by Zara Zenia
“What the hell, Akrawn?”
“Come, my Cat. I’ve cleared enough space for you to crawl through.” I tossed another rock into the dark, and I heard an “oomph,” and someone cried out, “Roberto!” and then more swearing in their language.
“What about you?” she said.
I held out my hand for her. “We can argue later, but I hear more coming and we must leave this place, now.”
Cat climbed to the top of the pile, and here, the ceiling was just a hand’s breadth away. I yanked more rocks out of the pile and tossed them as far as I could into the dark.
I couldn’t resist. I gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Go, now. I’ll be right behind.”
“But—”
“Go!” I ordered. “This pile and the roof are not stable and the more rocks I remove the more unstable this area becomes.” To prove my point, another train rumbled behind the wall rattling the pile of rocks and debris fell from the ceiling. Cat’s eyes narrowed as she crawled through the hole.
“Akrawn,” she said. “There is no exit.”
“Yes, there is. My AI showed an air duct. It should be above you.” I poked my head through the opening, but it was not big enough for me. I pulled back and dislodged more rock.
“There you are, Trilyn,” said a nasty voice.
I was tired of this and these people. I lifted a rock and tossed it at the voice. He grunted and fell, but I didn’t care how damaged he was. I wiggled through the opening and fell shoulder first on the hard ground.
“Akrawn,” said Cat. Concern filled her voice and instantly, my heart warmed. Perhaps she would not reject me too many times.
“I am well. Do not worry. But we must hurry.”
I reached and pulled the grate off the ventilation shaft and pushed her into the space. Then I climbed in after her.
“Go forward, Cat, a few feet. That should bring us to another grate that looks out over the subway platform.
It was not the most graceful of exits, and people on the platform noticed us and murmured. Cat displayed her badge, but that might not have been the wisest course. I wasn’t getting a good feeling about being here, although it was clean and well lit.
“Cat,” I said. “We must go.”
“We need to wait for the San Jose train.”
That was our plan, but the nagging feeling that was a bad idea hit me. A train stopped, people poured out, and I put my arm around her waist and pulled her inside.
“What?”
“Just get in,” I said. “Please, my Cat. Trust me. I will not let you come to harm.”
The train door closed and sped so fast she fell against me, which I did not mind. I put both arms around her and held her tight. For a brief second, I allowed the pleasure of holding her overtake me.
“Akrawn,” she said. “There is no one else on this train.”
“Good,” I said. I kissed the top of her head.
“No. This doesn’t happen.” She pulled away and looked around. “And we’re passing stops.”
Cat was correct. The electronic display changed stops as we passed them. The bright lights of the platforms flickered all too briefly. My jaw set as I called up my AI and checked for a system malfunction.
“Wait,” she said. Cat stared at the holo display. “Where did you get the specs of the system for the subway?”
“I am the engineer for merging Trilyn and human technology,” I said. I traced the system’s pathways with my AI. Damn, I am not finding a problem with the system itself. I checked the software and found something that made me sick to my stomach.
The car jolted and sped up, throwing Cat in my arms again. I grabbed a pole in the aisle with both arms cradling her against me.
“What did you do?” she screeched.
“Nothing. Someone else has control of the subway’s software.”
“Are you telling me they hacked it? That’s impossible. You guys installed unbreakable Trilyn encryption that was just installed in the security systems.”
“I’m aware,” I said through gritted teeth. “I designed the security protocols.”
“You! Well, do something.”
“I will, my darling, if you can stop screeching in my ear. It is most distracting.”
The car sped again pressing Cat further into my chest and were I not clinging to the pole, she would have crashed against a wall. The velocity was much too fast, and we would reach the end of the line in minutes. There was no time for the usual shutdown protocols.
“Can’t you just pull the damn plug?” she snapped.
There was no time for finesse. I’d have to shut down the power grid for most of the city. I had no idea if whoever was controlling this also discovered my back doors. The security breach was a gaping hole and could even include Earth’s global defense. I could endanger many to save us two. If it were me alone, I might not take this course of action. But my mate was in my arms, and I couldn’t see her come to harm.
“Cat, hold me tightly. Do not let go. Losing power will be sudden. AI, Command Shendrwan Ko Milako—initiate red stops on all blocks on this line—now!”
Chapter 12
Cat
My adrenaline pumped and my heart raced while this crazy train flew through the tube to our imminent death. Hey, I could handle pressure, but Akrawn was as cold as an iceberg as he studied and manipulated the information streaming from his AI. I was learning far too much about the Trilyn, things we should have known a long time ago. Akrawn had much more access to our technical specs than known to us humans and how the hell did that happen? Yes, they adapted Trilyn systems to our tech, but who in the hell thought it was a good idea to give them the keys to the kingdom?
Or did the Trilyn appropriate this information without the knowledge of the government? Was this the reason David had suspicions about Akrawn and the other Trilyn? What did the ILE know the rest of us did not?
“Cat, hold me. Do not let go. The power loss will be sudden. AI, Command Shendrwan Ko Milako—initiate red stops on all blocks on this line—now!”
What? Akrawn ordered the shutdown of this subway line? Who gave him the authority to do that?
Akrawn tightened his grip on the pole and widened his stance as we hit a hard bump. I went flying and my head hit Akrawn’s hands on the pole, stunning me. Akrawn winced but didn’t let go, and I fell forward against his chest. He held on as inertia slowed the train to a stop and then gathered me in his arms.
He searched my eyes. “Are you injured, my Cat?”
“You have hard hands,” I said.
“And you have a hard head. I told you to hold on.”
“Did I hurt you?” I said.
He looked at his hands and flexed them.
“They ache, but you did not damage them. It would have hurt worse if you came to harm, my Cat. Now, we should leave. We’ve drawn attention to ourselves, no? The people we seek to evade have a better idea of where we are.”
Akrawn pried open the subway car’s doors, and I was amazed at his strength. He jumped to the platform and held out his arms.
“I can make the platform on my own, Akrawn,” I said. With a shake of my head, I stepped out on the platform. I looked around at the white-tiled walls, but the electronic displays were blank.
“Why happened? The signs aren’t working, and no passengers are here. It makes little sense. Just what stop are we at?”
“We are close to the waterfront.” Akrawn scanned the area and then pulled up the holo display on his AI.
“That will not help us,” I said. Our escape plans weren’t good from the beginning. With both the SFPD and the ILE watching us it was a longshot idea. Now we were much farther away.
“But it is closer to your headquarters. I’m rethinking my ideas. It is not feasible to reach the spaceport.” Akrawn typed commands to his AI, but they were in Trilyn so I couldn’t read the flashing display.
Damn it. I have no idea what he’s up to.
“Airport,” I said.
He looked up from his AI to catch my gaze. “Yes, airport. And I am concerned. There is another element at play here escaping me, but someone or something overtook the subway train to make it travel too fast.”
“You think, Akrawn?” I said. “It was some AI, but hey, anyone with access to the subway schematics can pull that off.”
“No, Cat. I wrote the security protocols.”
We locked gazes. “You think whoever did this has compromised your work for Earth, don’t you?”
His mouth formed a grim line.
“Yes, my Cat. I believe not just Trilyn, but Earth is in danger now.”
“Then we have to get you to your ship. There are some access tunnels here.”
He shook his head. “No, my Cat. I have decided the safest best thing for you is to arrest me and take me in.”
“What? Akrawn, we agreed you shouldn’t fall into the government’s hands and now with what you’ve told me, I can’t let you do this.”
“My dear darling Cat. It warms my heart you want to protect me. But I need time, and I need you safe, and the only way to have both is for you to do your duty. Besides, as we speak, my AI showed me both the SFPD and the ILE are in position with people ready to breach this subway platform.”
He tipped the display so I could see the tactical positions a SWAT team took at the subway entrance.
“I hate this,” I said. “The ILE have places where they take people to interrogate them and sometimes, I’ve heard, the detainees don’t return.”
“I’ve been thinking over our predicament,” said Akrawn. “I must settle the thing with the Iswan people, but what they want is a trade deal with the Trilyn. If they press this manufactured indignation, they will lose the opportunity to trade with us.”
“Or they think they can get a better deal.”
“They may believe so, but it will not happen. Besides it is imperative I speak with my father and the only way is through diplomatic channels.”
Akrawn took my hand and led me up the stairs toward the street. I did not follow willingly, but he seemed determined. Damn the Trilyn and their decisiveness and their stubbornness. They were everything a woman could want in a man until their convictions made it impossible to talk sense into them.
I stared at him. And I realized he wouldn’t give up this crazy idea.
“Besides, my Cat,” he said, “I will need you free to move about and collect different pieces of evidence for me and get messages to different brothers. And if you are a fugitive with me, then you cannot. I need you, my brave Cat, to play the hero to your people, and bring me to justice so we can save my people and yours from a grave threat. Can you do that for me, Cat?”
He is nuts. Insane. And what can I say? No, I won’t do my job? That I’ll turn my back on a threat to my people?
“Okay,” I said. “Face the wall and put your hands behind your back.”
“Are we playing a binding game?” he asked with a salacious grin.
I pulled out a zip tie and bound his hands. Over his shoulder he winked at me, damn him. But with his dark hair falling into his eyes and his gold eyes piercing straight to my soul, I felt like I would melt right there.
“You better put another one or two on to make it look good,” he said. “I can break out of this without trouble and your colleagues will question whether this a real arrest.”
“Not everyone has seen Trilyn strength in action,” I said as I put another zip tie around his wrists and jerked it tight. “Can that hold you?” I said sarcastically.
“No, but you have a firm hold on my heart more potent than any lock or key.”
I grabbed his arm. “Let’s go, you crazy alien.”
He grinned at me, and I held his arm as we ascended the steep stairway. But Akrawn stopped once more. “Take my AI,” he said. “Get the information in it and slip it back later.”
“I can’t. I must put it into evidence.”
“No, you don’t. You already have my first AI. Use that for your procedures. It’s corrupted anyway and will only return nonsense to whoever tries to interrogate it.”
I shook my head, but took the dull metallic plastic and stuck it in my pocket.
“You look worried,” he said.
“What do you want me to say, Akrawn? First, you tell me you can’t get arrested, now you insist on it. And I don’t think either thing is right. You should get off this planet and head home.”
He scoffed and then gave me a sexy smile that melted my heart, damn it. “And leave you behind? I know you don’t understand Trilyn men, but no. It’s impossible for me to walk away from you, my Cat.”
“Why? You’ll get heartsick?”
“My darling, I would get more than heartsick, but let us not worry about that now. We must look like you have triumphed over me and are dragging me to justice. You must mishandle me.” He gave me a smirk. “Is that not how humans play binding games?”
I felt the blush in my cheeks and cursed under my breath. The damned sexy alien did funny things to my head and my body, and I was delighted and terrified at the same time. What if this plan didn’t work out? What would I do? Would I throw over the career I fought for, for his sake? I would, and I don’t understand what flipped in my head. Sure, Akrawn was panty-meltingly sexy, and he knew how to please a woman, but sex was not the be-and-end-all of life. I have a job to do, damn it.
I pulled him roughly up the stairs as these thoughts tumbled in my mind and he followed. When we stepped into the sunlight close to the top of the stairs, I spotted officers in black tactical gear a few feet from the top of the stairs. A semi-circle of media holo drones with the logos of different news organizations painted on their sides hovered overhead. Oh, good. Live-streamed into millions of homes. Just what I always wanted.
Not.
“Hands up,” one idiot said.
I held up my badge. “Stand down. I’m Inspector Cat O’Shea, and this is my prisoner, Prince Akrawn of Trilyn.”
David rushed to the front of the line. With surprise, I noted he wore full body armor. I blinked. The whole black warrior garb shifted my impression of the geeky computer nerd to someone more alpha and dangerous than he portrayed. Did David lie the entire time about who he was?
“Stand down,” he said. “That’s an SFPD officer.”
The SWAT team lowered their weapons, and two others scrambled to take Akrawn on either side and jerked him up the stairs.
“Watch it!” I said. “He’s a Trilyn prince.”
David’s brow knitted, and he glanced at me with concern in his eyes. “We thought—”
“What? That he put me under a Trilyn sex spell?” I spoke with sarcasm, but every step farther away from Akrawn made my stomach churn harder. If felt wrong to be apart from him.
Akrawn wanted you to arrest him. He told you to do this. These thoughts did little to ease my mind as I watched his retreating back. As they loaded him in a prisoner transport, he tossed me a wry smile from his seat as they locked him in.
Be brave, my Cat.
The thought came out of nowhere, and I swallowed hard because those words in my mind sounded as if Akrawn spoke to me directly.
“You disappeared with him.” David’s eyes held distrust.
I hated that. When had I ever lied to him?
Now, you idiot, right now. With your next words.
“I played along to gain his trust, David. When he realized he could not escape he listened and let me cuff him and bring him up to the street. Do you know how many access tunnels run through the subway system? If I didn’t do what I did, he would have disappeared.”
My heart pumped hard, and maybe I spoke too harshly, but damn it, I hated arresting Akrawn. David looked me up and down as if trying to figure out if I told the truth.
The reality was he had every right to distrust me. I had lied to David, which I never thought I would do. But I wasn’t trusting him right now either, or the ILE, or Akrawn or the Trilyn. There was more going on here than an alien race who sent their prince
s to find wives and I couldn’t parse it.
And I was smack dab in the middle.
“Yes, my Cat. I believe not just Trilyn, but Earth is in danger now.”
The words chilled me to my bones, and if Akrawn was right, there was no one I could trust. At least no one human. Peri might be able to give me answers, and I needed time away from prying eyes to use her the way I needed to.
“I’m taking him to ILE headquarters for processing,” said David.
What? Oh hell no. That would be at ILE headquarters in Sacramento, far outside SFPD’s jurisdiction.
“No, David. He was my capture. We’re taking him to SFPD headquarters.”
“Cat,” he said. “He’s a dangerous man, and slippery. You’ve seen it yourself. We need far more secure facilities to hold him than the SFPD built to hold ordinary criminals.” His voice appealed to me for understanding.
Ordinary criminals. Yeah. I wonder who the ordinary criminals are here? I’m sure Akrawn is not a thief, at least not of ancient jewelry. As he said, he had nothing to gain by stealing it. And from what I’d seen of Akrawn, he may have a jokester’s heart, but he seemed to treat international matters with utter seriousness. So absolutely not. I wouldn’t capitulate to my erstwhile partner. I didn’t know what was going on and I wouldn’t hand Akrawn over to David until I did.
I held up my hand. “No. We’ll do this by the book, David. He goes to the arresting officer’s house before he’s sent anywhere else. If you push me on this, I will file a formal complaint with my superiors. If you want the ILE to keep a working relationship with the SFPD, you won’t push back on this.”
David stared hard at me for a second by then held up his hand and nodded.
“Of course. We’ll go by the book.”
“Good,” I said. I turned and walked to the transport.