Page 107 of Enthraller

“We’ll go now, and you will come with us.” The Caruson began to moved backward toward the Razor.

“What do you want in exchange for her?” Ed asked, voice clipped.

“She comes with us. We will get accurate details about take over of Aponi.”

Wren had to admit it wasn’t a bad plan, if she’d actually been Evette Linao. They would have a really strong hostage in exchange for getting truthful updates.

As she was dragged back, she caught Ed’s gaze again. “Remember the flowers,” she called to him. “And don’t hang around.”

In case there is a very big explosion. Which hopefully there will be.

He narrowed his eyes, fury lighting his expression, but he gave a sharp nod.

She willed him to back down. She might be able to enthrall the one who was holding her, but she could do nothing about the other eight, and they were all pointing weapons at Ed.

There was no way for him to fight them without taking numerous hits.

“No more talk.” The Caruson tossed her inside as if she weighed nothing, and she was forced to roll, fetching up against one of the pallets and rapping her head.

Ow.

She pulled herself into a crouch and watched the rest of the soldiers jog inside and settle into jump seats.

This ship moves fast, her nanos told her.Maybe too fast for us to dissipate while it’s moving.

So she had to set the explosives and then dissipate before they took off.

So, right now.

She rose to her feet and began to touch each bag as she rounded the pallet.

“What are you doing?” The lead Caruson was inside now, and the ramp was closing up.

“I’m counting the bags.” She kept going, moving to the second pallet and letting her fingers flicker over each sack.

“I don’t trust you. Get away from them.” He stepped forward, but while his hand went to the butt of his big laz, he didn’t engage it.

Probably couldn’t fire it in the ship.

She moved a little faster, backing into the third pallet and touching the first few bags.

He lunged at her, and she twisted away, hands out to touch bags as she went.

They came to a stop on opposite sides of the last pallet, and his face was like thunder.

He didn’t know what she was up to, but he knew it was nothing good.

She had touched enough that it didn’t matter if she hadn’t got them all. She lifted her hands up.

“Fine. I’ll stop.” Then she ducked down, out of his line of sight.

Now!

She heard the engines scream as the pilot revved for take off, heard a shout and looked to her left as the Caruson rounded the pallet, violence in his eyes.

As he grabbed for her, she felt the faintest tingle as his hand brushed her arm and then fell sideways as vertigo gripped her and the world spun away.

With a gaspshe came to leaning against the vines in the alley, looking up as a dark shadow shot up into the air.

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