Keep me apprised. I’ll bring the resources of the entire pack to bear when you need them.
Mateer appreciated the Alpha’s economy of thought. He needed all his attention to be on the shuttle carrying Megan and his baby away from him and the next actions required. I have five warriors with me, he responded, and Gabe is piloting.
The com buzzed and the kidnap ringleader’s voice came through. “Unidentified flyer following us, you need to sheer off and stand down. I’ll hurt the doc if I have to—the baby is the important factor here, not her. I’ll give you one minute to veer away or Megan’s going to suffer and I’ll make sure you hear every second of her pain on the com.”
Mateer feared his heart would stop and bile rose in his throat. Gabe looked to him for orders. Swallowing hard, he nodded. “Do as he says.” Flicking the com off, he asked, “Can we still track them without their knowledge?”
“Already am,” Gabe replied. He took the flyer in a bank to the right in obedience to Mateer’s order. “What if he’s heading for a Khagrish lab? We can’t stand by and let him hand your mate over to them. She wouldn’t want that outcome for herself or the baby either.”
Taking a deep breath to regain a measure of calmness, Mateer asked, “Does their course indicate an active lab as a destination?”
“Not as far as I can tell, no.”
“This is a fucking no-win situation.” Mateer gripped the sides of his chair so hard he heard the metal creak under his claws. “We need to know where Harker’s going so we can plan how to rescue her and rip the perpetrator’s heart out, along with that of everyone else in his gang.”
Aydarr’s voice rang in his head. MARL tells Jill the bastards appear to be heading for an abandoned lab in the foothills. No detailed data on it in his databases yet but he’ll keep checking. Flo is bringing Jill and me, and as many warriors as we could pack into the ship. Give Gabe these co-ordinates and we’ll meet up and plan an assault.
Mateer relayed the navigational data to Gabe. “Your team member Flo is piloting for them.”
“She’s a kickass pilot.” Gabe took the flyer straight into the sky and then in a wide loop to throw the enemy off if he was tracking them.
Mateer responded to Aydarr. We need the doctor and the healer, just in case. I’m uneasy because I can’t speak to Megan at all.
Of course the Alpha was way ahead of him in planning. On board my flyer.
“I can’t figure out what Harker’s playing at,” Gabe said. “Surely he must know we’ll be sending every person who can fight out to retrieve Megan. And if he’s planning to sell her and the baby to the Khagrish, he can’t make the trade while we’re surrounding him.” He cursed and thumbed a control. “What the seven hells? The flyer just disappeared off the board.”
“Crashed?” Mateer could barely form the question. His vision narrowed as he fought the terror rising in his mind.
“No, more like a shield or cloaking device, but these flyers don’t carry either one.” Gabe let the auto pilot steer the ship while he worked the detectors. “Gone, just gone. Could there be someone on his team with enough tech savvy to build such a thing?”
“Out of the spare parts and junk we have in the valley Stores? Maybe. You did say the group acted like a military unit.” Mateer was skeptical but willing to credit Harker with considerable preparation. He reached again telepathically for Megan but there was no response. Could he follow the mate bond and locate her? Now he was even more worried, remembering how when she’d been taken away from their original lab by the Khagrish, there was a limit to the distance they’d been able to communicate. What if MARL was wrong about what abandoned lab the kidnappers were headed for?
He reached for the baby with his mind and was relieved to get a strong signal from her. But since she was preverbal, not even born yet, Chip wasn’t going to be able to tell him anything. He sent the goddess another fervent prayer to take care of his mate and child.
His stress level was so high, his ears were ringing and his vision filled with black spots. It took him a minute to realize Aydarr’s voice was in his head. MARL is tracking several atmospheric anomalies. He thinks he’s identified the flyer, don’t ask me how. New course for Gabe.
Mateer relayed the Alpha’s new instructions to the pilot and then replied. Plan?
I don’t like it much but yes, we have the beginnings of one. We’ll be in formation with you shortly. Once we know the destination, we’ll be landing and will make our assault. Aydarr cut off.
“This plan must involve Jill going into danger,” Gabe said when Mateer repeated what he’d been told. “Aydarr has a hard time agreeing to her taking part in combat situations, which I understand, especially now I’m mated myself. But Jill’s a damn fine warfighter.” He glanced at Mateer. “We’ll get Megan back.”
An alarm pinged and Gabe checked the readouts. “Flo’s on my six now.” He and the other human pilot tagged up over the com and flew in formation. Soon both were landing in an open meadow and the two sets of passengers debarked to confer.
“I’m going to hang here,” Gabe said, remaining in the pilot’s chair. “I’m thinking Walt—if he’s piloting—might have figured a way to send a distress signal we can use as a locator. Let me sift the frequencies.”
“Aydarr said MARL is tracking—”
“This is what I can do right now to help,” Gabe said, jaw clenched. “Tell the Alpha when he needs me to fly, I’m ready.”
Mateer put a hand on the pilot’s shoulder. “Thank you.” He ran through the passenger compartment of the shuttle and joined the others outside. He noted with approval there were sentries deployed, on full combat alert. Joining Aydarr and Jill at the center of the gathering, he found MARL, the alien Artificial Intelligence, blinking oranges and reds across his exterior and apparently working furiously.
“What do we know?” Mateer asked, drawing deep breaths to attempt to regain his usual ice cold control. He couldn’t afford to think about the worst possible outcomes in this disaster or he’d drown in the terror gnawing at his sanity. Impaired decision making on his part was the worst thing he could indulge in with Megan’s and the baby’s lives at stake.
“Reede’s interrogating the injured man in the valley,” Aydarr said and Mateer knew the prisoner would be breaking and giving up every secret he had before Reede was finished. His fellow enforcer was implacable. “Indications are it was a well-organized operation, led by Harker. Reede believes, based on what he’s heard so far, this bunch of rebels has been making plans for a while now and Harker’s co-conspirators embedded themselves in our military forces to lull suspicion, and gain access to intel and weapons. Harker isn’t a stupid man and we shouldn’t underestimate him now.”
Fangs and talons deployed, Mateer wished the offending human was before him right now. He wanted to shred the man and his followers. “I wish I’d killed him when I first met him.” His voice was more of a growl than speech.
Aydarr sent a wave of power at him, helping Mateer rein in his berserker rage and focus. “Don’t we all?” The Alpha’s voice was mild enough as he expressed his agreement but Mateer knew his friend was in a cold fury. Vengeance would be done before the incident was over.
Rescue Megan first. Mateer clung to the priority and Aydarr nodded.
Gabe appeared at the top of the landing ramp. Cupping one hand next to his mouth, he yelled, “Harker’s on the com, wants to talk to Aydarr.”
The Alpha went at a run, Mateer on his heels, Jill right behind.
“All right, you’ve got my attention,” Aydarr said as soon as he reached the cockpit and Gabe keyed the com. “If you’ve harmed Megan or her baby there will be terrible consequences.”
“Spare me the threats.” Harker’s voice was cool, contemptuous—plainly he believed he’d pulled off a successful operation and had the Badari at a disadvantage. “And listen up. I know she and her child are the most valuable citizens in the valley right now so if you want her back unharmed, you need to meet my terms.”
Mateer had to close his eyes and pray to the goddess to keep his frustrated anger locked inside. Yelling curses and threats might be temporarily satisfying but wasn’t going to help. He bit his lip until he tasted blood.
Meanwhile Aydarr rolled his eyes at the human’s bluster but kept his voice level. “Which are?”
“I’ve asked you repeatedly to allow me and the other humans of like mind—those of us who don’t want to live under your so-called pack rule—to leave the valley and create our own all-human settlement in the southern mountains. I’m done being polite about it. My demands are simple, not hard for even someone as uncivilized as you to follow. Allow anyone in the valley who wants to throw in with me to leave, provide transport and enough supplies to get my colony off to a good start and then you leave us the hell alone. When my own man notifies me this has been done, I’ll tell you where I’ve stashed the doc and you can go retrieve her.”
“The Khagrish will be on your fledgling renegade settlement in no time and you’ll all be back in the lab cells. And spilling your guts to them about sanctuary valley. I cannot allow this.” Continuing to sound reasonable, the Alpha stated his case with a calmness totally belied by his bared talons.
“No, they won’t. I’ve got a deal with the big guy, Gahzhing.” Harker was smug at his own cleverness. “Got in touch with him a few weeks ago and again tonight once I was free and clear of the valley. I give the Khagrish the baby and he leaves me alone.”
“What?!” Mateer roared, all pretense at self-control gone. If Harker had been present he would have died in a heartbeat, torn limb from limb by the enraged enforcer. Aydarr grabbed him in an unbreakable hold, one arm against his throat to keep him still, until he nodded and sheathed his claws to demonstrate he could cope. The Alpha stepped away.
“Yeah, I hear you, Mr. High and Mighty Enforcer,” his enemy said, unaware of the tense byplay going on between his audience on the flyer’s flight deck. “You can always have another half-freak kid. I’ll give you an hour to think this over. If I don’t hear good news after the deadline, I’ll commence removing the doc’s fingers and toes one by one, on a live feed. And don’t try to find me or pull any dramatic shit about storming the location. Megan will be the first to die. I’d hate to pull the trigger, she was nice enough to me before she took up with you freaks, but I will. There’s only one way she’s getting out of this alive and that’s if you do exactly as I say.”
There was a click and the comlink was broken.
“How can a man who was sworn to enforce the law in your world do such a horrendous thing now?” Mateer asked Gabe, seeking a target for his anger. ”What kind of people are you humans?” Even a steadfast ally like Gabe wasn’t immune to his bitterness today.
Brow furrowed, the pilot raised his hands. “I didn’t know the guy in the Sectors. Being captured and taken to the Khagrish lab might have warped him.”
“He’s a fanatic,” Aydarr said. “And as such, dangerous. He and I met several times in the valley to discuss his desire to establish a separate settlement. Jill and I explained to him carefully why this wasn’t possible or even wise. We were patient, we provided facts and each time he grew more upset and refused to listen to logic. Then when he stopped talking about it and seemed to settle into his tasks in the valley and on various missions, we foolishly thought he’d accepted reality. ”
“He was biding his time, recruiting like-minded partisans and lulling our suspicions,” Jill said, fingering the safety on her pulse rifle.
“I for one will never underestimate the human capacity for deception again.” Aydarr’s tone was hard. He glanced at Gabe, “Although I admit and appreciate most of you are as honorable as the Badari and therefore allies in good standing.” He shook his head, eyes glowing. “But the ones who aren’t—”
Mateer didn’t give a damn about the past. He wanted his wife and their baby rescued, out of the kidnappers’ hands. A growl rumbled in his chest and he had to fight past his boiling emotions to form words. The beast in his DNA prowled close to the surface, threatening to overrule his higher brain, which would be a disaster. “What are our next steps?”
“MARL and I are looking for their exact location,” Jill said. She was white faced and obviously shaken by the threats against her sister and unborn niece but maintaining her readiness to fight like any other elite soldier would.
“Once we have specific information, we’ll plan our assault. I’ll string him along if I must.” Aydarr took a deep breath. “I have no trouble lying to one such as him.”
“He has confederates left in the valley,” Gabe said. “Clearly he expects more people to join him when you announce there’s going to be transport.”
“We’ll deal with those developments when the time comes. Summon me if he calls again.” Arm around Jill, Aydarr headed toward the portal at the stern.
Mateer followed more slowly, head swimming. He had to rescue Megan and keep their child out of the hands of the Khagrish.
Vengeance would come later.
CHAPTER TWO
Megan’s head felt as if it was stuffed with cotton like a rag doll and her throat was so dry she couldn’t swallow properly. What happened to me? Her immediate concern was for the baby and she tried to touch her stomach and found her hands were in restraints. “What the seven hells—”
“Easy, doc, you’re on an antigrav litter but you’re ok for now,” said a familiar male voice she couldn’t quite place, speaking from the general area of the floor.
None of this was making sense. Am I dreaming? With a shudder she recognized the ceiling design above her and the color of the walls as Khagrish architecture. Praying this was a nightmare, she squeezed her eyes shut tight and then reopened them to the same depressing view.
“I’m glad to see you coming out of it.”
She realized her unseen companion was Walt Ezden, the human Special Forces soldier, which also made no sense. Why would she be anywhere with Walt? Where was Mateer? Craning her head in the direction the voice came from, she saw the soldier lying on the floor, wrists and ankles in force binders.
“Megan, see if you can reach Mateer. We need help and we need it now,” Walt said in a low voice. “We’ve been kidnapped by Harker and a few crazed followers of his and we are in trouble.”
“You’re bleeding,” she said, woozy and having trouble concentrating. Her instincts as a doctor rose to the fore and she surrendered to the routine she’d done a thousand times. Assess the patient, take necessary steps, stabilize and transport. She knew she was in shock and not as focused on her own dilemma as she needed to be but medical duties gave her a clear framework to get herself moving. “If I can get loose I’ll help you.”
“Yeah these goons shot me and worked me over. I’m only alive in case he needs to be flown somewhere else. Apparently none of them can handle a Khagrish flyer. I can wait for treatment.” Walt’s voice sharpened and he put a lot of force and command into his next words, shocking her out of her fuzzy state of mind. “You have to call Mateer, use the pack’s mental link. Before Harker figures out you’ve regained consciousness and drugs you again. Hurry, Megan, focus. Your life and your baby’s life depend on it.”
His urgency penetrated her drugged fog. Reaching out along the telepathic link to her mate, she said tentatively, Mateer?
Thank the goddess! How are you? The immediate rush of warmth and love coming through the connection was reassuring, wrapping her like a soft blanket. She took note of the blazing anger and fear under the love he sent and adrenaline began pumping through her body. Her mind cleared as if a cool breeze had dispelled the fog. Clearly the situation was bad and she needed to be prepared for action.
I’m fine, the baby is fine, kicking a little. My back aches like crazy though. Walt’s here. He says we’ve been kidnapped by Harker.
“Give him these co-ordinates,” Walt said as she looked at him. He reeled off a set of numbers and she did her best to relay them accurately. “Tell them it’s an old Khagrish lab and there are eight bad guys, counting Harker. We’re in a cell on the south side.”
I’m coming, the pack is coming. Mateer’s voice was strong in her head and Megan fought sudden tears. She wanted to be safe in his arms.
“I hear footsteps—the kidnappers are coming,” Walt said urgently.
CHAPTER THREE
Bettira hurried through the valley from the women’s dorm in the caves to the communal dining hall. There was no admin work for her this week, with no new residents arriving, so she was on kitchen duty. The valley was subdued today, with most people staying in their quarters and only a few venturing out to work. Armed Badari warriors were patrolling everywhere and all anyone could talk about was Dr. Garrison being kidnapped last night and flown away.
Reporting to the kitchen, Bettira put on her apron and started dishing up the breakfast plates, serving people coming through the buffet line. The huge room was unnaturally quiet and when she checked the long table where the Badari customarily sat, it was empty. She missed seeing the big, handsome men and the few Badari women laughing and socializing amongst themselves. Her attention kept drifting to the empty table, which struck her as an ominous sign.
How would the humans and the Badari pack get along after this incident? She guessed if the doctor died, or something happened to her baby, the future could turn bleak, as far as Badari-human relations. Everyone was so excited about the baby.
Her co-worker came to replace the steam tray full of scrambled eggs and followed the direction of her stare. “Yeah, the pack sent word over this morning their meals were to be delivered to the soldiers’ barracks cave until further notice. The Badari have pulled into their own small world, except for standing guard over the entire valley.”
“I heard they captured one of the kidnappers last night,” said another kitchen worker, bringing clean plates to stack at the end of the counter. “The second enforcer Reede is questioning him.”
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