Exhausted, she ran between two rows of containers until she spotted a dumpster. She threw the lid back and cringed at the bang it made. Several rats scurried out from the remains of rotting grains. She shrieked, jumping to the side. Xita was close. Liv could tell from the noise the Krinar woman made as she ripped open containers in her search. This was her only chance. It was now or never.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The new location wasn’t anywhere near the original one Xita had sent. This one was outside a town called Johannesburg. Zavir had wasted too much time already with Xita’s misleading directions. Xita wouldn’t harm Liv until she’d gotten what she wanted. That was the knowledge he held onto to keep it together, to not lose his mind.
The surroundings became clear. His navigation system announced he’d arrived at his destination. Two silos dominated the dilapidated scene. From the outside, it falsely appeared as if there was no life within. The shield surrounding the area bounced back any heat and energy search rays. It required an enormous amount of energy, energy that could only be pulled from the antimatter in the void above. The hole in the ozone layer just above their location made it easier to pull the antimatter down before transforming it into shield energy. The isolated area was a perfect hideout for a few rebels.
His senses on high alert, he scanned the building. Liv was close. He could feel it. Logic told him to move toward the abandoned structure, but his gut told him otherwise. Following that little voice some called the bond, he moved soundlessly toward the tracks littered with broken containers and old train freight cars. The closer he came to the silos, the stronger the bond grew. The containers gave way to what used to be a loading dock. Then he stopped dead. Xita stood in front of one of the bins, her arm stuck elbow-deep in its foul-smelling content.
“Xita.”
She flung around.
He widened his stance. Every word was articulated, a warning. “Where is my charl?”
She extracted her arm speedily, shaking morsels of grain from it. “Where are my goods?”
“My charl first.”
She walked to him with a swagger. “You’ll get her when I see what gifts you’re bearing.”
She was bluffing. He knew her too well. It was in the way she’d said it, her voice an octave too high.
She stopped in front of him. “Did you come unarmed?”
“And alone, as you instructed.”
She checked her wristwatch device, no doubt to monitor the airways for pods or concealed flying bots. “Let’s see it.”
“First my charl,” he said, biting off each word.
“I could kill you and just take the codes and ransom money.”
“You could, but that would slow you down considerably, seeing that I memorized the defense codes, and the money transfer will only be initialized once I see Liv and her brothers, without as much as a scratch on their bodies.”
She tilted her head toward the bin. “She’s in there.”
“What?” Was this some kind of joke?
The look on Xita’s face told him no. With two long steps he was at the bin, peering inside. It was big enough to house a human in a sitting position, but no human would be able to breathe under that mass of rotting grains. With a fury born from panic, he gripped the sides and tilted the bin, emptying the contents on the ground. A few rats scrambled from the bottom, but other than that, there was nothing but decay.
His fury turned to full-blown rage. Turning slowly, he fixed his gaze on Xita like a missile locking onto a target. He was going to take her apart, limb by limb.
Her eyes grew large. She was surprised. She’d seriously expected Liv to be at the bottom of that goddamn filthy bin.
He took two steps toward her. “Where is she?”
She cocked a hip, keeping up the act of bravado. “Here.”
Another step. “Here, where?”
“In the tower.”
His gaze slipped to the twin cylinders. “You’re lying.”
“She’s somewhere here. Let’s play a game of hide and seek.”
“You don’t know where she is. By zut, you lost her.” But he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure.
“You walk, and I say hot or cold. That’s how the Earth game works.”
He grabbed her neck, squeezing hard. “I’m going to kill you.”
“There’s a room on the first floor. I locked them in there.”
He searched her eyes, but this time she was telling the truth. Her pupils didn’t dilate, neither did her irises darken in the way they did when she told a lie. He let go. There wasn’t a minute to waste. Turning on his heel, he hurried toward the building.
He almost felt the weapon she turned on his back at the same time she spoke.
“You know I can extract the codes for the defense fields from your brain.”
He flung around, coming face to face with a laser gun. “Not if I’m dead.”
“The brain is an amazing thing. It acts as a storage device, just like a computer. It’s a mirror of your memory. Even if you’re dead, I can simulate brainwaves to make your brain think it’s alive, and it will give me everything I want to know.”
“You failed before you started, Xita. You never stood a chance. Did you really think I’d steal the information and risk the life of every person in Lenkarda?”
Her cheeks darkened. “You would, for your human mate.”
He smiled. “There’s been no public announcement, and there was never going to be. She’s not my human mate. She’s a pet, nothing more, and pets are replaceable.”
Her nostrils quivered. “You lie.”
“I’m rather fond of Liv, and I’d like her back, but not at the price you suggested. I’m afraid you made too much of my affection for the human girl. The sex with her is good, but at some point, it always gets boring. Don’t you think?”
“If not to retrieve her, why did you come?”
“Why do you think?”
“You think you’re going to kill me?” She uttered a cynical laugh. “I’ve been around for much longer than you, long enough to know real love when I see it.”
“I’ve already told you–”
She pressed the nozzle against his temple. “Liv! Come out or I kill him.”
His breathing quickened when he realized her plan. “You’re mistaken. Liv doesn’t care about me.”
“Oh, what a stupid male you are. Of course, she does. She’ll prove it in the next few seconds, too.”
“Leave the human out of this. It’s between you and me, now. This is our fight.”
“I’m going to kill her,” she said so softly he had to strain his ears to hear, “right here, in front of your eyes. If she’s not your human mate as you claim, you shouldn’t mind too much.”
“You can kill both of us, but I still don’t have what you want. I could never give it to you.”
“You came here on a rescue mission. You wouldn’t have come with nothing.”
“The only reason I’m here is because the Council sent me on a mission to capture you.”
“Then you would’ve done so by now.”
“It would’ve been nice to have the humans alive, but I’ll live with the collateral damage.”
Her gaze filled with hatred. “No one is going to stop me. Not any longer. Not you or the Council.” Her finger hovered on the trigger button. “I’m going to do it the Earth way, Liv. I’ll count to three, and then he’s dead. One.”
“No, please.”
The familiar voice shook him to his core. No. She wouldn’t do this. Liv wouldn’t sacrifice her life for his.
They both looked up to where the voice had come from. Liv was climbing down the ladder mounted on the side of the cylinder nearest to them.
“That’s where you were hiding.” Xita snickered. “No wonder I couldn’t pick up your smell. You were above the wind. Clever.”
“Stay there,” he called.
“I’ll kill him,” Xita warned.
Liv’s feet hit the ground.
<
br /> “Don’t you dare, Liv,” he said through gnashed teeth.
“Let him go,” Liv said. “You can trade me for what you want. My government will give you the money, enough to bribe someone else in Lenkarda for the information.”
“She does love you,” Xita said with cruel satisfaction. “Pity you don’t feel the same about her. Come here, Liv, and I’ll let him go.”
Liv approached, tears streaking her cheeks. His heart broke with every step she gave. This wasn’t the plan. The plan was to convince Xita Liv meant nothing to him. He hadn’t bargained on Xita turning his own plan against him. He should’ve known she was cleverer.
“You’re going to give me the codes,” Xita said to Zavir, “and I’ll make her death quick. We’re going to test them together, and you better hope they’re authentic, or the human loses a finger for every false digit. She’ll die slowly.”
Liv’s throat moved as she swallowed. “You said you’d let him go.”
“Did I? I must’ve lied.”
Liv’s gaze widened. “Krinar don’t lie, not about killing.”
“Oops.” Xita shrugged. “I must be the exception. Time’s up.” She held out a palm to Zavir. “Hand it over.”
He noticed the movement from the corner of his eye. Liv did, too, because her lips parted on an inaudible gasp. A look passed between them, a quiet understanding, and when Erik brought down the pipe, Liv and Zavir ducked. The blow hit Xita on the crown of her head. Karl aimed for the back of her legs. Her knees buckled, the weapon going off before she’d hit the ground. Instead of tearing through the wall, the laser beam hit a piece of broken mirror that lay among the rubble on the ground.
It happened too fast for Liv to register the danger, but Zavir had time to drag her down, covering her body with his.
The beam hit the mirror and ricocheted back at an angle, the full blow of it hitting Xita in the chest. Her body jerked. The weapon dropped from her hand. She fell over backward, her eyes like two, dull black marbles in her skull.
“Oh, my God.” Liv reached for her. “Get your nano-healer. Quick!”
Zavir gripped her wrist, holding her back. “Don’t touch her. It’s too late. She’s charred on the inside. Her brain is fried.”
Erik and Karl dropped their pipes, breathing hard.
Zavir got to his feet, cradling Liv under his arm. The danger wasn’t over. “Where’s Hans?”
“Dead,” Erik replied.
“It’s a long story,” Karl said. “I suggest we get out of here. We’ll fill you in on the way.”
He hugged Liv tighter, unable to deal with how close he’d come to losing her. Her body shook from shock. His hands were all over her, not only soothing her, but also reassuring himself that she was alive. Unharmed. He needed to get her out of here.
“Let’s get to my pod,” he said, lifting her in his arms. “There’s a lot of explaining to do.”
Liv tensed in his hold. “My brothers.” She looked at Karl and Erik. “You have to go. Run. You’ll be arrested. Both our government secret service and the Krina Council are looking for you.”
Erik shook his head. “We’re not leaving you again.”
“I have nothing to hide,” Karl said. “Everyone needs to know the truth.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Standing in Zavir’s quarters, Liv took in the familiar setting with gratitude. Everything was the same, except for the extra bedroom and en-suite bathroom where Erik and Karl were getting cleaned up, and the exterior walls that were now transparent from the inside instead of off-white.
She was freshly showered and dressed, waiting for Zavir to finish his turn. He’d neither chastised her for escaping with Xita, nor touched her since they’d gotten back. She was a nervous wreck, anticipating his wrath, and worse, his punishment. Or maybe he’d meant what he’d said to Xita, that there was never going to be an announcement party because she was expendable.
Warm hands on her shoulders startled her. She flung around. Zavir was dressed in the typical off-white, casual Krinar attire. The fabric of the sleeveless shirt stretched over his chest, defining his powerful frame and exposing his huge arms. The drawstring pants sat low on his narrow hips. It was strange not to see him in combat clothes.
He studied her with a pained expression. “Why are you standing here, staring at nothing?”
“You changed the walls.”
“It’s always been like this. I gave them a solid appearance when I first brought you here because I thought you wouldn’t appreciate feeling exposed until you got used to … things.”
Things. That small, non-specific word that held so much meaning still stood between them.
“You added a room.”
“I had Wian modify it for me when I knew your brothers would be coming home with us.”
“That fast, huh?”
“A fabri–”
“Fabricator, yes I know.” She tried to smile, but the strain sounded in her voice. “It’s nice. I like it.”
He touched a finger to her face, gently tracing the line of her jaw. “What were you thinking about?”
“I never thought I’d be so relieved to be back,” she confessed.
His face tensed. He withdrew his touch. “If you ever put yourself in danger like you did back there, there’ll be hell to pay. You’ll never do something so foolish again. Understand?”
“She was going to kill you.”
“I asked if you understand.”
She lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “Yes.”
His gray eyes turned a shade darker. “Good.”
She hugged herself. “Are you going to punish me?”
He reeled at her words. “For what?”
“For escaping.”
“Give me your hand.”
Reluctantly, she placed her hand in his.
“Come.” The wall disintegrated to let them out. “I want to show you something.”
“What about Erik and Karl?”
“We won’t be long.”
They took a transport pod to the medical center. Taking a path through the front garden, they followed it to the building. Krinar and a few humans stared at them as they passed, but there were none of the earlier hostility.
She gave Zavir a sidelong glance. “Do they know?”
“Everyone knows.”
“Erik and Karl?”
“Xita lied. She told them we were going to wipe out the human race.”
“As a ploy to overthrow the current rule and establish her own colony.”
“Exactly.”
“She used Hans to help her achieve her plan.”
“You’ve all been deceived.”
“What will happen to my brothers?”
“They’ve been granted amnesty. They’re no longer on the most-wanted list. On the contrary, they’re being portrayed as heroes in the media for saving my life.”
She breathed out in relief. “Thank God.”
He squeezed her hand. “So are you.”
She looked up at him quickly. “Me? Whatever for?”
Bringing her fingers to his mouth, he brushed his lips over her knuckles. “Do you really need to ask?”
She stopped, holding him back. “Zavir, I…” This was hard to say, especially not knowing where she stood with him, but he deserved the truth. “What Xita said is true. I do love you.” She’d realized it in that awful moment when Xita had pressed a laser gun to his head. She’d rather die than let anything happen to him.
His face transformed into a strange expression. It was a mixture of tenderness and regret. “I know, kitten.”
Why was he looking at her like that, like he was going to say goodbye?
“You do?” she asked softly.
“A man doesn’t get a declaration stronger than what you gave.”
“Oh.”
He pulled on her hand. “Come on. We’ll be late.”
“For what?”
“You’ll see.”
At the medical center, he let her in
side first. A Krinar woman with a white overcoat waited for them.
“This is Rize,” Zavir said. “She heads up the student program.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Liv. Zavir told me you’re interested in joining our program.”
“What?” She stared at Zavir.
“You did say medicine was your interest, didn’t you?”
“You mean, studying here?” She motioned around. “At the K Center?”
He gave her a gentle smile. “If you’d like. The Council already approved it.”
“Really?” She looked back at Rize. “Are you sure? I’d hate to impose just because…”
“Just because?” Zavir prompted.
“Just because you insisted.”
“Not at all,” Rize said. “We’ll be happy to have you. There’s a lot to learn and much work, but Zavir assured me you’re a bright, capable young woman. Besides, after what I’ve seen about you in the media, I have no doubt you’ll be an asset to any team.”
She beamed. “Oh, my God. I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much.” She turned to Zavir. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“When do I start?”
“Is tomorrow too soon?” Rize asked Zavir.
A closed-off look came into his eyes, but his smile stayed intact. “Maybe give it a couple of days. She’s been through an ordeal.”
“Of course. There’s no–” Rize started saying.
“Tomorrow’s fine,” she interjected.
For once, Zavir didn’t argue.
They spoke for another few minutes about the program, and how the training was customized for each student. The more Liv heard, the more she grew excited. This was exactly what she believed in, focusing on each student’s natural strengths while developing weaknesses without forcing conformity. Rize explained how the Krinar sought to add value to their world while dabbling in many different areas, some never specializing in anything. The focus was on a qualitative, shared participation of skills, and development at each person’s individual capacity. She’d be one of the very few privileged humans who’d have an opportunity to learn from the Krinar.
The Krinar's Informant Page 17