by Lea Kirk
What the heck was going on over there? Could it be that these Anferthians were trying to help them? Alex allowed her eyes to roam the walls in search of the elusive security cameras, or surveillance devices as Gryf had called them.
Karise tipped her head close to Alex’s ear. “K’rona said there has been a temporary malfunction in the surveillance system.”
Alex jerked her eyes back to K’rona and her cohort. Malfunction, or sabotage? This could be the break Gryf had been hoping for.
A few more low words were exchanged with the Anferthians, then K’rona and Mendiko left. Damn. Maybe not the break they’d hoped for after all. The tap of the envelope’s edge against Gryf’s palm was the only sound in the cell. What news was in that letter? Who was it from? And why did the Anferthians deliver it to him?
Gryf gave Dante a brusque nod, and they rejoined the group.
“It would seem,” he told them, “that we are not as alone as we thought we were. There is a group of Anferthians who strongly disagree with the invasion of Terr. They call themselves dissenters. Factoress Zurkku leads them. She has offered their assistance to escape the slaver before it leaves the surface of Terr to rendezvous as scheduled with the merchants in four days.”
Graig snorted. “You trust those Anferthians?”
In response, Gryf handed the envelope to Graig. “The factoress has held this letter in her possession with orders not to give it to me until instructed. Read it out loud in English please, Commander. And hurry; we have about three minutes before the surveillance system comes back online.”
Graig gave Gryf a skeptical look, then removed the letter from the envelope. It was a piece of paper from a spiral notebook. A ragged edge ran down the left side of the page where it’d been torn out. Graig frowned at the handwritten words, a V creased between his brows.
“Greetings, Cousin. If you are reading this letter, then the situation has become desperate enough for K’rona to give it to you. I know you will have your doubts about the authenticity of this letter in light of the destruction of my command ship, Athens.”
Karise slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes lit with happiness. Graig raised his eyebrows at Gryf before continuing, “I assure you this letter is real, and I am very much alive. I will share the galling events leading to my survival when we are next together. I have enclosed a golden gift for you as evidence of my continued existence, something which would not have been possible for any of our enemies to enclose had I truly perished with my ship. (Please resist the temptation to paint it purple, sobin.) I pray to the Holy Mother that this will be enough to convince you to hear K’rona with an open heart and mind. She is one of a handful of her people who are against the massacre of the Terrians, and is prepared to give her life to right this wrong. My coordinates will be passed to you when the time is right. Remain vigilant as the dissenters will act quickly. I await your arrival. Eni Terr, Ora Solaris.”
Alex looked back at Gryf. “Oh!” She clapped her hand over her mouth. Gryf held up a lock of fine spun hair that shimmered like gold. Beautiful.
“Captain Solaris’s hair,” Karise murmured. “Her golden gift.”
“That’s hair?” Nicky blinked his eyes in apparent astonishment.
“Specifically the hair of my cousin, Ora,” Gryf replied, “Captain of the Guardian Fleet Cruiser Athens. Only a handful of Matirans have such hair. Of them, Ora alone currently serves in either the Guardian or Defense Fleets.” His mouth gave a humorous twist. “And I did once attempt to paint her hair purple.”
A loud, undignified snort escaped Alex at the visual, and all heads turned toward her. Familiar heat crept up her cheeks. Again. She should be used to this by now. “Sorry.”
Graig cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention from her. “The letter is written in Ora’s hand, and it was not written under duress.” He returned the page to Gryf.
“Eni Terr?” Karise asked.
Gryf folded Ora’s lock of hair back into the letter and nodded. “For Earth. Words from our childhood when we would pretend play that we were Guardians. I do believe that by the grace of the Mother, Ora is alive.” He paused, as though struggling with his emotions before he continued. “Factor Gari will deliver our meal tomorrow. I am to signal him if we wish to proceed with the extraction tomorrow night. I must have agreement from all of you that you are willing to take the risks involved in this escape.”
As one, his crew gave their assent. Even Graig seemed to have set aside his earlier objections.
“Alexandra?” Gryf gave her an expectant look.
She turned to Nicky, Simone and Juan.
“Are you kidding?” Simone responded adamantly. “I have a particular aversion to the whole slavery thing. Let’s get out of this shit-hole before it’s too late.”
Alex gave Gryf a nod. “We’re in.”
Chapter Nine
Alex leaned her head back against the wall. The signal had been given to Mendiko Gari at dinner as planned. Now they waited for the Anferthians to devise a way to bail them out of this dump.
Why did I ever think volunteering for watch duty was a good way to pass that time? “Volunteering” stretched the truth a bit. The reality was she’d nagged Gryf until he’d caved. Graig had given up his shift to her with an amused glint in his eyes. Now she understood why. Sitting in the semi-darkness of ‘night’ trying to stay awake was comparable to watching paint dry.
Even though watch seemed like a pointless exercise in a slave cell, it did offer routine. Seemed that no matter where they were from, militaries liked to observe regular schedules. Not that she could argue the necessity of it. Even the county ER had established routines everyone adhered to without fail. And as boring as watch was, at least she was contributing something—like holding up the cell wall.
Karise had settled against the wall opposite to Alex. They took turns walking the cell, and switched positions every hour. The others were asleep in the back left corner of the cell. The same corner where she and Gryf had shared many semi-private discussions.
Alex clamped her teeth together and tightened her jaw to stifle the yawn trying to escape her. How did the Matirans manage to stay awake? She would never have made it in the military. Although, being a spy might have been an exciting career choice.
Bock. Alex Bock. Double-O-You-Are-So-Fired-For-Sleeping-Through-The-Crown-Jewels-Heist.
She smirked. It was official; she was losing her mind. She glanced at where Gryf lay between the door and the other sleepers. His eyes were closed, but he probably wasn’t asleep—not deeply at least.
Simone sat up and disengaged herself from Juan without waking him up. Then she tiptoed away and disappeared behind the restroom partition.
Juan’s head popped up, and Alex stifled a giggle. So much for Simone’s covert maneuvering. The boy rubbed his eyes, then got up and padded to the partition to wait his turn.
By the time Simone emerged from behind the partition, Juan was doing a pee-pee dance. He bolted in. Simone hesitated, and Alex gave her a shooing motion. There was no reason for her to wait for the boy.
The cell door whooshed open and the lights blared on to full daytime mode. What the hell? Alex scrambled to her feet, blinking against the sudden glare. Several Anferthian guards pressed into the cell, one taking Karise to the floor with the butt of his gun-like weapon before stepping over her sprawled form. The others surrounded the prisoners rising from the floor.
Alex’s heart sunk to her toes. She, Simone, and Juan were cut off from others by a wall of black uniforms. There was no hope of getting back into the fold. Now what?
Vyn Kotas strode into the cell and paused just inside the door, his lips twisted into a condescending smirk. Really, God? On the eve of escaping this hell-hole and he shows up?
She edged toward Simone, meeting Gryf’s gaze through a small gap between two Anferthians. A jaw muscle twitched and his eyes burned with tightly leashed fury. She gave a subtle shake of her head, sending him a silent message with her eyes. Don�
��t put the others at risk.
“Kotas,” Gryf growled the name like a warning.
“Greetings, Senior Captain.” Kotas nodded in Gryf’s direction. “I will not linger long. I have...questions about various topics, and wish to borrow one of your Terrians.”
Gryf’s eyes narrowed. “Leave the Terrians, Vyn. Your argument is with me.”
“You believe you are the sole reason behind my decisions?” Kotas barked a laugh. “You are quite the egomaniac, Senior Captain Helyg.”
Alex reached Simone’s side in front of the partition. Strength in numbers wouldn’t apply in this situation, but they had to try. Kotas’s gaze raked them, and her skin prickled. Then the focus of his gaze shifted to something behind her.
A small frightened sound came from the bathroom entrance. Juan. The little boy clung to the edge of the partition with a white-knuckled intensity.
Kotas’s lip curled and his nose wrinkled, then a calculating gleam rose in his eyes. His hard gaze slid from Juan to Gryf. “Yes, I think so.”
Gryf stalked Kotas from the other side of the wall of armed Anferthians. “Leave them, Vyn. It is me you want to hurt. Stop stabbing at random limbs, and strike at the heart where you can do the most damage.”
Was he crazy inviting Kotas to take him? The rest of them needed him...needed his leadership.
Kotas’s smarmy smile did not fade. “Oh, believe me, Capeto, I will strike at the heart soon enough.”
Shit. He’s going after Juan. Who knew what unspeakable things he’d do to the boy. Kotas moved to circumvent her and Simone, but Alex stepped into the traitor’s path. Surprise flashed in Kotas’s brown eyes. He could probably sense her fear—hell, even see it written on her face—but she didn’t care. He wasn’t taking Juan.
A soft rustle came from behind her, hopefully Simone moving the boy back behind the partition. Alex was alone against Kotas now. Kotas’s eyes narrowed to slits, and all the moisture in her mouth disappeared. Cripes, she was in deep shit.
“Alexandra.” Anger and fear burned in Gryf’s eyes. But what would he have her do? Let Kotas take Juan? That wasn’t an option. Besides, she wasn’t doing anything Gryf wouldn’t do himself had he been able.
Kotas studied her through narrowed eyes. “Very well.”
Stars exploded inside her head, and she found herself on the floor. What the hell had he hit her with? Strong fingers wove into her hair and dragged her across the floor toward the door. A small cry escaped her, and she struggled to get her feet under her.
Nicky shouted her name, only to be drowned out by Gryf’s roar. “KOTAS!”
Progress to the door came to an abrupt halt, and Alex blinked against the tears of pain blurring her vision. Cripes, the room was spinning like a merry-go-round on speed. Gryf’s enraged face hovered just beyond the guards. His arms were pinned behind his back by Graig, preventing him from charging the Anferthians whose guns were leveled against him. She had to get his attention.
“Gryf!” His tortured gaze met hers—echoes of every tender moment passed between them with breathless clarity. “You promised safety. Remember? You promised!”
Gryf jerked as if she had slapped him hard.
“Please, Gryf.” She gave him a pleading look. He must stay strong, stay alive, and watch after Nicky for her.
His jaw clenched, and his eyes registered comprehension mixed with anguish. And maybe regret that he’d ever bound himself with that vow.
Kotas’s ominous chuckle filled the confines of the cell. “It would appear that I found the favored pet. How...intoxicating.” He stroked his fingers over her cheek. “I had wondered about you. I look forward to uncovering all your secrets.”
Nicky let loose a savage shriek and charged the guards, only to be taken to the floor by Dante.
Graig flexed his grip on Gryf’s arms. “I advise you watch your back, Kotas.”
If Graig’s warning had been directed at her, she would have listened. Kotas, on the other hand, just laughed again and dragged her from the cell. As the door closed, Gryf’s enraged bellow filled the corridor.
~ * ~
Rage, pure and violent, boiled through Gryf. No one moved. The only sound in the cell was Nick struggling against Dante. Gryf growled deep in his chest and shook off Graig’s death grip. Dante levered himself off Alexandra’s brother to attend the unconscious Karise. Simone emerged from behind the partition, a terrified Juan in her arms.
Nick scrambled up and rounded on Gryf, fists clenched. “You let him take her,” he screamed hoarsely. “Do you know what you’ve done? Do you know what he’ll do to her? She’s my sister, god dammit!”
Red haze dropped like a curtain over Gryf’s eyes, and a primal roar burst from him as he turned and slammed both of his fists against the wall. Pain shot up his arms like hot blades, but he did not care. He would rip Kotas into small bloody pieces with his bare hands.
Oh, sweet Mother. Alexandra…. He pressed his forehead against the cool wall.
“He knows, Nick,” Graig murmured. “Better than you would ever imagine.”
“You heard her, he promised her safety!” Nick’s voice was thick with accusation. “He broke his promise and betrayed her.” He faced Gryf. “You didn’t even try to help her!”
Gryf turned and grabbed the front of Nick’s shirt with both hands, yanking him so close they were nose to nose. “What I vowed to her was to get you out of here and to safety. A sealed vow which I am honor bound to keep regardless of the situation. It was of this promise which she spoke.”
Nick gaped. “She did that?”
How could he ask such a question? He was her brother. Did he not know Alexandra at all? Gryf sucked air through his teeth as he glared hard into the Terrian’s eyes, so like Alexandra’s. Ah, hells. He shoved Nick aside with a snarl and stalked away to join Dante at Zola’s side.
Sinking to the floor next to the healer, Gryf rested an elbow on his raised knee and pressed his forehead against his fist. Mother, his heart ached with a pain unlike any he had ever known, deep and searing. As if his soul had been mortally wounded. Not even Ora’s presumed death had hurt this badly. He could not think. He could not function.
“Commander Roble must assume command,” he murmured to his healer. “My ability to do so has been compromised by this incident.”
“I can help you past this,” Dante replied quietly. “Allow me to do this for you, Gryf.”
“I do not want to forget, Dante. I will need this memory intact when I kill him.”
“The pain can be set aside without compromising your memory. You won’t forget, yet the rage will be suppressed. You will be able to function.”
Would he? The weight of a solid, supportive hand clamped down on his shoulder. Graig knelt at his side. “Now is not the time for fractured leadership, Gryf. I will not assume command so long as there is something that can be done to restore you.”
Gryf shook his head. Never had he been unable to comprehend his own reactions, make command decisions. “What is happening to me, Dante? The pain is physical, mental...spiritual. I am undone.” His words made little sense to him. How could anyone else understand?
Dante’s hands came to rest on Gryf’s head. “Just say the word, Gryf, and I will help you.”
There were no other solutions. If Dante could ease the agony, then so be it. He gave the healer a nod, and uttered words wrenched from his soul. “Do it.”
~ * ~
Hatred sustained him through the rest of that day. True to his word, Dante had blocked the all-encompassing, crippling anguish and rage. This gift from his friend allowed him to remain in command.
Ah, hells, but he could see Alexandra’s face—the fear in her eyes, and the bravery. He had seen the moment when she had recognized the duty thrust upon her, and had accepted it with the valor of a warrior.
A growl rumbled deep within his chest. She should not have to be a warrior. That was his lot. Kotas would answer for this, and Gryf would be no more merciful when that time came. But for now hi
s own duty must be met, and his vow kept, no matter the personal cost to him.
He took a visual census of everyone’s location and stopped to gape at Graig and Simone. Merciful Mother. The brown-skinned Terrian had found refuge in the lap of his commander of security. Tucked under Graig’s chin, she was almost hidden in the embrace of muscular arms. Graig cradled her like a child as he rocked her and stroked her short, wiry hair.
Graig may not have intended upon giving his heart to the first female he met, yet it appeared Simone may have taken it from him anyway.
Gryf turned away from the peaceful scene. Barring any unforeseen problems, K’rona would come this night, and even though he would see the others off the slave ship, he himself would not leave without Alexandra. His plan was clear in his mind. Graig would not like it, but that did not matter.
Only Alexandra mattered.
~ * ~
It was the dead of the night when K’rona slipped into the cell. Gryf listened as the Anferthian woman apprised them of the situation, Karise softy translating for the Terrians.
“With careful planning, we have been able to ensure any duty guards we encounter along our path tonight are dissenters,” K’rona explained. “There is an air shaft which is open to the outside. It is there that Mendiko will meet us, and we will lower each of you through it to the ground. Once you are outside this ship, you will need to go southeast into the mountainous region. Use this directional device and follow Captain Solaris’s coordinates. Any questions?”
“Factoress Zurkku.” Dante addressed her in Anferthian, and Gryf frowned. There was only one reason he’d do so—he did not want the Terrians to hear what he had to say. “Captain Helyg and Commander Roble will remain behind until the release of the Terrian female taken from us has been secured. We will not leave her behind.”
Gryf’s eyebrows shot up. “Pardon?” He asked the question in Matiran. Now only his crew would understand. Rude, yet unavoidable. Something was going on here, and until he understood Dante and Graig’s rationale, there was no reason to involve the others.