by S. E. Smith
She refused to think of Mak's promise right now. She would return him safely to Cosmos' warehouse where he could travel back to his world through whatever in the hell Cosmos built. Then, she would shut it down. It was too dangerous for something like that to exist. If one world could be accessed than so could another. As much as it tore her up at the thought of never seeing Mak again, she knew it was the only choice.
Tansy climbed the narrow wooden ladder at the end of the tunnel. According to Natasha it would come up under the Land Rover. Natasha said they designed it that way so it was hidden. Unless someone was down on their hands and knees looking under the vehicle they wouldn’t see anyone. In addition, it gave them the advantage of seeing if anyone was in the garage.
She quietly slid the well-lubricated bolt to the side unlocking the trap door. Lowering it just enough so she could stick her head up through the opening, she cautiously glanced around. She didn’t see or hear anything. Pulling herself up, she rolled over and lay on her back, a Makarov pistol in each hand. She waited patiently before tucking her arms against her side and rolling out from under the vehicle. She came up on one knee with her back protected. The garage had two windows, one on each side. They were small, no more than two foot by two foot but let in enough light so she didn’t have any trouble seeing.
Tansy rose slowly circling so she could get a good feel for any possible places someone could hide. She glanced up at the ceiling noting there was nothing but open tresses. The garage was empty except for the Land Rover. It was an older model with a wrench on the front and a re-enforced bar across the back. If anyone tried to ram them, their vehicle would suffer more damage than the Land Rover.
Tansy tucked one of the pistols in the waistband of her jeans and quietly opened the door of the SUV. She reached up under the driver’s seat, feeling around for the plastic bag containing the key. A small smile curved her lips when she found it. She gripped it tightly in her hand and stood up. She was about to climb into the Land Rover when a shadow passed by the window. She immediately closed the driver’s door and crouched down low. Crab-walking over to the window, she stood up once she was against the wall. A second shadow passed by.
*.*.*
“We are to check the garage,” a low voice whispered in Russian. “Rurik and Savin should be ready to enter through the front. Osip, Pasha, Vanya and Yegor will take the back. You and I are to make sure she does not have any transportation. Then, we are to cover the sides. Osip said the Baskov sisters were in a transport van and their vehicle was left outside of security headquarters. Osip’s informant did not see anyone get in the vehicle with them but Osip says the female has connections to the sisters.”
“How is it possible the female could kill so many of our men at the warehouse?” The second voice asked gruffly. “I heard she was injured. Blood was found on the wall where one of Avilov’s guards shot her. Karp had run her to ground. You know what a mean bastard he was. He made sure she could not stay anywhere long enough to rest or heal. She must have had some help.”
“If she does we will take whoever is helping her out. Just remember, Avilov wants her alive. She doesn’t have to be in good shape but she does have to be alive. He plans on making sure she embraces death when he finally kills her. I heard he is going to kill her family first. He has already sent men to take care of this Cosmos who also has connections to the sisters. He will take the sisters out as well to show those in the politsia that he means business,” the man said.
“You two need to shut up!” A third voice whispered angrily. “Get in position now!”
*.*.*
Tansy moved back looking around. There was no place to hide. She would need to take them out quickly and quietly. She pushed the gun in her hand into her backpack. She moved silently over to the Land Rover, opened the driver's door and set the backpack behind the passenger seat before closing and locking the door again quietly. There really wasn't a good place to hide except either in the Land Rover or back in the tunnel. It looked like the tunnel was going to win if the men were persistent in getting into the garage. There was a heavy bar across the outside of the double doors with a heavy duty padlock on it. It would be no problem for the Land Rover to break through. If she was lucky, the men would think it was secure and no one could get in. Tansy looked at the two windows again to make sure it was clear. She was just about to crawl back under the SUV when a slight sliver of light caught her attention. A grin lit up Tansy's face when she saw the small hidden door against the wall where an empty workbench stood. If she hadn't gotten down low enough she would have missed it.
Natasha and Helene were two very clever women, Tansy thought as she changed directions.
She laid down on the bottom part of the bench and rolled through the opening landing outside of the garage behind a set of well-placed barrels. She was still hidden but now she was outside and behind the men. From her count, there were eight men total. She would take out the two here, Mak already took out two so that left four. She could handle that.
You are not to handle anything! Mak's deep voice bit out. You were to stay hidden.
Yeah well, they found my hiding spot, Tansy replied hotly. Focus on the guys near you. I can handle these two.
You are making me very angry, Mak snarled.
Tansy barely suppressed the chuckle building up inside her. You might as well get used to it. I have that effect on people.
*.*.*
Mak pursed his lips to keep the roar of rage from escaping. He remained frozen on the branch, none of his internal fury evident in the stillness of his body. The only way anyone would know he was upset was if they were to look into his eyes. Dark, silver flames burned with deadly intent. These men had come to harm his mate. He would kill all of them without mercy. Mak waited until the figure was just past the branch he was on before he dropped down behind him. He grabbed the man by the neck and slammed him up against the trunk of the tree. He squeezed his hand just enough to keep the man from making any noise.
Reaching into his vest pocket, he pulled the translator out and pressed it against the man's temple. “How many men?”
“Fuck you,” the man choked out when Mak loosened his hold just enough to let the man speak.
“Wrong answer,” Mak said and squeezed his fingers, crushing the man's throat.
Mak slid the translator back into his vest pocket and let the man drop to the ground. He noted the man was still alive but he wouldn't be for long if the blue tint to his skin was any indication. He reached down and removed the weapons from the man and picked up the assault rifle the man dropped when he grabbed him. Rising, he tilted his head to the side and listened carefully as his eyes scanned the shadowed woods. He began moving again when he didn't hear anything. He kept to the shadows as much as possible making a loop so he would come up behind any additional men.
Mak? Tansy's soft voice called out in his mind.
Yes, je talli? Mak responded in a cool tone.
I counted eight men. If you have taken out three, then that leaves five. I'll stay hidden as long as possible. There are two men at the garage. The others are heading for the back of the house. They are not sure I am here, or if I am, whether or not I am alone, Tansy said quietly. They plan to kill my family and Natasha and Helene. I overheard two of the men say they have sent men to kill Cosmos.
Mak bit back a curse. If Cosmos was in danger then that meant Terra was in danger. He was ready to be done with this world! They would need to warn Cosmos to leave. It would be best if he returned to Baade with Terra. Their father would accept Cosmos as Terra's mate. He would have no choice. At least there, he would know his sister was safe.
I am coming for you, Mak bit out harshly.
Chapter 12
Mak made his way up behind the garage. He stopped at the outer rim of the woods, standing at an angle so his body was mostly hidden from view. He could see three other men fanning out behind the house. That meant two men were not visible. He was about to move forward when the bark next to h
im flew out in all directions. He whirled around, running back into the woods as fast as he could. Within moments, he was to the east of them. He could hear them yelling now. One of the men near Tansy had spotted him and fired. He let out a roar when he heard Tansy return fire on the man. Loud curses could be heard as the men scrambled for cover.
“Bitch!” The man who fired on Mak called out hoarsely. “Kill her! I don’t care what Avilov said, kill her!”
“Shut up, Viktor!” Osip yelled. “Do not kill her! I repeat, do not kill her. Wound her.”
Pasha raised his rifle and looked through the scope. “There is something else out there,” he yelled out.
Cursing, he wiped a hand across his eyes. Either his vision was suddenly blurry or whatever was out there was moving faster than he could eye clearly. He tried to gauge where it was going but by the time he tried to focus, the image was gone.
“Osip, there is something the hell out there!” Pasha yelled out again.
“What the hell do you mean something? Shoot the bastard!” Osip shouted back. “Vanya, Yegor cover Luka.”
Pasha moved slightly. There, the figure of a… Pasha felt the shiver of ice clear to his soul. Whatever in the hell it was, it was not human. It was too damn big, too damn fast to be human. The figure moved with lightning speed toward the garage where the gunfire had come from just a few moments before. He aimed carefully and pulled the trigger. The figure didn’t even slow down. He was sure he had hit him. Before he could aim again the figure disappeared. A hoarse scream filled the air before Viktor’s lifeless body was tossed out into the yard, his arms and neck at a strange angle.
“Luka! Where are you?” Osip shouted out from behind a small wooden fence. “Luka!”
*.*.*
Tansy lowered the body of the one called Luka down to the ground. She had surprised him as he came around the corner of the garage at the same time Mak was turning the one called Viktor into a human pretzel. She had made quick work of disposing of him with the sharp curved knife Natasha had shown her the day before. She had no choice but to take Luka out. He had been getting into position to shoot at Mak. She was hoping to keep at least one of the assholes alive long enough to find out what Avilov’s plans were.
At the rate Mak was taking them out, she wouldn’t have anything but corpses and they just didn’t talk, no matter how much she tried to get them to, Tansy thought in frustration.
Tansy gave in to the desire to look around. She had heard the sound of a high power rifle and feared Mak might have been hit. It was only the fact that Viktor was tossed like a discarded toy after the shot that gave her hope the shot had missed him. She tried to touch his mind but he had closed her off. The lack of contact both stunned and pissed her off. She was stunned at how empty she felt without his presence and pissed that she was letting him inside the carefully built barriers she had built around her.
Hell, it was like a fucking black hole, Tansy thought in aggravation at the desolate emptiness.
It wasn’t like she should even give a damn. What they had was a brief interlude under a stressful situation. It didn’t really mean anything. She sure as heck shouldn’t be ready to cry like a baby because he had blocked her out. It just proved if he could lock her out so easily then he didn’t really give a damn about her. Tansy ignored the shaft of pain the thought caused and focused on the relief that it would be easier to say goodbye when the time came.
Satisfied with her reasoning, she decided she was done with sitting back and waiting for the Calvary to rescue her. This was her assignment. She needed to get it back under her control. She had to get to Ramenskoe, get Helene and Natasha into a safe house, get to Cosmos and killed the bastards sent after him, then clean house in Washington. She didn’t have time to pussyfoot around with Avilov’s lackeys or an alien male who wanted to play house.
Pulling the pistol from the waistband of her jeans, she checked the clip and was satisfied she had enough rounds to deal with the remaining men. Tansy peeked around the corner of the garage trying to gauge where the men were hiding. She still didn’t see where Mak was. This was the side that Viktor had been on so he should be somewhere close by. Tansy moved along the side of the building keeping her eyes focused for any movement. There were two smaller sheds about ten meters to the left. Tansy stopped at the corner and looked down. Her eyes widened as she followed a small trail of blood leading to the closest shed. It could only mean one thing… Mak had been hit.
*.*.*
Mak ignored the blood soaking his side. The bullet had grazed him, cutting a clean path just below his ribcage. He focused on the remaining men. There were four left. Mak was tired of the games. He pulled a couple of the small charges he had attached to the front leather straps that crisscrossed the front of his vest. The small silver balls, no bigger than a small button, held a powerful explosive. Mak palmed three of them in his hand. He rolled his shoulders before sprinting out from behind the shed at a fast run. Tossing the small explosive balls with deadly precision at the targets, he tucked and rolled as the men opened fired at the same time as the explosives hit their target. The explosion shook the ground. Where the man behind the fencing used to be was a deep hole. Nothing remained of the man called Osip, not even small body parts. The same fate belonged to Vanya who had hidden behind an old wagon. Pasha was trapped under the wreckage of the collapsed roof of the porch. A beam lay across his legs trapping him. His rifle, which has been ripped out of his hands by the explosion, lay too far for him to reach. He tried to get to his pistol but every movement sent excruciating pain through him.
Mak walked up to where the man was pinned on the porch and knelt down. Mak quickly searched the trapped figure for weapons, removing them and tossing them into the yard. He pressed the translator against the man’s temple. He needed to know how many others were a threat to his mate and his family.
“How many others?” He growled out.
*.*.*
Pasha looked in fear at the face of a man who was not human. The male’s face was set in a cold mask of rage. His eyes were burning silver flames of fury that promised Pasha he would not die easily. It was the male’s mouth that held Pasha frozen in terror, unable to speak at first. Long canines extended down in sharp points, each end held a drop of liquid that held him mesmerized. There was no way this could have been faked. When the man pressed the device against his temple he thought for sure it was a type of weapon. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he could understand what the man was saying.
Pasha watched as the man drew a deadly looking short sword from the leather sheath on his back. “There were eight of us,” Pasha said desperately. “Eight of us were sent to bring the female back.”
Mak looked down into the terror-filled eyes coldly. “I have killed five. Where are the other two?”
Pasha shook his head. “I don’t know,” he answered hoarsely. “I wasn’t keeping an eye on them. They should be here somewhere unless they took off.”
Mak looked down at the trapped man dispassionately. “I will let you live so you may give the man who wants to harm my mate and her family a message. Tell him I am coming for him. I will kill any who stand in my way.” Mak stood up. “You will give him this message. If I ever see you again I will slice you into small pieces very, very slowly. You understand me?” Mak asked coldly.
Pasha nodded desperately. Money was of no use to him if he was dead and he had no doubt he would be dead if he ever crossed this man's path again. This huge male frightened him more than Boris Avilov ever could. He also knew that Avilov's time on Earth was about to end very soon. He would deliver the message, not in person, but he would deliver the message and then he would disappear.
Mak turned away from where Pasha was lying and started walking across the yard. He was concerned with the disappearance of the other male. He needed to find his mate and make sure she was safe. He had cut her off for two reasons: first he was upset with her for not staying in the tunnel where he knew she would have been safe and second, h
e didn't want her to know he had been hurt. He knew she would have come charging out with the mistaken idea of saving his ass.
His eyes lit up with fury when he saw her coming out from around the side of the garage. She had a pistol in one hand and a bloody knife in the other. He strode toward her and grabbed the hand holding the knife. He raised it up and looked at her sternly.
“What?” Tansy asked. “He fell on it,” she joked.
“You were supposed to stay hidden!” Mak growled out in a low, frustrated voice.
“Yeah, and you weren't supposed to get hurt,” Tansy replied with a raised eyebrow. “It looks like you listen about as good as I do,” she added before turning away from him.
Mak raised his hands as if he wanted to wrap them around her neck and strangle her. Tansy looked over her shoulder catching him in the act and grinned in amusement. She was about to make a smart-ass comment when movement out of the corner of her eye pulled a curse out of her instead. She stepped in front of Mak's huge frame and fired at the same time as the hidden figure did. Tansy felt the burning fire of the bullet as it hit her in the shoulder causing her to jerk backwards into Mak's hard body. Everything seemed to slow down after that. She watched as a nice little hole opened up between the man's eyes before he collapsed. She felt Mak's arms wrap around her falling body and his roar of rage before she was gently lowered to the ground. Everything seemed to accelerate to fast forward the moment she was lying flat on the hard ground. Pain exploded through her as Mak ripped the material of her jacket and shirt apart to see how badly she was hit.