He quickly spotted the seven new Hunters. Like all Rodyte ships, the Hunters appeared sleek and aggressive. Slightly larger than the covert class shuttles known as Phantoms, the Hunters were designed for midrange operations and required a minimum crew of six, though they could accommodate as many as twelve.
Approaching Hunter Three, Sedrik paused at the foot of the stairs descending from the hatchway and called out, “Permission to come aboard.”
Zilor Nox appeared at the top of the stairs, a friendly smile on his handsome face. “I didn’t realize generals needed permission to go anywhere. Gods know Garin doesn’t bother asking anymore.”
Sedrik took the response as consent and climbed the stairs. “Your brother has been a general a lot longer than I have.”
“Very true.” Zilor was half a head taller than Sedrik and had the sort of face that drew attention wherever he went. The reflective rings in his eyes, known as phitons, were silver rather than purple, which was the most common color found in the battle born. Wavy dark hair brushed his shoulders and at least three days’ growth of beard shadowed his jaw. If Zilor had been part of Sedrik’s crew, he would have insisted that the younger man conform to military standards. But Zilor was a special operative who answered directly to Apex General Nox, aka big brother Garin.
“So what can I do for you, sir,” Zilor asked.
“I’m not here as General Lux. I’m here as Sedrik, longtime friend of the family.”
Zilor’s brows arched and he motioned toward the interior of the ship. “Either way, you’re welcome on my ship, but I’m about to join one of the search parties.”
They walked toward the cockpit, which was separated from the main compartment by a narrow hallway. “I haven’t seen one of these babies in action yet. Thought I’d tag along.” Zilor shot him a suspicious look but didn’t comment. The Hunters had been delivered three weeks ago. If Sedrik’s interest were real, he would have asked for a test flight long before now. “As the humans would say, I can’t bullshit a bullshitter?”
Zilor laughed. “I’ve known you too long. Even as a child, every move you made had purpose. What’s really going on?”
“Rebecca Dayton is making fools of us all and we need her too badly to allow it to continue. I just received a new lead that looks very promising, so I’d like to oversee the mission myself.”
Zilor slipped into the seat behind the master control matrix, but pivoted the chair around so he faced Sedrik. “If it was anyone but you, I’d be insulted. Tracking down elusive prey is what I do best.”
“I’m aware. That’s why I’m here. But this female is like smoke. My men have had her cornered three different times and she still managed to slip through their fingers.”
“I love a good challenge.” Zilor accented the claim with a grin. “You don’t need to abandon your ship. If this lead is legitimate, we won’t return without her. I guarantee it.”
“All three team leaders were just as confident and all three came up empty,” Sedrik warned.
With a thoughtful nod, Zilor turned back around and pushed his hands into the holo-matrix, continuing his pre-flight checks. “I might not be part of your crew, but you still have rank over me.”
“I don’t want to order you to do this,” Sedrik stressed. “I’m asking for your help.”
Zilor paused and looked back at Sedrik. “You have it, of course. You’re like a brother to me.”
“Thank you.”
Sedrik felt awkward standing there with nothing to do, so he sat in the second row of seats. A few minutes passed as Zilor continued to ready the ship for departure.
“Will this be the first time you’ve been off the Triumphant since she was assigned to you?” Zilor asked.
“No, but close. She’s a demanding mistress.”
“I can imagine.” Zilor’s hands flew through the matrix, creating colorful patterns and launching holo-screens that displayed various functions. “Are you sure your second can handle her while you’re gone?”
“I wouldn’t have chosen Tyrale for the position if I didn’t. Besides, we should only be gone a few hours. If all goes well.”
Finlott, the navigator, walked into the cockpit a few minutes later. He greeted Sedrik, clearly surprised to find a general aboard their ship, then took his place in the tall-backed seat beside Zilor.
They lapsed into silence as the pair continued preparations. Then Zilor told his navigator that the mission parameters had changed and Sedrik was now in command.
“So what’s so special about this female?” Finlott wanted to know once they had been given permission to launch. “Half the fleet is searching for her.”
Zilor shot him an irritated glance. “You didn’t read your mission brief, I take it?”
Finlott cringed. “I might have overindulged at Lunar Nine last night.”
“That’s not an excuse for dereliction of duties,” Zilor insisted as he set the ship in motion.
Sedrik suspected the reprimand was for his benefit, so he put them both at ease. “We’ve all been there. We’ll catch you up.”
“Rebecca Dayton was named in one of the human propaganda videos,” Zilor told the navigator. “The narrator claimed that Rebecca underwent our transformation process and ended up horribly mutated because of the procedure. The entire transformation is shown in gory detail, so the video is extremely convincing.”
“Or it was until we learned that Rebecca Dayton is still alive,” Sedrik explained. “If we can find her, we can prove the tape was faked, or that it didn’t happen the way the humans claimed it did.”
“You’ll have to explain about her connection to the RF,” Zilor said. “I’m not sure I understand all the ins and outs.”
“The Resistance Force is led by someone calling himself Abaddon,” Sedrik explained. “We have strong indications that Abaddon is an Evonti or at the very least is working for them.”
“Perfect,” Finlott grumbled. “Those bastards are becoming a real pain in the ass.”
“Agreed,” Sedrik said. “Abaddon’s second-in-command is called Big Jim, and it just so happens that he is married to Rebecca Dayton.”
That got Finlott’s attention. He pulled his hands out of the navigational matrix and turned toward Sedrik. “The female we’re hunting is mated to one of the RF leaders?”
Sedrik nodded. “Needless to say, we’d like to question her.”
Finlott whistled through his teeth as he turned back around. “After outwitting three capture attempts, she’s likely to bolt as soon as she sees anyone in a Rodyte uniform.”
“I’m counting on it,” Sedrik said emphatically.
Zilor glanced at him and laughed. “I know that look. General Lux has a plan.”
“I have a plan,” Sedrik agreed. He leaned forward and told the others what he had in mind.
* * * * *
“Two draft beers and a shot of top-shelf whisky.” Rebecca Dayton twirled her pencil between her fingers as she watched Rick, the bartender, to make sure he heard the order. It was barely nine o’clock and already the South Street Pub was teeming with rowdy patrons. The bar was small, and served a steady clientele of regulars, which worked to Rebecca’s advantage. Once the customers adjusted to the presence of a new waitress, no one paid her much attention or asked questions about her past.
Rick laughed, making his round belly jiggle. “This is Rowville, missy, not Sedona. Only got one shelf.” He pointed to the cluster of bottles behind him. “If they don’t like Jack Daniels, they can find another bar.”
Not about to argue with him, Rebecca set the drinks on her small tray and headed back to the table in the corner. She’d been slinging drinks at the Pub for the past three weeks. Rick paid her in cash and continually called her “missy”. Many of the customers had picked it up and now most believed that was her name. She showed up on time, worked hard while she was there, and walked to her studio apartment four blocks away when her shift ended. She only used her car for emergencies, didn’t use credit cards or go
near social media, and only accessed the internet at the Rowville public library. The precautions made her life tedious, at times, but they’d kept her ex-husband from finding her.
The battle born, on the other hand… Her entire body tensed. When and how the persistent aliens had found out about Big Jim, she wasn’t sure, but she had no doubt the only reason they wanted her was to get to her ex-husband. And she was just as sure that they would keep trying. Her only hope was to stay one step ahead of them, which was becoming harder and harder to accomplish.
She passed out the drinks with a faint smile. “This is all we have,” she told the particular frat boy, who barely looked old enough to drink.
He rolled his eyes and looked at his friends, “I told you we should have gone somewhere else. Sedona is only forty minutes farther. This place is a dive.”
His companions laughed and mocked him, but Rebecca didn’t stick around to enjoy his reprimand. She had to keep the regulars satisfied. They were the lifeblood of this place, and this job was the backbone of her existence. She turned to her left and walked toward the row of booths against the far wall. The occupants had yet to be served and were getting restless.
The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and her steps faltered. A noticeable hush fell over the crowd and she immediately changed direction. Turning in a wide arch, she headed toward the back room, avoiding the main door and the Rodytes she knew she’d find there. They always seemed to hunt in packs.
“What do they want?” one of the customers muttered as she passed his table.
“What they always want, women.”
The exchange confirmed her fear without her needing to see the ruthless trackers. Somehow the battle born had found her again. Her pulse raced and she sped her steps, moving as fast as possible without drawing attention to herself. She reached the back room without incident and set down her tray, pad of paper and pencil. Reaching into the pocket of her jeans, she retrieved a small device she prayed she wouldn’t need, then rushed out through the back door.
Why wouldn’t they leave her alone? She knew the answer. Big Jim must still be on the loose, which meant she still had value. The thought of her ex spiked her smoldering emotions and she began to run. Four years under that man’s control had left her demoralized and despondent. She’d just about given up hope of ever escaping his abuse when Thea Cline joined the Resistance Force.
The alley ended and Rebecca emerged on South Street, the busiest street in town. She slowed her steps to a brisk walk, looking around with as much subtlety as possible. Small town nightlife was in full swing. There were only three bars in Rowville and they were all located on South Street, so the area became almost impassible once the sun went down.
Rodytes were easy to spot. They generally stood head and shoulders above the crowd. All she saw were rowdy humans in both directions. Apparently, the battle born trackers were still in the pub, likely harassing the customers and questioning Rick.
Thrilled with her clean getaway, she rushed in the opposite direction from the bars. She’d walk off the adrenaline as she made damn sure she wasn’t being followed, only then would she return to her apartment. She’d need to gather her few possessions and head off to the next small town.
She sighed, frustrated by the endless string of backwater communities and anxiety. She was constantly looking over her shoulder, afraid the battle born had found her, or worse, Big Jim and his goons had finally tracked her down.
There was a tiny chance that the Rodytes’ arrival had nothing to do with her. They might just be getting a drink on their way to a mission. In Rowville? her inner voice mocked. Yeah, right.
If the battle born found her, they’d interrogate her, try to intimidate information out of her, but it was unlikely they’d kill her. Dead captives couldn’t tell them what they wanted to know. Big Jim or one of his men, on the other hand, would shoot her dead on the spot and throw her body in a ditch somewhere.
Turning down a side street, she jogged, needing to burn off the excess energy. A strange flash of light drew her attention to the street a short distance in front of her. A tall, broad-shouldered Rodyte gradually materialized. He wore the black-and-gold uniform of a battle born soldier. The transformation took less than a second, but she was paralyzed by the sight.
When had they…could they always… How had he appeared out of nowhere? Only the Evonti could teleport.
She shook her head, clearing the momentary muddle. Spinning around, she sprinted toward the nearest alley.
“Rebecca!”
Her heart lurched as she heard the oddly accented name, barely recognizing it as hers. So much for their arrival having nothing to do with her.
She ran as fast as she could, ignoring the slime beneath her boots and the noxious smells assailing her nose. She didn’t care if the bastard saw what she was about to do, but he couldn’t be near enough to touch her or it would ruin everything. Awkwardly glancing over her shoulder, she saw him start down the alley. Damn, the man was fast. Was there enough time? She had no other choice!
With a yell of pure frustration, she swiped her thumb across the surface of the object in her hand. Her body was caught within a vortex and violently sucked through space. This wasn’t the first time she’d used the Evonti device to elude her enemies, but the sensations were still staggering.
A faint pressure on her shoulder sent panic zinging through her system, but she didn’t try to throw off the light hold. She’d found out the hard way what happened when she moved within the vortex or fought against its nauseating pull. She never wanted to experience the agony again.
Slowly the pressure ebbed and she regained control of her body. Her stomach heaved and her head throbbed, but she managed to remain on her feet. The cave wasn’t large, yet it was divided into three separate rooms. Striations on the walls and ceiling indicated that machinery rather than water had formed the subterranean space. She’d been here numerous times before and still had no idea of the cave’s original purpose.
“Where did you get that thing?” the tracker snatched the device from her hand, clearly less effected by the transport pulse than she’d been. He looked around, dark eyes narrowed, jaw tightly clenched. “Where are we?”
“No idea.” She rolled her shoulders and stumbled toward the corner of the cave containing the supplies she’d stashed here over the past few months. There was a sleeping bag, a variety of nonperishable foods, bottled water, and an LED lantern. Subtle lighting inset in the cavern walls had been triggered by their arrival. The strips would remain luminous for an hour then turn off automatically. And without the lights, the cave was incredibly dark. She’d found that out the hard way too, thus the lantern.
He remained where he’d landed, boots planted well apart, chest puffed out, shoulders stretching the fabric of his uniform. His features were chiseled with ruthless angles, rugged and aggressive. Short, dark hair covered his head, accenting the unrelenting maleness of his features. His phitons were vivid purple, warning of his heightened emotions. With his fist clenched around the Evonti device and his eyes flashing, he looked ready for battle. All he needed was a rifle or sword.
“You’ve obviously been here before,” he noted, his gaze sharp and assessing. “Where in all of hells’ rings are we?”
She could tell by his autocratic tone that he was used to issuing orders. Too bad for him. She was finished responding to them. “Feel free to look around. Maybe you, with all your Rodyte wisdom, can figure out where we are. There are three chambers that all look more or less the same. The only openings in the cave walls are air shafts much too small to crawl through. The device always brings me to this room, but I have no idea where ‘this’ is.”
“How do you return to your departure point?” His voice was less slave driver’s whip now and more menacing rumble.
She was still unimpressed. “The device will take us back, but it takes between twelve and sixteen hours to reset or recharge or whatever it does. All I know is we’re stuck here until late tomorr
ow morning.”
He relaxed enough to unclench his hand, then turned the device this way and that, pausing over the strange symbols. “It’s clearly Evonti tech.” He looked at her, purple rings flashing. “Where did you get it?”
Thea Cline had stolen it for her, at great risk to herself. But there was no way Rebecca was bringing Thea into this. Thea was the one spark of light in the abyss surrounding the Resistance Force. “I swiped it from my ex-husband, of course. Where else would I have gotten Evonti tech?” Jim had literally kept her under lock and key for the last six months. There was no way she would have escaped if it hadn’t been for Thea’s assistance.
“You’re referring to the one known as Big Jim?” As if he didn’t know. This wasn’t a conversation, it was an interrogation.
“The very same.” She picked up a water bottle and twisted the lid off. After taking a long drink, she held it out toward the tracker. “Want some?” They were trapped here until tomorrow. Hostility would just increase the tension and make the time pass slower.
He shook his head. His features gradually relaxed and his hostile gaze turned speculative. He casually slipped the Evonti device into the pocket of his pants. Did he honestly think controlling the device gave him control over her?
“This is how you’ve eluded my men,” he stated after a short pause.
His men? Shit. This jerk wasn’t a tracker, he was a freaking commander. As if the trackers weren’t arrogant enough.
“I should have realized it was something like this,” he added when she didn’t confirm or deny his conclusion.
That made her eyes narrow. “Why? Because no mere human could outwit the mighty battle born?”
“No mere female,” he countered, then had the audacity to smile.
His expression softened and his face transformed. The harsh angles became exotic and she no longer felt assailed by the brightness of his eyes. He was much too tall and muscular to be trusted, of course. Her worthless ex had permanently cured her of her fascination with oversized men. Still, there was something about this man that appealed to her, stirring sensations she hadn’t felt for a very long time.
Triumphant (Battle Born Book 14) Page 2