“Another one of the Five is married to a Rocian. That is how they got the information they needed about the quarum and developed the ability to travel to other planets such as Earth. That was Amari Rei's job.
“Texxak’s is offense. He builds and maintains the military. Including other races that he recruits and forces into a form of slavery almost.
“The two other men. They are responsible for trade and resources. The acquiring of these things. They travel behind Texxak, harvesting the planets. Almost like locust. But here, Solum is home base. They are definitely looking for another planet to take. The main thing limiting their selection is the quarum. They want another planet with the same resources.
* * *
“So knowing this, I think Xade was smart enough not to take Finn to one of his bases. He took him to one of Texxak’s. His area is up in the far north near the mountains. That is where they are keeping Finn. It has to be. Other than most of the medical facilities here, this structure is less about medicine and more about force.
“How certain are you this time?”
“Maybe thirty percent certain.”
“That is barely certain.”
“It is enough to send a team to check. It is a far distance. We need to take a group and check it out.” Dela slammed his finger on the map. “Here.”
“Okay. I can do that. Let me go talk to Marin and Thorn.”
When I returned to town, Selmay sauntered out of Thorn's room, happy as a clam. Thorn looked like a bomb went off nearby, with a shit-eating grin on his face. This time I saw what Marin meant about Zara. She stomped out of her room next door, ignoring both of them, to head to the amphitheater. Thorn tried to prevent it, but his eyes followed her. That would be interesting to watch as it progressed now that I was in on their little secret.
I raised my hand and Selmay aimed my way. “I do like a little stress relief.”
“I don't want to know.”
“Are you sure? Some of the details are quite exciting.” Her shoulders bumped mine playfully.
“Yes, I am very sure. Dela thinks he has found Finn.”
“My Finn.” Still that little twitch when she said that. Selmay smiled. “Perfect. When do we leave?”
“As soon as we get everyone together. I need to find Marin.”
“Last I saw of him, he was heading to get food and talk to the historian. Even in my time, Ute loved history. He never went anywhere without a book. No blanket for him. He had a book he dragged behind him.”
“It seems weird that you are so old.”
Selmay nodded and her hair fell into her face. She tucked the strands behind her ear. “For both of us.”
The next stop was the amphitheater, and Marin was where we'd been told. Sitting at the table, reading scout reports. His smile when he saw me caused a warm, melting sensation in my chest. Heartburn, maybe?
“See that look right there? Disgusting.” Selmay stomped off to get food.
I grinned at her back and sat next to my mate. “We have the location for Finn.”
Marin straightened from his relaxed pose. “Are you sure?”
“Dela said maybe thirty percent this time.”
“Thirty is better than twenty. Where?”
“It is a week’s travel, maybe less depending on speed.”
“Let start gathering the food and supplies. Who did you want to take with us?”
I hesitated. “Are you going to be able to go with me?”
Marin blinked. “Why would I not?”
“The Fost need a leader, and this will be a week-long trip at least.”
“I am going. This is Thorn’s town. Who else do you wish to take with us?”
I pointed to Selmay. “I want her along. The rest I will leave up to you.”
Marin inclined his head. “I will make the plans. Get your gear together; plan to leave at noon.”
He stood and grabbed my hand, pulling me up. Our fingers linked. He tugged me closer. “Thank you for letting me know.”
“You’re welcome. I do love you.”
“But we both seem to have trust issues, do we not?”
“We are working on them.” I straightened his collar. “We'll be fine.”
“Do you know that too, do you?”
“From the first time you kissed me.” See, I could be good with the words too.
His eyes gleamed and he brought my fingers to his lips to kiss.
Selmay gagged loudly behind us.
Marin grinned. “Be safe. See you back here in a few hours.”
Selmay leaned in next to me as we walked out the door. “So sweet.”
I elbowed her. Selmay was fast becoming my new shadow. She followed me to the lab. I needed to let Erin know I was leaving, and I wanted to check on the clones we'd left. How they were faring. If Roger had done any put-the-lotion-in-the-basket type thing to them.
I kept hoping my thoughts were misguided, but the more I studied him, the more worried I became. Not that I didn’t worry all the time already. My shoulders tensed.
It was the look in the eyes. Not the sheer enjoyment that you saw in Xade's, but a happy gleam, letting you know that no matter what the result, he liked the process. Maybe not the pain, the suffering, but the results mattered to him. Maybe that is what got him off.
Eww. And look at me crucifying him before having any proof. I needed to get Dela on that as well, if Erin hadn't already done so. For the life of me, I couldn't remember him and I'd been trying. Sometimes the memories flowed so quickly, it paralyzed me. Other times, I couldn't do a rain dance and get any results.
The longer I was safe, the more distant the memories became. Probably my mind sheltering my body from the pain or some such. Yet I still needed the information locked in there. Damn it, brain.
“Are we going to go inside or just stand outside the doors?” Selmay asked.
I jolted. “Yes, ma’am.”
Selmay said sharply. “Do not be rude.”
For once, Dela didn't occupy the front desk. We headed along the hall to the right, looking for him and Roger. At the end of the hallway, a set of stairs led downward. We took the stairs quickly and opened the door to the bottom floor.
Screaming could be heard coming from one of the rooms. Selmay and I exchanged a glance before bolting to the closest entryway.
The door slid open soundlessly. Rezi sat in the corner, rocking and covering his head.
“What is wrong?”
The clone didn't answer. He rocked and rocked, muttering to himself.
I turned to Selmay. “What language is that?”
She moved closer to the clone and stooped down on one knee. “I do not think that is another language. I think he is scared.”
We both sat and talked to him in soft voices until he calmed and lifted his head. As soon as he saw Selmay, he scrambled to an opposite corner. “Lady, lady, lady. We no harm.”
Selmay shifted into his path. “It is all right. Tell the lady what is going on.”
The clone stopped and stared at her. “Lady, they took us, they want information, but we do not know anything. We just want to go back to work. We keep sleeping. Feel funny. Tummy hurts.”
He curled on the ground and shivered.
“What did Roger give him?” Selmay brushed his hair back softly.
“I’m not sure.”
We exited the room.
“Roger!” I shouted.
No answer.
We looked through the door; Rezi remained huddled on the floor, shaking.
“I need to know what he is doing.”
“What who is doing?” Roger asked.
I shrieked like a little girl, I admit it. I spun to face Roger, who almost skipped down the hallway. “What are you doing with the clone?”
Roger pushed his spectacles farther up his nose before they promptly slid down again. “Nothing as of yet. Testing immune responses to basic illnesses, nothing fancy. He will feel crappy; we give it to him for a day or two then cure it. Then stu
dy his blood. That way we know if they can form an immune response or not. It’s the ones they can't fight off that we want to focus on. There is a plethora of viruses to pick from.”
“We want one that will debilitate them, but not kill them. Enough so they have to leave. Not mass genocide.”
Roger took his glasses off and studied them. “That is going to be hard to do, Beta. And most of what I can do, Xade can counter. We need to eliminate Xade.”
“Dela thinks he has found him and Finn.”
Roger became more animated. “Where?” He shoved his glasses on, and his eyes gleamed behind the lenses.
“In one of Texxak's holds. In the Moreen valley. “
“He isn't hiding himself in his own labs. He is hiding in others where we can't check, and moving back and forth. Smart.”
“We are going to get Finn and confront Xade now. I need you to continue your studies, but don't do anything harmful. Anything that you wouldn't do to yourself.”
Roger nodded.
“Erin will be staying to help you.”
Roger nodded with a blank stare again. I didn't trust Roger. Maybe I was just being paranoid but the expression on his face sometimes... I shivered. No.
“Vale will be back soon from the island marshes. Dela is staying with Erin here with you. Werner's coming with us. Along with Prog. Rael should be back soon as well. About half of our people are going on this mission. Be good.”
The man that resembled a mad scientist patted me on the cheek and said, “Of course,” before walking off, whistling.
Selmay said. “I don't trust him.”
“Me either.”
“Do you remember him?”
“No, and I had Dela look. There are no videos of him. Not like there are for me, the Rocians, the Avaresh, Dela, Erin. There is nothing about Roger in the databases. Dela was going to try to dig deeper, but then we diverted him. Let’s go check.”
Dela was at the desk when we got back upstairs. I pounded on the counter to get his attention. “Dela, did you find anything out on Roger?”
Dela spun. “Hey, boss. No, I have not, and that is a surprising thing. Xade documented any and every one he tortured. I see no subjects of that name.”
“Maybe he didn't torture him; maybe he was a protégé, an equal.” I moved to look at the screen over Dela’s shoulder.
“Then why was he with us?”
“Maybe he objected?”
“Maybe we should just ask him?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe what?” Roger asked from behind me
Holy crap! That was the second time Roger surprised me today. I was getting lax. I took a breath to calm my racing heart. “We were going to ask you what happened with you and Xade.”
His eyes dropped. “I hate telling those stories.”
“What did he do to you?” If anything.
“I would rather not say.” Roger shifted from foot to foot.
I leaned into him, forcing him to meet my eyes. “I would rather you do say.”
“He neutered me.”
I blinked and stepped back.
Dela and Erin exchanged glances. Selmay sighed.
“Why?”
“I fell in love. We tried to escape. He has her somewhere. As long as he had her, he had me.”
“Even now?”
Roger glanced up angrily, the first emotion other than glee I had seen from him. “Not now, not since he killed her. Now it is all about his death. You think I don't see you doubt me? I do, but know this: I, more than anyone, want Xade dead. He took everything from me, and unlike you, some of those things I will never get back.” Tears ran down his doughy face. Roger raced down the hallway to the staircase and then downstairs.
“Maybe he isn't a sociopath,” I said.
Erin nodded.
Dela’s eyes remained on the door. “He is like me. He lost someone.”
Marin walked in, Prog, Zanth, Hana, and Jace behind him. Jace looked the worse for wear since he had lost his partner. Same rangy build and dirty blond hair. Less swagger.
Not that Bob was dead but he was broken. Ever since he lost his arm to the E'mani, Bob hadn't been the same. The lovable hulk hid in his room. I feared for him as did Jace. Jace smiled at me grimly when he noticed my regard.
“Ready to go?”
Chapter Ten
Jace waved goodbye to us, Zara glaring while Thorn shared a kiss with Selmay to see her off.
Two days of rough travel followed. The farther away we got from Center, the more alive the land became as the world recovered from my fire. More blue-green grass and those crab-like creatures that tasted so good. Also, the further we travelled, the more tired my muscles. Yikes, my butt ached. Why was it always my behind?
Sore ass aside, this area reminded me of the valley. Brown, bare rock and dust surrounded by dark, leafless trees with these spikes and blue sap. Sad to say, it felt like coming home, seeing this view. All I needed was the wall and the lake and Groos. Hopefully, someday soon we could go back. Although I couldn't imagine living there again. It seemed like a dream.
My breath shuddered out.
Marin's hip bumped my side. “What is wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You and your nothings and fines. Tell me what is bothering you, my love. I would not ask if I did not want to know.”
“I would tell you if I knew what upset me, but I don't. Something’s wrong. This area feels like home but it isn't.”
Marin nodded. “There is no going back now. I realized that when we left.”
“Then where is our home now? The labs?”
Marin laughed and grasped my hand, bringing it to his lips. “Our home is with each other.”
Aw.
“Seriously, the mooning is getting old.”
“You're old, Selmay.” Not the best of comebacks but all I could manage with the rocks in my throat and the butterflies in my stomach. He could always do that to me.
Marin, male, mine.
“When you two are done, do you mind looking forward to the big building we are approaching?”
I glanced up and saw the structure. The facility was easily ten times the size of prior labs. It spanned at least three city blocks and five stories. One massive building of dark rock, not the translucent quarum of the labs. Plus, the doors were well hidden. I would have missed them totally if Selmay hadn't pointed them out.
Werner moved to approach the doors and I stopped him. Zanth put his hand on his other shoulder.
“Wait,” Selmay whispered.
“What are those?” I pointed to disks protruding from the building at the corners.
“This is the first building I have seen that is defended,” Selmay said.
“What is it?” I repeated.
“A blaster set to hit anything moving close.”
“How do we get around it?” Werner asked.
I examined the walls. There didn't appear to be a control panel. No wiring or lights.
“It depends if Xade is hooked into Texxak’s' systems,” Selmay said. “The Five didn't always trust each other. Wait here.”
“What are you doing?”
Selmay ignored me and walked toward the door. I started to follow, but Marin grabbed me around the waist. His voice brushed my ear. “Let us see what happens.”
A faint whirring filled the air. I tensed and covered my mouth. Prog's wings fluttered nearby. Selmay stopped and glanced at me. She gestured me back.
The disks focused on her position but did not fire.
She dared to take another step forward. More whirring, more adjusting but no blasts. “I do not think they will fire at me.”
“What about the rest of us?” Zanth called out.
“Not sure. Beta and Werner may be safe. I am not sure about the rest of you.”
Zanth growled and stalked forward.
“Wait.” Marin surged toward him. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Prog reached out and caught Zanth's shirt just in time and yanked h
im backward.
A ball of green light formed on top of the disk and hammered the ground in front of Zanth. Had he not been moved, Zanth would've been toast. A crater about five feet wide was seared into the ground. The heat of it burned my skin.
Marin stalked over and shoved Zanth. Zanth growled and brandished his blade in front of him.
What the hell? “What is going on here? Why the hostility?”
“There has been too much delay. I want action.”
Marin swatted the blade away and pulled him up onto his toes. “You are acting like a child,” Marin said between grit teeth.
Zanth ripped himself out of Marin’s grasp and paced backward. “No, you are acting like a love-sick fool, unwilling to risk anything. You know better. You know what needs to be done, and you’re too whipped to do it. Xade has to pay for what he did to Lara.”
Zanth turned to me. “Not saying I do not appreciate your assistance, but the Fost have been passive too long.”
“We are here, aren't we?”
“Here looking for Finn. A good fighter, but not worth this effort.”
Selmay shrieked and ran out. She slapped Zanth hard. “You spoiled child. You only want your goal to be met. You learned nothing from your father.”
“My father was a horrible man.”
“He was a brilliant man, willing to sacrifice his own happiness for his people, and he was so miserable that he ended up driving himself into a hole of misery and took his family with him. You know what turning from your heart does to someone. You saw it. He gave me up for your mother so that he could have children.”
Marin beat me to the question. “What do you mean?”
“I came home once. You all know this. I met your father, Accia. He was so loving. He healed me. But Xade never let me go. He offered Accia a trade; he could have his town and his family. He just had to give me up.”
“Is that why Xade never attacked the valley?” Marin asked.
“Yes. He always knew where you were. You were never an important enough target until I came there.”
Distant Memory: She remembered everything (Solum Series Book 3) Page 6