“Okay,” her voice quavered. She took the gun and studied it, wrinkling her nose.
Fishing around, he withdrew the second laser for himself. He patted his lap, and she eased onto him with a sigh. He helped put the hood back on to protect her face from frostbite, then donned his own. The hormone percolated through his blood, but he concentrated on envisioning Amanda and how she had looked that last night.
They both settled back, relaxing at last. A knot poked into his back, and he adjusted around it. Then, as dark descended, the wind died down, and a large moon rose, bathing the world in a pearly glow.
Drifting in and out of sleep, his subconscious stayed on guard. Suddenly his body tingled. He felt as if he was being watched. His eyes blinked open, seeing two glowing spots floating toward him from the ground. A throaty growl sent shivers through his body.
He raised the gun and fired at the center of the two amber spots. A roar shook the night, followed by a thud.
“What?” Leanna stirred awake.
“A noisy predator. I shot him. Go back to sleep.”
“Okay.” She wriggled in deeper, nestling her head against his arm. “Was it dangerous?” she murmured.
“Mmm… Very. But not anymore.”
He awoke again, his arm numb. He eased it out from under her head and rubbed it with his other hand. A protest came, but she soon quieted. Then his amplified hearing detected a scrabbling coming up the tree trunk. He pulled out the laser and peeked over the edge to see a dark shape, making its way up the tree.
Aiming, he fired. Branches cracked as the body of a small animal hurtled to the ground. Silence descended.
The next time he awoke, a bright light penetrated his eyeholes. At first, he thought it was the sun, and he’d slept into late morning. Then a voice shouted, “Merek, where are you? We know you’re nearby.” The light bobbed about.
The voice sounded suspiciously like Jacob Monroe’s.
Leanne stirred as he yanked off his hood and light blazed into his eyes. He squinted into its glare.
“Oh, there you are.”
“You found us.” He waved an arm, waking Leanna.
She grabbed an overhead branch and pulled herself up. “What’s happening?”
Jacob’s voice came up through the tree. “We’re rescuing you. All we had to do was follow the line of animal carcasses.”
“Very funny,” Merek grunted in response.
“Come down.”
The deep of night was giving away to the faint glow of twilight. Soon it would be daylight.
A dark form joined Jacob. Merek peered down through the branches as Deuce uncovered his head, causing an explosion of curly hair to erupt. “I barely recognize you in all that black,” shouted Merek. “Where’s the usual glitz?”
“Ah, this is my black ops outfit. Very sleek.” Deuce ran a gloved hand over his body. “I’m here to oversee the Alysian side of this operation and handle any heavy lifting.”
“Can you get out that crate?” Merek pointed to it. “I must warn you there’s a body in it. Annie Bradley.”
“Annie? Here? Dead?” Jacob stared up at the descending crate. Enveloped by shock, he leaned against the tree trunk. When the crate rested on the ground, he pried open the lid and stared in. Gently, he stroked the young girl’s frozen cheek. “This will devastate Captain Bradley.”
Merek grabbed a branch for stability and stood up. “I couldn’t save Annie, but Leanna is alive. Deuce, help her down.” Merek cut the end of the rope tied to the branch and held it as Deuce lowered her to the ground.
“Oh, wow!” she gasped. “It feels like I’m floating.”
“I’m a lifter. In your case, a lowerer. I’m what they call telekinetic. It’s a well-guarded secret, by the way.” Deuce put out his hand to steady her. They began to walk away.
“Hey!” Merek shouted. “I’m still up here.”
“Just jump down,” Deuce replied over his shoulder.
“Deuce,” Jacob grumbled. “Help the poor man out.”
Deuce bowed to Leanna. “Excuse me a moment, milady. There’s a man stuck up a tree who needs my help.”
Frantically, Merek sorted out the rope and got himself untied before Deuce tried to hang him. Soon, he felt himself being wafted down to the ground.
“Woof.” Air gusted out of him as he planted his feet in the snow. Deuce had already turned and was escorting Leanna to a second waiting helio.
“Leanna is going back with us,” Jacob called out.
Deuce swung around. “That means I get the crate.”
“Leanna needs another woman to talk to, not you.”
“Mika?” Merek asked. “Is Mika here?”
Jacob nodded. “Best damned pilot, excepting Angel. Still, Angel taught her. So, let’s get going before it gets too light, and we get unwelcome visitors.”
Merek and Leanna bundled into Jacob’s helio. Grumbling, Deuce took the crate, and both helios rose and headed south.
Twisting around from the front, Jacob asked, “I don’t suppose you located the Islian Base?”
Merek leaned forward. “I’d estimate it’s about an hour’s flight northeast of the crash site. I noted the time and direction of the helio’s arrival and departure.”
“Good work. Trace can backtrack the location.”
“They’re equipped with infrared scopes. They almost caught us hiding under several boulders.”
“Trace will be delighted with the information. With the Islian base located too, that only leaves a possible base in the D’Ankanque. The thick jungle there will make finding any hidden rebel base difficult.”
Merek fell back into his seat. Right now, he wasn’t interested in any Alysian hideout. He only wanted to be home in Amanda’s arms. Next to him, Leanna took off the pilot’s jacket and pitched it into the back. He took off the copilot’s, and she snuggled in close to him.
He patted Leanna on her arm and gazed out the window as the landscape transformed from white to brown to spring green. His thoughts wandered. He was impatient to return to the station and Amanda but knew Trace would want to debrief him and convince him to join another operation…perhaps locate the D’Ankanque base.
Right now, he was tired of rescues and death-defying feats. Deep down, however, he recognized the adrenaline junkie lurking in his heart, and it wouldn’t be long before another opportunity would dance before him, and he would heed its siren call. Trajan had been like that, and so was he.
Finally, Mika announced, “We’re ten minutes away from Tygel’s helipad. Get ready to disembark.”
Wearily, Merek disentangled from Leanna. The helio touched down. He was last to exit, not excited about the tedious debriefings to come.
As he stepped off the last stairs, a body slammed into his. “You’re alive! Thank God, you’re alive.”
He looked down past golden hair into blazing blue eyes and tracked tears.
“Amanda!” Joy suffused through him as he hugged her tight. “They let you come? I’m so glad.”
“Watch out. Not too hard, Merek. I’m pregnant.”
Chapter 34
Further Developments
In her private quarters, Elise rose to her feet still feeling shaky after losing her breakfast yet again. She could no longer blame her morning sickness on spicy Alysian food. A creeping suspicion of what it might be both terrified and thrilled her. She needed to consult Dr. Jay for confirmation of what she suspected.
Her comm beeped. “Captain Bradley will be entering the shuttlebay soon. Merek, Leanna, and Deuce are on their way to your office.”
“Thank you, Jacob. I’m leaving now.”
After wiping a wet cloth over her face, she straightened her navy V-neck top and ran a brush through her short auburn hair. “Best I can do,” she murmured to herself.
As she entered, she noticed Deuce and Jacob glowering at each other.
“This is your fault,” Jacob stabbed his finger into Deuce’s chest. “You’re in charge of security for the Alysian shuttles.�
��
Deuce stepped back, his normally tan face took on a ruddy, choked appearance. “Oh no, no, no. The space station’s shuttlebay was the place where the smuggling happened. That’s your jurisdiction, not mine.”
Elise put up her hands to stop all the finger pointing. “The ships played a part, too.” She faced Leanna. “Who contacted you to set up the trip?”
Leanna bit her lip and stared at the floor. “Jack said some guy from The Valiant had connections to the shuttles and for a price, he could sneak us down to the Homestead.”
“Did you or Jack talk to Elija to confirm this?”
“No, neither of us did. We just took his father’s word for it. Sam and Jack arranged it, saying Captain Bradley had cleared it.”
“I did no such thing!” James Bradley roared, as he elbowed past an outside sentry and entered Elise’s office. Jack Bradley, his nephew, followed him into her office and immediately stalked over to Leanna. He embraced her and grabbed her hand. “Are you all right?” he murmured.
Elise greeted her second-in-command, “Welcome, James.” She paused. “And Jack.”
They both nodded.
Captain Bradley pushed over to Leanna and enveloped her in a bear hug. “Thank God, you’re safe.” He turned to Elise. “My renegade brother is conveniently missing, but I promise to get to the bottom of this outrage. Fifteen women and five men sent to this station from the ships are missing. How did that happen?”
Jacob straightened. “That many?” He paled.
Elise shuddered. “If I hadn’t run into Lexi and found out about the smuggling, the numbers would be higher. I assume none of the missing people are actually at the Homestead?”
Jacob answered, “No, I talked to Elija after you did. We matched the list of those at the Homestead to those missing, as you asked. No one missing turned up at the Homestead.”
Elise thought it inconceivable that so many were gone, and no one had noticed. “Why wasn’t anyone reported missing?”
Leanna, interrupted, “We were told that if we said anything… anything at all, the operation would be shut down and deliveries to the Homestead would halt.”
“Well, it appears that no one ever reached the Homestead in the first place,” said Elise, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Idiots.
Swiveling to her security captain, Elise said, “These people were under your protection, Jacob.”
He dropped his head. “Yes Commander, I know.”
“They must be somewhere on Alysia.” She arched an eyebrow at Deuce.
“We’ll try to find them.”
“See that you do… and preferably alive and in good health.”
Deuce gave a short, sharp nod and clenched his fists. Jacob’s lips tightened into a thin line.
Meanwhile, Merek stood still next to her, barely breathing. His face had scratches and his eyes stared off into the distance. She expected he was so tired that he was having difficulty simply standing.
She swung around on him. He stumbled backward. “Once again, I want to thank you for saving one of our own. Nice job, Merek.” Elise put her hand on his shoulder.
Beneath her touch, his shoulders relaxed, and he managed a tentative smile. “Thank you, Commander, but I only wish I had saved Annie, too.”
Elise gazed into his eyes. “You did everything possible you could to save her. You weren’t responsible for her death. And you saved Leanna.”
Leanna lowered her eyes and whispered, “Thank you.”
Elise surveyed the group, mentally checking off her options. She started with Jacob. “I want all the shuttle pilots who deal with the station replaced and the Operations Center controllers reviewed. Find out what part the station played in this mess.”
Next, she addressed Deuce, “Talk to Director Walker. Tell him I want my people found and the smuggling ring disbanded. He and Richard are already working on the Alysian side of things, but give him any and all information we have gathered.”
Captain Bradley was eyeing her with trepidation.
“Captain Bradley.”
He flinched.
“I want to call another captains’ meeting. First, I want to know who is organizing this…” She had trouble finding a word vile enough to describe what she imagined was happening to her people. “… this atrocity.”
“Jack.”
The young man jumped.
“I want to know every detail of how they initiated the smuggling operation. I want to know who you talked to and how they decided who they would contact. Tell me everything they said and all the arrangements they made. Find out what ships were involved. Work with Angel and Jacob.”
She sighed. “Anything else we need to do right now?”
All heads shook back and forth.
“Good.” The rescued young woman looked up at her. “Leanna, I want you to meet Amanda Hall. She’ll take care of you until we settle you at the Homestead. Merek will take you over to the café where she works.” After a pause, she added, “And congratulations on your good news, Merek.”
Merek regarded the tips of his shoes. “Thank you, Commander.” A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Merek, you need to get some rest.”
Jack stepped forward. “Leanna should go with me.”
Captain Bradley grabbed his nephew’s arm and stopped him. “Jack Bradley, you’ve done a piss-poor job as a husband so far, putting your wife in mortal danger. I think you should give her some space.” He gazed at Elise. “If Merek hadn’t intervened, Leanna might be someone’s sex slave or worse.”
“That wasn’t my intention.” He flicked an apologetic glance at the stiff young woman. “I thought she and Annie would end up at the Homestead like they wanted. I planned to join them.”
Leanna moved away from Jack. “Maybe we should take a break from each other. You’re going to be busy helping Captain Bradley find the smugglers, anyway… and I could use some time with other people. Maybe I can help stop this awful…” she put her hand to her mouth as her eyes teared up.
Jack’s mouth opened and formed an oval as his brows dropped. “But… Leanna…”
Merek extended his hand, and Leanna accepted it. “Come with me,” he said. “Amanda will get you situated.”
They left the office with Jack gaping after them.
“Well, get on with it.” Elise pushed the stupefied Jack out and closed the panel behind him. Glaring at her guard, she said, “I need some quiet time. That means nobody barges in on me for a while—even if he wears captain’s bars or a halo.”
Her sentry stiffened and saluted. Pivoting, he left to take up his post.
Elise’s head swirled and she felt exhausted. Spots of light danced before her eyes making her dizzy. Slumping into her chair, she closed her eyes and rubbed a hand over her face. A small sigh escaped her lips.
A voice murmured from a dim corner. “They’ll figure it out. You need to quit worrying about everyone else and start taking better care of yourself.”
She sprang out of her chair as Angel emerged from a dark corner into a more lighted area of the room.
“Angel! You startled me. Stop doing that!”
“Just watching over you. Certain people need a bit of extra attention. You’re one of those.”
“Seems that way, doesn’t it?”
***
A shift later and feeling refreshed, Elise was ready to address current issues with her fleet. Captain Bradley now handled most of the ships’ business, so the holographic, inter-ship communication system had moved to his place. She shuttled over to the New Frontier and commandeered his office to set up the captains’ meeting.
His office was plainly furnished with a good-sized oval table made from fake sandalwood and occupied a corner alcove. Beige cordite seating ringed it. A bank of electronics on a narrow tan cabinet hugged one wall, and a desk with minimal electronics claimed another. A large monitor hung on a far wall, which displayed the stars from outside. Other than that, the décor was minimal.
/> As the holographic forms took place around the table, Elise was relieved that they weren’t physically in the room with her. Many of them looked angry, others bewildered. She would have to be firm and remain in charge or they would run her over.
Once her captains were all present and seated, she began. “I called this meeting to offer each ship choices. A few of you are so eager to land on Alysia that you have not thought through possible consequences. Be aware that the Alysians do not welcome us with open arms. In fact, the recent disclosure of a smuggling operation has revealed chilling consequences for our women and children if they attempt to land illegally. Three of our women, found in a brothel, have shared incidents of brutal treatment and rape at the hands of the natives there.”
The faces of the captains transformed from furious to stunned, then guilty.
“However, bear in mind that not all Alysians treat Terrans badly. Those sponsors we have screened have provided shelter, food, and legitimate work for our people. In addition, the Homestead has become a self-sustaining venture and continues to grow. I am hopeful we can live on Alysia in harmony.” She slapped her hand down on the table. “But we must follow procedures, and it won’t be easy.”
Time to be realistic. Elise raised her palms outward.
“For those who want to stay, I must warn you there are serious risks. The Alysians make a big production of us contaminating their world if we don’t go through their protocols.”
“They want to keep us here forever,” one of the captains complained.
“They have valid reasons. They are embarrassed to mention the crisis their world is dealing with because of the comet’s impact. They have widespread disease caused by climate change. Many are homeless, and the infrastructure of their cities ruined. Lawless inhabitants roam freely about. These situations are rarely mentioned. Anyone immigrating to the planet’s surface will need to exercise extreme caution.”
She stopped to take a sip of water and gauge their reaction. They were still listening. That was a good sign.
“The Alysians have now agreed to accept a large number of Terrans who can offer job skills or talent. They want productive people who will help them and not those who will burden an already stressed population. Several Terrans will go to the Homestead while others will find positions throughout Alysia.”
Somewhat Alien: The Station (Terran Trilogy Book 2) Page 25