“There are resources that we need.”
Grace swallowed back her horror. “What do you want?”
“Water is the most important. Few planets have such a supply as Earth. It is unique.”
The creature brought the needle to her arm and pierced her skin. Grace twisted her arm and clenched her fist. She wasn’t going to give them what they wanted without a fight. Her arm moved back and forth. The second Albireon reached out to hold her steady, but by then she’d already twisted the needle loose. It clattered to the ground.
“They should have given you the sleeping drugs before bringing you here.” There was a sound of frustration in his voice as he bent to pick the syringe up.
“If all you see are sedated humans, then I was right.” Grace’s tone was smug. “You don’t have an inkling about us.”
The Albireons went back to the tray. He threw the syringe on it. “You may struggle, but we will get what we need.”
“Humans will always fight.” Grace tilted her chin. “We will not stand by and let you take over this planet.”
There was another murmur between the two creatures and then they both walked over to the other side of the room. Grace’s eyes never left them as they moved a large machine with glass tubes and a bank of buttons, from the corner into the center of the room. They turned a few dials and a then a whirring noise sounded.
“What are you doing?”
She had to keep them talking. Stalling for time was part of her negotiation training. The longer they talked, the better chance she had of discovering what they wanted. At the back of her mind was the possibility that Partlan might be able to reach her. She didn’t hold much hope of that. Partlan was in the same situation as she was. They were both being held captive and restrained. That meant that she had to rely on herself to get out of this predicament. Talking was the only weapon she had left.
“It would be best if you were not awake.”
“So that machine is going to put me to sleep?”
The Albireons turned back to her. “It will ease your anxiety.”
“You plan to drug me?” Grace’s voice held disdain. “Have you no pride? Is drugging and sedation the only way you can get what you want?”
“It has been useful in the past.” The two creatures came back to her. “Are you willing to let us take what we need?”
Grace shook her head. “I’ve already told you no.”
“We want to understand humans.” The creature’s voice took on an imploring tone. “It will make the transition easier once we take over.”
“You expect me to willingly help you control the human race?” Grace almost snorted.
“We are not the only ones interested in your planet.” The creature was serious.
“There are more aliens on Earth?” She almost sputtered the words.
“They have tried, but we came to you first.” The Albireon who had tried to take her blood picked up another syringe. “Your genetics are fascinating.”
“How so?” Grace’s eyes were getting heavy. It was a struggle to keep her eyelids open.
“Your genes have numerous codes from other beings in the universe. It is as if you were a combination of many races, not just one.”
“Then, we are unique.”
“Yes.” The Albireon came closer with the syringe. “We need to understand how this came to be.”
“Why?” Grace eyed the needle as it neared her. She tried to twist her arm, but it felt weighted down.
“We have to be certain your planet is not a danger to us.” The Albireon nodded to his partner who went back to the machine. The whirring noise ceased.
“Our genes will tell you that?” There was a problem with the Albireon’s logic, but her brain was too full of cotton wool to pinpoint the issue.
“They will help us.” The Albireon was inches away with the syringe. “Also, you are with the Hunter. We need to know why.”
“My blood isn’t going to tell you that.” Grace’s tone was dry. “All you had to do was ask.”
The Albireon paused. “Ask?”
“It’s not complicated. The Hunter is my detainee.”
“Hunters are not taken prisoners.” He shook his head. “There has to be some control you have over him.”
“I’m just a human woman. From the way you people speak, these Hunters are to be feared. So what power could I possibly have?”
“You reasoning is sound.”
The two Albireons looked at each other for a few seconds and Grace sensed that there was a silent conversation going on between them. She glanced over at the machine and then back at the tray of instruments. Whatever they were planning involved more than a blood sample. Her body still felt heavy from the drug they had pumped into the room, but the effects were lessening. The best plan for her was to pretend that she couldn’t move.
The creatures turned back to her. “There has to be another reason the Hunter does not fight you.”
“I am a woman.”
“True.” There was a tilt of his head. “You are not of the species they were designed to defend. Are you suggesting that they will honor a woman from any race?”
“I don’t know. He has sworn to protect women and children.”
“So they do not only protect the Kaladin? They have been ruthless in their fighting. We have not done well against the Kaladin and their Hunters.”
“He said that you did not respect other races and I have to agree with him.”
“We have done no harm.”
“You are holding me captive and planning on using my genes for whatever purpose you want. I call that harmful.” Sensation was seeping back into her arm. She needed only a few more minutes and then she should be able to continue her struggle for freedom.
“We will release you. We have no plans to destroy your body like the others.”
A shock wave rolled through her. The others? These monsters had taken other people and killed them and this was sanctioned by the group that Ian worked for? Grace fought back her nausea.
“Why is Ian’s organization working with you?”
“We give them what they need and they let us experiment.”
“Do they know what your intentions are for the planet?”
The Albireons shrugged. “It is unimportant to them.”
“What did they ask for in exchange?”
Grace forced her voice to remain calm. The longer she talked, the more her strength was returning. The thought of what she would do to Ian and his multi-national organization fueled her determination to survive.
“Technology.” The Albireon was matter of fact. “We are more advanced than your planet.”
“There has to be more.” Sensation was fully returned to her hands. “They probably think they’ll be exempt from whatever horrible plans you have for the rest of us. Did you promise them a new home?”
“They wish to travel the universe.”
“So they’ll escape.” Grace fought the urge to shake her head. She didn’t want them knowing that their drug was wearing off.
“They have been wise and negotiated.” The Albireon raised his syringe. “There has been enough talk.”
He took the cap off the needle.
Time had run out.
She had stalled the Albireons as long as possible. Grace clenched her fists and teeth as she pulled up on her restraints with all of her strength. The leather held tight even though the effects of their drug had lessened. She wasn’t strong enough to break the straps on her wrists and feet.
She sent a silent cry for help to Partlan just as the needle made contact with her skin.
Chapter 14
Ian was going to die.
He had threatened and hurt Grace.
Grace was his mate and every cell in Partlan’s body was dedicated to protecting her. The kiss had been proof of their bond. He had never experienced anything like it before. It had been a physical and spiritual connection. A part of him had reached out and touched the inner core that was G
race. His only regret was that it had ended too soon.
Ian had interrupted them.
He forced his thoughts away from Grace. He could not allow anything to interfere with his task. These men were threatening her. He stilled his mind and focused on Ian. The man would make a mistake. That was all Partlan needed.
Then, Ian would die.
Ian was standing in the center of the cell with his lips pursed. He took one step closer to Partlan. “Any attempt to escape is futile. We hold all the cards, including that lovely lady that just left.”
“You are threatening a woman, not cards.” Partlan’s tone was contemptuous.
Ian shook his head. “I can see that I’ll have to talk in simple language to help you understand how serious this situation is. We will kill the FBI agent, if you don’t give us the information we require.”
“If you kill her, then there is no reason for me to speak with you.” Partlan’s words came through gritted teeth. This man was lower than the worse traitor he had ever hunted. Even thieves had more honor.
“Do you know where she is right now?” Ian’s eyebrow rose. “She’s in a laboratory being subjected to the painful experiments of one of your fellow extraterrestrials.”
“We do not experiment on people.” Partlan did not hide his disgust. “We protect people from monsters like you.”
“We’re doing what is necessary to survive. We didn’t invite visitors from outer space. You guys just showed up here. What choice do we have? We make the treaties with those that can help us.”
“You are mistaken if you think the Albireons will assist you. In the end, they will destroy your people just like they’ve done on numerous planets across the universe.”
“I follow orders.” Ian paced the small cell, his military boots a dull thud against the cement floor. “You’re not welcome on Earth. You were definitely not invited.”
“We have no intention of harming this planet.” Partlan lifted his chin. “There is no reason to hold us captive.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Ian stopped walking. “I need to know how many of you are on the planet and where you are located.”
“A warrior does not betray his brothers.”
“We have a large arsenal of methods for extracting information.” There was a gleam of satisfaction in Ian’s eyes.
“I have endured worse.” Partlan shook his head. “You are not the first race to resort to torture. I have been trained to resist.”
Ian frowned. “I will have to find another means to convince you.”
“You may try, but you will not be successful.”
“Why were you running with the woman? Was she your captive?”
“The Sacred Code forbids hurting women. I would never hold one captive.”
“There must be a connection.” Ian tilted his head. “She’s all I need to convince you to talk.”
“It will not work.”
“I will kill the woman.” Ian’s voice sounded like steel. “This is not a game. The security of our planet is at stake. You will tell me what I need to know.”
“You are willing to sacrifice an innocent woman for this information?” Partlan’s tone was scornful. “You have no honor.”
“I don’t give a damn about honor. I want answers or the woman dies,” Ian shouted.
“Then, we will both die.” Partlan kept his tone neutral. He had no intention of letting any harm come to Grace, but he was not going to let this man know that. Surprise was what was needed to escape this place, and he intended to use it to his advantage.
Ian smirked. “Where’s all your fine talk about defending women?”
“You are the one making the threats. I have only stated that I will not talk.”
Ian walked to within a few inches of Partlan.
His face was a mask of anger.
“We’ll see how tough you are when I force you to watch the invasive probing of the woman by the Albireons.” Ian spit the words at Partlan. “All of your talk of honor and it’s really your own skin you want to save.”
“I have no desire to save myself.” Partlan kept his face passive. “Death is a warrior’s reward.”
“You guys really are insane.” Ian’s voice was filled with disdain. “What ever happened to survival?”
“We have been bred and trained to be the best warriors in the universe.”
“Tell me how many of you there are?”
“I will not endanger my brothers.” Partlan shook his head. “I am the only Hunter you will capture.”
“We know there’s more of you. The Walters spoke of a group who had saved their son.” Ian nodded. “We did our research. You were easy to capture and it won’t be long before we have the rest.”
Partlan’s clenched his jaw. He would not give this man the satisfaction of an answer. He believed he knew everything about Hunters, but his words showed his ignorance. A warrior never divulged information. It was only a matter of time before he killed Ian and rescued Grace.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” Ian’s tone was taunting. “Do you think humans are stupid?”
Partlan gave him a blank stare. “You speak nonsense. I am as human as you.”
Ian’s eyes widened and he took a step backwards. “You’re not from this planet.”
“Prove it.”
Ian threw his arms up in the air. “I’m not going to stand here and debate this with you any longer. You’ve tried my patience enough. Now, we’ll ask our questions in an atmosphere more conducive to interrogation.”
Partlan shrugged. “As you wish. It will not change my answers.”
Ian walked out of the cell and motioned for someone to come to him. Partlan focused his mind and tried to connect with Ardal. All he received was silence. He tried again, but the result was the same. Then, he remembered what Eogan had said about the facility blocking signals.
He tried to connect with Eogan. This time he had success.
“Grace has been taken away. Ian says that the Albireons will experiment on her.”
There was a long pause before Eogan answered. “She is probably on level eight. The Albireons have complete control there.”
“I must free her.” Partlan refused to consider what would happen if he did not succeed.
“The escape plan is in place. You need to get above ground. The elevator is the only means.” Eogan fired his instruction with military briskness.
“Understood.”
“If they know you’re on the loose, they’ll shut down all transport up to the surface.”
“I will silence all who stop me.” Partlan eased his breathing in preparation for battle.
“Kill them where there are no cameras. Stay close to the walls to avoid being seen. I’ll make my way up to the surface and meet you there.”
Just then Ian returned with two armed men. They were dressed in grey uniforms with caps on their heads. They looked more like security guards than soldiers, but Partlan had no intention of underestimating their skill. They carried weapons that even an untrained person could use to kill. He would eliminate them before they could fire their weapons. Grace needed him alive.
Partlan moved his neck from side to side and eased his breathing. These men would be easily defeated, but he must do it without others knowing. Surprise and skill were necessary if he was going to rescue Grace and get them to the surface. Failure was not an option.
The cold mental focus of a warrior took over.
One of the men unlocked his handcuff from the cell wall and snapped the free end onto his own wrist before pushing Partlan forward. The other soldier had his gun trained on him. Ian stood at the door with his arms crossed over his chest. Partlan let the man push him another step before he locked his legs in place.
He yanked on the cuffs, pulling the man attached to him, close. He wrapped his arm around his neck and with his free hand grabbed his captor’s gun. Before Partlan’s next heartbeat, he shot the other soldier dead. Ian’s eyes widened and he was reaching for his w
eapon when Partlan shot him through the heart. Partlan jerked his arm and snapped the neck of the man he was holding.
The body sagged to the floor and he rummaged through the dead man’s pockets until he found the key to unlock the handcuffs. Once freed, he picked up the three weapons. One went into the back waistband of his pants, one into his front pocket and he kept the other in his hand. Next, he took the soldier’s hat and put it on so that the cap hid most of his face. He shrugged into Ian’s jacket and covered his tee-shirt before pushing the bodies along the wall beside the door. If anyone checked through the window, it would look empty.
He edged out of the cell.
The hallway was clear.
He looked up. The camera was pointed high as Eogan had promised. He shut the cell door behind him and edged along the wall making certain he kept out of view. At the end of the hall, there was an elevator and another maze of corridors. The elevator had a large seven on the front.
It was the only way to freedom.
More importantly, it would take him to Grace.
He pulled the brim of the hat over his face and pushed the button. When it opened, he turned and faced the wall. He couldn’t risk anyone finding him until after he freed Grace. Escape meant nothing if Grace wasn’t with him. He pushed the button for eight. There was a jerk and then he was descending one level. When the doors opened, he kept his head down. He saw the camera ahead and nudged it up with his gun. If they were careful, they should be out of range of the security monitors when they escaped. All he needed was time to get to the surface before the alarm was sounded. After that, he would rely on Eogan’s escape plan.
The elevator opened onto three corridors.
They were all identical in appearance.
At regular intervals, there were doors without windows. He would not be able to see which room Grace was in. There was a stillness in the halls, one that he recognized from Cygnus. Everything on this level was soundproof. Each door was heavy enough to prevent noise from filtering out. It was meant to keep their experiments secret, but it was also going to make it difficult to find Grace.
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