Warrior Prince

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “Let me help.” Borius’s blue eyes shone with zeal. “I have more training with the science modules.”

  Zohar gave their youngest crewmember a stern glare. “You will remain planet-side to investigate other leads in Rayne’s murder.”

  Kaj and Yaron, across the table, bumped fists.

  “We get the easy assignment.” Yaron gave his mates a broad grin. “After you and Nira get the keys to our house, we shall go shopping to obtain provisions.”

  “After you set up a full security perimeter,” Zohar reminded them. This was not a game they were playing. Sometimes he felt like a father to a bunch of children. He supposed he should be pleased his team tackled tasks with such enthusiasm.

  “I need to go shopping, too.” Nira took a sip of the brew called coffee. It had a bitter taste but Zohar liked the mental kick it gave him. “We need to get a computer so I can check my email and register for fall classes.” She hesitated. “And there’s one more thing.”

  All eyes turned in her direction.

  “Algie took a blood sample from me yesterday. We need to obtain the results.”

  “What? You did not mention this earlier.” Half-rising from his seat, Zohar scowled at her in accusation.

  “You’ve been dominating the conversation.” Her sarcastic tone challenged him to reprimand her.

  “Let me explain something to you, Nira Larsen. As a member of our team, I expect you to be forthcoming with information. Do not withhold data that can be critical to our mission or you endanger us all.”

  Her chin lifted. “I agreed to let Algie test my serum when I went with her at the theme park. You want to know why I resist confounding, right? Perhaps there’s a component in my blood, you know, like an antibody. We need to steal the analysis.”

  “She’s right.” Paz shot her an admiring glance. “If the Trolleks find the component that renders her immune, they could synthesize an antagonist.”

  Zohar sighed. “We shall add this to our objectives for the day. Everyone clear on what to do? We can rendezvous later at the safe house. Paz will send you the coordinates. Good hunting.”

  Inside their suite, Zohar stuffed his belongings into a sack while Nira touched up her lipstick in front of the dresser. He read the taut lines around her mouth.

  “You are angry. What is troubling you?” He hoped it wasn’t their lovemaking last night that bothered her. She had been more than willing to fall into his arms.

  She whirled to face him. “I’m worried about you. You’re exposing yourself to their touch. What if yesterday was a fluke? You may have had some immunity left over from your last polarization. Maybe it wasn’t me at all.”

  “You are concerned for my well-being?” Clearly, this Earth woman remained a mystery to him. Did she not realize his duty included her protection, and not vice versa?

  Her face flushed. “Of course I am. You’re a born leader, Zohar. Your men need you. It isn’t worth the risk.”

  Disappointment weighted him. He’d hoped to hear her say that she needed him. Fool. She had only fallen in with his troop because she’d had no choice—her survival depended on him.

  “Let me worry about the risk.” He ploughed stiff fingers through his hair. “Once we enter the theme park, we will head straight for the medical building. We can find a place to hide in there until the park closes.”

  She tilted her head. “What about those solar calculators you said were being shipped to an underground mail room?”

  “I did not have time to learn more, but the quantity of devices far exceeds the administrative use for them. It is another mystery we have to investigate.”

  “Too bad we can’t slip in there like that guy.” She pointed to a lizard scurrying up the wall toward the window ledge.

  “Curious creature.” Its color allowed the animal to mimic its surroundings. He watched the long tail dart from view behind the blinds.

  They finished packing their things and then hit the road in Nira’s car. After a visit to the jeweler to cash in another precious stone, they headed for the real estate office to sign off on a rental property. He radioed Paz the address to pick up a set of keys. Zohar requested that he have copies made for the rest of their team. Next, Nira insisted on shopping for more clothes and necessities. They stopped at Grace’s insurance agent to fill out papers and continued on until he felt like a heckled husband.

  The comm unit on his wrist chimed just after they exited a drugstore. With a sense of relief, he tapped the activation key. “Zohar here.”

  “This is Borius. We have a situation.”

  “What now?”

  “Lord Magnor has been injured.”

  “How is that possible?” Zohar had cut him loose while he and Nira ran errands. The swordsman had wanted to pick up some supplies of his own.

  “We set a rendezvous so I could update him on your itinerary in person, but he changed the site. I found him unconscious in an alley.”

  “Any sign of Trollek activity?” He stood aside as Nira unlocked the car.

  “No, sire. Shall I summon Yaron?”

  The woodsman acted as their team medic. “Not yet. Is Magnor’s condition critical?”

  “I cannot say. The Tsuran’s physiology may be different than ours.”

  “I will join you. Let me know if his status changes before I get there.”

  “What happened?” Nira tapped his arm after he’d signed off.

  Her mere touch electrified him. “Magnor is down. Borius is with him.”

  He opened the driver’s door for her. After she’d taken her seat, he strode around to the passenger side and slid into the hot interior. He wore a loose fitting shirt over his denims and reached down to retrieve his phase gun. He’d left it on the car floor in case the stores had metal detectors. Now he tucked it into the waistband of his pants.

  “What else did he say?” Nira turned on the engine. A welcome blast of cooled air blew from the vents.

  “Borius and Magnor had set a meeting, but for some reason, Magnor changed the location. Borius found him there, senseless on the ground. That is all I know.”

  Nira cast him a sharp glance. “Wasn’t Borius the last person to talk to Rayne?”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” His spine stiffened.

  “Can you trust what Borius says?”

  “Borius has been on my team for years. I do not doubt his word.” He glared at her. “You will not spread suspicion among my crew.”

  “All right, if not one of your men, then who?” Nira backed out of their space.

  He compressed his lips. “An assassin from my home world is the most likely culprit. It’s possible he learned Magnor is here to guard me and tried to take him out. But if Lord Magnor dies, Primer Pedar will merely appoint another in his place.”

  Nira braked in the exit lane, watching traffic roar past. A bus belched fumes while Zohar shook his head at the pitiful modes of transportation on this world.

  “Did you check with this primer guy to see if he even sent a bodyguard?” Nira wagged a finger at him. “You’re too trusting, Zohar. You take too much at face value.”

  He glanced out the side window, his throat too clogged to respond. What did she know about his warriors? They’d fought together, trained together, and sometimes died together. He’d give his life for his men, and vice versa. Nira had no right to judge them…or him, for that matter.

  Fires of Agathorn, she’d only strengthened his resolve. He may have accepted her into his circle, but he’d never allow her entrance into his heart.

  ****

  As she wound through mid-morning Orlando traffic, Nira cursed Zohar’s arrogance. If he weren’t too obstinate to see beyond his nose, he’d suspect Borius of being in league with his enemy. And what enemy was that? Other than the Trolleks, who did he suspect had sent assassins after him?

  Despite their physical intimacy, she hadn’t made any inroads regarding his emotions. Maybe he’d let her into his band of merry men, but he sure hadn’t let her into h
is confidence. Zohar’s personal background remained a mystery. For all she knew, he could be married on his home world, if they even followed that custom.

  She attempted to ease the tension between them. “So tell me, where did you guys learn how to drive? Do you have cars and trucks like this on your world?”

  His jaw tightened. “We have been dirtside on your planet before. We appropriated some of your land vehicles during that excursion.”

  “It must have been a brief visit.” They sure hadn’t learned much in the way of cultural practices. As for language barriers, he’d admitted they used implanted translators.

  Fifteen minutes later, she took exit 68 off I-4 toward Lake Buena Vista. “You said the address Borius gave you is off Palm Parkway, right?”

  He nodded curtly while her glance skipped over his broad shoulders to his corded forearms and powerful legs. Those jeans fit him like a second skin. If only he’d look at her with the same smoldering glance he’d given earlier.

  Likely he was too worried about his companions.

  Borius, or any one of his other teammates, could have been compromised. True, Lord Magnor had shown up right after Rayne’s death, but she didn’t read him as a killer. Zohar relied more on the fellows he’d known for years, which made one of them the best target for corruption. Or maybe Zohar’s suspicions were correct, and an outside assassin had targeted him. But then why had Lord Magnor been taken down? Because he got in the way?

  She stopped at a traffic light with a hotel entrance on the left and a shopping center on the right. A row of chain restaurants tempted diners on either side. Tropical foliage softened the commercial feel. Green palms, flowering red hibiscus, and colorful pink bougainvillea bordered the sidewalks.

  After a right turn onto Palm Parkway, she followed the winding road past a series of hotels. Peering through her sunglasses, she searched for the shopping plaza where Borius said to meet him.

  “There it is.” Zohar pointed to a turnoff.

  Nira veered into the crowded parking lot and lifted her foot off the accelerator. A steakhouse was on the left and a pizza place sat on her right. Across the parking lot, she could make out a hair salon, a Cuban restaurant, and an India eaterie.

  “I see him.” Zohar’s voice rose in excitement.

  She spotted Borius in front of an expresso bar across from the pizza place. He waved at them.

  “What could have brought Lord Magnor out here?” She pulled into a parking space and shut down the engine.

  “Good question.”

  “Maybe someone contacted him offering information,” she suggested. “That could be why he changed the rendezvous.”

  “Information on what?”

  She shrugged. “Who wants you dead, maybe?”

  His mouth thinned. “I knew there was a reason I brought you along. You could be right. Let us see what Borius has learned.”

  Blond hair askew and dark circles under his eyes, the young man looked ill when they confronted him. “I have bad news, rageesh. Lord Magnor has vanished.”

  “What?” Zohar’s narrowed gaze swept the environs.

  “I came out curbside earlier to see if you had arrived yet, and when I returned, he was gone.” The young man’s voice wavered. “I should not have left him.”

  “Any evidence of cors particles?”

  “No, sire. I do not understand what happened. Let me show you where I discovered him.”

  Nira trailed after them, annoyed that Borius hadn’t even spared her a greeting. He led them into an alley behind the shopping strip where air-conditioning units provided a steady drone. Water from an early morning rain ran in rivulets along the asphalt. Bordered on one side by a concrete wall and on the other side by shady trees, the alley appeared deserted.

  In the summer heat, garbage from a series of Dumpsters lent a ripe smell to the area.

  Nira wrinkled her nose. “Say, how do you know Lord Magnor wasn’t confounded? Did he get touched by any Trolleks at Drift World?”

  Zohar lifted an eyebrow. “I figured he had his own means to resist their spell. I did not care to delve too deeply into Tsuran secrets, but maybe I was wrong.” He stroked his jaw. “Borius, what made you think he had been injured?”

  Borius snorted. “You mean, other than him lying on the ground unresponsive? His pulse was weak and erratic, and his skin color was grayish.”

  “Any obvious wounds?”

  “None visible. Could have been disruptor fire on a stun setting.”

  “What’s that?” Nira asked.

  “A weapon that disrupts the neural pathways.” Zohar’s eyes glittered in the midday sunlight. “It has two settings: stun and kill. Disruptors cause a more profound effect than the stun setting on our laser pistols.”

  While he performed a scan with a portable device at the spot Borius indicated, Nira surveyed the weeds growing through cracks in the asphalt and the empty beer bottles discarded on the ground.

  “You are correct. No sign of Trollek activity.” Zohar pocketed his instrument.

  “So what happened to Lord Magnor?” Nira’s scalp prickled. They should move on. She had a bad feeling about this place.

  “Perhaps he was only lightly stunned, roused himself, and left.” Borius pressed his lips together. “Do you doubt me? I thought he was dead until I felt a faint pulse.”

  A nearby door crashed open, forestalling their debate. Eight men with shaved heads and tattoos burst out.

  “This will be fun.” A thug with a nose ring swung a metal chain. “As least you’re not wearing a stupid costume like that other guy. Whadja do with his body?”

  Zohar thrust Nira behind him and pulled his weapon. Borius took his back, with Nira sandwiched in between. The young warrior had drawn his laser gun, too.

  Zohar aimed at the gang member with the chain.

  “If you are being paid, I can pay you more. Tell me who hired you,” he demanded.

  “No deal, buddy. We got our reputations to maintain.”

  A guy with a bandana tied around his head brandished a knife. “Yeah, but we didn’t count on no skirt bein’ here.”

  “She’ll just make it more fun, Curt. Don’t worry, we’ll all get a piece.”

  While his words made her shudder, Nira realized Zohar must be their target. He’d been set up. The thugs surrounded them.

  “Stand down, I do not wish to hurt you.” Zohar’s voice held a clear warning.

  Chainman flicked his wrist and whipped the gun from Zohar’s hand.

  “Odds are eight against two.” Borius’s weapon clattered to the ground, too. They’d been flanked on both sides.

  “Nira, get down.” Zohar yanked his dagger from his boot and launched himself at the nearest attacker.

  A flurry of kicks, grunts, and punches ensued. In the midst of the fight, Nira stood by uncertainly. What could she do to help?

  One of the thugs staggered back, and she saw her opening. She whacked him on the head with her handbag.

  The guy spun and backhanded her across the mouth. She flew into a wall and sank to the ground, her cheek stinging. Her hand grappled for her handbag a few feet away. Surely she had something inside to use as a weapon.

  The same man grabbed her by the hair before she completed her plan. Her scalp burned as the brute dragged her sideways.

  “Come with me, bitch. I get you first.”

  Her glance fell on Zohar’s laser gun lying a few feet away. Would she know how to fire it? Only one way to find out.

  Gritting her teeth, she reached over her head, clamped onto the guy’s fist, and yanked back his pinky finger.

  “Ow!” His grip loosened.

  She flipped around, scrambled to her knees, and then stood. Using the momentum, she hit him on the jaw with her elbow.

  A satisfactory crunch met her ears.

  Cutting free, she pounced on the weapon and aimed.

  Her assailant growled, a murderous look in his eyes. He sprang forward just as she squeezed the trigger.

  The
beam caught him midair. His eyes widened in shocked surprise before he crumpled into a heap, a scorched mark on his chest. The smell of burnt flesh made her want to gag.

  Oh. My. God.

  She had killed a man.

  He wasn’t the only one down. Borius fought a single attacker, having knocked his other assailants to the ground. As the guy thrust a knife at him, Borius deflected the strike with his arm. Baring his teeth in a derisive grin, the warrior smashed a frontal kick into the thug’s groin. With a howl of pain, the man toppled over. A brutal stomp finished him off.

  Zohar had two guys left. He bobbed and weaved so they couldn’t get a straight bead on him. Nose Ring swung a chain at the Drift Lord captain. Zohar ducked and lunged to punch him in the stomach. Grunting, the guy bent over. Zohar chopped him on the neck, and he went down.

  Nira raised her weapon with both hands, her entire body trembling. She could take out the remaining man, but sweat dripped into her eyes, blurring her vision. Her sight cleared in time for her to see Zohar kick his remaining attacker in the torso and follow up with a side smash to the guy’s temple.

  His chest heaving, Zohar strode to her side. “Are you all right? Did that riff hurt you?” He pried the gun from her stiff fingers.

  “I’m okay.” She gulped, swallowing a rise of bile in her throat. Her body quaked like a leaf in a storm, and her veins filled with ice, but she quelled her reaction. Zohar needed her to be strong. “You?”

  “Some minor scratches. You fought well, little one.” A grin lit his face, slick with sweat and blood. “I will tell the rest of my men of your courage in battle.”

  His words filled her with pride. “Thanks…I think.” She drew in a deep, steadying breath. “We should get out of here.”

  “She is right.” Borius retrieved his weapon. He didn’t look any the worse for wear except for a torn shirt.

  Zohar stooped to yank his dagger from one of the victim’s chests. He wiped it on the guy’s shirt before tucking it back into his boot.

  Sirens sounded in the distance, giving Nira a discomfiting thought. “I-I shot one of them. We won’t…I mean, can the cops link us to the crime?”