Defiance (Earth Evolution Series Book 5)

by KD Jones

  “By whom?”

  “Some of the resistance and their sympathizers.”

  “What did they want with you?”

  “They had different missions. Some were just for spying. This one seemed easy enough. All I had to do was convince the girl to follow the rebel leader’s orders.”

  Heather moved next to him. He didn’t want her watching him like this, ready to easily take a life that threatened her—even if he was. He released the male’s throat and pulled her back a little.

  “Are other tribe leaders being threatened?” Heather asked. She sounded more angry than scared now.

  “I don’t know.”

  She slapped him, hard.

  “They didn’t tell me. Hell, I don’t even know who these guys were. I never saw them before.”

  “What were the other missions?” Devlon asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “How did you know where to find the female?”

  “I overheard orders to have two rooms prepared for you and the female. I had no idea you would be in the same room. I didn’t really want to kill anyone. I figured it would be easy to threaten the woman and have her do what the rebels wanted.”

  Heather’s face turned red with fury. Devlon didn’t catch her in time as she moved forward and kneed the man hard in the balls. Every man in the room cringed as the human moaned in pain and fell to the ground. Devlon waited until the man had his breathing under control again and then signaled the soldiers to pull him back to his feet.

  “What else?” Devlon demanded, having a bad feeling inside that there were other missions they needed to know about.

  “That’s all I know, except... One of my buddies chose a mission, but he only said that he wasn’t sure he would be able to do it because he didn’t like how dangerous it might be.”

  “What exactly did the mission entail?”

  When the man didn’t answer right away, Heather stepped forward, clearly intending to knee him again. He tried to back away from her but the soldiers had a tight grip on him.

  “Okay, okay. Dynamite! They got their hands on explosives.”

  Fuck! Devlon looked over at the lieutenant colonel and Kyle. This was bad, if the rebels had explosives.

  Lt. Colonel James came over to question the man. “Which domes are being targeted?”

  Todd shook his head. “I don’t know anything about domes being targeted. I only meant to scare the woman, I wasn’t even planning to kill her.”

  Devlon growled. “You expect us to believe that?”

  “I swear I’m telling the truth!”

  David glared at the man. “Get him out of here.”

  Devlon wasn’t happy about the situation. He wanted to take the male back to the fleet to be dealt Drastan justice. Unfortunately, the male was human, and his intent was to harm another human. Their laws applied here.

  David paced the room. “Explosives? How the hell did these rebels get their hands on explosives?”

  Devlon took Heather in his arms again to comfort her, or maybe it to reassure himself that she was safe. It hit him suddenly how quickly he could have lost her. What if he hadn’t woken up when he did? What if she’d insisted on staying in the other apartment? Losing her was just not acceptable.

  David ran a hand through his hair. “We’ll have to increase security. This is going to impede trade between the domes and the tribes.”

  “No!” Heather pulled out of Devlon’s arms. “We can’t let that happen.”

  “I don’t want that either, but we have no way of searching for explosives,” David told her.

  Devlon looked over at his son Kyle. “We do. We have a program on the command ship to detect explosive or radioactive material on the surface, but it won’t reach below ground in the domes or the tunnels.”

  Kyle responded quickly, “We can modify the program to our handheld computers and bring it down here.”

  “Do it. I want Rachel and Maggie taken back to the command ship as well.”

  Heather knew David wasn’t happy with having his daughters taken away, but it was the safest place for them. “I’d like to request that Melissa go with them.”

  “I agree, Heather and Melissa will also go to the command ship until we get the situation with the explosives are taken care of,” Devlon told them.

  “Hey! You can’t order me to your ship! I need to get back to my tribe.”

  David and Kyle headed to the door. “We’ll let the two of you discuss this in private.”

  Heather folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. She was sexy when she was angry.

  “Heather…”

  “Don’t try that be reasonable tone with me. Someone wants me out of the way. I need to protect my tribes as much as you need to protect yours.”

  He sighed, knowing that he couldn’t force her to his ship. He respected her dedication and leadership. It was one of the many things he found attractive about her.

  “I don’t like the idea of you going back, but I respect your decision.”

  Some of her fury left her, and she rubbed her face with her hands. “I can’t believe someone wants me dead. It sounds like it’s not just me, though, but some of the other tribe leaders as well. I guess I should have listened to your warnings.”

  He moved closer and caressed her cheek. “This isn’t your fault. We’ll increase security for the tribe leaders and for the domes.”

  “What if we can draw them out?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I could call the tribe leaders to meet with me. All of us in one location—that would be hard for the rebels to overlook.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “It’s my choice, and the other leaders’ choice as well.”

  “There has to be another way.”

  “If this brings you one step closer to taking care of the rebel’s situation, then it would bring you that much closer to being able to go back to Drasta.”

  He turned so that she wouldn’t see the expression that he could barely contain. She still expected him to leave without her. Did she not feel the same for him? Maybe not. He cleared his throat.

  “I’ll discuss it with Lt. Colonel James and Liam. You will be protected; all of the tribe leaders will be.”

  She nodded her head and bent to retrieve her shoes. “Of course we’ll be.”

  He wanted to take her back to bed and show her why she should stay with him, but their time was limited and he needed to get security in place. He would not let anything happen to her.

  Chapter 17

  Heather sat across from Devlon on the subcar as they made their way back to her tribe. They hadn’t spent a lot of time alone with each other since catching the intruder. Devlon made plans with his sons and Lt. Colonel James, while she was on the communicator talking to the other tribe leaders. After some debate, the leaders agreed to come the next day to her tribe, but only if they were escorted by the Drastans for protection.

  They had a day to set the trap in place. She glanced over at Devlon, who was looking at his handheld computer. She knew that he hated having her be in any kind of danger. It was kind of nice having someone actually worry over her. Mark never really cared about her, except when she didn’t do what he wanted.

  He looked up at her, and their eyes locked. She immediately felt the current of attraction pulling her to him. Did he feel the same thing? What was she going to do when he finally left? Devlon might be here another year or two before he was replaced and the Drastans slowly pulled away from Earth. She wanted to be with him during that time, but if she continued seeing him, it would rip her heart out when he finally departed. Would he consider staying there on Earth to be with her? No, he would never be happy away from his family. She was falling in love with Devlon, but she couldn’t see how there could be a happily ever after for them. He looked down again at his handheld computer, breaking their connection.

  Feeling a deep sadness, she stood up and walked to the back of the subcar, and stared out the wi
ndows. She didn’t even feel the sway of the car on the tracks; she was too lost in her thoughts. Breaking things off now might be the best thing for both of them. A clean and fast break, with no mudslinging and no hard feelings, would be a change for her. God how it hurt to think about letting him go.

  She rubbed her heart with her hand absently and gasped when she felt arms wrap around her waist. Devlon pulled her back against his chest as he held her close.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  She took a deep breath. “I was thinking about how different things will be for the tribes when the time comes that you and your people have to return to your home world.”

  He hesitated before responding. They could see each other in the reflection of the window. “It will be a little while, a year or two, before that happens. I meant to talk to you about that.”

  She turned in his arms. “I want to tell you just how much I—we all appreciate what you’ve done for our people.”

  “Not all your people are that grateful.”

  “These rebels are fucking idiots. The rest of us, especially here in tunnels, know what our lives were like before you and what our lives will be like afterward. Hell, some of us were halfway to our deathbeds before you arrived. There’s no way we could ever repay that.”

  “We didn’t come here so that your people would owe us anything.”

  Heather reached up and caressed his cheek. “I know. You did it out of the goodness in you, doing the right thing just because it was the right thing to do.”

  “Come with me.”

  She blinked up at him, surprised. “What?”

  “When we leave, I want you to come with us. Drasta is a beautiful world, where you can go out under the sun, the air is clean and fresh, there are so many exotic plant life, and at night the planet is brightened by the our two moons, it will take your breath away.”

  “It sounds lovely, but I don’t know if I could live on another planet. I don’t know anyone there.”

  “You would know me and my family.”

  He was asking her to go with him, but he wasn’t telling her that he loved her. She couldn’t make the same mistake again, running off with a man that she was attracted to but one who could never love her. She deserved to be loved.

  Shaking her head, she went to tell him no, but he placed a finger over her lips. “Don’t say no. Think about it. We have some time.”

  She watched him walk back to the other side of the subcar to talk to his warrior. It was so tempting. Maybe things could change. They could spend more time together, and he’d have a chance to fall in love with her. She wanted that more than anything, but was she really willing to give up her position of being tribe leader and leave the only home she’d ever known, to live on a different planet with aliens—with Devlon?

  Heather wasn’t sure what the answer to that was, not yet. She wanted to hope for the possibility of a future with him. So badly. Nothing had to be decided right now, they had time to figure it out.

  The subcar started slowing down and she knew they had arrived. As she walked to the front, she saw the frustrated look on Devlon’s face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s early.”

  “He who?” She looked out the window of the subcar and saw three Drastan warriors standing behind another Drastan. That one’s uniform looked much different, more like one that she’d seen Devlon wear while on the command ship. “Who’s that?”

  “Senior Commander Drake Bond. He’s come to evaluate our progress and report back to the high commander.”

  “So, he’s like your boss?”

  “No! I don’t answer to him, but I do have to show him what’s been done, because we both answer to the same...boss.”

  “Oh.” She didn’t ask him anything else because he seemed really uptight about the whole thing. She glanced down at the outfit she still wore from yesterday and wished she’d taken the lieutenant colonel’s wife up on her offer of a change of clothes.

  He took her hand and led her out of the subcar. “Let’s get this over with.”

  *****

  Devlon wasn’t happy that the senior commander showed up earlier than he expected. He’d hoped to have a little more time with Heather to try to convince her to travel to Drasta with him. He was determined to win her over; they just needed to spend more time together.

  “Commander Estro, good to see you again.”

  “Sr. Commander Bond, I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

  The other male ignored Devlon’s tone and turned his eyes to Heather. He had the audacity to look her up and down, his eyes showing interest. Devon couldn’t help but feel possessive. He put his hand at the small of her back and brought her up to stand next to him.

  “This is Tribe Leader Heather Bates. This tribe is hers. This is Sr. Commander Bond.”

  Heather reached out a hand to shake Bond’s, but instead he lifted her fingers to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Devlon practically saw red.

  “Miss Bates, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Call me Heather.”

  “Only if you call me Drake.”

  “You can let go of her hand,” Devlon growled out. He looked at Bond and yes, he was a little jealous. Bond was younger, his black hair and strong build were considered attractive on their world. Would Heather prefer him to Devlon?

  Heather pulled her hand free and edged closer to Devlon. It was a small move. but it eased his tension somewhat.

  Bond looked at him curiously. “Shall we go somewhere private so that I can be briefed?”

  “I’ll leave you two to it. I have to check on my people,” Heather patted Devlon’s arm as she walked off.

  “This way, Sr. Commander.” Devlon led him to his tent.

  They entered, while the other warriors stayed on the outside of the tent ensuring their privacy. “How long have you been here?”

  Bond shrugged as he sat in a chair and stretched out his legs. “Thirty minutes prior to your arrival. I’ve been given a small tour of the building site of the apartments. It’s impressive. I still don’t understand how anyone would want to remain living underground, though.”

  “It will be many decades before the humans can live aboveground.”

  “Why not move them all to the domes? From the reports, it sounds like these domes would be much more suitable.”

  “The tribes survived in the tunnels. They kept them safe and they were their home for years. The dome leaders turned away millions, who died when their nuclear weapons went off. Many here don’t trust the dome leaders and want to keep their distance.”

  “Well, they can’t expect us to rebuild their entire planet underground.”

  “We won’t be. We’re training their own people now how to build quickly with the tools and supplies we are giving them. The expectation is that we’ll be able to fully leave Earth in two years.”

  “That still seems too long. I need to meet with one of the domes so that I can give a complete report. We’ll travel this afternoon.”

  “That’s not going to work, Sr. Commander. I was going to contact you and actually ask that you hold off on your visit a few more days.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ve read in the reports that there are some humans who don’t approve of our presence here.”

  “These rebels, correct?”

  “Yes, we have intel that the rebels are planning to try to take over the tribes.”

  “It’s not our place to get in the middle of their politics.”

  “It’s about ensuring their safety and security.”

  “I’m sure it’s just rumors.”

  Devlon growled. “A male tried to attack Heather last night while she slept!”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I was there!”

  There was silence as the senior commander absorbed the implications of just who Heather was to Drastan. He didn’t care if anyone else knew that he and Heather were together; the fact that she’d near
ly been attacked was more important.

  “What do you plan to do about it?”

  “Heather wants to set a trap. She’s having the tribe leaders come here for a meeting tomorrow. The rebels will see it as an opportunity to get all the tribe leaders at the same time.”

  “She’s a very intelligent female.”

  “My female.”

  Bond smiled. “I get that, Commander, be at ease. I’m not after your female. Let’s discuss this trap. What security measures do we need to take?”

  Devlon was grateful that they turned the subject to the security. Bond was a well-known strategist, and his insights were invaluable. Devlon welcomed any plan that would ensure that Heather remained safe and unharmed. She was his priority. How quickly things changed. When her life was at risk, all his reservations were thrown out the window. He knew he was falling in love with her, and that he wouldn’t survive if something happened to her.

  Chapter 18

  The next day

  Heather sat on a bench, trying to act like she wasn’t attempting to spy on what was happening with Devlon and the new Drastan. Her muscles ached. She’d slept restlessly, finally getting up earlier than she’d planned. She missed being in Devlon’s arms. She knew he probably wouldn’t be able to join her in her subcar with the senior commander there. She saw them briefly as they walked the perimeter, but didn’t try to interrupt them.

  She watched the young man take everything in. He was attractive. Tall, dark, and handsome, like all the Drastans she’d met. But Devlon, though older with distinguished streaks of grey in his hair, was just larger than life. He seemed to tower over others, his shoulders always broader and stronger. He had eyes that held wisdom and knowledge but also kindness and compassion. No other man could compare to him.

  “You’re staring at him again,” Mabel whispered next to her.

  She quickly turned away. “I’m not staring!” she denied vehemently.

  Mabel chuckled. “I’m not blind, honey. The two of you can’t take your eyes off each other. When you’re close to one another the temperature goes up. Be honest with yourself and with him, if not with anyone else. You care for him.”