That thought cheered her up. Even as she decided her happiness came from relishing in his misery, and that someone else’s pain had never given her peace before, her mind seemed to relax. She actually started to enjoy the beautiful day and forced all thoughts of what had happened out of her head. If she were going to get through this it was imperative she not think about Darius.
The landlink next to her started blinking. There was little doubt as to what the message might say, and without looking to see who was, she tapped delete. Her comm blinked. Someone was trying to reach her. Tara ignored it. There wasn’t anyone she wanted to talk to—and it had to stay that way.
It wasn’t much longer before she heard the sound of motorcycles behind her. She’d expected this. Darius wouldn’t let her go without a fight. There was no way she could outrun the bikes with her load. Tara drove with one hand and opened the suitcase on the floor of the groundmobile with the other. Inside were several hand bombs and two eliminators.
She pulled an eliminator out and set it on the seat next to her. She had already covered her babies with Runner blankets made out of the same black material as her clothing. The material would repel laser fire, or even shots from Gothman bang sticks. It didn’t guarantee Andru and Ana wouldn’t be hurt. Nor would Tara rely on the possibility that Darius would order his men not to fire on her or his children. All she had was her own skills and training to protect herself and her son and daughter.
Glancing over her shoulder, several of the bikes were close enough now that she saw the men’s faces. She detonated one of the hand bombs and threw it. Three motorcycles skidded sideways across the field as the bomb exploded. Turning to focus her attention on her babies, she spoke soothing words to them and made sure the blanket remained in place around them.
“We’ll be through this part soon, my dears,” Tara promised, and rubbed Andru and Ana’s arms and legs through the blanket. She placed her flat palm on one child’s head, and then the other. They were securely belted in, but the rough ride wasn’t pleasant and neither infant liked it. “I know you’re too young to trust your mama’s skills. But I promise we’ll live through this. I love you, my sweet babies.”
The other motorcycles in pursuit slowed at the explosion. She pushed the groundmobile to go as fast as it was capable.
Gothman territory ended not too far ahead. Then she’d be in Freeland territory. It didn’t take long before it was clear the Gothman warriors would follow her outside of Gothman. Darius probably assumed no one would stop him if he chased her to the borders of Southland. He knew so little of Nuworld. Tara counted four Gothman as they increased speed in an attempt to pass and force her to stop the groundmobile.
“Hell be doomed,” she hissed, as one of the bikes swerved dangerously close to a front tire.
She couldn’t make any sharp turns with the trailer hitched behind her. And she couldn’t fire at all four of them at once. “But I can take you out one at a time,” she yelled through the wind. Tara leaned around the windshield and shot the rider who had attempted to drive into her.
Tara noticed none of them had drawn their weapons. Maybe they did have instructions not to shoot her. Another guard pulled along the other side of her, while the third came close to the trailer behind her. Tara swivelled her head back and forth in an effort to keep tabs on what all men were doing. The groundmobile bounced over a small gully in the ground, and Tara cursed. Andru howled in protest, and Ana’s tiny fists shot forward, knocking the blanket down to the babies’ waists.
“We are going to make it through this,” Tara insisted, but her babies were crying and didn’t hear.
She gripped the steering wheel with one fist, fought to secure the blanket with her free hand, and dared to turn the groundmobile just enough to delay either guard from boarding her.
Tara wouldn’t risk shooting behind her, but had no problem eliminating the guard next to her. She was down to two Gothman chasing her.
“You really don’t know me that well, Darius, do you?” Tara yelled as she kept her eye on the remaining Gothman. “Not only did you think me easily deceived, but did you think you would capture me with less than an army?”
The guard behind her boarded the trailer and began climbing toward the groundmobile. She wasn’t sure where he thought he was going, but if he crawled any closer, he’d be on top of the children. The second guard also mounted the trailer, letting his bike slide on its side to a stop. He successfully detached the trailer from the groundmobile and held on as the trailer slowed to a stop behind her.
She was able to move a lot easier without the trailer attached and yanked the groundmobile in a sharp turn. Andru and Ana were wailing in severe protest. It would take a while to calm them down. Both were hysterical.
“I’ll end this soon,” she promised them, although she knew neither heard her. They were screaming too loud to hear anything. “How dare you send men after me and upset your babies,” she yelled into the air, and her anger toward Darius returned with a vengeance.
The guard hanging on to the back of the groundmobile slid as she spun the vehicle around. She waited until he’d crawled along the outside and was at the door to her side, giving her an easy shot.
Tara fired her laser and the man propelled into the air, then rolled over the ground for quite a distance. Instead of watching his body spin like a pile of clothing caught in the wind, she turned her attention to Andru and Ana. Their faces were red and puffy from crying and her heart lodged in her throat.
“I think we might have pulled this off.” Tara smiled at her children, who both acknowledged her with frowns. Ana let out a shriek, which Andru quickly imitated. “Just a little bit longer, sweethearts,” she reassured them.
Now for her bike. She drove head on toward the remaining guard, who was struggling to start her bike. The bike was still strapped to the trailer, and he used it as a shield when he watched her approach. If he guessed she would not shoot her bike, he was right. Tara stopped within shouting distance and got out, her laser by her side.
“What are your orders, Gothman?” she asked as she walked toward him.
“You need to come back with me, my lady.” His voice shook as he spoke.
Tara noticed he was young. “You won’t be successful today in capturing me. Do you realize that?”
The guard peeked at her from behind her bike.
“Are more coming?” Tara pointed her gun straight at his head. He ducked down again behind her bike. She was close enough to hear his breathing. “I’ll give you only one more chance to save your life, Gothman. Are more coming?”
“My lady, if we aren’t back soon, Lord Darius will send out the next group of warriors.”
“I see. Well, if you start running now, you should be seen by them before it gets dark.” Tara altered her aim by a fraction, and laser fire sliced through the field, causing several large rocks to fly.
The Gothman shouted his surprise and hunched farther behind her bike.
She walked up to the bike and stood over it.
The guard backed away from her and slowly stood up. He quickly raised his bang stick.
She shot it out of his hand, then cocked her head and gave him a small smile.
The guard turned and ran back toward Gothman territory.
Tara let out a laugh as she let the man go. “Well, my loves, I think we might have won round one.”
Andru and Ana must have realized there was a break in the action, because both of them simultaneously let out screams of protest over the experience they had just been forced to endure. Tara hurried back to the groundmobile and the twins.
“It’s okay. My sweet babies,” Tara cooed as she climbed over the seat and grinned at their outraged expressions.
Both children wanted out of their groundmobile seats and reached for her as she spoke to them. Their screams turned louder now that they had their mama’s undivided attention.
“Are both of you okay?” Tara pulled the blanket from their squirming bodies, which resulted i
n tiny legs kicking even harder. “It appears so,” Tara said with a laugh, feeling shaky as adrenaline still pumped through her.
Tara reached behind the seats securing her children and pulled a cloth bag free. “We don’t have time to get out and play right now, my dears. But how about a snack while I get us ready for another ride?”
The children fussed, showing their disapproval, but calmed a bit when she produced flat bread and an apple. She peeled and diced before giving them small bites.
It took a long time to hook the trailer back to the groundmobile. The twins were happy while they ate but when they finished wanted to be held. She longed to oblige her children but they had wasted enough time preparing to drive again.
Tara made sure her babies were dry, then calmed them with bottles. It was almost dark when she finally started driving again. While the groundmobile and the trailer left an easy trail in the tall grass for someone to follow, at least night fall made it harder to see. It grew quiet once her children slept. Tara had her thoughts and the pain in her heart to keep her awake.
Patha’s comm beeped a second time when he headed off behind Darius’ home.
“The less gossip about this matter, the better.” Darius said as Patha listened through his comm. “We’ve accomplished a lot in bringing our two nations together. If word spreads, it will reverse everything we’ve achieved so far.”
“Agreed.” Patha decided the lecture Darius had coming to him would wait. “I’m coming to get you.”
“Hilda, are you here?” Reena let herself in the back door and moved through the quiet house.
Her friend would be angry, and likely blame Reena for all of it. Hilda had known from the beginning that Tara was Reena’s daughter. She’d only seen Tara once, or twice, as an infant. Lord Jovis had been blindly in love with Hilda. It wouldn’t surprise Reena to learn that she’d plotted right along with her claim to have Tara claimed to their oldest son. None of that happened. But Hilda had a long memory, and didn’t forget. She would definitely find reason for all of this to somehow be Reena’s fault. She straightened her spine, ready to go head to head with her dear friend, and walked further into the quiet house.
“Hilda?” she called out a bit louder this time.
“Hello?” Syra walked into the kitchen with a white rag in her hands.
“Ah, it’s a good thing you’re here. Call your papa, child. He’s worried about you.”
“He knows I’m here,” the teenager said, a bit testily.
Torgo walked through the back door at that moment and froze in mid-step.
Reena ignored the boy’s reaction and persisted with Syra. “Tara has left, child. Your papa was scared you went with her. Call him now.”
“I still don’t understand why I have to check in with him every few hours.” She stomped over to the landlink that she’d brought with her from the clan. Her comm was with it and she wrapped it around her ear.
“What do you mean, Tara has left?” Torgo walked over to the counter and grabbed a cookie from a plate that had several more on it. He watched Syra as he stuffed the entire cookie in his mouth.
“I think Lord Darius should explain the situation. All I can say is that Tara and the babies are gone.”
“They went out to say goodbye to some of the Runners.” Syra said, her tone indicating she thought the old lady was confused.
“Is Hilda upstairs?” Reena wasn’t going to explain anything to the children. She didn’t feel it was her place, and she knew Lord Darius would be more furious than he already was if he came home to a household apprised of the situation. Reena had been more than willing to not be part of rescuing the injured lord. It would be bad enough facing Hilda. Leaving the two of them, she headed upstairs.
“Hilda, may I come in?” Reena tapped on her friend’s bedroom door.
“Reena?” Hilda was working on a sampler for her grandchildren’s bedroom wall. “Is something wrong?”
Reena entered the bedroom and shut the door. “Tara has left Darius.” Reena pursed her lips. “She and the babies are gone.”
Hilda let her sewing fall to her lap. “What?” Hilda asked in disbelief. “You say it like she is really gone. They went to say bye to some of her Runner friends.”
“She caught him, Hilda. He should have known Tara wouldn’t stand for that behavior.”
Hilda gathered her sewing and stood to face her lifetime friend. “How do you know she is gone? Where are the babies?”
“Tara went to the clan site. She came to Patha’s trailer,” Reena began, watching her friend closely.
Reena then told Hilda about Tara’s visit. She stopped talking every time she heard a noise from somewhere in the house.
“She took our grandbabies with her.” Reena concluded. “Patha went to get Lord Darius. Your son won’t get her back, not unless she wants to come back.”
Hilda just looked at her friend. “My son has more power than he can handle. His actions have surprised me more than once.” Her words were strained, and Reena knew she referred to her two dead sons. “But don’t think your daughter’s bullheadedness matches my son’s power. If he wants it to happen, he will force Tara to return. And he will get my grandbabies back!”
Torgo and Syra didn’t give any thought to the conversation taking place upstairs. They leaned on opposite sides of the island counter in his kitchen and stared at each other.
“So after my clan leaves, I’m staying here and helping Tara with the babies.” Syra leaned against the counter and studied the golden hair on Torgo’s arm. “Of course, I’m sure I will have plenty of time for other things, too.”
Torgo had just put another cookie in his mouth and almost choked on it. “Like what?” he asked with his mouth full and slapped at the crumbs that he spit on the counter.
Syra shrugged. “What do you do around here for fun?” Torgo had a hard time looking at her face and not her rather large breasts. She looked soft and curvy. He wasn’t too sure what he’d do, exactly, if he had a chance to be alone with her. And he meant really alone. The opportunity to find out sounded like it couldn’t happen soon enough.
“I dunno.” He shrugged. Torgo tried thinking of one thing he did at his house, just to answer her. But he saw breasts, his groin hardened, and he knew he couldn’t move from where he leaned over the counter. “I could do something with you…uhh…I mean, maybe show you around…”
Torgo jumped when Patha and Lord Darius bounded through the back door. He panicked that he’d permanently injured himself when his hardened dick banged against the cupboard door beneath the counter.
“Tell Reena to come here,” Patha yelled, in spite of the teenagers being in the same room.
Syra ran from the kitchen.
Torgo looked at the blood on his older brother’s foot. He wasn’t wearing his boot. “What happened to you?”
“Not now.” Darius gestured to Torgo, looking seriously irritated. “Help me get upstairs.”
A second look at his brother and all thoughts of large breasts and personal injuries vanished. Darius was really hurt. Torgo became a human crutch for his older brother as he helped him to the stairs.
Once Darius was in his room, Reena had Syra on the run gathering necessary items to mend his wound. Torgo loitered in the hallway, catching bits and pieces of the very alarming news.
“Send out four of your fastest riders,” Patha said into his comm, as he shut Darius’ bedroom door behind him. “She’s not to be hurt, you understand? Those babies are with her, and I want them all back here before nightfall.”
“I can’t believe she didn’t take me with her,” Syra whined later as she joined Torgo. The house had settled a bit, and they stood in the stairwell, leaning over the banister that opened below into the front entryway. Torgo wanted to suggest they go to his room, but didn’t have the nerve and couldn’t imagine what he would say to her once they got there. At least she was talking to him, so all he had to do was nod and watch her. “My clan is leaving. Now Tara’s left, and I’m
stuck here.”
“I don’t mind you being stuck here.” Torgo blushed so deeply he looked down at the ground. He was grateful for the deep shadows in the hallway. “I mean, I get really bored most of the time. It’ll be nice to have someone my age to talk to, uh, sometimes.”
Great, now he was talking like a bumbling idiot. He glanced sideways at her, hoping she hadn’t noticed. Just being near her raised his body temperature.
Syra guessed from Torgo’s actions that he hadn’t been around many girls. She’d love to teach him a thing or two. It brought a smile to her face that she made him blush and feel awkward. He was so cute, already pretty developed. And, he was a lot taller than she was—that in itself was a bonus—especially since she was taller than most boys her own age.
“My papa and I travel around a lot, and there aren’t many people my age to hang out with either.”
There were boys her age in the clan, but she didn’t want Torgo to think she’d been with a whole bunch of them. And she hadn’t, really, just a few.
“He’s really lucky she just shot him in the foot,” Syra continued, dropping her tone so as not to be overheard. She wanted to keep their conversation going.
“I know. If she shot his foot then that is where she wanted to shoot him.”
They were quiet for another moment or two, trying to figure out what else to say to each other.
“Maybe you could show me…” Syra began, but stopped talking when footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Patha approached them and passed, not seeming to notice they were there as he entered Darius’ room. It was easy to overhear the conversation beyond the partially open door. “They found her, but she easily got away from them,” Patha said.
“I’m not surprised. She isn’t going to get caught unless she wants to. Still, I can’t let her get away from me like this.”
“You’ve made a mess for yourself, son.”
“No lectures, please. Things are bad enough as they are.”
Nuworld: Claiming Tara Page 27