Interra (Awakened Series Book 5)

by Harley Austin

  “I need to rescue him, somehow. I know he’s in that tall building.”

  “I know. All of us can feel him. It’s just getting there that’s that problem.”

  “I don’t know what to do, Jerrod.” Serena held onto him.

  He sighed. “I do. We need to get you into that spire.”

  “But their soldiers are everywhere now.”

  “We’ll find a way, Serena. I promise.” Jerrod wrapped himself around her under the sheet, spooning her again softly, quieting her feelings with his own, a plan beginning to form in his awakened mind.

  * * * * *

  “How in the hell did you make Colonel?” A major looked askance at Dark who was riding in the same executive bus with two dozen other high-ranking officers. “I’ve never even heard of you.”

  “Covert Ops. They promote people who take out Dominion installations,” Dark smirked.

  “Installations? What installations? I’ve never even heard of Covert Ops. What division is that with?”

  “No division. I report directly to the First General. Any other questions, asshole?”

  The major’s brows lifted with surprise. He shook his head quickly, then left his bench seat to put as much distance as he could between himself and the new obviously well-connected Colonel.

  Both Dark and Jake rode their shuttle bus through a kind of spiraling tunnel that moved them deeper and deeper underground. Their bus convoy emerged into a day-lit cavern of beautiful jungle-like forests and waterfalls and a magnificent shining golden city beyond. Everyone on the bus looked in awe at the majesty of the immense buildings, towers and spires.

  Jake’s mind buzzed with the surreal visage of what the gods had built long, long ago.

  Their bus moved along a new highway that then rose and merged onto an elevated stretch of road with no guardrails, an ultra-smooth freeway that seemed to be supported by nothing as they moved between buildings and finally into the central square where dozens of other busses were already parked amidst a sea of demigods being brought into the city.

  Dark and Jake readied themselves to exit the bus but actually waited for everyone to leave. Everyone exited the bus heading for the central spire—everyone, except one. The bus was empty now, except for Dark, Jake, and one female officer whose badge read Z. Parker, Lt. Colonel.

  “You’ve been staring at us all afternoon, Parker.” Dark gathered his things.

  Jake said nothing.

  “I envisioned you being taller for some reason.” The tall, slender, Asian halfblood with long hair was gorgeously beautiful, refined, her Asian accent barely noticeable.

  “I didn’t realize six-two was substandard these days.” Dark gripped a small duffle on the floor, standing.

  “You two know each other?” Jake asked, looking at the two of them.

  “Only by reputation,” the beautiful Colonel answered.

  “You’re not Wraith.”

  “We’re all Wraith now; or soon will be.”

  “What clan are you?”

  “Blood Dragon.”

  Dark’s brow lifted. “I hadn’t realized the Wraith were recruiting high-end.”

  “The Wraith are recruiting from everywhere.” Her Chinese was native and elegant.

  Dark nodded. Wraith had become a religion unto itself. Most of the clans had lost people to them—including his own.

  “You’re not exactly here for the party.” She stood, gathering her things.

  “Apparently, neither are you.” Dark drew the duffle over his shoulder.

  “I have a target to put away.”

  “Get in line,” Dark offered. Multiple assassins going after the same subject was never a good idea.

  “The security around this place is air tight, Colonel.”

  “No kidding. What I wouldn’t give for a decent empath right now.” Dark met eyes with her. “Know where I could find one?”

  “Depends.” She walked up to him. With her shorter height, her nose met just under his jawline. “Decent empaths are in short supply these days.” She whispered with a tone that made Jake’s own groin twinge.

  Jake watched as Dark’s arm moved around her slender waist, his hand slipping gently down her back until he was palming her ass.

  “I may need to charge—double,” she whispered, her lips inches from his.

  Just watching the emotional heat the two demigods generated in a near instant of time began firming Jake’s cock.

  “What about the kid?” she asked, not looking at Jake.

  “He can watch.” Dark pulled her closer.

  As well skilled as he was, suddenly the Mossad-trained killer was feeling heavily out-classed by the sensuous banter and thick emotion on display by the two demigods. He knew they were insulting him, but at the same time, he was deeply intrigued by their almost instant attraction and some apparent professional code they shared that he was oblivious to. Two halfblood assassins, meeting by chance, and recognizing each other only by reputation. Jake was almost wishing he had not asked Dark if he could come along. He felt like a serious third wheel at the moment. And he couldn’t just leave Dark’s side. He was probably the only Human in Interra at the moment. He was sure to be recognized by someone and then the whole mission would be blown. He was glad when Dark pulled away from her. She looked disappointed with a wanton pout all over her face. Jesus, the guy was good.

  “Not here.” Dark’s steel blues dug into her gaze. “We need to disappear. Away from the rest.”

  She agreed.

  Jake followed them away from the bus and into the magnificent city.

  * * * * *

  The grand central plaza of Interra had become of sea of people, as something close to a million halfbloods from every clan on Earth descended on the fabled city. Dressed all in black, the crowds were gathered into orderly sections circling the citadel spire, with wide road-sized aisles between the sections of crowds.

  Like unseen ghosts in plain sight, Beau and Ian made their way through the throngs of people while a parade of heavy ion armaments rolled slowly past the multitudes displaying the might of the victorious Wraith.

  “Haven’t we seen those missile tanks before?” Ian frowned, watching the convoy of heavy armor.

  “We have. They just keep showing the same hardware over and over.”

  “Do you really think Terrell can destroy Interra?”

  “I’m not sure, Ian. I hope not. It would be a massive loss to the Ra and Humanity as well. But with the city dormant like it is, who knows. Maybe he could.”

  “I wish my danger senses would simmer down.” Both moved along a sidewalk filled with people they avoided but would occasionally brush by.

  “I know, mine have been tingling ever since we left the building.”

  “I hope you and Jerrod know what you’re doing.”

  “We do, Ian.” Beau assured.

  “It’s just—”

  Ian never finished his thought. He stumbled, hitting the glass sidewalk hard, something like ice crawling quickly over his skin. Beau whirled to see Ian fall, just as something frigid and cold hit him from the side. Suddenly he couldn’t think, the icy-cold sensation flashed over his body keeping him from focusing. His concentration broken, his psionic cloaking was no more.

  Beau stumbled backward, falling against the sidewalk. It was cold. God it was cold. The freezing chill now hit him again, and again from people with long weapons standing over him. He wished he could see them more clearly, but they were just blurs to him as he felt his clothing being torn away from his body and more blasts of the icy-cold sensations.

  51

  I hope Beau and Ian are in position by the time this grand speech of Terrell’s gets going.”

  “His police are everywhere, Jerrod.” Serena frowned nervously. Both were psionically cloaked, moving through the crowds quickly.

  “I noticed. They’ll be alright.” Jerrod tried to reassure himself. Since the beginning of the parade more people had shown up than he could have ever imagined the populati
ons of the demigods to be.

  Ducking halfblood police and other military security, both eventually reached the outside of the tall spire where they could feel Rion inside. Slipping past thickly posted military guard, the pair made their way to a grand open hall filled with Terrell’s top brass in full dress formal uniforms. Four stories above the streets and encircled by dozens of thick colossal ornate pillars, the entire opulent floor of the massive tower opened to the outside with dozens of balconies overlooking the grand plaza below.

  “Oh, my God,” Serena whispered telepathically. “This place is huge; it’s beautiful. Like something from Heaven.”

  “I think at one time this floor was like a ballroom.” Jerrod moved them through the hundreds of people mulling about enjoying various drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Even with the hundreds and hundreds of Terrell’s elite officers gathered in the space, they only filled a small part of it. Jerrod also noticed that the police and other military guard were all but absent here. At least Terrell wasn’t totally paranoid.

  “What do we do now?” Serena asked.

  “We wait for Beau and Ian.”

  The didn’t have to wait long.

  A decorated procession of honored officers and elite guard moved down the grand stairs from the floor above. Led by the First General, Terrell, his entourage walked past the assembled officers of the grand ballroom and then out onto the balcony facing the throngs of cheering halfblood demigods gathered into a sea of organized people below. Their rancorous cheers were nearly deafening as Terrell lifted his hands over the crowds as if blessing them in a kind of religious ceremony with himself elevated as their savior, their king and their god.

  Standing behind Terrell to either side, hooded and cloaked in red, two people, a man and the other obviously a woman, stood silently, obviously his elite body guards.

  After what seemed to Jerrod like canned cheering for far too long, Terrell finally quieted the crowds and began speaking.

  “People of Terrell—” he began.

  Serena flashed Jerrod an ugly scowl as both watched from behind one of the massive pillars. “People of Terrell?” she mouthed to him silently, but Jerrod heard her words in his mind. “Megalomania much?”

  “He’s a crackpot, Serena—Shhh.”

  “Today is a momentous occasion. One we have all labored intensely to bring about. Your loyalty to your Lord, is about to be rewarded.”

  “I think I’m going throw up.” Serena mocked.

  Jerrod shushed her again. As if on cue, both watched as a new small procession of people began descending the stairs. Dressed in the silver-mesh freezer suits and bound by shining polished chrome chains, the guards led Rion and Aramis.

  “Jerrod! It’s Rion!” she telepathed excitedly.

  “And Aramis. But look who’s behind them.”

  “Oh my God. Beau and Ian?”

  “That was fast. I’m betting they never even made it to the building.”

  Both watched as another troop led two more prisoners down the stairs.

  “They captured Elle too!”

  “And Tanner.” Jerrod frowned.

  “Jerrod! What are we supposed to do? The plan isn’t going to work now,” she warned.

  “It can still work. They don’t have you and I.”

  “But I’m still learning all of this!”

  “Welcome to on-the-job-training, Serena. We’ve showed you how to connect with minds. One of us has to connect with Terrell’s mind and shut him down—permanently.”

  “We have dealt a mighty blow against the forces of our adversaries!” Terrell droned on in his dictatorial fervor, “Seized their capital city and captured their mightiest leaders!”

  Rion and Aramis, Beau and Ian, Elle and Tanner were ceremoniously paraded out onto the balcony for the immense crowd to see. Boos and jeers rose up from the throngs for many long minutes as the prisoners were made to endure the soul-crushing disdain of the multitudes.

  “Even now, there are elements within our city who seek to keep us from grasping our destiny. I know you are listening,” Terrell’s voice grew slightly softer and dramatic. “Show yourselves. Join with us! And I will show you mercy. Because we are a merciful people!”

  “Sure you are.” Elle quipped.

  Her comment got Terrell’s attention as he muted his uniform’s microphone and turned away from the people, as if to give their enemies time to come forward, like he had just given an altar call before a million people in the congregation.

  He approached her, speaking normally, but not loud enough for the crowds below to hear. His eyes danced over her form-fitting restraining suit that left nothing to the imagination of her feminine curves. “You, I’m going to spare. I need a slave—someone to, please me.” He slipped his hand up to the side of her face. Elle turned her cheek away from him, but never took her eyes from his. His fingers tangled into her hair, jerking her head back. He could see resolve in her face but also fear in her glare. “I’m going to fuck you so hard, Elle. You’ll be screaming for more.”

  “In your dreams, Psycho.” She tried to pull away from his grip, but the halfblood was much to strong for her in her weakened state.

  “Indeed. And they have been dreams of mine for a long time, Elle. Dreams of being—a real god.”

  “Holy shit!” Serena heard Jerrod exclaim.

  Serena’s own mind quickly made the connection. “Jerrod! He’s going to use her!”

  “To make himself Invictus, an invincible sun god,” he fumed.

  “We have to rescue them!”

  “What do you want me to do, Serena? The original plan is totally blown. We can’t just march in there! They’d just capture us as well.”

  “We can’t just sit here. We need a diversion.”

  Jerrod gave her an incredulous look. “This isn’t some cable cop show, Serena. If we raise a commotion, it will bring hundreds if not thousands of MP’s down onto the two of us.”

  “We can’t just—”

  Both saw the flash. The high-energy bolt came out of nowhere and struck the side of Terrell’s head—almost. Its energy splashed away from him, moving around his head as if being directed around him. The hot blast singed some of Elle’s hair as it moved past.

  Terrell quickly let go of her and looked all around. It was as if the sniper were invisible. No one seemed to know from where the shot had come. Everyone seemed to be looking around, their own side arms being drawn.

  “Put your weapons away,” Terrell ordered his guard and assembled officers. He then spoke openly, his voice raised. “Impressive. You’ve given yourself away now, assassin! Show yourself! And I will let you join with us!”

  After long moments there was still silence.

  “Very well,” Terrell continued. “My generosity as at an end. If you do not wish to join with us, I will kill each of the prisoners, one-by-one, until you do. Beginning—with this one.” Terrell drew his large ionic side arm and leveled it’s barrel directly at the side of Rion’s head.

  Jerrod could see what was happening. His arms were already strongly wrapped around Serena, his hand covering her mouth, muffling her scream.

  “I will give you to the count of three.” Terrell began. “One.”

  Everyone began looking around, wondering from where the clandestine assassin might appear.

  “Two.” Terrell continued slowly.

  Serena was fighting Jerrod desperately, but he held her fast.

  “Three.” Terrell finished. His eyes met Rion’s. “Pity.”

  The First General leveled his weapon and was about to pull the trigger when suddenly a hot blast rang out from somewhere that had come from inside the building this time. The ion bolt stuck Rion squarely in the back, exiting his chest, and glancing off the floor! Rion wailed in pain, but only for a moment, before falling facedown onto the smooth stone of the balcony—dead.

  Dark didn’t move a muscle from his vantage point. Crazy bitch, what the hell are you doing!? He winced at seeing Rion fall. Rion was no longer mo
ving. The blast had cut cleanly through his chest, leaving a gaping hole. Dark looked away, closing his eyes. He realized too late that maybe the Blood Dragon assassin wasn’t on his side.

  Jerrod’s eyes had also drawn wide with surprise. He lost his grip on Serena who now ran at full speed toward the group on the balcony completely uncloaked.

  In his own shock and surprise, he lost his concentration. Jerrod was now visible and surrounded by more weapons than he could quickly count or cared to try to deal with. Someone slapped a thick plastic collar around his neck and then the MP’s pushed him out onto the balcony at gunpoint where Serena was kneeling, wailing over Rion’s bloodied and lifeless body.

  Terrell raised a brow at seeing Serena wailing and crying over Rion.

  “Oh, hey, Jerrod,” Elle began. “Better late than never. Welcome to hell.”

  Jerrod glared at her.

  “Well now. The incomparable Jerrod Sharp, in the flesh no less,” Terrell smirked. “Chief of the Invicti; leader of the invincible sun gods!” Terrell began to laugh.

  Jerrod glared. He was about to give the guy a spanking he wouldn’t forget when the collar he had been saddled with began to whine with his building psionic charge.

  “I would think twice about that if I were you, Jerrod,” Terrell warned. “The backscatter sensors in your collar are tied to detonate concentrated C5 explosives embedded within it.”

  Jerrod suddenly understood. He backed down the building psionic charge until the collar was quiet.

  Someone was trying to get another of the collars close to Serena, but it’s proximity sensor began whining even before they could get close to her. The MP was afraid the thing would go off in his hands.

  Good job, Serena. Jerrod thought to himself. Keep it up. Jerrod could see that the rest of them were all wearing the same collars.

  “And this must be the new princess,” Terrell quipped, unmoved by her cries.