“It’s unlikely Abaddon is on Earth,” Lenore said, worry creasing her brow. “What else could go wrong?”
“Abaddon might not be on Earth, but the RF leaders are,” Thea told her. “And they have supporters all over the country. It’s possible they have someone watching me.”
Jenna shook her head, refusing to let pessimism compound her fear. “He has no reason to suspect you. You’ve done everything he asked.” They were putting themselves in danger. There was no way to change that. Still, they needed to plan for the risks without dwelling on them. Obsessing over things she couldn’t change only made them stronger. “Besides, even if he is suspicious, all we have to do is keep the connection live long enough for Sental to identify the frequency.”
“Is the Phantom you arrived on still in the area?” Drex asked Sental. “Not all of them have been retrofitted with a bio-streaming engine.”
“The pilot said he had a quick errand to run and then he was available for the rest of the day. He should be back in an hour or so.”
Drex took a deep breath and anxiety sparked across their link. “Is your car still out front?” he asked Thea.
“Yes.” She glanced at Lenore. “Unless someone moved it.”
“It’s still there,” Lenore assured.
“Why do you ask?” Jenna wanted to know. Drex was in business mode now, all intense eyes and grim determination. Still, she could feel his protectiveness and cunning. It was so strange to be this connected with anyone.
“I honestly think it’s doubtful that Abaddon is suspicious enough to have someone following you,” Drex told Thea. “However, it would be less suspicious if you and Jenna arrive together and in your car.” Thea nodded. “How long does it take to reach your hotel?”
“Depends on traffic.”
Drex scratched his jaw, his expression thoughtful. “Then let’s wait until the Phantom returns. There’s not much we can do about traffic, but I’d rather not take any unnecessary chances. Once we have the Phantom, Sental and I can monitor your progress from the air.”
Veeko, the Phantom’s pilot notified Sental of his return about forty minutes later. The men bio-streamed onto the small ship while Jenna and Thea headed out in Thea’s car.
“Hold on,” Thea said as they reached the front door. “I need my laptop.” She ran back and retrieved the devise then continued on to the car with the leather laptop bag slung over her shoulder.
They’d driven a short ways when Jenna said, “All of this is happening really fast. Are you still confident in your decision to help us?”
Thea glanced at her then turned her attention back to the road. “You wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. I’m not one to go along just to get along. I’m mad as hell and worried sick. That’s not a pleasant combination.”
“I know you plan to confront Abaddon about your grandmother, but is it—”
“Don’t even try to talk me out of it. Abaddon is a coward and a liar, and I don’t care if he is an alien. He is going to hear what I think of him.”
“I wasn’t going to try to talk you out of it. I only wondered if you would do so in front of me. You’re trying to convince me to join the RF. Finding out that they’d kidnapped your grandmother wouldn’t ingratiate them to me.” The more time Jenna spent with Thea the more she believed Drex was right. She and Thea tended to clash because they were so much alike. If they could help Thea see that, maybe they’d stop clashing.
Thea lapsed into silence for a few minutes, her thumb tapping against the steering wheel. “I have a wireless headset. You can put it on and pretend I’m blaring music in your ears while I confront Abaddon. Then I’ll tell you to take off the headset and introduce you to the jerk.”
Jenna nodded. “That should work.”
We’re set up and ready to go. When will you arrive?
Drex’s voice popped into her mind without warning and Jenna gasped. We’re crossing the George Washington Bridge, so I’d say ten minutes.
“Are you okay?” Thea asked.
“I’m fine, just not used to being telepathic.”
Thea’s curious gaze lingered for a moment before she turned her head again. “Care to elaborate?”
Not comfortable enough with Thea to share the truth, Jenna said, “Apparently, the com-bots are functioning. Drex just told me they’re ready.”
Thea pulled into the hotel’s lot and found an empty parking place. Unnerved by the idea that someone might be watching them, Jenna paused to look around. No one was in sight, so she cautiously opened her door and followed Thea toward the front door. Thea smiled at the front desk clerk as they walked through the lobby and a small, slightly rickety elevator took them to the third floor. The hotel was older than Jenna had initially thought, but clearly it had been renovated in the not too distant past.
After opening the door with a magnetic cardkey, Thea motioned Jenna into a typical three-star hotel room. The queen-sized bed was neatly made and fresh linens hung over the rack in the bathroom. The room looked as if they were just checking in. If anyone had found their way into Thea’s room while she was gone, they’d been careful not to disturb anything.
Thea set the laptop bag down on the table and dug out the headset she’d mentioned in the car. “Put this on, but I’m not going to play music. I want you to hear everything that bastard has to say.” She reached back into the bag and withdrew the small computer.
Jenna took the headset, then moved to the bed. She slipped off her sandals and stacked a couple of the pillows so she could sit against the headboard.
I’m going to activate external surveillance, Drex told her. It might feel strange at first.
Like having voices in her head wasn’t strange already? At least he’d warned her this time. Go ahead.
Her ears crackled for a second then her right eye felt unusually dry. She blinked several times and the irritation passed.
“The signal is loud and clear, the picture perfect.” Drex’s voice was still inside her head, but it sounded and felt different now. It was more like wearing earbuds. “You don’t need to speak out loud for us to hear you, but everyone on the Phantom can hear you now. Can you find the connection? It should feel different than our soul bond.”
She tried several times before she located the connection, but once she’d found it, she was able to communicate without speaking out loud. Was it still considered telepathy if nanites were responsible for the ability? She smiled. A true telepath would likely say no.
“Telling secrets?” Thea asked, staring at Jenna over the screen of her laptop.
“I was just playing with my new toy,” she said with a smile. “I’m ready when you are.”
Thea sat at the small table across the room, the laptop open in front of her. “Sometimes he answers right away, but sometimes he takes forever to acknowledge my existence.” She plugged in the com device then turned the computer on.
For a long time there was no sound, no indication that the computer had created the connection. Then a mechanical-sounding voice snapped, “Where have you been?”
“We’ll get to that in a minute,” Thea responded with just as much vehemence. “Where is my grandmother, you son of a bitch?” Her lips thinned and her nostrils flared as she leaned closer to the screen. “Release her this second, or all deals are off. And by the way, Jenna Fermont is sitting on my bed right now listening to music.”
“Show me.”
Hearing the command, Jenna began to bob her head as if she were listening to music. She kept her gaze away from the computer as Thea rotated the laptop so the camera pointed toward the bed.
“All I’ve done is what you asked me to do.” Thea turned the computer back to face her. “And you repay me with deceit and treachery. Where is she!”
“Safe and unharmed. And she will remain so as long as you continue to cooperate.”
“Jenna’s still a little unsure about you, but we’ve grown quite close over the past few days. If I told her what you’ve done, she would be out the door so
damn fast it would—”
“Don’t threaten me, little girl. You care about your grandmother much more than I care about Jenna Fermont. Now tell her to come speak with me.”
Thea clenched her jaw so hard a muscle on the side of her face twitched. If she’d been able to reach through a computer screen it was obvious her hands would have been around Abaddon’s throat. After glaring at him for a moment longer, Thea waved her hands and motioned for Jenna to take off the headset. “My boss wants to talk to you.”
Thea stood and moved out of the way, allowing Jenna to sit in front of the computer.
“We’ve got it,” Drex said in her ear. “End the transmission, now.”
“I have no interest in working with anyone who makes war on old women.” Using the excuse to explain her actions, Jenna snapped the laptop closed and yanked the Evonti device out of the port.
“Tell Thea she has five minutes to pack, then we’re going to bio-stream you both out of there.”
* * * * *
Over the next hour and a half, Drex and Sental identified four locations utilizing the Evonti frequency. “There could be more,” Sental warned. “But these are the ones that have been active since your conversation with Abaddon.”
Thea nodded, her expression a tense combination of frustration and fear. “We have to find her. He has no reason to keep her alive now.”
“Then let’s hit the closest location and work our way out,” Sental suggested.
Again she nodded. “Do we need more people? What if we get lucky and find her. I doubt she’ll be alone.”
“How hard can it be to guard a little old lady?” Sental winked at Thea, clearly trying to cheer her up. Drex appreciated the effort, but suspected it was wasted. “Helen is at one of these locations and we’re going to rescue her.”
“Wait, which cities are the signals coming from?”
“The first one to activate was in Oregon,” Sental told her. “The second wasn’t too far from L.A.”
“Riverside?” Thea guessed.
“Do you know someone in Riverside?” Sental asked.
“Jacob, the bastard who recruited me. He’s this charming old man. He’d be perfect to keep Grandma in line without scaring her to death. That’s where we’ll find her. I can feel it.”
“The other two locations are closer to us. One is much closer,” Sental warned.
Drex understood the quandary. It would take at least twenty minutes to reach Riverside, twenty minutes they couldn’t afford if Thea’s hostility had prompted Abaddon to take action. It had already been an hour and a half since their conversation. “Why don’t we scan the closest location on our way to Riverside. Then we can head up to Oregon and double back to the final location.”
“You’re the boss. Besides, Thea knows these people much better than we do.”
Drex motioned toward the empty seat beside Veeko. “You’re the navigator.”
“Among other things.” Sental puffed out his chest with playful pride and moved to the front of the ship.
“How long will it take to reach Riverside?” Excitement transformed Thea’s face, making her look younger and prettier. Her cheeks took on a rosy sheen and her eyes nearly glowed. “I know that’s where she is. It has to be.”
“Twenty minutes at most,” Sental tossed over his shoulder as his hands flew through the control matrix. “You better strap in. We’re going to punch it.”
Gods, I hope she’s right. Drex passed the thought to Jenna without looking at her. Thea deserves a little good news right now. She responded with emotion rather than words, filling his mind with warmth and encouragement. How had he ever survived without her? It seemed inconceivable now.
The first location was easily dismissed. The only occupant was driving away as the Phantom flew over. Several quick scans proved that there were no other life forms at that location, so the team immediately moved on.
Going directly to Riverside was a gamble, but Thea’s certainty was based on logic as well as emotion. There was one detail that bothered Drex and he didn’t see an advantage in avoiding the question. “Have they had enough time to drive Helen from Florida to California? I’m not used to your primitive vehicles.”
“It’s been three, maybe four days. I’m not sure when they took her. So yes, they could have driven, though she would have made them miserable the entire way. It sounds like Big Jim went and got her from her residence, but Jacob can talk anyone into anything. If he’s involved, he probably convinced her to get on a plane.”
“Didn’t Helen’s neighbor say Jim told Helen you wanted her to visit?” No one responded, so Jenna went on. “That’s the perfect excuse for getting her on a plane. All they had to do was convince her she was coming to visit you.”
“Jacob could have sold that easily.”
Thea seemed to be comforted by the idea that Helen was with Jacob. He sounded like a conman, but apparently he was less dangerous than the other RF leaders.
“Make sure you forward all the locations to General Lux,” Drex directed Sental. “I’m sure he’ll want to have each investigated.”
“I’d like to know what he finds,” Jenna said. “My people are just as concerned about the RF as the battle born.”
“Understood.”
The next twenty minutes passed with excruciating slowness. Drex tried hard to remain positive, but he was extremely worried about how Thea would react if Helen wasn’t in Riverside, or worse, she was but Abaddon had ordered her death. Just the possibility made Drex hate the Evonti even more than he already did. They didn’t know for certain that Abaddon was Evonti, but he was obviously in league with them. The Evonti were manipulators, deceivers. Helen’s kidnapping, in fact the entire Resistance Force movement, was proof that they couldn’t be trusted.
Veeko set a low orbit around Riverside as Sental began to scan. He quickly located the house from which the signal had originated, but his findings were confusing. “Something is jamming my scanners. I’m picking up flashes of information, but nothing consistent. There are lifeforms and then, poof, they’re gone.”
“How many are there when you are able to detect them?” Drex released his safety restraints and moved toward the front of the ship.
“Three. There are always only three.”
“I hate going in blind, but I don’t see a choice. I’m not risking Helen any longer.”
Sental’s safety straps clattered as he released them. “I’m so there, sir. The closest I’ve come to action since we got to Earth-space is Lunar Nine. I really need to plant my fist in the middle of someone’s face.”
“Make sure it’s not Helen,” Jenna advised, and Thea laughed.
Then Thea’s expression fell and she grew deadly serious. “I want to talk to Jacob once the situation is secured.”
“Talk or beat the shit out of?” Jenna challenged.
“Just talk,” she insisted. “Jacob is clearly misguided, but he’s a decent guy. He deserves to know the truth about Abaddon.”
If he was involved in Helen’s kidnapping, it was more than likely he already knew, but nothing was gained by rubbing Thea’s face in the fact.
Drex opened the small armory compartment and handed Sental a pulse pistol, then he unlocked one for himself. He also took out two magnetic restraints and handed one set to Sental. “Bio-stream us into the backyard,” Drex directed Veeko, then Drex hooked one end of the magnetic restraints around one of his belt loops. “I want to see if we can get visual confirmation before we rush in weapons drawn.”
“Please be careful,” Jenna pleaded.
Drex paused long enough to bend down and kiss his worried mate. “I’m always careful and now I have way too much to live for to do anything stupid.”
Jenna smiled then looked at Sental. “You hold him to that or I’ll come after you.”
Sental laughed and offered her a smart salute.
Veeko skillfully bio-streamed Drex and Sental into a semi-secluded area between the house and a garden shed. At their backs was
a privacy fence, so they were protected from curious eyes on three sides.
“Gods, that’s a rush.” Sental took a moment to shake off the vertigo, while Drex waited for his eyes to adjust to the glaring midday sun.
Staying low to the ground, they crept toward the house and peered in each window. The windows were protected with wrought iron security grills, so Drex and Sental would need to find another way in. Each room they observed was empty, until they looked into the kitchen. Helen sat at the table chatting away with a silver-haired male. Drex was pleased by the discovery, until he spotted a muscular human male with sharp eyes and multiple weapons standing nearby.
He continued his visual sweep, making sure the three occupants were the only ones inside the house. When the recon circle was complete, Drex motioned Sental closer and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “You kick the door as hard as you can. It’s likely reinforced, so it’s not going to open, but that’s fine. I’ll have Veeko stream me into the kitchen so I can take out the guard. Jacob isn’t armed, so all I need is a distraction.” Bio-streaming was fast, but it still took almost a second for each person to solidify. Most weapons could discharge multiple shots in less than a second.
“Works for me,” Sental affirmed.
Veeko responded with, “Copy that. On your signal.”
Sental moved into position, quietly easing the screen door open so he could go to work on the actual door.
Drex held his pistol in front of him and said, “Stream me now.”
The familiar disorientation and nearly painful rushing took Drex’s breath away. As before, Veeko’s skill was apparent when Drex materialized perfectly positioned to confront the guard. Sental’s loud, rhythmic kicks had drawn the guard toward the door. Drex rushed forward and slammed the butt of his weapon against the guard’s head and the man collapsed on the floor.
Drex spun around and pointed the gun at Jacob, who still sat at the table, looking shocked and confused. “Don’t move.” Drex repositioned so he could cover Jacob as he rotated the deadbolt so Sental could open the door.
Defiant (Battle Born Book 13) Page 22
