. She cried every night for years. Love ruined her.”
Airen’s brows drew together. “Donovan—”
“He left and she never stopped loving him. It made her desperately unhappy. No, not interested in that. Two of my sisters have been married, and divorced. One of the assholes beat my sister.”
“You stopped him,” Airen said quietly.
“I broke his jaw and took her home. Love is a lie we use to make ourselves feel good—but it’s temporary.” He reached up and brushed his thumb across her tempting lips. “Good, honest desire and respect. I’ll take that any day.”
She eyed him a little longer. “We need to interrogate the pirate.”
Even though it was hard, Donovan stepped back. “Let’s do it.”
When they entered the brig, the warriors in charge nodded at Airen.
The pirate was in a cell, sitting on a bare bunk behind a shimmering containment field. Airen stepped through it, and then Donovan followed. A slight tingle ran over his skin.
The pirate looked at them sulkily. “Space-cursed Eon, always so high and mighty.”
He had a scarred face, ragged clothes, and cloudy, green eyes.
“We are,” Airen said. “Especially when you attack our outposts, and kill and injure our people.”
The pirate sniffed. “Just wanted to get your attention.”
“Well, you’ve got it. And I guarantee you won’t like the results.”
“Why did you attack?” Donovan asked.
“The Kantos paid us. They’re ugly suckers, but their credits are good.”
“What was the objective?” Airen demanded. “To steal something? Our data?”
“Nope.” The pirate slouched back, like he didn’t have a care in the universe.
Annoyed, Donovan kicked the man’s boots. “Answer her. Why the fuck did you attack?”
“The Kantos wanted us to.”
“Why?” Airen snapped.
Cloudy eyes glanced at Donovan, then back to Airen.
“So you’d come.”
Donovan frowned, saw Airen frowning as well.
“So the Rengard would come?” she asked.
“Nope. You. Second Commander Airen Kann-Felis.”
Donovan’s gut clenched. What the fuck?
Chapter Seven
“Explain,” Airen demanded.
She didn’t take her eyes off the pirate. They’d come here looking for her? It made no sense.
“I don’t know any more than that.” The pirate grinned, showing dirty, decaying teeth. “Just get a female warrior to Thessa. We made a big mess, that’s how we like it.”
“Get her there and then what?” Donovan’s voice was low, scary.
That dangerous edge made the pirate’s smile dissolve. “Tell him to back off.”
“Do I make you nervous?” Donovan’s silky drawl put goose bumps on Airen’s skin.
“Donovan,” she warned.
“Why do the Kantos want her?” Donovan continued. “I’m particularly fond of her, and I want to know.”
“They want her. That’s all I know. Our old leader, Arnaf, he would know more.”
“Arnaf?” Airen asked.
“He was in charge of our clan when we got the job, but he didn’t really want to come after the Eon. Credits were too good, though. We had a little mutiny and a leadership change. We dumped Arnaf on the way here, and Cyris took over. He’s dead now, down on the planet.”
Donovan looked at Airen.
“Where did you dump this Arnaf?” she asked.
“Old, abandoned mining colony.” The pirate got a cagey look on his face. “You let me go, I’ll tell you the coordinates.”
Donovan leaned in. “Just tell us, so I don’t have to beat the shit out of you.” His smile turned scary. “Actually, I wouldn’t mind beating the shit out of you.”
“Suck space cock, you—”
Donovan gripped the pirate’s neck and slammed his face into the table. The pirate howled.
“Let’s try this again,” Airen said calmly.
“Fine, fine.” The pirate touched the small trickle of blood coming from his nose, then glared at Donovan. “Tell him to back up.”
Donovan just crossed his arms over his chest.
“Talk,” Airen said.
“Fine, I’ll tell you the coordinates. You have to go in quietly, or he’ll run.”
After the pirate shared the coordinates, things moved fast. Airen went to brief Malax, and the war commander nodded.
“We have repairs well underway, so we can spare you. It is imperative we find out what the Kantos are planning.”
“I’ll take a shuttle. It’s best I go alone so I don’t spook—”
“No. It’s too dangerous. The Kantos appear to want you, Airen.”
She straightened. “I can handle the Kantos, Malax.”
“I know, but you take Donovan. Two Eon might appear a threat. A Terran, maybe not so much.”
Internally, she cursed. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Donovan’s skills. She just preferred that he stayed safe on the Rengard.
“You two work well together,” Malax said.
“He is extremely competent.”
“Terrans are full of surprises.” A small smile flirted on Malax’s lips. “Report in, and good hunting.”
Airen found Donovan waiting for her in the corridor.
“Malax is sending you and me to the coordinates,” she told him.
He grinned. “So, just the two of us?”
She shot him a look as they headed down the corridor. “We’ll be working.”
It didn’t take long before they were prepped and in the shuttle.
Airen did the pre-flight checks, with Donovan watching on with interest. The man seemed to absorb everything.
“Didn’t know you were a pilot too,” he said.
“We all take basic piloting courses at the academy. I took a few advanced ones. I like flying.” As a young girl, she’d desperately wanted the freedom to soar.
“Me too. Always dreamed of flying through space as a kid.”
Their gazes met, a shared moment.
Then she turned her attention to the controls. Soon, they were flying out of the shuttle bay doors. As they moved out into space, she tapped in the coordinates for the mining colony, and the ship turned sharply. Then they sped away from the Rengard.
“It’s not too far. A ship hour to reach the coordinates at star speed.”
“Where is this mining colony?” he asked. “A planet? A moon?”
“Star charts show a small asteroid field. Asteroid mining is risky, but pretty common out here. The asteroids are packed full of valuable ores.”
“Perfect spot to dump someone when you carry out a mutiny.” Donovan paused. “I don’t like this, Airen. The Kantos are after you.”<
br />
She didn’t like it either. “I don’t know why, but I plan to find out.”
“Looks like oh-so-smooth Ander won’t be able to corner you and drip his slime around.”
Donovan’s sharp words made her bite back a smile. “I’m not disappointed. He’s getting married and thought I’d be interested in having an affair.” She shook her head.
Donovan’s face went tight. “So not just an idiot, but a cheater as well.”
“I’m sure he sees his marriage as a merger of convenience. No doubt her family has influence.” Which he’d always taken great pains to remind her she didn’t have.
Reaching out, Donovan touched her hand. “The guy is so far beneath you, Airen.”
Warmth flooded her. “Thanks.” She fiddled with the controls. “So, you don’t believe in love?”
He leaned back in his chair. “No. Not romantic love. Love is destructive. It makes people lose their sense of reason, and it hurts.” His gaze turned inward, no doubt thinking of his mother and sisters.
“I believe in love,” Airen said quietly. “I just don’t think I’d ever trust anyone with my desires and feelings enough to fall in love.” She shot him a tight smile. “Everyone who should have loved me, left me.”
Something moved across his face. “Airen—”
The console chimed. “We’re in range.”
It wasn’t long before the asteroid field came into view.
“Fuck,” Donovan muttered. “How will we find where they dumped him?”
“There’s likely some processing facilities here somewhere. We’ll check the larger asteroids.” She tapped the controls. “Initiating scans now. There. There’s a beacon signal still running. It would have led the ore transports in.”
They moved into the field. The asteroids weren’t too dense, but smaller debris pinged off the shuttle’s shields. A huge asteroid moved past them like a silent behemoth.
Then Airen saw another large hunk of rock ahead. “Look.”
There were some metallic structures on the surface, but not many. The risk of collision with other asteroids was too high. There was a large, rectangular opening that led inside the asteroid’s core.
“Most of the mining facilities are inside the asteroid,” she said.
Donovan frowned. “That’s expensive construction. I wonder why they abandoned it?”
“Maybe they ran out of ore?”
He swiped the control panel in front of him. “Scans show large concentrations of several different ores.”
“A mystery.” She focused on flying them inside.
They passed through the entrance into pitch blackness. The shuttle’s lights speared into the darkness, illuminating rock walls braced with metal supports.
It wasn’t much farther and the tunnel opened up into a large hanger area. They passed through the shimmer of a containment field.
“Containment’s still operational,” Donovan said.
“Most containment systems like this run on backup systems. They don’t need to be maintained. They’ll run until their fuel cores deplete.”
Two ships in decent condition were docked. There was a third one that had been stripped for parts, possibly by the pirates.
She set the shuttle down.
Donovan tapped the console. “Conditions are just barely in the breathable range. Oxygen’s on the low side.”
“Helmets on.” She rose from her chair. “Let’s find our exiled pirate.”
They exited the shuttle and, as they moved onto a walkway, lights clicked on, illuminating the path to a building constructed within the rock walls. It was all metal and glass.
“Spooky as hell,” Donovan muttered.
There was no sound and nothing moved.
They stepped inside the building, but there were no lights. As Donovan flicked on a flashlight, Airen morphed a light on the shoulder of her armor.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
She followed his gaze and saw what was illuminated by his flashlight. A dead, decayed body sat slumped against the wall. The dead man’s chest had been ripped open.
Bloody handprints covered the wall.
Airen scanned the space. There were more dead bodies in the shadows. Lots of them.
“Well, it appears the miners didn’t abandon this place,” she said. “They never got the chance to leave.”
* * *
There was no sign of recent occupation. Donovan swung his flashlight around.
Damn, this place creeped him out.
In the lobby area, furniture was tipped over and items were scattered around. There were more dead bodies.
He crouched by one, studying it. The man had been big, burly. It hadn’t stopped his death.
“Looks like his heart was ripped out.”
Airen’s face remained impassive, but he sensed her disquiet. “If the pirate’s living here, he’d need quarters, food, water.”
“Let’s find the barracks,” Donovan said.
They moved out of the lobby area and through some large, double doors into what was a processing area. Huge equipment filled the space—conveyors, cranes attached to the rocky ceiling overhead, huge vats that no doubt had once held processing chemicals.
Airen walked along one of the conveyors and pulled out a handheld scanner. “It looks like they were mining several different ores.” She frowned. “There’s one here that I don’t have on record.”
“They found something new?”
“Apparently. There are only residual quantities.”
A clanking noise sounded nearby and they both swiveled. Donovan lifted his laser pistol.
There was silence.
“You ever seen a horror movie, Airen?” he murmured.
“No.” She moved deeper into the shadows.
He followed her. “Unsuspecting people walk into a dark space, then get attacked and murdered.”
Her sword formed. “I prefer to do the attacking.”
No fear. Damn, she was something.
They circled around a conveyor, and he spotted a tool resting on the ground. No sign of anybody near it.
They kept moving. Damn, he couldn’t wait to get out of here.
A low moan echoed through the area.
“My helian is detecting a life sign,” Airen said.
He tightened his grip on his pistol. Come out, come out, wherever you are.
A shape rushed out of the shadows from between two vats.
“What the fuck?” Donovan snapped.
It was humanoid, with extra-long arms almost dragging on the ground and a misshapen skull. Its skin was a sickly, mottled gray and it had ragged, ripped clothing hanging off its body. A huge hump sat on one shoulder, giving it a lopsided appearance.
The creature’s face was covered in tumor-like growths. It opened its mouth—showing off what looked like shark’s teeth.
It let out a howling moan, and Donovan fired. He kept firing. The creature’s body jerked and shuddered under the impact of the laser, but it kept coming.
Airen ran, jumped, and swung her sword.
The creature dodged, then swung out a long arm at her.
Its fist hit her and she flew sideways, crashing into a vat with a clang.
Donovan shoved his pistol away and yanked out his knife. “Hey!”
The thing swiveled, gaze locking on him. It came at him fast. It swiped out and Donovan ducked one of those huge fists, then slammed his elbow into the creature’s head. His knife flashed as he attacked.
With a low moan, it pulled back, stumbling a little.
“Airen?” Donovan didn’t take his gaze off the creature.
“I’m okay.”
He’d cut the thing. The ugly ooze of red-green blood dripped down its torso.
“What is it?” Donovan said.
“I don’t know, but I’m detecting some residual radiation from it.”
Radiation? But he didn’t have time to think, because it launched itself at them again.
“With me,” Donovan
yelled. “Let’s work it together.”
Airen appeared beside him. She slashed at the creature, and when she drew back, Donovan launched in. The thing moaned, trying to swing at them. They drove it back across the mining processing area.
Ahead, Donovan spotted a large vat, partly tilted over. Its foundations were loose.
“Airen, look.”
She swung her sword and glanced up. “I see it. You keep this thing busy and get it into position.”
She darted away and Donovan circled the creature. It snapped its teeth at him.
“Yeah, yeah, you want to tear me open and eat my heart. Not today, buddy.”
Walking backward, he moved the creature closer to the vat. With a moan, it rushed him and Donovan lifted a boot and kicked it, hard. It staggered, but righted itself. The creature came at him again, like a racecar in the closing stretch.
Fuck.
Donovan kicked it again, but it was ready for him this time. It grabbed his boot and yanked.
Dammit. Donovan was pulled off his feet. The creature swung him and let go. Donovan hit the floor and slid across the concrete, right in line with the vat.
He moved to jump up, but the creature landed on top of him.
Shit. It was heavy as hell, driving the air out of him. Its teeth snapped at Donovan’s helmet. He shoved it, managing to lift his knife. He stabbed into the creature’s gut.
With a moaning growl, it headbutted him. A small crack appeared in his helmet.
Not good.
“Donovan!” Airen yelled.
He looked up, shoving at the creature’s chest. Over its shoulder, he saw the vat teetering, starting to fall.
It would land right on them.
Adrenaline spiked through him. He heaved with everything he had and shoved the creature off him.
Then he pushed himself up, trying to get out of the way of the falling vat.
“Donovan!”
Airen was running at him.
“Stay back,” he warned.
He was just about clear, but something grabbed his ankle. The creature yanked him down with a growl.
Claim of Eon: Eon Warriors #6 Page 6
