Page 74 of Infala: Claimed By Rivals
“He was probably right. I’m messaging him now for the coordinates. I’ll leave at once,” he declared, turning and hurrying away.
Olivia followed close behind. “Not without me. This was partly my doing.”
Arkness shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. I would give my life for you, Olivia, but I will not put you at risk.”
“You said you would do anything for me, remember?”
He nodded, both remembering his words and already knowing she would use them against him to get her way. And, truth be told, he found her inner power incredibly alluring in a way that went far beyond mere pheromonal attraction.
“Very well,” he said, shifting the unintentional bulge that had sprung up in his trousers.
She looked down at the unexpected movement catching her eye. “Not now, Tiger. We’ve got work to do.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
From the speed at which Arkness was flying his little scout ship, whatever information he’d received from Nijello must have been worrisome. He was still cognizant of the risks surrounding them as they entered hostile airspace, but he flew much farther and faster than he had previously declared safe.
“Are you sure about this?” Olivia asked as they dove low, weaving around a series of small hills, life sign scanners on low power and staying close to the ground to avoid detection.
“We’re almost there,” he replied, eyes locked on his course, his hands steady on the controls. “He flew far, I have to give him credit for that. But there are more life signs than before. And I got a better reading when we crested that last ridge.”
“And?”
“And they are Raxxians.Manyof them.”
“Shit.”
“My thoughts exactly,” he said grimly as he settled into a low banking turn, dropping fast. “We are here.”
She had already spotted Rykker’s little ship neatly tucked into a small clearing, quite hidden from view if you didn’t have the coordinates. Fortunately, they were in possession of justthat, and Arkness threaded the needle expertly, lowering to the ground beside it while barely kicking up a trace of dust. He really was as good a pilot as he bragged, and this unfortunate circumstance had given him the rare opportunity to actually prove it. Safely on the ground, he ran a quick external scan of the immediate area.
“His craft is undamaged, and I do not detect any signs of recent activity nearby. No life signs, but also no signs of a fight.”
“So he’s okay?”
“I cannot say for certain, but if something did happen, he would not have gone peacefully. There would have been sign of a struggle.”
“Then where the hell is he?”
“That, my love, is what I intend to find out.”
Arkness popped the hatch and stepped out, turning to help Olivia to the ground before sealing up the ship and setting a defensive protection system that would be a very unpleasant surprise for anyone other than a Maldonian should they attempt to access the craft. He studied the faint markings on the ground. Olivia could barely see anything, but Arkness was trained to track, and this close to the ship, Rykker had not taken great care to hide his path. Only later would he become harder to follow.
“Are you sure you will not wait in the ship?”
Her glare was all the response he needed.
“Very well. This way. Stay very close and very quiet. Step where I step, and do not touch anything. If this is a Raxxian recapture unit, it is quite possible they have laid traps.”
She swallowed hard. “Step where you step. Got it.”
He nodded once and headed out, his usual intensity of attention toward her now redirected to the task at hand. Olivia followed as directed, more than a little impressed at his laser-like focus as he moved through hostile territory.
They hiked for nearly an hour, traversing small creeks and gullies, always moving in silence, their ears sharp, listening for the slightest sound. Rounding a bend, Arkness held up his hand, but Olivia’s newly enhanced hearing picked it up as well. Voices. And she recognized the sound of them. Raxxians.
He gestured for her to get low and follow, then slowly crept ahead. They were still at least a hundred meters from the source of the conversations when a whiff of something familiar crossed Olivia’s nose. Apparently, the filters were finally failing. She turned and looked. It took a moment, but she saw the camouflaged outline of a man, back to them, tucked against a tree, watching ahead intently. She quietly cleared her throat, pointing.
Arkness followed her gesture just as Rykker slowly moved to see who was approaching. He was upwind and had therefore not sensed her presence. Even camouflaged, a look of joy, but also confusion, gleamed in his eyes. Slowly, he crawled back from his vantage point, making his way to the new arrivals.
