Business or Pleasure (The Department of Homeworld Security Book 3)

by Cassandra Chandler

  “Thank you for leaving the screen unlocked,” he said. After messing with it for a moment, he put it in his pocket. “Your battery’s looking a bit low.”

  “It’s not meant to be used to light up a spaceship,” she said.

  “Again, my apologies. Let’s head outside and enjoy some fresh air and refreshments.”

  Was he kidding? He bowed slightly and turned, walking down the ramp. His two goons stepped forward menacingly. Yeah, he wasn’t kidding. Khel took her hand and walked next to her as they left his ship.

  The heat and humidity struck her senses. She looked around, trying to figure out where they were. All she saw was swamp. She remembered the maps they had focused on at her office. This could easily be one of those locations.

  The guy—space frog—in the white suit led them along a narrow trail that opened up onto an immense and immaculate lawn. A huge mansion sat fifty yards away. He led them to a gazebo instead.

  Trees towered above, casting the spot in perpetual shade. The space frog trotted up the stairs and sat at one of four chairs around a circular table, then gestured for them to join him.

  She cast a glance at Khel as they followed. When he nodded, they both sat. Someone she presumed was another Tau Ceti brought a tray of what looked like lemonade and small sandwiches.

  The Tau Ceti who had greeted them on the ship took off his white hat and set it on the table. “I’m Norm. Would you care for something to eat or drink?”

  “No thanks,” Paige said.

  “Whatever makes you happy.”

  She snorted. “What, so we’ll make a tastier snack later?”

  Norm smiled, then took a sip of lemonade. “I’ve read all about you, Paige Elizabeth Sloan. Crusaders have a bitter finish. Too much adrenaline.”

  “What can I say? I love my job—and my planet.”

  “We have that in common. Well, the part about loving the planet. Earth is amazing. It’s become a very popular retreat.”

  “Yeah. I see you Tau Ceti guys are really making yourselves at home.”

  Norm laughed. “You must expand your thinking, Ms. Sloan. It’s true that we’ve carved out a little territory for our own recreational activities. But the Coalition’s umbrella falls over hundreds of thousands of sentient species, each with their own environmental needs—not that the Sadirians really stop to think about that often.”

  He cast a brief glare at Khel before resuming his friendly expression. “Earth is truly one of the most amazing planets we’ve encountered. Such varied ecosystems. It’s capable of supporting so many different forms of life.”

  Paige’s stomach knotted. She thought they were only dealing with the Tau Ceti. What he was alluding to was much worse.

  “You know, this doesn’t have to end badly for you,” he said. “Your expertise could be quite beneficial for myself and my colleagues.”

  “Set up your own damn spawning pools,” she said.

  His eyebrows hitched up his forehead and he smiled. “See? That’s exactly what I mean. Even the planetary liaison we’ve been working with hadn’t figured out what we were up to. Mostly because he didn’t care. But you care, Ms. Sloan.”

  He leaned forward and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply through his nose. When he sat back and opened his eyes, his gaze was predatory. “It’s written all over your scent.”

  She lurched forward, grabbing the pitcher of lemonade and getting ready to club him with it. Khel grabbed her arm and held her still. She looked past Norm to the two armed cyborg guards who had leveled weapons at her.

  Norm was just smiling. He gestured to the guards to stand down and they did. Khel gently guided her hand to set the pitcher down, then they both eased back into their seats. He squeezed her wrist lightly before letting her go.

  “Earthlings,” Norm said. “So passionate. So many delicious emotions. I myself have been cultivating a taste for any number of the chemicals associated with each. I bet you’re spicy.”

  She took a deep breath. “Do you want me to throw this lemonade at you or not? Because you’re really sending a clear message. I am an asshole. Please throw this drink at me.”

  Norm laughed. “I’d rather not mess up my suit. But you’re right, I should be more clear. You have limited options. I originally thought to torture you to find out how much you know. You’ve already told me you know about our spawning pools, and that’s really all I need.”

  He paused to let that sink in. She was no longer necessary. They could kill her at any time.

  “How do you know I haven’t shared my knowledge with others?” She hoped she was buying time for a rescue and not roping herself into an interrogation with him.

  “If you’d been able to send a signal to the Arbiter, the place would be crawling with Sadirians,” he said. “And I doubt your friend here let you share anything with other Earthlings.”

  So much for stalling.

  “I could still torture you for the fun of it,” he said. “It would be interesting to see how the taste of your blood would change if I killed your partner, since it’s obvious you’ve pair-bonded.” He paused and smiled at her, giving her a chance to process just how much power he held.

  “Do all Tau Ceti have this kind of flair for the dramatic, or did you pick it up from being on Earth too long? Because, you know what they say—you are who you eat.”

  Norm laughed. “Oh, I do hope I don’t have to kill you. You’re one of the more entertaining humans I’ve encountered.”

  “I’ll be sure to add that to my resume. ‘Entertainer for vampire space frogs’.”

  He laughed again, which was perfect. If she could keep him talking, that would give Brendan time to get to them.

  “I’m afraid the only way I can justify keeping you alive is if you prove yourself useful—beyond your wit and tendency toward violence.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “If you truly are unwilling to assist with our spawning pools, perhaps you could help out some of our colleagues. We’re not the only ones facing challenges in acclimating to Earth. They’re loving the cold, but I hear the Centaurans are having trouble adjusting to the oxygen levels in the Himalayas.”

  She really, really wanted to smash the pitcher into the side of his face. But then they would kill her. And Khel. She still wasn’t ready to give up hope that the signal would reach Brendan and he could… She didn’t even know. If he was with Khel’s commander on the Arbiter, surely there would be something they could do.

  “Death or cooperation,” she said. “Like that’s actually a choice.”

  “I knew I had you pegged as a crusader.” Norm shook his head, then grinned and gestured to his goons. She spoke quickly.

  “I have some questions before we start working together.”

  He blinked a few times, then smiled and leaned back in his chair, waving off his lackeys. She had surprised him. Good. She wanted him off-balance…before she put him on Balance.

  She smiled.

  “Well, this is a most pleasant surprise,” he said. “What do you need to know?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  There was no way that Paige was considering collaborating with the Tau Ceti. And the Centaurans? Cygnus-X, how had they managed to set up a base on Earth? The problem was so much worse than Khel had thought. And it went beyond this one planet.

  The Tau Ceti had learned how to thwart not only the cloak for his ship, but they had shut down all systems—even the failsafe self-destruct. Whatever technology they had developed, it posed a serious threat to the Coalition. Possibly a fatal one. Adding to that the fact that the Tau Ceti were working in concert with others…

  Strength in numbers had been on the Coalition’s side. They had colonized most of the Milky Way, setting up bases and building new planetary populations. They had fleets of ships and outnumbered any other single species that was allied with them.

  And every new species discovered allied with them. The Coalition didn’t offer a choice.

  But if other planets star
ted banding together, if they were making advances like the Tau Ceti had demonstrated… The Coalition didn’t stand a chance.

  When Adam approached Khel with his plan to try to bring more freedom to Coalition citizens, it had seemed insane. The disruption it would cause to their society… Was nothing compared to what they were truly facing. He still couldn’t believe that no one had discovered what was going on.

  He could only hope that Paige’s panic button was transmitting and that Brendan would pick up its signal. If the Tau Ceti had taken Khel and Paige to their spawning pools, they were far enough from settlements that Adam could order interceptors to the surface. All they needed was more time.

  “Tau Ceti and Centaurans,” Khel said. “Are there any other Coalition ‘allies’ here that will face the tribunal?”

  Norm laughed. “You’d be surprised how many of us have been unhappy under the Coalition’s rule. Even among your own citizens.”

  Khel couldn’t bring himself to respond. His teeth ground together. Earth’s planetary liaison working with the Tau Ceti was bad enough. The corruption that had been exposed as Khel dug into his smuggling operation was appalling. And that was before he knew about the Tau Ceti and Centauran settlements.

  “When was the last time anything changed in the Coalition?” Norm asked. “What you have isn’t peace—it’s stagnation. Trust me, I come from a planet that’s a swamp. I know these things. This is the beginning of the end for the Coalition.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Paige said. “Let’s finish with the posturing.”

  She lifted her backpack to the table and stood. The guards shifted forward, but Norm gestured for them to stand down again.

  “Khel’s told me enough about the Coalition that I already know I don’t like them. If you guys are setting up shop and willing to let me in, I can at least stop you from totally messing up the planet while you’re putting down roots. Especially since it’s going to happen no matter what.”

  She opened her bag and pulled out several empty specimen containers along with the ones holding Balance, then said, “Take me to your spawning pools.”

  Norm smiled and stood. “Excellent. A most reasonable choice.”

  “I want to keep Khel, though.” She turned toward Khel and ran her fingertip along his jaw. “No vaporizing him, no matter how annoying he can be.”

  Something in her gaze, an intensity that he recognized, told him that it was a ruse—it had to be a ruse. And part of a plan. He trusted her.

  She turned back to Norm and said, “I’m assuming you have a lab for me to work in and someone who can explain your technology?”

  “Absolutely. But you don’t have to get started right away.”

  “I’d rather get it over with.” She fiddled with her specimen jars and swung her bag over her shoulder. “Make Khel walk out front.”

  “So my guards can keep him in check?” Norm asked.

  Paige shrugged. “I just like watching his ass while he walks, but that, too.”

  Norm laughed and she smiled. It made Khel’s stomach churn. But he believed in her. Believed she had a plan and knew what she was doing.

  She had said they underestimated Earthlings and that was their best chance to escape. Walking behind the guards with Norm gave her an opening. And she had the Balance in her hands.

  Khel glared at them, trying to look betrayed and angry. He barely resisted as the guards turned him around and pushed him forward, listening closely as Paige talked to Norm behind them all.

  “My coworkers have always told me it’s weird that I never go anywhere without specimen vials. Joke’s on them.”

  Khel could hear her fidgeting, her clothing rustling as she moved.

  “Crap. These are already full from that drainage ditch I was testing yesterday. Could you hold this one for me?”

  “Certainly,” Norm said. “I’m happy to help.”

  Khel smirked as he imagined Norm taking the small cylinder. He was sure Paige had figured out a way to get some Balance on the outside. He counted down in his mind. 3-2-1.

  Norm’s body barely made a sound as it impacted with the soft earth. Khel dropped and kicked out with his legs, sweeping the guards’ feet. One leapt clear, but the other was caught and fell.

  Jumping back up, Khel struck the one that was still standing. In his periphery, he saw Paige swing her arm, liquid spraying the guard on the ground.

  They hadn’t had a chance to sound the alarm. If they could take out this last one—

  The cyborg dropped its weapon and lifted its arms in the air. That was odd.

  Paige’s eyes were wide and her mouth had dropped open. Then she smiled and nodded.

  “I guess not everyone in the Coalition is too complacent to take action,” she said.

  Khel looked over his shoulder at four interceptors blocking out the sky above the trees. He laughed, relief flooding his body.

  Paige opened another vial of Balance and splashed the last cyborg, then watched him fall. She nudged all three prone Tau Ceti with her foot and nodded. When she turned to Khel and smiled, his heart started to pound. They had done it.

  She stepped over the guards and jumped into his arms, kissing him passionately. He crushed her to his chest, devouring her mouth with his. She wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing their bodies even closer together.

  Three of the interceptors broke away from the group, fanning out over the area. No doubt, they were searching for more Tau Ceti, building a sensor web that would hopefully detect any who tried to escape.

  Or they simply couldn’t stomach Khel’s display of affection. He was amazed to realize that he didn’t care.

  The voice that projected from the remaining ship’s communications relay as it landed was one he recognized, but it wasn’t Sadirian.

  “Ugh, stop it! That’s my sister!”

  Paige broke off the kiss and shouted, “Shut up, Brendan!”

  She pressed her forehead to Khel’s and they laughed.

  “Come on,” she said, sliding down his body and lacing their fingers together as she stood next to him. A ramp was opening beneath the main interceptor and she pulled him toward it, squeezing his hand. “I want to see where this takes us.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Two spaceships in one day. Paige could barely believe it. But the interceptor sat in front of her, its chrome hull reflecting the trees around them. The ship had the same sleek lines as Khel’s skimmer—before the Tau Ceti had snapped it in pieces—but was a complete circle rather than a half-moon. Panels had unfolded from the bottom of the ship to hold it up off the ground.

  Cylindrical mechanisms protruded from the outer ring of the ship at regular intervals. Some rotated around as if they were scanning the area. Others very obviously had weapons attached, the design a larger version of the phase rifles she had seen.

  The Sadirians weren’t messing around with their interceptors.

  She’d probably be more comfortable on board than staring at its guns. Before she could set foot on the ramp, Brendan ran out of the ship. He grabbed her up in a huge bear hug the likes she hadn’t experienced since High School.

  A dozen people—aliens—marched down the spaceship’s ramp after him, carrying phase rifles and stunners. They were all wearing shiny silver one-piece uniforms. The belts at their waists had a few items attached to them of various shapes and sizes. She could only speculate about what they did. Their faces were concealed in featureless chrome helmets, and they wore thick gloves and boots.

  Some disappeared into the foliage, while a few remained to deal with the Tau Ceti she and Khel had taken down. She focused on her brother.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said.

  Dammit, her eyes were tearing up. She squeezed him back just as hard, trying to shake it off.

  “You think cyborg vampire space frogs can take me down? Please.”

  He laughed, then set her back on her feet—but he kept one arm around her shoulders. He extended his hand to Khel and said, “Thank you.
For keeping her safe.”

  Khel clasped Brendan’s forearm in what must be the Sadirian version of a handshake. He set his other hand on Brendan’s shoulder.

  “No thanks are required. And in truth, she aided me much more than I aided her. Paige is an incredible warrior.” Khel glanced down at her, his cheeks turning pink. “You should also know, we—”

  “I shouldn’t know anything. I got enough of an eyeful already.” Brendan shook his head, clenching his eyes tightly shut for a moment. “What I should have done was warn you. Paige is…outgoing. I thought you’d be immune to her charms. I should have known better.”

  “Underestimate me at your peril,” she said. “And talking about me as if I’m not present will earn you consequences.”

  She stuck her fingers between a pair of Brendan’s ribs where she knew he was incredibly ticklish and he leapt about a foot off the ground.

  “Paige!” He rubbed the spot and glared at her.

  She grinned, then stepped forward so she could stand next to Khel instead. She tucked herself against his side and wrapped her arm around his waist.

  “What are you wearing?” She hadn’t noticed before, but Brendan was dressed in a silver catsuit just like the Sadirians. Well, his didn’t have the shiny chrome helmet or gloves. The outfit made his red hair look extra coppery.

  “You look like something out of a science fiction movie from the 50s,” she said.

  He glared at her. “It’s a Coalition uniform. We have to wear them on the Arbiter.”

  “I look forward to seeing you in one of them.” Khel grinned down at her. She could get used to that grin.

  “I look forward to seeing you out of one.” She put her hand on the back of Khel’s neck and pulled him close for another kiss.

  Brendan groaned in the background.

  “I see you’re keeping the human safe.”

  Khel jumped at the booming voice, his body stiffening in ways that weren’t nearly as much fun as earlier in the day. He turned to face the trio of people Paige only just realized had been hanging around close by.