“I spent ten years in the military before I switched to code enforcement, so I saw many battles.” He withdrew his hand and would no longer meet her gaze.
It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about his past, but she actually knew very little about him. If she was going to spend the night with him, even if all they did was kiss and touch, she wanted to know him better. “What made you make the switch?”
“It’s all in my dossier,” he grumbled. “Why do you refuse to read it?”
They reached the top of the gangway and were motioned to separate security stations. Dakar was quickly cleared with a facial scan, but the guards had to verify Alyssa’s identity. She also underwent a search and two different scans before they cleared her to proceed.
“Damn, you guys take security seriously around here.” She pressed her arm over her aching ribs and rushed to keep up with his long strides.
“The secrets of the transformation program would bring a king’s ransom on the black market. We cannot let our guard down for any reason.”
She nodded and he took her free hand, leading her through the twisting corridors. “There are no signs or markers. How do you know where to go?” She’d wondered about navigation as soon as she saw the Fearless.
“Anytime I enter a ship or Rodyte facility, my internal comlink syncs with the ship’s main computer. I told the computer where I was headed and it has been giving me directions ever since. If I hadn’t specified my destination, the computer would remain silent.”
“Does everyone on Rodymia have internal comlinks?” The concept was fascinating, yet sort of creepy. People on Earth spent way too much time fixated on their phones. She could only imagine how much worse the phenomenon would become once technology became hands-free.
“Most do. It’s required by the military.” Again bitterness tinged his tone and he let go of her hand.
“Did you hate it so much?”
He glanced at her, confusion knitting his brow. “Hate what?”
“Being in the military?”
He thought for a moment before he spoke. “I enjoyed the comradery and sense of accomplishment. Goals were specific, clearly defined. A soldier knows exactly what’s expected of him and what he needs to do to achieve it. But it was forced on me and that’s hard to accept.”
“You were drafted?”
He scanned open an elevator and they stepped inside before he answered. “Military service is ‘voluntary’ but the only alternative for a battle born male is manual labor. My father is a retired general, so he wouldn’t have accepted it if I’d chosen to be a farmer. Besides, a rural life was even less appealing than the military.”
“I know what it’s like to have your life shaped by someone else’s expectations.” She’d spent most of her adult life trying to please her father. The effort might not have been so wearying if he’d noticed her accomplishments or offered any sort of affirmation. But she barely existed in his world unless he needed her skills as a hacker or her ability to backward engineer alien technology.
They stepped out of the elevator and he motioned her to the left. “Your occupation was not your choice?”
“Not my occupation so much as my life in general. I’ve tried much too hard, for much too long to please my father.” Hearing the words made her doubly conscious of the implications. If she continued down her original path, she might well ruin her best chance at happiness.
He slipped his hand around hers again, intertwining their fingers. “Is that why you applied to the transformation program? Were you trying to escape your father’s expectations?”
The irony made her scoff. “Just the opposite. My father’s expectations are the main reason I even considered this.” His gaze narrowed and he started to say something, but she stopped him. “Let’s talk about something else. Thoughts of my father tend to put me in a shitty mood.”
They reached the main clinic a few minutes later and Dakar told the young man at the reception desk why they’d come. The clerk quickly entered the information in the computer then told them to have a seat in the small waiting area. Rodyte technology might be far superior to human, but this felt exactly the same as any emergency room on Earth.
Alyssa couldn’t see the treatment area, but she could hear numerous voices and the occasional rumble of carts and equipment. “How many people were transported here?” Then a darker possibility materialized in her mind. “Were there casualties?”
“There were nine that we’ve found so far.” His voice grew rough with emotion. “There will be more. I don’t think anyone made it out of the kitchen.”
The poor hostess. Compassion clutched her heart, making her chest ache as badly as her abdomen. “Do you know what happened? Was this intentional?” She needed to know if her father was involved. Solar Warden had been established to protect Earth from alien threats. If they’d done this, they were no better than terrorists.
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as an unintentional bomb, and it was definitely a bomb. Several, actually.”
Alyssa was called to the back before she could reply, postponing the conversation. Dakar stood and looked as if he’d accompany her, but smiled instead. “I’ll be here when you’re finished.”
She was led to one of the twelve treatment stations arranged in a circle around a control hub. The bed looked similar to those found on Earth, but the rest of the equipment was staggering. Each bed had multiple scanners and other noninvasive sensors. Most of the controls were holographic and made Alyssa think of a VR game she’d tried a few months ago. The scans only took a few minutes. Alyssa didn’t even need to change clothes. The technician who ran the scans told her that nothing was broken and there was no sign of internal injuries.
A doctor came in next and had her pull up her shirt so he could examine the bruises manually. “This sort of injury isn’t dangerous, but it’s painful. On any other night, I’d recommend regeneration. That’s not an option because of the explosion, so we’re going to rely on a nano-fix.”
“Nanites?” She shivered. Nanotechnology was in its infancy on Earth. Clearly Rodytes used them for multiple purposes. A nano-translator was allowing them to understand each other. “Are you sure these are safe for humans?”
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t have suggested it if they weren’t.” The doctor injected her with the nanites, then gave her an analgesic mist for the pain. “By morning you should feel much better. If you don’t, then you need to return.”
She thanked him and returned to the waiting area.
Dakar was gone.
Her heart lurched and she caught her breath, but he walked back into the clinic a moment later.
“Sorry. I stepped outside so I could check in with Raylon. External communications are dampened by the ship’s security field.”
It was embarrassing that she’d felt so abandoned by his momentary absence. “Clean bill of health, nothing broken, only bruised.”
He nodded, though he still seemed distracted. “And Raylon said everything is running smoothly, so I’m yours for the rest of the night. I’m sorry we’re getting such a late start. Where would you like to go?”
Tension twisted her insides. This was her opportunity. “You can take me back to my apartment.” It was the coward’s way out, but she didn’t care. She didn’t want to betray Dakar. “You clearly want to go back to work.”
“I feel obligated to return to work. I want nothing more than to spend time with you.”
Heat flooded her face and desire curled through her body. How did he know just what to say to melt her inhibitions?
You’re playing a part. None of this is real! Her inner voice sounded like Kelsey this time, which was no less annoying than her father.
They walked off the ship in silence. Alyssa knew what needed to happen next and dreaded how it would affect Dakar. She couldn’t complete her mission until his scent freed her to move about without an escort, but allowing him to mark her required intimacies she didn’t want to allow. She wasn’t afra
id, knew she’d thoroughly enjoy making out with him. But it was so unfair, so heartless.
She sighed. She was either in or out. If she couldn’t go through with this, she needed to tell Kelsey now. They’d both resign—and Alyssa’s father would never speak to her again.
At the moment she wasn’t sure she cared.
But this wasn’t just about her father. By circumventing the government, the battle born made human volunteers utterly vulnerable. They were cut off from anyone with the power to assist them should Rodyte promises prove false. Blind faith was dangerous. Period.
“Do you have quarters on one of the ships or an apartment in one of the villages?” She forced herself to meet his gaze as she waited for his response.
He stopped walking and turned to face her. “I have a suite in the Pavilion.” His eyes narrowed and his shoulders tensed. “Are you sure you want to go there? We’ll be alone.”
“I…” She licked her lips and looked away from his compelling face. “I’m tired of being escorted everywhere I go. Indigo said…” Why was this so damn hard? She felt like an adolescent with her first crush.
His fingers gently raised her face until their gazes locked. “You want me to mark you?”
She nodded, unable to speak the words.
Time paused and white noise filled her ears. All she could see was him. All she could think of was how much she wanted him.
“Are you sure?”
Guilt surged and reality resumed as her heart thudded away in her chest. She was no longer sure this was part of the mission. She just wanted to be with him. “Kelsey’s here now. I’m out of excuses for avoiding you.”
His dark gaze searched hers for a moment, purple rings softly gleaming. “I’ll be more than happy to mark you, Alyssa. But it doesn’t have to be tonight. You’re exhausted and injured. I’m not sure you’re in the right frame of mind to make this decision.” He raised one hand and pressed it against the side of her face. “We have three months to decide if we’re right for each other. I’m willing to give this some more time.”
Emotions, strong and conflicted, nearly closed her airway. She blinked back tears and consciously relaxed her throat so she could breathe. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted this to be real. And the less she cared how much it would displease her father if she abandoned her mission. Dakar was noble, brave and caring, everything she’d always longed for in a husband.
“I reek of smoke.” She didn’t know what else to say. “I desperately need a shower.”
“I’ve got one of those too.”
* * * * *
“You told me there would be no loss of life!”
Royce Marsden squared his shoulders and stared straight ahead. He’d seen Shadow Leader angry before, but never like this. “The deaths were unintentional, sir. The bombs were meant to go off in the warehouse, which is automated, not one of the restaurants. We’re not sure what went wrong, some sort of problem with the detonation timers.”
Shadow Leader sneered and turned around, presenting Royce with his broad back. They were aboard the Guardian, the small, agile ship from which Shadow Leader supervised the members of Solar Warden. Being summoned here made Royce feel like a misbehaved child being called down to the principal’s office.
Royce had met Shadow Leader six years ago, yet he still didn’t know his real name or anything about his background. Many presumed Royce was the head of Solar Warden, but he was more like a manager. Shadow Leader secured financing, and approved every mission. Which was why he was so angry now.
“My daughter was in that restaurant.” His voice dropped to barely a whisper.
Shit! “I’m so sorry, sir. Was she injured?” Please Lord, don’t let her be dead.
Shadow Leader turned around and glared at him. “If her injuries had been serious, you’d be dead. You’re one lucky piece of shit.”
“Yes, sir.” He had no idea what Shadow Leader wanted him to say. Royce had listened to Kage Razel’s advice and focused on supply runs and security patrols. Royce’s team identified a produce supplier operating out of Outpost LA who’d been working with the Rodytes since their arrival and slipped a bomb into one of the shipments before it left California. Clean, simple, make a statement without starting a war.
“You realize what you’ve done, don’t you?”
He tensed. Would Shadow Leader fire him now or worse? That was the problem with black operations. No one would know, or care, if he disappeared. “I’ve started a war with the battle born.”
They were in the tiny workroom adjacent to the bridge. With a built-in access terminal and two desk chairs, the room didn’t have much to recommend it. The cramped setting made the confrontation even more uncomfortable.
“Only if we take credit for the bombing.”
Royce stilled. The possibility had occurred to him, but he hadn’t thought Shadow Leader would agree to such a cowardly route. Royce stood in the middle of the room, hands clasped behind his back as Shadow Leader prowled around him. “The bomb was designed to disintegrate. It’s possible they won’t be able to trace it back to us.”
“With nothing but suspicions, it’s less likely they’ll retaliate,” Shadow Leader mused. “That should give us a day or two to plan our next move.”
“What are our choices? If we bomb anything else, it will make us look guilty.”
It took Shadow Leader a long time to reply. He paced, stewed, then paced some more. “Maybe we’re looking at this backward. Our chances of frustrating the battle born enough to make them leave are basically nonexistent.”
“What is the alternative?”
“Rather than attacking them directly, we attack their reputation. Our females see them as freedom fighters, gallant soldiers struggling to achieve basic liberties.”
“I agree. Even some of my men are starting to feel guilty about our goals. The battle born rebellion strikes a familiar cord in patriotic Americans.”
“So we locate some of the women they’ve rejected, and reveal the darker side of this transformation program. Make them look like sexist bigots who care only about themselves. If no one volunteers, they’ll have no choice but to move on. We must vilify the battle born.”
“And if that doesn’t work?” Royce knew he was being difficult, but his interactions with Shadow Leader were few and far between. He wanted to make damn sure they were on the same page.
“Then we draw them out, lure them into situations where they have to attack us. Human females need to feel threatened by the mysterious aliens who have been spying on us for decades.”
Royce nodded, distracted by the possibilities. “We can counter their recruitment videos with propaganda of our own.”
“Yes.” Shadow Leader’s gaze lit with excitement and driving purpose. “They’ve convinced our young women that this is an adventure, the opportunity of a lifetime. We must twist that, accent what they’ll be risking, show them all the things that can go wrong.”
“We’ll have to be very convincing. The Rodytes are appealing to human women.”
“I’m aware.” Shadow Leader sighed and leaned against the back of one of the desk chairs. “I want to control this as long as possible. Once it escalates to all-out war—and we both know it will—we’ll have little control over what transpires.”
Chapter Six
Alyssa sat in an armchair facing Dakar. His suite was at least twice the size of her apartment and much more luxurious. He’d changed into a T-shirt and jeans while she showered, but he still looked tense and distracted. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back to work? I can curl up on the sofa or return to my apartment.”
“No. I want to be here. I just can’t stop wondering who did this.”
Maybe he’d be able to let go of the tragedy if they talked it out. The memories haunted her too. The screams, panic, and destruction. The acrid smell of smoke and heat from the blaze. She’d never been so close to death. Her battles were fought in cyberspace. Her weapons of choice were scripting, social eng
ineering, and weakness exploitation. Dakar wasn’t the only one who needed to talk.
She curled her legs up beside her and pulled the sides of the borrowed robe tighter across her chest. Kelsey would have to bring her a change of clothes before Alyssa could leave Dakar’s suite, but there was plenty of time to worry about that tomorrow. “Who are your top suspects?”
“Solar Warden, obviously, but they have to know we’ll retaliate. Why would they start a war with a much larger and better armed force? It doesn’t make sense.” He thought for a moment, then said, “The Outcasts could have done it. They don’t seem to care about anyone but themselves. But what do they gain by the explosion? It all seems so pointless.”
The last thing she wanted was to find out her father had ordered a ruthless attack on a civilian target. She felt guilty enough as it was. More for her own sanity than his comfort, she pointed out a possibility that exonerated Solar Warden. “You’re presuming this has something to do with the rebellion. Maybe it doesn’t. The couple that runs the place is Ontarian. Does anyone have reason to hate Ontarians, or is the couple hostile with any of the other restaurateurs? Professional rivalries can get ugly fast.”
“Those are two very good questions.” He sighed and rested back against the sofa, arms stretched out to either side. “Maybe I am making this personal when it doesn’t need to be. I’ll talk to the other managers in the morning and see if there was a conflict I’d yet to hear about.”
“Sounds like a plan. Are your men still at the scene?”
He shook his head. “All the wounded have been moved to the Intrepid or they were treated onsite. Sedrik stationed guards around the restaurant to keep everyone out.”
“Then there’s nothing left to do tonight.”
“Nothing work related.” His gaze settled on her face and lingered. “Do you feel better after your shower?”
“Much, but I noticed your bathtub. I’m extremely jealous. My apartment only has a shower and the mist is so fine it hardly makes me feel clean.”
Enforcer (Battle Born Book 11) Page 9
