Razor's Traitorous Heart

by S. E. Smith

  “Do you want me to take the shot?” Tim asked quietly as he lined the largest Trivator warrior in his site.

  “No,” Destin said coldly.

  He carefully watched as the small group of four males knelt in the narrow alley three hundred yards from them. He adjusted the night vision binoculars to zero in on them. They had been tracking the men for the last few blocks.

  They had to move carefully. They were in enemy territory now. So far, they had to detour twice on their mission to the National Guard Armory. Destin had cursed the last four days. It would have been suicide if they had tried to get to the Armory during the storm. He and Tim left as soon as it cleared enough for them to travel under the cover of darkness.

  They had discovered the small group of Trivator males about ten minutes earlier. It looked like they were tracking someone, namely Kali if Destin had to guess. Dread twisted his gut when he saw one male touch the wall of the building, then lift his hand to his nose.

  “Shit! What happened?” Tim asked when a ferocious roar echoed through the empty streets. “Something has really pissed him off.”

  “I don’t know, but I think it’s time I introduced myself,” Destin said, standing up.

  Tim’s head jerked around in surprise. “Dude, I don’t think that is a good idea. Those bastards have been wanting your hide for the past two years.”

  Destin’s eyes hardened with determination. “Yeah, well they are about to find out what happens when they get what they want. Take out the one that roared first if shit goes down. I’m pretty sure he’s the leader,” Destin ordered as he threw his leg over the side of the ledge of the parking garage.

  Tim watched as Destin disappeared before turning his eyes back to the warriors across the street. It didn’t take long for Destin to get down the two levels. Tim followed his friend and leader as he moved with a grace born of determination and confidence.

  “I sure hope you know what the fuck you’re doing,” he muttered under his breath as Destin’s movements caught the attention of the men.

  *.*.*

  “Razor,” Cutter’s quiet voice said.

  “It’s Kali’s blood,” Razor bit out, curling his red stained fingers into a fist.

  “We’ll find her,” Vice said. “Whoever took her can’t have gotten far.”

  Thunder’s head jerked up and he sniffed the air before turning in a crouch, his hand pulling the laser pistol at his waist. The low rumble of warning from him had the other men turning as well. His eyes scanned the darkness as he opened his senses and breathed in the scents carried on the frigid air.

  “We’ve got company. I smell one, possibly two distinctive scents,” Thunder growled.

  Razor turned, scanning the area. He jerked his head slightly to the right, signaling Cutter and Vice to spread out. He froze when a voice called out for everyone to freeze.

  “I wouldn’t,” the deep voice echoed in the narrow alley. “Your main man is targeted. You move, he dies.”

  “Human!” Vice snarled.

  “Calm,” Razor said coldly as he turned toward the voice at the end of the alley. “Where is she?”

  Destin took a step closer, keeping the rifle he carried firmly aimed at the alien male. He stopped when he was almost ten feet from him. His eyes flickered to the other three males who stood in a semicircle behind him. They were slightly taller than the one in front but there was something about the way the bastard in front stood that warned Destin he was probably the most deadly of the group.

  “Who?” Destin asked, already knowing the answer.

  “My Amate! Kali Parks,” the male snarled, flashing his teeth in a way that reminded Destin of a male lion. “I will rip the answer from you before I kill you.”

  Destin’s mind swirled at the hostile tone and fury behind the male’s threat. Something was wrong. Unless Kali killed one of them when she escaped, he couldn’t see this type of reaction coming from the male unless…

  “What does Amate mean?” Destin asked with growing anger. “So help me, if you’ve raped my sister, I’ll blow your fucking balls off first.”

  *.*.*

  The human’s voice faded on the last word. The anger, pain and grief in it combined with the word ‘sister’ registered as the man took another step closer. A glimmer of shadowy moonlight offered enough light for him to recognize the face of Destin Parks. He reined in the rage he was feeling when he realized that this human cared about Kali as much as he did.

  “I have claimed her as mine,” Razor replied quietly, watching the fury build again in the man’s eyes.

  “You bastard,” Destin choked out. “She’s not a fucking whore!”

  Razor lifted his hand when Cutter shifted to throw himself in front of him when Destin’s hand tightened on the grip of the weapon he was holding. He stared into the other male’s eyes, willing him to hear the truth in his words. Humans could not scent the deceit the way a Trivator could. He would have to proceed slowly. He raised his hands up, palms forward, to show he was unarmed and meant no threat.

  “No, she is not,” Razor replied calmly. “She is my Amate. She is my life. I have sworn to protect and care for her. An Amate means the world to a Trivator warrior. We do not take one lightly, as it is for life.”

  Razor could see the indecision flash through Parks’ eyes as he took another step closer. He knew that the male didn’t believe him. His eyes flickered to the markings peeking out from under the end of the sleeve of his jacket. He carefully pulled one sleeve down so that the dark markings were visible.

  “I am Razor. I belong to Kali as she belongs to me. Forever will I tie my life to hers. I will care for, protect and give my seed only to her. She is my Amate. She is my life,” Razor said quietly. “These are the markings that bind my life to your sister. I need your help. She is hurt. Her blood is on the wall.”

  Destin’s eyes widened, not only from what the warrior said, but who he was. This was Razor. The Destroyer. His throat worked up and down as he swallowed. His mind raced through everything he had heard, knew for a fact and what the male was telling him.

  “Destin, I swear on my life I have not harmed Kali,” Razor insisted stepping close enough that the barrel of the rifle pushed against the center of his chest. He continued to keep his hands raised. “I need your help. She is hurt. I fear Colbert’s men may have captured her. Every minute we delay our search for her means another minute she is in danger.”

  He saw Destin’s eyes flickered past him to the other three warriors who remained frozen in silence before turning back to him as he waited for Destin to make up his mind. He watched as Destin slowly raised his left hand high and fisted it before holding up two fingers. Only when he lowered the rifle did Razor release his breath.

  “You better be telling me the truth,” Destin warned in an icy voice. “Tell me what happened.”

  Razor nodded, recognizing the same calm focus and edge of barely suppressed civility in the human male that made him a strong leader. He glanced over as another human male approached. It didn’t take long to relate Kali’s escape and their search for her.

  “They’ll take her to Colbert’s headquarters,” Destin replied, turning to Tim. “Get the team together. And Tim, let them know we are finishing this tonight.”

  “I’ll let Mason know,” Tim replied, looking with a touch of caution and a lot of curiosity at the Trivator warriors who stood to the side. “What are you going to do?”

  Destin’s lips curved into a menacing smile. “I’m going to go have a chat with Colbert. It has been a long time coming.”

  “And them?” Tim asked under his breath.

  Razor turned, shooting Tim a look that sent a shiver of dread down his spine. His cold eyes made Tim hope that whatever happened tonight would resolve the need for the Trivator forces to move in. He had no desire to face off against them.

  “We will accompany him,” Razor said.

  “Tim, make sure everyone is ready. If anything happens to me, you are in charge,” Destin said q
uietly before nodding to Razor. “Let’s go. We’ll move faster along the rails. Colbert moved his headquarters a few days ago to the old Central Station.”

  “How can you be sure that is where he is?” Razor asked.

  Destin’s lips curved up in a confident smile. “Because Kali followed one of the bastards back when they used a tunnel we didn’t know about. Mason found a few more accesses and sewer tunnels that were on the original blueprints, but not on the updated ones in the city building archives,” Destin replied. “We’ll go topside until we get closer then move underground. My men will be there.”

  “Cutter,” Razor called out. “Contact the advance troops. I want them in position. This will be a ground assault.”

  “The Council isn’t going to like this,” Cutter replied quietly. “I received a report before we left. Badrick has them believing you are compromising your position because of Kali. He is asking for your removal and wants Kali transferred to his personal security forces so he can interrogate her.”

  “They will not agree. Why does he want Kali so badly?” Razor bit out in a harsh voice.

  “I’ll tell you why. The same reason he struck a deal with Colbert. He is collecting any female between the ages of fourteen and forty and shipping them off planet,” Destin informed him bitterly. “He wanted Kali for himself. He offered weapons in exchange for her and any other women we supplied for him. I told the bastard I’d kill him and any other one of you sons-of-bitches before I let any of you take a female under my protection.”

  “Kali did not tell me,” Razor responded quietly. “I will deal with Badrick once I have Kali back.”

  “Sure you will,” Destin muttered. “What about the women Colbert gave to him? Will you deal with that too?”

  Razor’s eyes flash with a cold determination. “Yes,” he promised. “I will send a team to find and return them.”

  Destin studied the hard features and steady gaze before he slowly nodded. Holding out his hand, he waited until Razor gripped it firmly with his own. A man was only as good as his word. He planned on doing everything in his power to make sure that this Trivator warrior kept his.

  “You better not be fucking with me,” Destin said, dropping his hand to his side. “Keep up. We are going to be moving fast and the tracks are icy so watch where you step.”

  Razor watched as the human took off at a steady pace. He glanced at Thunder and Vice who had been silently listening to their conversation. He nodded to the two men. When this was over, he would send them after the females that had been taken.

  Chapter 21

  “You promised to keep that bastard away from Chicago,” Colbert said, sitting back and staring moodily at Badrick. “Why should I believe you now?”

  Badrick kept the bland expression of calm on his face even as he seethed in anger. His private security team had discovered a tracking device that had been planted on his transport. He knew exactly who had ordered it placed there. It was time to depart this horrid planet before Razor discovered the extent of his deceit. His hope of using the unusual female population to repay some of his debtors had seemed a good plan until Razor was brought into the conflict.

  “If your men had killed him like they were supposed to he wouldn’t be an issue,” Badrick pointed out. His eyes flickered to the unconscious female that had been brought in just minutes after he arrived. A small smile curved his lips. Perhaps he could have a limited amount of satisfaction before he left. “I have submitted my recommendation that he be removed from his position to the Alliance Council.”

  Colbert straightened and stood up. He stepped down from the raised platform where a single chair sat. He liked being higher than those that came in. It gave him an advantage that he wielded with an iron fist. He was the top dog of the group of men who followed him.

  Colbert’s eyes flickered to Kali’s unconscious body. Blood covered her forehead and down the left side of her face from a small cut. Resentment boiled inside him. She was the reason Destin chose not to join him. Destin’s desire to protect her, shelter her from the real world of the streets, tore them apart. Without Kali in his life, it would have been easy for Destin to embrace the life that Colbert had followed. They could have ruled together, even before the presence of the aliens. He had been moving up the ranks, graduating from the local street gangs to the harder core men who really ruled the city.

  “I don’t have a lot of faith in your recommendations,” Colbert replied sarcastically, walking past him to a small table where several blueprints were spread out across it. “My sources say that the bastard isn’t easy to kill.”

  “He would be dead if not for the interference of Kali Parks,” Badrick threw back at him. “She rescued him.”

  Colbert threw another disgruntled glance at Kali’s limp body. “Why am I not surprised? Kali has always managed to land on her feet. Even as a kid, she was a thorn in my side.”

  “I can remove that thorn… permanently,” Badrick responded with an insincere smile. “I must return to the my planet. She could no longer hinder your plans if she is no longer on yours.”

  Colbert’s dark chuckle echoed in the dim lower level of the former metro station. He knew what the bastard really wanted. He wanted Kali. Colbert’s eyes narrowed as he thought about it. It was true, if Badrick took Kali he wouldn’t have to worry about her inference any longer. He could offer a peace treaty with Destin, console him in his anger and grief. With Kali somewhere far, far away there would be no way of her ever coming between them again. Yet…

  “I need a way to defeat the Trivator forces if they attack,” Colbert said, turning and leaning back against the table. “I want some way of making sure they don’t use those Destroyers on the city. I also want complete control of Chicago. You give me that, I’ll give you Kali.”

  Badrick’s mouth tightened into a straight line as he studied the smug human male. His long fingers curled before he relaxed them. He could make a hundred promises and the male would never know that he was powerless to provide them. By the time Allen found out, he would be light years away from this world, with Kali Parks as an enjoyable distraction.

  “That is simple,” he replied with a wave of his slender blue hand. “Join with Parks and agree to rebuild the city. That is the only thing the Alliance wants. If you do this, the Trivator will not attack. I will document that you are to have control over the area in appreciation for your cooperation.”

  “Simple,” Colbert repeated in a suspicious voice. “What guarantees can you give me that they will accept your documentation giving me control?”

  Badrick’s eyes flashed in fury. “I am a member of the Alliance council,” he growled in a low dangerous voice. “I have favors owed to me, thanks to some of the females you sent. There will be no questions as to the approval.”

  Colbert threw his head back and laughed. As he stood straight and walked over to Badrick. It was a shame the bastard was a little too dangerous for his taste or he might have enjoyed getting to know him a little better. He made a rule to never have sex with anyone capable of killing him in the middle of it. Something told him this guy would like it rough. Colbert’s eyes flickered to Kali. She was tough. She might actually live through it, the first time.

  “Deal,” Colbert said, holding his hand out.

  Badrick glanced down in distaste before he held his own hand out and limply gripped Colbert’s hand. He cursed when Colbert suddenly tightened his hold and jerked him forward. A shudder went through him when the human male ran his lips up along his jaw to his ear.

  “You better be fucking sure you aren’t trying to screw me,” Colbert whispered in his ear. “Because if you do, I’ll tie your ass up and fuck it before I kill you.”

  Badrick stepped back and smoothed the sleeves of his jacket before he raised his eyebrow at Colbert. A fake smile curled the edges of his tightly pressed lips. He gave a brief shake of his head to his Security guard when the warrior stepped forward after Colbert released him.

  “Perhaps if our paths cr
oss in the future, I’ll take you up on the first part of your threat,” Badrick replied in a mild voice. “But only if I get to do the same.”

  *.*.*

  Kali lay still listening to the conversation between Colbert and Badrick. Her pounding head made it easy to pretend she was still unconscious. She silently cursed the bastard who had Tasered her. The stinging in her back, along with the tenderness, made lying there in the awkward position she had been dropped even more excruciatingly uncomfortable.

  She cracked her eyelids open just a fraction so she could get a bearing on where everyone in the room was located. Badrick and Colbert were about ten feet away while two of Badrick’s personal guards stood stoically near the door. She opened her eyes a fraction more to see how many men Colbert had with him. She counted three, including one of the bastards from the alley.

  She quickly closed her eyes when Colbert turned toward her again. Keeping her breathing steady, she listened as he walked across the concrete floor. In her mind’s eye, she pictured Colbert. He was left-handed and always wore a pistol tucked into the back of his pants where he could grab it easily. If, and it was a big if, he leaned over her to check on her, she could grab him by his arm, roll and come up with the pistol. She would need to keep his body between her and his guards, otherwise she would lose her advantage.

  Just as she hoped, he reached down to turn her onto her back. The moment he touched her, she grabbed his extended arm and rolled. Her right hand held onto his left while she reached behind him for the pistol. His loud curse echoed in the room as she twisted around pulling him up at an awkward angle so he was still off balance. She held the pistol firmly to the back of his head while holding his left arm behind his back.

  “Don’t,” she muttered in a dark voice. “I’ll do it, Colbert. I’ll end this now.”

  “You’ll be dead too, Kali,” Colbert bit out harshly.

  Kali jerked on his arm, ignoring the growing panic inside as she felt her own body tremble. She still wasn’t up to her full strength and it wouldn’t take much for Colbert or any of his men to overpower her. Pressing the end of the pistol into his scalp a little harder, she jerked up on his arm until they were both standing. Because of their differences in height, she redirected the gun to the center of his back.