Terran Realm Vol 1-6

by Dee, Bonnie

  Carr clapped him on the shoulder. He appreciated the man’s intelligence and foresight more and more. “Let’s go … and tell us how we’re going to get my woman and Molly Miller out of there.”

  Autumn walked close to Trent’s side as if she couldn’t bear to be away from him. “How are you all at climbing trees?” she asked, a smile in her voice.

  Brenna groaned. Mark said, “Cool.”

  * * * *

  Darcy picked up a sedated Lily and threw her across his shoulder. He’d dressed her in a set of warm-ups he’d packed. He left the pilot still bound in his seat. One of Brody’s lackeys could take care of the man.

  He exited the plane and carefully maneuvered down the portable stairs to the runway. Brody, the fucking bastard, was there to greet them. The elder Destroyer scanned Lily’s body, a lascivious gleam in his eyes.

  “She’s unconscious. She okay?” Brody asked, an eyebrow raised and a scowl twisting his lips. His voice demonstrated displeasure.

  Darcy did all he could not to wince at the power beating against his body. “I gave her a sedative to keep her quiet on the flight.” He stroked a hand down Lily’s sleek body. “She set off mini-quakes in Portland in an attempt to keep us on the ground. Plus, she has a nasty habit of shooting earth energy into a man’s testicles.”

  Chew on that, you old fart.

  “Amazing.” Brody rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with what Darcy could only call glee. “Perfect. Just what I expected. I can control her abilities with my voice. We’ll hold the world hostage to her tectonic powers. Bring her.” He turned his back on them and walked toward an entrance to the massive house. “I want her contained in her new quarters before she awakens.”

  Darcy swung Lily down and into his arms, cradling her against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. Her scent, once he’d sponge-bathed Madoc’s odor off her, had him hard and aching for most of the trip eastward. Soon. Soon he’d mark her with his seed and scent. But first, he had other business to attend to.

  “Where’s my mother?” Darcy followed Brody into the cool, dim hallway leading into the back of the house.

  “Safe, my boy. Safe.”

  He was not and never would be Brody’s “boy.” And soon the old man would realize that after Darcy slit the old bastard’s throat, silencing the man’s voice forever—once he could figure out how to approach the randy old bastard without him knowing it.

  “I want to see her.” He had no proof but Brody’s word that his mother was still alive. And he sure as hell didn’t trust the man’s word.

  “After we have Lily locked away.” Brody looked over his shoulder. “Patience.”

  Wincing, he bit his lip against the growl threatening to emerge. Brody had put power into his words, warning him, reminding him that debilitating pain could easily be his. He firmed his grip on Lily, afraid his trembling arms would drop her.

  As they walked into the central core of the house, he noted the way. He’d want to get out fast when the time came—and this back way in led to the best manner of escape—the jet.

  Brody took them to the den where he’d spoken with the old man before his fast flight to Oregon. After entering the room, the old Destroyer walked to a set of shelving that opened to reveal a door with an electronic lock on it. The older man blocked the keypad and entered a long set of numbers. The door buzzed and sprang open, revealing a stairwell leading down.

  Shifting Lily so he could hold onto the railing of the steep set of stairs, he followed Brody into a fully-equipped dungeon. The blood-red walls were lit subtly from above, highlighting a vast array of whips, chains, cuffs, and other instruments of torture. Around the room, pieces of equipment were spotlighted—a St. Andrew’s Cross, a whipping bench, a set of stocks, a stainless steel examination table and the main attraction in the room, a steel, four-poster bed with chains and anchor points to make sure that Brody’s victim could not get away or even move if he so chose.

  Darcy shuddered to think he’d brought his Lily to a den of pain and evil. While he liked a little BDSM, he liked to think he was not utterly depraved. He vowed to get her away as soon as possible—once he figured out how to defang the power of Brody’s deadly voice.

  “Put her on the bed,” Brody’s voice forced him to follow the instructions, “and leave. Wait upstairs in my den until the guards come to lead you to your mother. I wish to examine my bride-to-be.”

  “Bride?” He gritted his teeth against the unholy pain pummeling his body as he complied with Brody’s instructions. He gently placed Lily on the black satin spread. “You … have … a wife.”

  Once he’d placed Lily on the bed and stepped away, the pain beating on every inch of his body and mind receded somewhat.

  “She ran off with my former aide.” Brody waved a hand in the air. “Move away from her.”

  As he backed farther away from the bed, the pain lessened exponentially. The old fucker was herding him with his voice toward the door.

  “I have put some of my men on their trail. Autumn and her renegade lover will soon be dead, and I’ll be free to take a new wife. Lily will do admirably—once she learns my ways and how to keep me happy.”

  The demented lust in the older man’s eyes and voice sickened him. The only thing keeping him from attacking Brody, he assured himself, was the fact he had to find his mother. Yeah right, retard. Convince yourself that you aren’t scared shitless by the old man’s power.

  How in the hell was he going to pull all this off? He’d pray to Gaia and the gods for enlightenment, but he was pretty sure he’d fucked up that route for help. He hadn’t actually been a good little Terran male for a long, long time. He was so screwed.

  Maybe he could make his move when the old bastard was otherwise occupied? Like in mid-orgasm? He grimaced. That would mean Lily would be abused. Something niggled at his gut and told him that was just wrong.

  Maybe he should wait for Madoc and the gang to arrive and provide the needed distraction? He smiled. That was the better plan. Let Madoc take on Brody. He could sneak in and snatch the prize.

  Good thinking, asshole. Now find Mother and prepare her for escape.

  Brody waved his hand in a shooing motion. “Go. I want some quality time with my little Lily.”

  Darcy shot a parting glance at Lily. She lay unmoving, but he could tell by her breathing she was conscious and had heard every word. He couldn’t send her a message, but he hoped she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t abandon her—especially since he’d made it very plain he wanted her for himself.

  As he turned to leave, he chanced another glance over his shoulder.

  Brody leaned over Lily’s body attaching her now-cuffed wrists to chains hooked to the bedposts. He throttled his growl of possession. No need to tip his hand.

  Stay safe, Lily. He won’t have you for long.

  Clenching his fists at his sides, he climbed the stairs back to the den where he was met by two guards.

  * * * *

  Carr jumped down from the sturdy tree limb extending over the perimeter wall, and moved to hide in the shadow of a large tree where Trent already waited. He turned to the man and whispered, “Where are all the guards?”

  Trent smiled. “Just before that last access trail?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Autumn sent the codes for a front-gate alert. The estate’s security system can be controlled by remote computers—we hacked into the system. Autumn can control everything over the notebook computer KOTE gave us.”

  A warm glow suffused Carr’s body. Autumn and Trent had just given them an important edge in getting Lily and Molly Miller out safely. He frowned. “The codes … how did you get them?”

  “The disks we brought out with us had all the security codes, their rotation schedules and all the back doors into all Brody’s computer systems. It took one of KOTE’s computer people to break the password protection on the files. After that it was just a matter of learning how to use them. We studied them on the plane ride he
re from Florida.”

  Carr smiled. “That means any of Brody’s electronic security can be disabled by us?”

  Trent nodded and winked. “Yeah, we think that might give us an advantage.”

  “I’ll say.” Luck would help also. He reached out to touch Lily’s mind. She needed to know they were here, ready to rescue her. He hadn’t been able to contact her since Oregon—and he had been trying every thirty minutes like clockwork. Lily? Hang on, love. We’re coming.

  Careful.

  He heaved a relieved sigh. She was conscious and the mind link was strong, pulsing with power.

  Can you use your earth powers against Brody?

  No. The drugs Darcy gave me seem to have weakened me.

  Lily! Are you hurt?

  No.

  She was lying to protect him. He slammed his fist into the tree. Trent shot him a curious look. “It’s Lily. She’s scared. In pain.”

  Trent winced. “The bastard probably has her in his playroom.”

  “Playroom?” Just the word sent icy shards of pain, fear and rage through him. He joined Lily’s astral body so he could see what she saw. He cursed and withdrew so as not to let his emotions pierce the calm she projected to fool Brody. There was no way the Destroyer could know Lily was in contact with him. It would endanger her even more.

  “A fully equipped dungeon under his den … uh, Brody has a taste for BDSM—and until recently, Autumn was his favorite victim.”

  “I see it. The fucking piece of shit has her tethered to a bed.” Carr snarled.

  Trent nodded. Obviously, the Air Talisman and Consort could also reside in each other’s minds and astral bodies just as he and Lily could.

  “I couldn’t let Autumn take that kind of abuse any longer,” Trent said. “I’d have gotten her away months ago, but she wanted us to get all the information we could about Brody’s evil plans. For the greater good of our race.” He shook his head. “She might be tiny, but her courage is Protector level.”

  The same with his Talisman. “We’ll get Lily back and then take care of the sick fuck,” Carr said.

  “And I’ll be happy to help you with that little chore.” Trent placed a comforting hand on Carr’s shoulder. “Everything will be fine.”

  Carr sure hoped so, because if anything happened to Lily he didn’t know if he could live with himself. He was supposed to protect her.

  Donovan, Mark and the two women finally joined them. “Now, what?” Donovan eyed the two curiously. The Spirit Talisman would be highly sensitive to their emotions.

  “Lily’s conscious. She’s scared, handling it calmly—but in pain,” he said by way of explanation. He could barely get out the words, his anger was so great.

  Trent eyed Autumn, his hand seeking hers. “He has her in the playroom, baby.”

  Autumn choked off what would’ve been a scream. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. Trent pulled her into his arms. “Trent, we have to get her out soon.” Her fingers clutched his shoulders. “You know how he is … he’ll…”

  “I know, love. I know.” Trent stroked Autumn’s back, raining kisses over her face. “We’ll get her. And we’ll take care of him. You’ll be free from him forever.”

  Donovan swore under his breath. Carr knew the man had figured out just what kind of play went on in Brody’s special room. “I guess we’d better get a move on.” Donovan turned to Brenna. “Stay behind me, sweetheart. I don’t want you more than a foot away from me at any time.”

  “I’ll stay close. We need to hurry,” said Brenna, her face a picture of distress and disgust. “We need to get her out of there, Donovan.”

  Obviously, Brenna understood what Lily might be facing also.

  He and the others turned to follow Trent and Autumn who took the lead. All of them carried snub-nose automatic weapons. The men also had knives and handguns strapped to their bodies. The women carried extra ammo in waist packs.

  “We can enter the house through a subterranean entrance,” Autumn said in a low voice. “With the computer connection we have, I can unlock it.”

  “Will it show up on a main security monitor?” Carr asked. His eyes constantly moved, seeking traps or guards.

  Autumn turned her head and captured his gaze. “Usually it would, but the KOTE tech figured out how to open locks without a signal being transmitted.”

  “Giving us wide-open access to the whole place.” He smiled grimly.

  “Basically,” she said. “The way to the playroom will be the most dangerous part of this whole mission since it is isolated from the rest of the house. Only one way in and out. It’s under the den. Brody has a lot of security in that area of the house.”

  “We’ll be going in by the sub-basement, which is less guarded,” Trent added. “He wouldn’t expect us to come back and guide you. If I had to guess where he held Molly Miller, I’d say one of the guest bedrooms on the second floor of the west wing.”

  Autumn nodded. “I agree. There’s a back stairway leading to those rooms off the hallway we’ll exit into once we get to the main level.”

  “I want it clear,” Carr said. “Lily is the top priority. If we stumble across Mrs. Miller, we’ll snag her also. I expect Miller is here somewhere—from what his father said, his son will get his mother out.” Carr wasn’t jeopardizing Lily’s rescue to save the mother of the man who kidnapped his woman.

  Donovan nodded. “I concur—if Miller is here, his mother should be his main concern. If we distract Brody’s guards, it’ll give Miller the chance to get to his mother. Lily is top priority.”

  Carr nodded. “Thanks, Donovan. I know what we promised Ben Miller, but…”

  “It goes without saying,” Trent said. “Your woman is in the most danger.”

  The group stopped by an outcropping of stones. While it looked natural to the naked eye, he could sense it was man-made.

  Autumn confirmed his belief when she pushed on a depression in a rock and a keypad appeared. She entered some numbers into the notebook computer she carried and the security alarm on the keypad went from red to green. “It’s disarmed.”

  She then entered a series of numbers on the keypad and a door slid open in the seemingly solid rock wall. Low-level lights lit the way down a set of stairs. “We can go in now.”

  “Keep your eyes open and move quickly.” Trent urged them into the dimly lit entry ahead of him. “Follow Autumn.”

  Single-file, they went down the steep narrow stairs into the sub-basement. Following Autumn, they covered the fairly empty space quickly to a central staircase.

  “This takes us to the main level of the house and a back hallway,” said Autumn.

  As they waited for everyone to reach the stairs, something evil slid across Carr’s senses, followed by a feeling of anguish. Frantic, he checked in with Lily. Lily? Lily?

  Carr?

  Her mental link was filled with pain and dread. He cursed, fighting the urge to rush blindly into the house to find her. Hang on, love. We’re almost there.

  He’s in here … with me … he’s … crazy.

  Sick. Disgusting. Depraved. Lily’s words. Lily’s thoughts.

  Hold on, baby. I’ll make him pay.

  Good. A weary, pain-filled sigh brushed his consciousness. I want to hurt him bad.

  That’s good, baby. Hold that thought. I’ll help you.

  Autumn touched his arm. “Is she okay?” The pain on the Air Talisman’s face showed her more than intimate knowledge of what Lily was experiencing.

  He could not reassure her. “No, she isn’t—but she’s holding on. She wants to hurt him.”

  “Yeah, so do I.” Autumn smiled almost evilly. “Let’s hope we get the chance.”

  Trent moved to Autumn, touched her face in a loving caress. “We’ll make time for it—before we end his foul life.”

  “I take it no one votes to take him prisoner,” Brenna said.

  When no one responded, she sighed. “I guess I’m outvoted … have you all thought about this? Killing Brody
in cold blood? It makes us vigilantes.”

  “We’ll take it as it comes, love.” Donovan tugged his woman into his arms for a reassuring hug. “If he resists, well…”

  Autumn walked the few steps to stand in front of Brenna. “He killed my mother and father. He killed his wife to marry me. He killed his only son because he was a royal fuck-up. He tortured me for the sick sexual thrill he got from my pain.” She turned and raised her shirt in back. “He scarred me for life. He deserves to die.”

  Brenna gasped and the men swore.

  Trent moved to cover Autumn’s back.

  “Mother-fucking-son-of-a-bitch!” Carr’s hand tightened on his weapon. “Lily!” He moved forward. He needed to get to her. Lily could even now have similar physical scars. The emotional and psychological scars would be even worse.

  No one said another word. Autumn’s scarred back had sealed the deal. Brody would die if he used force. The group climbed the stairs and exited into a hallway. The stairway to the second level west wing was right in front of them.

  Autumn took point once more, leading them into an empty laundry room.

  “Mark,” Carr said. “Guard the door while Autumn outlines the layout.”

  Mark nodded. Hooking the machine gun over his shoulder, he pulled a knife and stood at the side of the door so he could take out anyone entering.

  “Give me a minute,” Autumn said. “I’ll reprogram the security in the west wing and along the access to the den and the sub-basement dungeon.”

  Carr turned to Trent. “I’ll go alone and get Lily out … you all just keep the exit route clear.”

  “No way you’re going alone. I’ll be covering your ass, Carr. Brody’s vocal powers do not work on me,” Donovan said. “The others can keep our escape route clear.”

  “No, we Terrans need to stay together,” Autumn said. “There are too many guards inside in that area of the house. Plus his voice does not work on me—never has—I just let him think it did. And I can protect Trent with our talismanic connection. The only ones in danger would be Mark and Brenna since they are human. They should be the ones to stay behind, maybe scout around and see if Miller found his mother or not.”