by Aubrey Ross
Miranda rushed to the bedside and reached for his hand. “My God, Nicay. Who did this to you?”
A sad smile curved his colorless lips. “I injected myself.” He wheezed, his eyes momentarily closing. “Can’t blame that on them.”
“Injected yourself with what? Who do you mean by ‘them’?”
“Dresser.” He pointed behind her, his hand trembling within her grasp.
Drake crossed to the dresser and found a small alloy case. It lay open like a book, the contents protected by foam packing. He lifted one of the vials and looked at the pale blue liquid. “What is this?”
“Serum.” Nicay raised the sheet to his mouth as he coughed. “Kwinton’s secret weapon.”
“We have to get him to a hospital,” Miranda said.
“Medevac is on the way,” Blaze said from the doorway.
Drake felt a pang of anger disrupt his pity. Nicay had left the ring for Aysha, knowing full well she’d take it to Miranda. All the danger Miranda faced now could be laid at Nicay’s feet.
Miranda turned back to her wayward patient. “What does the serum do? Did you realize it would make you sick?”
He shook his head. “Kwinton takes it like a junkie, and he’s stronger than ever.”
“But what is it?” she asked again.
“It makes us supermystics…like you.” He added the last with a shaky smile. “It’s all worked out.” Nicay’s voice grew stronger, and he struggled to sit. “I just ran out of steam.”
Drake lifted the datapad beside the case and activated the handheld device. “What’s your password?”
“Aysha cet Nicay.” He spelled out the words.
Floor plans and diagrams scrolled across the surface of the datapad. By the fourth screen, Drake understood what he was seeing. He started to ask Nicay questions, but he’d slipped into unconsciousness.
The medevac team arrived a few minutes later and loaded Nicay onto a hover-gurney. Drake gave them one of the vials and told them he had injected himself with the contents.
“Will he survive?” Jericho asked the question on everyone’s mind.
“It’s too soon to know,” one of the medics told him as they maneuvered the stretcher through the bedroom doorway.
Silence descended as the urgency dissolved. Nicay would likely be stabilized here, then sent to Halley Prime for further treatment. That was standard procedure for citizens of Halley Prime. The medical facilities on Wirtanen were basic at best.
“What do we do now?” Jericho asked. They stood in a messy cluster in the main room of the apartment.
Drake handed the datapad to Miranda. “We pick up where Nicay left off. Thanks to him, you won’t be safe until this is over.”
“Meaning?” Blaze persisted.
Miranda paged back to the beginning of the outline and placed the datapad on the wobbly coffee table. She activated the holoprojector with a voice command. “This is the lab where the serum is being produced.” The floor plan rotated so everyone could see.
“How can a chemical give a person paranormal abilities?” Jericho asked.
“We don’t know that it’s a chemical. It could be a retrovirus or nanites,” Drake mused.
Miranda advanced to the next image, a map indicating the laboratory’s location. “What it is isn’t nearly as important as bringing production to a permanent stop.”
Blaze glanced at the image then returned her gaze to Miranda. “Obviously we can’t allow Kwinton Rizaria to create a private army of mystics, but what gives you the right to destroy such a revolutionary discovery?”
Drake tried to imagine anyone who could responsibly manage such a program and shook his head. “The risk of this power falling into the wrong hands is too great. No one can be trusted with such a temptation.”
“Besides,” Jericho added. “It didn’t work out so well for Nicay.”
“True,” Blaze relented.
Drake scrubbed his jaw with his fingers and sighed. “We have to move before word of Nicay’s condition reaches Kwinton.”
Blaze nodded in reluctant agreement. “We won’t get a second chance.”
“This is what I’m thinking,” Drake began. “You and Jericho evacuate the workers. Say there’s a gas leak or whatever the hell will get everyone out of the building.”
“And you and Miranda get to blow the place up?” Jericho grumbled.
“I know our job is more fun, but the workers know Blaze.”
“It makes perfect sense,” he muttered. “But I don’t have to like it. And where do we get explosives in the next ten minutes?”
Drake walked to the duffle bags stacked in the corner and unzipped the one on top. He angled the bag so the others could see the compact and lethal charges. “Nicay had it all worked out, remember? He just ran out of steam.”
Chapter Eleven
Miranda rolled up her pant legs, determined to keep the material free from the primordial ooze coating every surface in the utility tunnel. “This is disgusting.” Even her low tone seemed to echo off the slimy walls, and she shuddered. “I should have gone with Blaze.”
“You’d draw attention anywhere you went. You’re clearly not from Wirtanen.”
“Is that a compliment?”
He smiled. “From my perspective, it is. Wirtanen men might find you a bit ‑‑ delicate, but I enjoy your sophistication.”
“Delicate? I’ve never thought of myself as delicate.” Her heel slipped across an especially slick patch and she waved her arms for balance. He tried to disguise his chuckle as a cough and failed. “Don’t you dare laugh at me!”
He settled for a smile.
Duffle bags bumped against her hips. They each carried two, but he had shifted part of her load into his bags. She wasn’t some hothouse flower, protected from the harsh realities of life. She was accomplished and… Okay, so maybe he was better equipped for a black ops outing than she was, that didn’t make her useless.
“You’re sulking.”
“I am not. I’m trying not to throw up.”
“We’re almost there.” He tapped the audiocom hooked over his ear. “How’s it going, Jericho?” After a brief pause, he nodded. “Copy.”
“What did he say?”
“Blaze had to arrest the shift supervisor, but everyone’s out now.”
“Do you trust Nicay’s diagram? We don’t want to bring down the entire block.”
“Give me a little credit. I had advanced munitions training in the CCC.”
“Sorry.”
He used a scanner to verify their position before setting the first set of charges. “Now we need the other access tunnel.”
They backtracked to the last intersection and jogged over to the parallel tunnel.
“What should we do with the serum?” she muttered. “I can’t help feeling like Kwinton isn’t the top of this food chain. Is it possible the council knows about his secret weapon?”
“Anything is possible. We have to make the best decisions based on the information we have.”
“One hurdle at a time.”
“Exactly.”
He set the rest of the chargers, and they left the empty duffle bags in the utility tunnels. They hustled back to the juncture where they’d climbed down. Miranda exhaled as she reached the top of the metal ladder. The air topside smelled almost fresh after the putrid vapors below.
They ran two blocks south then followed the cross street to the intersection where Jericho waited with Blaze’s skimmer. “She thought it would be better if she was surrounded by her people when all hell breaks loose.”
“Can’t fault that logic,” Drake said.
Miranda climbed aboard the skimmer and fastened her lap restraint.
“Ready?”
She and Jericho nodded, so Drake triggered the detonators. Time missed a beat as they waited for the explosion. A low boom vibrated the ground, followed half a second later by another. Glass shattered and pressure ripped through the darkened structure. Flames burst into the twilight sky, p
ropelling chunks of debris up and out.
“Off we go.” Jericho jammed the skimmer into full acceleration, slamming the others back in their seats. Smaller explosions echoed until the lab was no more than a glow on the horizon. “That was fun. What shall we do next?”
* * * * *
Lopeka swung her cane so fast Kwinton didn’t see it coming. The slender shaft slammed into his side and pain shot up her arms. Only the unmistakable sound of bone cracking kept her from repeating the blow. She soothed her fury with violent imaginings. Debilitating her best assassin would be counterproductive.
His knees buckled and his face turned gray, but he didn’t make a sound.
“Nicay is en route to Halley Prime and my lab is smoldering rubble! Nicay was on Wirtanen. Why are you still here?”
“I checked every flight off Halley Prime for the past three weeks,” he croaked. “How did he travel without logging his movements?”
“There are benefits to citizenship, but there are disadvantages too. Nicay obviously figured that out.” She took a deep breath and rested both hands on the hilt of her cane. “I suppose expecting you to play detective was my first mistake. You are an assassin, not a tracker.”
“How can I regain your respect?”
He’d never had her respect, but she didn’t bother to correct the assumption. “You can prove your usefulness three hours from now. The ship transporting Nicay will arrive at the trauma center, and you’re going to be waiting for him. I don’t care how you do it, but do not show your face again until Nicay is dead.”
“I won’t disappoint you again.”
* * * * *
Miranda slipped off her shoes and tossed them across the bedroom. “I will never forget that smell. I knew Wirtanen was industrial, but I feel tainted.”
“Let’s take a long, hot shower.”
She smiled. “Don’t you need to check in with Ritter?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” He pulled his shirt off over his head and tucked his pistol into the drawer of the nightstand.
“What do you mean?”
He sat on the side of the bed to tug off his boots. “Your suspicions have gotten me thinking. What if Kwinton is protected by someone higher up? I won’t rest until that bastard is locked up.”
“You think Ritter might be involved?”
“I hope not. He’s the best partner I’ve ever had. But Jericho’s right, Ritter is in tight with the prefect. I’m not taking any chances.”
“You’re going to go after Kwinton yourself?”
“We just threw down the gauntlet, sweetheart. I think he’ll come after us.”
She paused in her bra and panties. “That’s not very comforting.”
He crossed the room and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t mean to frighten you, but we have to be realistic.”
“You’re right. I’ve never been one to bury my head in the sand.”
They finished undressing and walked into the bathroom. Drake adjusted the water while she laid out fresh towels. She moved beneath the showerhead and warm water cascaded over her body.
“This feels wonderful.”
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her close. “Yes, it does.”
If the hardness forming against her back was any indication, he meant more than the water. “I know blowing up the lab was the right thing to do, but I’m not sure we should destroy the serum.”
His hands moved up and down her arms, his fingers brushing against the fullness of her breasts. “Why not?” He moved her hair out of the way and nuzzled her neck. She better make her point quickly. He was already good and distracted.
“We sent a vial with the medical team. They’ll have it analyzed. If we get rid of the serum, we have no way of protecting ourselves.”
“You’re not talking about enhancing your abilities, are you?” He sounded aghast.
“Of course not. I’m talking about a negotiation tool, safely locked away in case we need it.”
“Let me think about it. I can’t help remembering what that stuff did to Nicay.”
She turned to face him, refusing to think about his obvious arousal or about how good his hands felt sliding over her skin. “I think Nicay intentionally imprinted his memory on the ring. The artificial intensity is what hurt when I viewed the images.”
“I came to the same conclusion. He knew Aysha would take the ring to you and you would follow the images to him. If you exposed his boss in the process, so much the better.”
“I can’t decide if he had a fundamental objection to what Kwinton was doing or if he was just trying to get back at the man who was screwing his wife.”
“Either way he put you in needless danger.”
His hostility made her smile. She didn’t mind his scowls nearly so much when they were on her behalf rather than pointed at her. “So, we found Nicay. The lab is destroyed and we have the last of the serum.”
“As soon as we take out Kwinton, I’ll be able to exhale.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Now, on to more important things. Do you need energy?”
What she needed was a moment away from his penetrating stare, so she turned to the shampoo dispenser. She still couldn’t believe all the things they’d done on the way to Wirtanen. She didn’t regret what had happened, but the memories were surreal.
“I don’t think I’ll need to feed again for a month or two.”
He traced her spine with his fingertip. “I’m glad. I want to make love because it feels so damned good, not because you need energy.”
She turned around with a dreamy smile and drizzled shampoo into his hair. “I have no objections.”
“We’ll have to work on your enthusiasm.”
She scrubbed his hair and washed his body, enjoying the feel of his hardened muscles beneath her palms. Her fingers slid over his shoulders and onto his back, following the course of the suds.
His ass tensed as she explored, tracing a soapy path into the crack between his firm cheeks. “Do you enjoy any of the pleasures I’ve been introduced to in the past few days?”
Without waiting for his answer, she lubricated her hands with conditioner and continued her exploration. He groaned when her fingers curved around his cock and growled when she teased his anus with her other hand.
His shaft throbbed within the circle of her fingers, but other than the telltale jump in his pulse, he remained perfectly still. She entered him slowly. Had she been this tight? The moisture left her mouth as she remembered the fullness of Jericho’s cock as it filled her again and again.
Her eyelids drooped, and she dragged her fist down the length of Drake’s cock. She swiped her thumb over his tip, while she drove her finger deeper. He dragged in a gulping breath and flattened his hands against the wall in front of him. His chest heaved, his cock growing even harder as she slid her finger in and out of his ass.
“Have you ever let a man fuck you?” she asked in a throaty whisper.
“Long, long time ago.”
“But you enjoy this, don’t you?”
“God, yes!”
“Do you want my mouth or my finger?”
“Both. Use your finger while you suck me off.”
“Say please.”
He growled again and tangled his fingers in her hair. “Please give your Master what he needs.”
“Always, my love.” She slipped to her knees, without withdrawing her finger.
“It works better if you come up between my legs.”
She’d never heard his voice so tense or unsteady. Feminine power rushed through her body, hardening her nipples and increasing the pressure between her legs. She watched his face as she drew her finger out. He clutched his jaw and closed his eyes. They would definitely have to explore this chink in his armor.
Taking a moment to rinse the residue off his cock, she reached up and dispensed more conditioner into her left hand. She let the thick glob roll down across her middle finger then maneuvered her hand between his legs. He moved his fee
t farther apart and leaned his shoulders against the wall. His unabashed desire was thrilling. He offered himself to her without shame or reservation.
She licked her way around his tip before closing her lips and sucking him into her mouth. With the distinct vein throbbing against her tongue, she found his anus and smeared him with conditioner.
His hand cupped her face, but he didn’t rush her. She breached his body and paused to savor his helpless shiver. He was every bit as susceptible to pleasure as she. With slow deliberation, she drove into his ass, while she firmly sucked on his cock. His fingers moved to her hair, tightening and releasing without actually pulling.
She moved slowly at first, pushing inward at the same time she was pulling back until only his tip remained in her mouth.
“Faster.”
She heard the “please” in his tone even if he’d omitted the word. She increased her speed and the pressure of her lips. His hips rocked gently, his butt cheeks taut against her hand.
A faint saltiness coated her tongue, and she savored the taste, understanding how close he was to surrender. He arched, pushing clear to the back of her mouth. She thrust her finger deep, and a hoarse cry tore from his throat. His seed jetted down her throat, and his passage contracted with a matching rhythm.
Heat swept over her entire body and echoes of his orgasm throbbed in her core. She swallowed and licked until the last shiver passed.
“I’m not sure I can walk.” He laughed. “Do you think you can carry me to the bed?”
She smiled up at him, feeling inordinately pleased with herself. “I can try.”
* * * * *
Naked to the waist and kneeling on a ceremonial mat, Lopeka swung the multistrand whip over one shoulder and then the other. Each lash was strong enough to awaken her nerve endings without jarring her from her meditation. Her breasts swayed, the nipples tight and tingly, and her breathing took on the rhythm of the whip.
Inhale, right; exhale, left…
Darkness spread out before her, endless velvety oblivion. She floated, searching, scanning, opening herself more completely than she’d ever dared.
Pleasure rippled through the metaphysical abyss ‑‑ not just anyone’s pleasure, Miranda’s. Only Miranda could sense her true nature. Only Miranda was a worthy adversary.