Warrior Prince

by Nancy J. Cohen

  Her breath hitched, and he realized he’d been ogling her. What was wrong with him? They had a dire mission to complete, and all he could imagine was bedding her.

  Her eyes softened, and her mouth parted, as though the same notion had entered her head.

  Wrenching his attention away, he gestured for his mates to gather around.

  “The coordinates I gave you pinpoint the jamming device.” He took a metallic ball from his sack of equipment and placed it on the table. At the push of a button, a holographic map sprang into view.

  “Awesome.” Her eyes gleaming, Nira leaned forward.

  “The signal for the jammer radiates from this region known as the Bermuda Triangle.” He circled the area with his finger. “Its exact point of origin is in Drift World.”

  “I can’t believe it’s been under our nose the entire time.” Paz’s mouth curved down.

  “Our noses were unable to detect it because the nearby portal obscured it. When I smelled cors particles, I figured they came from the gateway to the village. But then I thought of my shuttle, parked in a tourist attraction among other spacecraft models. In a similar manner, perhaps the Trolleks had hidden the jammer in plain view among like objects.”

  He adjusted his projector and it zoomed in, narrowing the focus. “The jamming device requires a powerful energy source. When I searched for any unusual spikes in the area, I found what I was looking for in the warehouses directly behind Drift World. No big surprise there.”

  What had surprised him was to learn the supply depot for the theme park also served as the storehouse for the illegal arms shipments from the Mariner. Cloaked while in orbit, the Mariner crew would have to send down a shuttle for the transfer of weapons to the surface. After resetting his sensors, Zohar had been able to trace its ion signature.

  Not only were the Trolleks powering their jamming device from the warehouses behind Drift World, but they stored their smuggled weapons there, too. He surmised the beasts transferred these arms via their portal to locations around the globe.

  He omitted any mention of the armament stockpile or smuggling scheme to his crew while distributing a series of printouts. Nonetheless, he figured they could take out two targets at once: the jammer and the munitions depot.

  “I agree with Nira that a frontal assault would be inappropriate. We shall use SDI tactics.”

  “What’s that?” Nira asked.

  “Surprise, Diversion, Infiltration.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “We have only five team members left: myself, Paz, Yaron, Borius, and Magnor.” He included Magnor, even if he wasn’t an official Drift Lord. “Should even one of us be taken out, it will compromise the mission.”

  “Hey, what am I, chopped liver?” Nira folded her arms across her chest.

  He skewed a glance her way. “Liver? What does a body organ signify?”

  “You’re forgetting that I’m a bonafide member of your team, buddy. Count on six of us. I have a weapon or two of my own, if you recall.”

  “Do not fret, little one. I have plans for you.”

  The way he said it brought a flush to her cheeks. They locked gazes for a brief instant before he focused on his men.

  “Listen up. Here are your assignments.” He rattled off his instructions. “Any questions?” When no one responded, he nodded, his face grim. “All right, then. Get ready to roll.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Nira swallowed as she glanced at the impossibly high ladder scaling the six-story tall warehouse. Was she nuts for coming along on this raid? She hadn’t protested her assignment, which was to neutralize any confounded humans that might oppose them, but she’d have liked to discuss things first with Zohar.

  Damn him, she’d wanted to discuss their situation with him before they risked their lives.

  How did he feel about her? Other than the lust she felt oozing from his pores every time he glanced at her, did he have any serious intentions? Had his trip to Karrell confirmed his duty as royal prince to take an approved bride, one considered suitable by his government? Regardless of their opinion, had he missed her? Did he even care what happened to her?

  Biting her lip to keep from blurting out her questions, she stood beside the ladder while Zohar conferred with Yaron. Their task was to set explosives while Borius and Paz created a diversion. Magnor, assigned to watch duty, deployed his invisibility shield to avoid detection.

  The warehouse stood in a construction center behind Drift World. They’d found a private entrance for cast members and had boldly driven inside. Blending in with the parked trucks, trailers, and buses had been easy, especially at night. Spotlights illuminated the various buildings, either other warehouses or temporary trailers with noisy air-conditioners, while a half moon brightened the night sky.

  The jamming device was located on a singular tower with multiple saucers and antennae. Its energy source came from this flat-roofed building, labeled Facilities and Operations Services. Loading platforms made up the rear, while the front had a simple staircase leading to the main entrance. No windows graced the building which bordered a thick woodland.

  The team’s main objective was to eliminate the power source. The explosion should kill the jammer, topple the tower, and destroy its infrastructure.

  Unfortunately, Dal, their demolition expert, was out of commission in the hospital. Fortunately, the team cross-trained in various skills so his absence wouldn’t prove an obstacle.

  Stomping her feet to rid her sneakers of sand, Nira tugged on the ebony shirt she wore over dark pants. Zohar’s team wore all black plus vests with multiple pockets.

  Her glance met his. Something burned bright in his expression, then extinguished. He tightened his lips, giving the hand signal for them to move.

  Following Zohar, who took point, she placed one foot above the other on the ladder, praying the rusty metal rungs would hold. The air smelled like moisture and rich earth. She focused her gaze upward, amusing herself by watching Zohar’s butt as he climbed.

  She hoped he’d interpreted the aerial view correctly, that a door on the roof would provide entrance into the complex. So far security had been lax. There didn’t appear to be any guards, just cameras aimed at the main entrance.

  Like ants, they crawled up the ladder. Their labored breathing broke the night, along with sounds of aircraft engines droning overhead, thunder rumbling in the distance, and the chorus of crickets.

  “You are doing well.” Yaron’s voice came from below. He held the rear guard position.

  “Thanks.” Her muscles trembled from exertion. Vowing to start working out once things returned to normal, she gritted her teeth as she strained to reach the roof.

  Never would she have imagined herself in this role. Her goal was to teach mythology and share her fascination of the subject with her students. Now it seemed so mundane to be stuck in one place doing the same thing year after year. What would happen once they defeated the Trolleks? She couldn’t conceive of returning to a normal life knowing what she did now.

  That is, assuming they survived. Oh, man. Her ankles would kill her tomorrow, but it would be worth the price if they put the Trollek jamming device out of action. Then Zohar’s team could locate the rifts between dimensions, shut them down, and end the hostile incursion.

  Finally, she scrambled over the top and rolled onto the roof in utter exhaustion. Yaron tumbled over the edge next. He sprang into a crouch with his phase gun at hand, while Zohar scanned the area with his mobile PIP.

  “It is too quiet.” Zohar’s eyes glimmered in the moonlight.

  Nira agreed. Why hadn’t they run into any patrols? Were the Trolleks so confident no one would locate their jammer?

  The Drift Lord captain led them to a door beyond a series of ventilation stacks. When his PIP beeped, he held up his arm in warning.

  “Stand back. There’s a defense grid.” He ran a pen-like device around the door’s edge until its light changed from red to green. “All clear.”

  He stuck the tool ba
ck in its pouch, then slid the door open. His weapon held in one hand and his PIP in the other, he motioned for them to follow.

  A musty odor inside made Nira wrinkle her nose. Dim overhead lighting illuminated dismal gray walls and a concrete floor. The heavy clank of machinery sounded in the distance, and underfoot, the floor shook with a faint vibration.

  “Remember the plan.” The whites of Zohar’s eyes shone in the low light. “We take out the power source. The transmitter on the tower is a secondary target.”

  “How will we recognize the generator?” Nira asked.

  “My PIP will identify the energy signature.” He inclined his head. “There should be stairs around the next corner.”

  Nira padded after him down a utility staircase, gripping a metal rail with peeling paint. She felt like a heroine in an action film. Surely this scenario was surreal. Yet here she stood, undeniably a member of Zohar’s team. Pride swelled within her chest as she watched his broad back. Even if he cast her aside when they completed their mission, she’d savor the memories.

  The vibration grew as they descended levels and so did her sense of unease. The rumbling noise increased at the same time. At the bottom floor, Zohar cracked open the door and peered out.

  “No one is about.” His voice strung taut.

  “Maybe it’s their off-shift.” Although possible, she doubted that’s why they hadn’t run into any opposition. Her nape prickled. Something was afoot.

  Her cohorts aimed their weapons as they proceeded cautiously into a huge warehouse.

  Crates and cartons lined the walls several rows deep, but that wasn’t what drew Nira’s attention. The machinery noise clattered from a wide depression in the center of the cavernous hall. A bright glow emanated from this pit.

  Zohar squinted at his PIP. “The energy signature comes from that mechanism.”

  Nira strode over and glanced down, wincing at the racket. A spinning thing at its core whirled in a blur of speed. Pistons stamped up and down around it, and water flowed in a river far below. Conduits, pipes, and cables twisted in all directions. As they approached, a beam of light in the center shot toward space through a skylight above.

  “Congratulations,” a female voice crooned from the shadows. “You’ve found our jammer. But we have found you. Throw down your weapons. The game is over.”

  Algie emerged from the surrounding gloom, accompanied by a horde of armed humans. Zohar cursed, while Nira’s heartbeat raced in a fast staccato. He knelt and placed his weapon on the floor. Yaron followed suit. They straightened slowly, facing Algie. Nira stepped back to stand at their side.

  “How did you know we would find this place?” Zohar held his chin high, every inch the commander even when outnumbered.

  “Simple, we let Nira escape with the old woman. We’d planted a tracking device on her, just like you did. Our signal piggybacked onto yours so you wouldn’t detect it. We wanted to get all of you in one swoop.” Algie beamed at them. “And so we did.”

  Nira broke in. “But we’re missing—” She caught Zohar’s intense glare and stopped.

  “Two other team members?” Algie finished for her. “Your friend Dal is no threat in his condition. As for Kaj, he’s been our guest for a while.”

  “You have Kaj?” Zohar lunged forward but two guards grabbed his arms to restrain him.

  “Drift Lords are tough to crack, but we have our methods. He’ll tell us what we want to know.”

  Zohar’s jaw clenched. “What is that? I thought you wanted us all dead.”

  “Yes, but he can supply us with some data critical to our objectives before he dies.” She addressed the guards. “Secure the men, and leave the girl for me.”

  Nira watched helplessly as Zohar and Yaron had their wrists bound behind their backs. She could use her power to free the slaves from mind control. Did Zohar want her to do it now?

  Zohar caught her eye and gave a subtle shake of his head.

  Standing straight and tall, he addressed Algie. “I do not believe your story about tracking Nira here. If you meant this as a trap, how did you know we would discover this place?” His gaze swung toward Nira. “You have Trollek DNA. Have you been spying on us from the start?”

  Nira’s jaw dropped. He knew about her inherited gene?

  “Surely you don’t think…you can’t believe…Algie told me I have a string of Trollek DNA, but it could be from interbreeding in the past. It doesn’t mean I’m one of them.”

  Zohar looked down his nose at her. “You resist confounding. You have other gifts. How else can you explain your powers?”

  Nira gaped at him, speechless. Did he mean his accusation, or was it a ruse to help her escape? She could claim she’d been working for Algie all along.

  “You’ve heard the prophecy.” Her voice came out as a hoarse rasp. “Remember what Askr told us.”

  “That old man who called himself the Gatekeeper?” Algie snickered. “The Dark Lord possessed him.”

  “Who?” Zohar’s nostrils flared. He looked like an ancient god himself with his proud bearing and commanding tone.

  “The one who will rise again at the great cataclysm.” Algie’s mouth turned down.

  Loki. The trickster who conned the gods of Aesir.

  Nira moistened her dry lips. “I thought you served science. Now you’re telling me you believe in Loki, an evil spirit who appeared in the myths of old?”

  “I serve my king.” Algie cast a furtive glance behind her.

  Right, Nira thought, and according to what Algie had told her earlier, King Jorg hears Loki speaking to him. Was Algie afraid the cunning Loki might even now be eavesdropping, or was she loathe to voice her doubts in public?

  His brow creased, Zohar peered back and forth between them. “What do you mean, this evil being possessed the Gatekeeper?”

  “The old man lied.” Nira waved her hand. “Askr didn’t catch Rayne tampering with your equipment. Rayne was innocent.”

  “Then who killed him?”

  A figure broke from the shadows. Borius. What was he doing here? He should be outside, creating a diversion with Paz.

  Her face blanched when Paz stumbled into the light after him, hands tied behind his back, an armed guard prodding him forward.

  “I can answer that question.” Borius’s face lit with a triumphant smirk. “People back home do not want you to assume the throne, Captain. They paid me to enlist the Trolleks to their cause. I killed Rayne.”

  To Nira’s surprise, Zohar didn’t look in the least shocked by this revelation. Instead, his glance glittered with rage.

  “You lied about talking to Rayne on the comm unit that day in front of Grace’s house. He was already dead. And you set up that ambush in the alley to take out Lord Magnor and myself.”

  “You knew?” Borius looked chagrined. “How?”

  Zohar’s lips thinned. “I traced your connection to the Royal Exchequer. Halston’s greed stemmed from his gambling debts, but what prompted you to betray us?”

  Borius shrugged. “My boyfriend has expensive tastes.”

  “What did you tell the Trolleks about our mission?”

  “Nothing. My job was to maintain our arms trade. Halston was afraid you’d interfere when you came to Earth. He ordered you to be terminated. I merely supplied the opportunity.”

  “Were you responsible for the tainted juice that sickened Dal?” A muscle twitched in the side of Zohar’s jaw.

  “That was easy.” Borius smiled, his eyes cold. “I had hoped more of you would drink it.”

  Nira, appalled by his treachery, glanced around for signs of their other friend. Had Borius forgotten about Lord Magnor, or was he already dead?

  Hoping they still had an ace up their sleeve, she tilted her head at Zohar. When did he want her to neutralize the guards?

  “Ow.” She clapped a hand to her head. That infernal buzzing increased in volume. More Trolleks must be vectoring in.

  Sure enough, a squad blinked into view, an ugly bunch with stout bodie
s, bulbous noses, and large prickly ears. The burliest of the bunch wore a row of medals on his uniform.

  “Quig! What are you doing here?” Algie’s face registered shock at the sight of him.

  “Stand down, wife. You have been summoned by the Council. My task is to escort you home.” His hand swept in a circle. “Major Zune will take charge of the prisoners.”

  “Not the woman. She’s mine.” Algie’s eyes blazed.

  “You overstep your bounds, teecaht. Do as you are told. I do not wish to punish you.” He cast her a fierce look.

  Lord Magnor, now would be a good time to show yourself. That is, Nira thought, if Borius hadn’t betrayed him too. Better he should wait, though, or he’d be outnumbered. Same for her power. She wouldn’t use it until Zohar gave the signal. Hopefully, she could limit its destructive force.

  “I’m sorry, Nira.” Algie’s voice held genuine regret. “I had great plans for you. My husband will regret his actions.”

  “Be careful what you say, wife, or you’ll be accused of aiding the Viden cause. Come, we go now.”

  “Yes, General.” Algie’s mouth twisted into a sly smile. “Nira, perhaps we’ll meet again. Your talents are too valuable to waste.”

  She knows, Nira thought. Is she telling me to use my ability?

  Nira didn’t get the chance to ask, because in another instant, Algie and the General vanished in a shimmer of light.

  “Guards, seize him.” Major Zune pointed to Borius.

  “Me? But I’ve been supplying you with energy weapons. We have a deal!” Borius struggled as sentries grabbed his arms and secured his wrists behind his back.

  “Not anymore. You’ve served your purpose. We can produce the weapons ourselves now. Die with honor.” Major Zune grinned as he aimed his disruptor.

  Borius shouted at him. “Colonel Yaloom will hear of this. He’ll stop the shipments. You still need our heavy artillery.”

  “To use against whom? The Drift Lords are finished. The humans are our slaves. And after the great cataclysm, this world will be ours.”

  “How will your people survive a global disaster?” Nira tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’ll be destroyed along with everyone else. The dimensional shock wave will leave nothing unscathed.”