Page 24 of Saved By the Alien Mercenary

“Let’s go. Mitnick took care of the nearest turrets.” With that barked command, the figure outside the hatch turned and slipped around the corner. The slinky, silver Riho followed, running low along the ground, and, with a chirp, dived into a big snowdrift, completely disappearing.

I took a tentative step to follow and was halted by Brace’s hand on my shoulder. “Fine, shoes means you can go,” he said, a sad twist to his mouth that might have been an attempt at a smile. “But you stay close to me at all times, okay?” I nodded immediately, and my hands did not shake when he placed a laser pistol back in my grip.

Chapter 20

Brace

The com I hooked over my ear instantly let me hear the chatter of the others as they spread out and began disabling the targets Sineater had given them. I had not realized that when theVarakartoom’s second-in-command changed the plans to take Ruby with us, that also meant the shuttle was going to be left unguarded. But its hatch softly slid shut,which meant that all of Mitnick’s special security features would engage. Soon, Jalima’s guards would be too busy to worry about one lonesome shuttle anyway.

I kept my hand on Ruby’s back, fighting the urge to pick her up in my arms. She was moving smoothly, and,covered in sleek silver,she looked like a brighter version of my brothers-in-arms. Dark circles sat beneath her eyes, and her braids were a little ragged, but she was moving far better than I expected— as if the exhaustion had fallen away from her with the promise of a reunion ahead.

The snow seemed to melt away around her steps, not bothering her as she followed Sin’s careful, circuitous path toward the back entrance of the mansion. I was right on her heels, my paws digging deep and leaving a much deeper trail, the cool snow calming my anxious anger. I felt torn in two, wanting to haul my mate to safety and wanting her to have this so she’d be with her baby sooner. I would do anything to never hear her desperate cries again.

Huffing, I watchedthe air fog in front of my face. My eyes were half on my mate and half on the danger around us. The others were clearing a path, and Mitnick was taking care of the electronic security systems. Cameras powered down before my eyes, and the hum of his drones preceded a strike ona turret tower before its weapon abruptly ceased firing.

We passed a male entangled in crisp,dark vines, and I knew Tass had been ahead of us—his footsteps dogged by those of either Solear or Aramon, maybe even both. The twins had a habit of moving in such synchronicity that I couldn’t be sure. In any case, they’d left the door offits hinges at the back of the house. The Sineater had squared up beside it, peering in carefully before proceeding, and Ruby was following his example.

Just before I followed my mate into the dark interior of a supply cellar, I saw the silhouette of the captain’s son. The younger Naga male was the spitting image of his father, and while he’d taken a while to adjust to life aboard theVarakartoom, there was no denying his skill with a long-distance rifle. His long body coiled up the recently disabled turret, finding a high vantage point at the top of the tower. His armor and thick scales affordedhim protection against any threat. He was settling in to provide cover fire through the scope of that high-powered weapon. Even inside the manor, he’d be able to track us with his heat sensors and provide cover should we need it.

“I am surprised the captain let Saisir out for a mission,” I muttered under my breath. I knew Sin would hear me—he was only a few steps ahead as we slunk our way around supply crates and headed for a door that would lead into the mansion. He kept his son close, refusing to put the young male at risk. Asmoded had ruefully mentioned it as one of his shortcomingsduringone of our last talks,after I’d gotten into a rage. I understood that sentiment very much. The urge to haul Ruby out of here was beginning to win out, and we had yet to encounter resistance.

Others definitely had, and I could hear pistol fire being exchanged outside. Flack and Tass were deliveringsmack talkin cheerful, dry voices as they engaged withtheenemies outside. Saisir was quiet, and,uncharacteristically, so was Aramon.

Sin braced himself in the doorway, his symbiont slinking ahead and out of sight. “Stairs to the left,” hesaid. Over the com, Saisir responded by rattling offnearbyheat signatures. I braced myself for a fight—there were over a dozen between us and the stairs. Ruby did not protest when I slipped ahead of her, my hand gripping her arm to keep her right behind me. We followed Sin,whotook advantage of the distraction his symbiont created by leaping into the room first. A fight ensued, and thatwas when I realized just how much control the second-in-command had over his silver companion.

Ruby tried to come into the room after us when I joined the fight, then howled in frustration when she abruptly became rooted to the spot. I’d never seen the Sineater use his companion as armor for another before—himself, plenty of times. But this was another means of control, and part of me was furious at seeing it in action. It wasn’t right that he had that kind of power over my mate, but he was doing what I would have done in his place: keep her safe.

“Captain is here,” Mitnick announced. The com picked up the beating of his wings, but it was followed by the sound of a shuttle flying overhead. No turret fire answered, which meant the communicationsspecialist had taken every single one of them out. I scanned the opponents, armed guards with hardened eyes. These were males with more than a few skills under their belts:Jalima’s personal guard. Jalima himself was not there, but their presence meant he was hiding somewhere. The captain would find him.

My skin itched;red began to crowd in from the edges of my mind. Being this close to the bastard responsible for what had happened to me was worse than attacking his ships. I never thought I’d be able to keep control of myself in this situation, but I had only to glance over my shoulder and see my mate’s tired, fearful face to know what I was fighting for. Not revenge. Not payback. This was a rescue mission, and getting to Ruby’s baby was the only objective I had to focus on. The dangerous power of all-consuming rage faded, and then it was just me and the fight—tactfully disabling my opponents in the quickest fashion. Not beast, but cool, calculating male.

Sin and I moved through the dozen males and the room in unison. I had never fought with another at my side, and it did something to me. I had always entered the arena alone, let the rage fill me and power me through the fight. Afterward, I would not remember anything—and I didn’t want to. But this? Fighting with the sleek, quicksilver-fast male? It was a revelation. When I ducked to avoid a blow, he was there to fill the void. When I was not fast enough to avoid a strike, his symbiont was there to shield me. I learned to watch for his openings too, and suddenly, I discovered this was almost fun.

Then we reached the stairs, and there he was—the malewhohad ruined my life and caused the deaths of my family with his greed. When raiders had stolen me from my homeworld at his orders, they’d killed everyone they couldn’t take. Ragethreatened to overtake me when my eyes landed on his hated face. Instead, I spoke into my com. “Eyes on Jalima,Captain. Bastard is right here.” The wordless snarl that answered my declaration embodied the rage I used to feel. Asmoded would be here, and he deserved to kill the bastard as much as I did. I’d let him have it.

Jalima was still a prime fighter himself, standing defiantly at the top of the stairs, all four of his arms spread wide. As a Pretorian, he was an excellent climber and a dangerous opponent in close combat. His four arms would match even my Hoxiam strength if it came down to hand-to-hand between the two of us. He was shouting, bargaining,perhaps. Didn’t matter.I didn’t care.

Dropping to my hands, I bounded up the stairs in three powerful leaps. I’d just keep him busyuntil the captain got here—mess him up so he’d get a taste of what he’d done to me.

***

Ruby

I cursed and swore, raged against the silver armor that covered me, but it didn’t help. As soon as the Talacan male and Brace had engaged in a fight with Jalima’s men, that thing had frozen me in place against the wall, my silver “boots” hooking into the wooden floor and literally pinning me in place. I could lean to the side,though, peer around the door jamb to see what was going on. I could even raise my pistol and squeeze offa few shots; most of them glancing shots because I could not risk hitting Brace or the second-in-command of theVarakartoom.

“You’re a bitch,” I said to the silver armor, patting my chest, which felt as if I’d rapped my knuckles against a metal panel. “Why won’t you help me? I need to rescue my baby, damn it!” The fight was taking too long. What if someone was smuggling him out while we were occupied here? What if they were getting away with him right now? I’d memorized every route on that map, there was a way to go around them. I had to try something.I couldn’t just stand here.

Brace was handling himself in there, dominating thefight with his size and strength. He didn’t need my pistol as backup while that Talachadhis back. He’d told me to stay close, but surely I could sneak around them and find that room moreeasilyon my own. Everyone was here, distracted by the fighting.

If only I could pry my feet off the floor and move. “Come on, let me go!” I urged again. It was useless;if the suit could understand or even hear me, it didn’t respond. The other half of the silver creature was in that room, fighting in the shape of a silver Riho. I had no clue what this thing was that encased me. They called it a symbiont, but what did that mean? How was it connected to the Talac? He came from my part of the universe, the Alpha Quadrant, and yet I’d never heard of anything like this.

They had cleared the room, but it did not appear thatthatmattered to my prison guard. As Brace and his companion advanced toward the stairs beyond, I was forced to stay in place. Now I couldn’t see much beyond a glimpse of the fighting, but my hearing picked up everything, adding to my imagination. A commandeering voice was ordering Brace to stand down while jeering taunts at him at the same time. I expected Brace to surrender to that rage he so feared, but there wasn’t so much as a roar. I didn’t know who it was that spoke, but he was definitely in charge. Jalima himself?

He was here? I had not expected that, thoughIvaguely recalled De’tor saying my boy was at Jalima’s home. I just hadn’t realized that Jalima was in residence. But if he was there, fighting with Brace, that meant he wasn’t with my son, did it? That improved my chances of getting to my baby, if only I could convince these stupid boots to let me move. “Please,” I whispered, “let me go! I’ll be careful.”

The sound of something huge—and made of glass—shattering into a million pieces was loud, punching through the sounds of combat. I jerked towardthe door, awkwardly leaning around the corner to see what had happened. The chaos was absolute up there now, but I couldn’t see a thing. Had something—or someone—crashed through the window? Had they gone in or out?

Only one shadow moved in the doorway across the room. A dark figure that stepped out to look at me through the wreckage of what had once been a well-appointed sitting room of some kind. A broken couch lay on its side, bookshelves had been ripped from the walls, and a viewscreen lay in smoldering pieces on the thick carpet.

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