by KD Jones
Lindsey giggled through her tears of relief clutching KadEN to her. “Get me down and I’ll answer any questions you have”
“Wrap your arms and legs around me.” KadEN directed her. He waited until she clung tightly to him. He slowly climbed down being careful she didn’t bump against the tree. Once they were on the ground he carefully lowered her to the ground. “JadEN!”
JadEN moved to squat down next to Lindsey and used his medical scope to check her and the young. “She has an elevated blood and a few scrapes from climbing the tree. I have the medication here that Prime Medic SydEL helped develop for her condition. I’ll treat her with it with your approval.”
KadEN nodded his head. “Give her the treatment. Lindsey, tell us what happened?”
Lindsey shivered from the chilled air. KadEN removed his jacket and wrapped her in it. “Thanks KadEN. Rose I were in the garden and we noticed the security guards were gone. We went to leave but spotted one of the guards being drug off. We ran looking for somewhere to hide. Rose helped me get up in the tree then took my coat so she would lead the males after us away from me. She was trying to protect me. We have to find her.” Tears ran down Lindsey’s cheeks.
JadEN stopped what he was doing. “Which way did she go?”
“Around the side where the garden wraps around the side of the building.”
*****
JadEN gave her the shot of blood pressure medicine, then stood up and started running in the direction that Rose had taken. He didn’t wait even when Commander TylOR called for him to stop. The tracker CristOF caught up to him, and they both stopped at what appeared to be a dead end.
“Is there another way out of the garden?” JadEN asked, trying to keep his panic down.
TylOR arrived with two more security guards. “No, there is only the gate entrance. There’s no way out. The garden walls are made out of thick Luna stone and are at least ten feet tall. No one could have gotten over it.”
JadEN watched as the tracker sniffed and went closer to the corner wall. He knelt on the ground and sniffed again. Then he growled. “They didn’t go over the wall, they went underneath it.” He began to use his hands to pull grass and dirt away. Then he stopped as he touched a piece of wood panel. He pulled it open and leaned down into it. When he raised himself back up his eyes were glowing.
“Where does it lead to?” JadEN asked.
“It connects to the water system tunnels. All the water comes from our ocean and is pumped into the city underground. They must have prepared this opening in advance. How did they get access to the garden?”
TylOR frowned. “They must have posed as the workers preparing the fountains here. They would have the tools to dig and make the connection. This was a planned kidnapping. They intended to take Prima Lindsey for a while now.”
“Move, I need to go after Rose.” JadEN was glad that Prima Lindsey was safe, but his concern was for his mate. He needed to find her.
“Wait JadEN, we need to see where the tunnels lead, there’s more than one. We need our engineers to help.”
“I can’t just leave her down there with these males.” JadEN shook his head.
“Easy, they aren’t going to hurt her yet. They think she’s Prima Lindsey.”
“And what will happen when they realize that my mate is not the Prima? How long will they let her live then?” No one bothered to answer him, because they all knew the answer to that. If he didn’t get to Rose soon, she would be dead. Goddess help them.
*****
“Move faster!” The tall man behind Rose shoved her forward.
“I’m trying!” She was in waist-deep water, surrounded by pitch black. Her captors had enhanced sight so they could see in the dark, but Rose found herself stumbling and slipping and bumping into everything. She was trying her best to come up with an escape plan. But her outrunning them was out of question since she really couldn’t see where she was going. She couldn’t fight them because there were three of them, and they were all tall, muscular guys.
The only idea she had come up with that was halfway plausible was if she slipped on purpose, when down into the water and stayed there swimming under the water to a different tunnel. There were two problems with this idea.
One, she would have to hold her breath and she didn’t know how long she could do that. The second problem was that she was weighted down by all the extra clothes she had on, the coat inside her pants she had used to give her a fake baby bump and Lindsey’s thick coat. Everything was retaining water and making her heavy and thus making it harder for her to move. If she tried to go underwater she could possibly be so weighted down she would end up drowning.
She sighed, realizing she didn't’ have much choice but to go along with these assholes. She needed to get rid of some of the bulk of what she was wearing. Because when these guys find out they grabbed the wrong woman, all hell was going to break lose.
*****
“Get me StrykER!” TylOR hit his comm link.
“StrykER here.”
“The rebels made a grab for Prima Lindsey.”
“Is the Prima alright?”
“She is a little shaken up. They took Dr. Garret thinking she was the Prima.”
“What do you need from me?” StrykER asked.
“See if you can get the prisoner to lead you out of there. I know we have been monitoring things, but see if he knows more than he was saying.”
“Have someone tracking my comm link, I’ll leave it on.”
TylOR connected with one of his security people. “Have someone track Interrogator StrykER’s comm link, he is leaving it open.” He hung up.
“What’s going on?” JadEN asked.
“StrykER is going to try to get the prisoner to give him the information. It’s something he’s been working on.”
“I need to go after her.” JadEN insisted.
“You could get lost. Wait for the engineers.”
“I can go with him, I have their scent and I can still detect it below,” the tracker said.
TylOR sighed. “Fine, take a guard with you and call for assistance if you find them. Don’t try to intercept them on your on.”
JadEN glared. “I won’t let them hurt my mate.”
“Fine, only approach if it appears that Dr. Garrett’s life is in danger. I’m calling the engineers so keep your comm links open so that I can help direct you.”
JadEN was already lowering himself down into the water system. The tracker was right behind him and a volunteer guard lowered himself trying to keep his weapon dry holding it up in the air above the water.
“Which way?” JadEN asked the tracker.
“Take the left tunnel.”
“You can really scent them down here? I don’t. The water is covering and masking them.” JadEN confessed.
“I’m from the Colony. I have enhanced tracking abilities. The water does not mask anything for me. I’ll find them.”
Goddess KatieRI keep my mate safe. JadEN sent up a silent prayer. If they harmed her, there was no force in the galaxy that would keep him from tearing the males limb from limb.
*****
StrykER motioned for the other guards to stay out of sight as he approached the holding cell. He had to get this right or Dr. Garrett would be a dead female. He didn’t want that on his hands. He didn't’ warn the guards inside the holding area about his intentions. He had to make it look real.
“Interrogator StrykER, I was not informed that you would be questioning the prisoner today.”
StrykER walked past the guard then turned quickly and punched the guard hard knocking him unconscious. He bent to grab the keys to unlock the cell. He went to the door of the cell and HarvEY stood there confused.
“What’s going on?”
“Your buddies are leaving without you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“They took Prima Lindsey and are on their way to escape.”
“That’s not right. They can’t leave me.”
/> StrykER opened the door and let the other male out. “Don’t worry, we’ll catch up. Come on if you want to be free.” He led the prisoner out into the empty corridor. He hoped they weren’t too late.
Chapter 17
“Stop pushing me, asshole!” Rose yelled at the guy who had been shoving her along the water tunnel. Every time he pushed her she would fall into the water and come back up sputtering. She wanted to sit on him and hold him under the water for a while. She was grateful the water was kept so clean.
“Where are we? Where are we going?” She didn’t expect them to answer her. Rose wished she was better with directions. She thought that maybe they were heading north towards the ocean. The water was cold and she couldn’t stop shivering. She wondered if she would ever get to see JadEN again.
Images of their last moments together played in her head. She wished she could have just one more moment with him to tell him how much she loved him. That she was ready to start a family whenever he was ready. Why she was putting it off was ridiculous. Having JadEN’s baby would have been the amazing blessing. Now she had to face the fact that that blessing may never happen.
She wiped a tear from her cheek. She had to be strong. She wasn’t going down without a fight. If she could find a time to make a run for it, then she would take it. Her biggest problem was that she was weighed down by her clothes. But she needed to keep on to keep up her disguise as a pregnant Lindsey at least until she got out of the water. Then she would shed them as quickly as possible. Two things she could get rid of though were her shoes and the sweater she stuffed in her pants.
She kicked one shoe then the next hoping that they didn’t rise up to the top until the man behind her past by. The hardest thing to get rid of was the sweater, it wasn’t going under the water like she thought it would do. She to do something to get rid of it without the guy behind her seeing it.
She balled it up the best she could and held it underwater with her right hand. She slowed down and waited. When the guy behind her pushed her to move forward she sunk under the water quickly shoving the sweater behind the guy’s legs. She felt his hands in her hair and he yanked her up out of the water painfully.
“Ow, damn it, let go!” She tried to hit his chest but it did no good.
“Keep up or next time I’ll let you drown.” The man growled at her as he pushed her forward releasing her hair.
Rose really really wanted to kick that guy in the nuts. He so deserved it. She gave him a glare as she turned around and continued to wade through the water. At least her shoes and sweater were out of the way. She still had Lindsey’s coat on but when the time came, she’d shed it and make a run for it. It was just a matter of time. She squinted at a shaft of light shining in at the end of the tunnel. It looked like time was about to run out.
*****
StrykER wanted to beat the mess out of HarvEY. He was so whiny. He had to practically yank him out of the corridor and out the building. “Which way?”
HarvEY shook his head. “I told you, they were supposed to come for us. Where are the brother and sister that were in the other holding areas?”
“They were moved last minute. I only had time to grab you. Look, you had to have had an escape route planned. You know you would be coming back here.”
HarvEY thought about it. “How do I know I can trust you?”
StrykER shoved his sleeve up and turned his arm over to show a tattoo that wrapped around his entire arm like a band and in the center was the rebellion symbol. “I don’t have to tell you that for me to be caught with this symbol would me an instant traitor’s death.” The marking must have been enough to convince HarvEY.
“Fine, some of us rebels secured a landing field on the northern side by the rocky cliffs. Where the water comes from the ocean into the water tunnels. There is a cave there that we have equipment and a small shuttle hidden inside of. I had been planning to use it myself when I was able to get free. The others might be there.”
“Let’s go.” StrykER hoped that he was being tracked by Commander TylOR. He had no time to call for assistance. If Dr. Garrett was still alive, it wouldn’t be for long when they find out that she is not Prima Lindsey. He hoped he reached her in time.
*****
“What is that?” JadEN asked, spotting something bobbing up and down in the water about ten feet ahead of them. At first he worried that it was Rose, but then he noticed that it was too small to be a body.
“Whatever it is it belongs to Dr. Garrett. Her scent is on it.”
JadEN looked behind him at CristOF. “You can smell it from here and it is in water?”
“Yes. Did I not explain that I have even more enhanced abilities to track?” CristOF looked irritated to have to explain himself again.
As they got closer JadEN reached out and picked up the object. “Her shoe.” He recognized it.
“Looks like there is another shoe and something following, it’s a bit bigger.” CristOF picked up the sweater. He handed it to JadEN. “I believe your female is preparing to make a run for it.”
“Why do you think that?”
“She is getting rid of clothing that would weigh her down. We may need to pick up our speed if we want to keep her from having to go completely naked. Of course I wouldn’t complain.”
JadEN growled. “Keep those thoughts to yourself if you want to live.”
“I was joking, Medic JadEN. You mated males have no sense of humor.”
JadEN ignored CristOF. The male was annoying but if he could help find his mate, he would tolerate him. He turned to look back at the security guard following behind. “Have you heard from Commander TylOR?”
“Yes, sir. He says that the engineers have determined that we are headed towards the reservoir where the ocean emits water into the tunnel. Unfortunately, there are three openings spread about half a mile apart. The still don’t know which tunnel they will come out in.”
“He should just send warriors to all three tunnels.” JadEN growled out.
CristOF shook his head. “They can’t do that yet. They can get closer to the area but I’m sure the rebels are monitoring for movement. They could kill her or take her off planet.”
The thought of Rose being killed or taken off world was devastating to him. He had to keep his mind on the task at hand no matter how emotional he felt. He would be strong for her. Something up ahead caught his eye. “Is that light?”
“Yes, I think we are about at the end of the tunnel. Be prepared.”
JadEN clutched his weapon in his hands. Never had he wanted to do harm to another as much as he did to the males that dared to take his female. He would not take it easy on them. “The males are mine to exact justice on.” JadEN told them.
“We need to have at least one alive to answer questions.” CristOF warned him.
“Fine, I’ll leave you one.”
Chapter 18
Rose felt like she was almost blinded when she came out of the tunnel. The sun’s bright rays hit her in the eyes. She put one hand up over her eyes to shade them while she used the other hand to hold the coat closed. The tunnel went directly into the ocean but there were steps on the side. She followed the first man out grateful to be out of the water, but she still fell pretty weighted down. She was motioned to come forward and face another man, one she hadn’t seen before.
“Who in Kitana is that?” the third man demanded angrily.
One of the men that had brought her spoke up. “RolAN, this is the Prima Lindsey.”
The man called RolAN snorted. “That is not the female KadEN has taken as his mate. His mate has brown hair and she is swollen with the mixed breed.” He paused as he approached Rose. He stopped in front of her and gripped the sides of the coat, yanking it open. “This is not the same female!”
The man that had pushed her through the tunnels for what seemed like hours shoved her again. “Why did you not tell us who you were?”
“Right, like I’m going to inform my kidnappers they took the wrong person.
You are an idiot on top of being an asshole!” Rose yelled back.
The man slapped her face, hard. “You do not call me names you worthless germ infected alien.”
“Enough!” RolAN called out. “Where is the female Lindsey.”
“Hopefully safe and sound with her mate.”
“We need to leave immediately. The mission was a failure.”
“Wait! Don’t leave without us!” A male called out as he and another ran from around the side of the cave.
Rose immediately recognized that guy was the prisoner from on board the transport and the man following him was interrogator StrykER. She looked at StrykER but he shook her head letting her know not to talk to him. What was up with that?
“Who are you?” RolAN and the other two rebels pulled their weapon. Then one of the rebels lowered his. “It’s okay, he’s one of ours that was captured on the transport.”
RolAN didn’t lower his weapon. “Who is the male with him?”
HarvEY stopped holding his knees breathing hard. “He’s a defector who helped me escape. Show them the marking.”
Rose watched silently as StrykER pushed his sleeve up and turned over his arm. While the other rebels were looking at his rebel mark, he glanced at Rose. She didn’t know what he was up to but having them there made her feel a little better. Besides being soaked and pale and the slap to make sure she was okay. She knew she looked half drowned and pale with a new bruise on her face; otherwise she was fine.
“I wasn’t told about another rebel being on Kiljor.” RolAN said suspiciously.
“I’m recently recruited by HarvEY.” StrykER told him.
“You can’t trust this male. He works for the Prime leader.” One of the other rebels said.
StrykER glared at the other male. “I have first hand knowledge of how KadEN and the other leaders have lied to our people. I am no traitor. I believe in the true leader of our people and his message. I have information he needs.”
“What information?” RolAN asked.
