Defiant (Battle Born Book 13)
Page 23
The unconscious guard partially blocked the door, but a couple of shoves from Sental slid the guard’s body out of the way. Sental immediately knelt by the guard, disarming him then securing his hands behind his back. Drex reassured their target.
“We’re here to help you, Helen,” Drex said with a warm smile. “Are you all right? Have they harmed you in anyway?”
“Who are you?” Helen scooted back from the table and pushed to her feet. Her body might be slightly stooped and her face wrinkled, but her spirit still burned brightly. “How did you know about me?”
“We’ve been searching ever since you disappeared. Thea is on our ship.”
“This fool said something similar.” Helen glared at Jacob as she walked around the table. “Why should I believe you?”
“Because he’s telling the truth.” Thea rushed into the kitchen through the back door. She leapt over the unconscious guard and gave her grandmother a firm hug. “I have been so worried about you.”
Helen laughed. “I’m fine, sweetheart. Though Jacob is clearly a liar, he has been a perfect gentleman.” Thea finally released her and Helen stepped back. “Can’t say the same thing about that foulmouthed Jim. I was so glad when he left us at the airport.”
Jacob sat docilely and silent as Drex snapped the restraints around his wrists, but he watched everything with keen interest.
“What did you hit him with?” Sental asked as he shook the guard’s shoulder. “He is really out.”
“Veeko, bio-stream Sental and the guard onto the ship,” Drex ordered.
He turned back toward the table as the two disappeared.
“Did they just…” Helen stared in awe at the empty space where Sental and the guard had just been.
“They did,” Thea said with a smile. “Why don’t you go with Drex. I want to talk to Jacob.”
“I’m not leaving you alone with him,” Drex told her.
“Fine. This won’t take long.” She took a deep breath and faced Jacob. “Do you know? Have you always known?”
To his credit, Jacob didn’t play dumb. “It started before L.A. The accident just gave us the fuel we needed to ignite a bonfire.”
Emotions bombarded Drex, hatred and grief, anger and betrayal.
Thea trembled with their force, but her eyes remained dry. “Did you believe anything you told me?”
All Jacob said was, “I’m sorry. It wasn’t personal.”
“No, it was criminal, and I will make damn sure you pay for everything you’ve done.”
They all bio-streamed back to the ship and Drex helped secure the guard and Jacob to separate seats near the back of the small ship. Veeko asked their destination, but Drex couldn’t make himself leave. “Sensor jammers and barred windows. This place is protecting something important. We can’t give the RF leaders the opportunity to move whatever it is.”
“Battle born and human teams are on their way,” Veeko told him. “The battle born team is about ten minutes out. General Lux might have told us to wait for backup before we went in, but you were already in position.”
Drex laughed. “You’re welcome on my team anytime.”
It was uncomfortable just waiting with two males in restraints glaring at him, but Drex had to be sure whatever they were hiding was recovered by either the human taskforce or the battle born. The battle born team arrived and set up a security perimeter as other team members began to search the house.
Now Drex had no excuse but curiosity to delay their departure, so he looked at Veeko. “Most of us are bound for the Triumphant, but Helen lives in Florida. I’m not sure General Lux wants any more human visitors aboard his ship.”
“Only one way to find out,” Sental said, then pinged General Lux. Sedrik gave his permission for both Helen and Thea to visit, if Thea agreed to speak with him. Thea didn’t look pleased with the stipulation, but agreed.
They arrived a little over two hours later and the prisoners were taken to the detention level. Sental headed to the nearest lounge and Veeko secured the shuttle. Thea and Helen were escorted to General Lux, which left Drex and Jenna on their own.
“Wow.” She looked at him and smiled. “That was quite a day.”
“We accomplished a lot, but there is still so much left to do.” He took her hand and led her from the landing bay.
“Such as?”
“Stopping the Outcasts from stealing any more females, finding Abaddon, and identifying all the traitors within the U.S. military.”
She glanced at him then nodded. “It’s definitely going to take the battle born to stop the Outcasts. Abaddon claimed that he controlled one third of the military, but the only proof we have was one attack that involved a dozen fighter jets. Even with Big Jim’s involvement, my instincts tell me it was a bluff.”
It would be really nice if she were right, but Drex had his doubts. Still, he had no interest in arguing with her. “You could be right, but we need to know for sure.”
She stopped walking and looked at him. “Do you realize how much humans and the battle born have been cooperating since the Defiant was destroyed? It’s almost like we’re allies or something.” She ended the statement with a challenging smile.
“Apparently a common enemy was all we needed to set aside our petty differences.”
“Or we’re just damn good negotiators.” She squeezed his hand and started walking again.
“There’s no denying our skill, but we’re a little more than political rivals.”
“Are we now? Maybe I don’t want to be more than your rival.” She playfully tugged her hand out of his and hurried away.
He easily caught her and spun her around, pressing her up against the corridor wall. “And maybe it’s not about what you want.” He kissed her deeply, flooding her mind with affection and passion.
Then what is it about? She kissed him back, rubbing against him as her love and devotion flowed across their link.
It’s about what we want, he told her. Always what we want.
THE END
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Coming Fall 2017—Series Finale!
Featuring Sedrik and Rebecca
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The exciting spinoff series
Outcasts, Coming Fall/Winter 2017
Featuring Arton and Lily