Mind Sync

by Kirsten Harrell

  “Someone helped them. That is the only way they could have escaped,” Ipeshe added.

  “Who the hell do you think is helping them? Are you going to start believing me that Shiruvu is involved in this shit?” Bree demanded.

  “Do you know where they are now?” Max asked.

  “Yes, we believe they are in a facility in the Sonoran desert.” Izzi looked at Max, then turned her swirly gaze on Bree. “The General has entrusted me to deliver Kozeb and Alrishiel to the rehabilitation units. She abhors their actions and has vowed to stop them.” The Kusharian took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m here to ask for your help. I can’t do this alone, yet I’m prohibited from informing anyone else of the dishonorable behavior of this group of traitors.”

  “Why don’t you use your Karma Guards to pop in and and transport them to the cells?” Max looked back and forth between the two Kusharians.

  “Unfortunately, it’s highly likely that Kozeb and Alrishiel have several Dralins - Karma Guards - who’re supporting them. We believe they have human hostages as well. We need your help and your expertise to be successful in apprehending them.”

  “You have an entire army of Karma Guards at your disposal. Get a troop and go en masse to take them down.” Max’s nostrils flared.

  “We don’t understand how the Dralins who’re working with Kozeb were recruited, coerced, or compelled. He might have technology to corrupt them; therefore, using a large force of KG isn’t a sound strategy, as it could simply provide him with a larger force to use against us.”

  Shocked by the situation and the request for help, Bree eyed her brother. He’d proven himself capable over the past few days, but this mission was different. The stakes were much higher and the risks, much greater.

  “I’m in!” Jason blurted.

  Oh crap. I don’t want my brother in danger. Bree sent the thought to Iziqa and Ipeshe through the mind sync connection.

  I understand. However, he’s an adult. Will you allow him to make his own decision? Iziqa sent back.

  Just barely an adult. And he’s naive, untrained, and impulsive.

  “What about you, Max? Will you assist us?” Ipeshe looked at Max.

  Max rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin. His jaw muscles twitched. “I moved out here to get away from shit like this. If I wanted to be involved, I would’ve stayed in the freaking military.”

  “Come on, Max.” Jason leaned toward his uncle. “We need you. Please.”

  Bree glared at Max, waiting for him to look her way. When he did, she shifted her eyes toward Jase, hoping Max would understand her silent plea. She needed his help to protect her brother.

  Max swallowed hard. “What happens if we just let them go? Kozeb’s lab is gone. They know you’re after them. If they’re smart they’ll leave the planet.”

  Bree pulled her arms in close. Her breath hitched as a cold sensation gripped her core. She’d rarely seen such visible signs of stress from her uncle. What the hell was going on with him?

  “We’re reasonably certain they do not intend to leave the planet. The General suspects they’re currently inside their main facility and plan to continue to refine their equipment to provoke rage in humans.” Iziqa shifted in her chair. “I’d prefer not to involve you, but I’ve no other options. I implore you to help me stop Kozeb.”

  “Do you have a plan?” Bree hoped that given a minute to think about it, Max would decide to help. After what Kozeb had done to her, she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to catch the dickless weasel. And this time she’d make sure to put him out of commission forever.

  “We have a few Karma Guards to transport us to an area near their facility. Once there, we need to reconnoiter the building and determine the number of targets and hostages present. We intend to strike before the sun rises to minimize any human casualties.”

  Bree shifted forward, left hand on her left knee and right arm held close to her body. “How many people do we have? Please tell me it’s not just the five of us here.”

  “As I mentioned, I am honor bound to prevent anyone else from learning about this lamentable situation. We must prevent widespread panic and the loss of trust in the Instant Karma System. In addition, we’ll need to block your nano-trackers temporarily and we can’t allow others to discover that we’re capable of this action.”

  “You don’t have a clue what you’re walking into. It could be a trap. A suicide mission.” Max stood up and headed to the kitchen.

  Guilt spread through Bree’s chest. She knew Max’s last mission still haunted him. Asking him to participate probably wasn’t fair, but she needed his help, if only to protect her brother.

  “We could ask Doc Nina to help. And our parents. Oh, and what about the Sheriff?” Jason’s hands flailed in grand gestures and he bounced from one foot to the other.

  “This is too dangerous, Jase. We can’t ask Dad and Kali. I’m sure Rick would help, though.”

  “With your super powers, you’re like three people in one.” Jason’s goofy grin lit his eyes up as he threw a few practice punches in the air.

  Bree snorted and shook her head. Before she could respond to her brother, Max came back into the room with five bottles of cold water. He set them down on the coffee table, opened one for himself, then sat down on the couch next to Bree. “You need intel before you go into this blind. I’ll see what Spyder can find out about this facility. Do you have coordinates?”

  Bree nodded at Max. Some of the tension in her muscles released.

  “I’m not saying I want in on this, but I can’t let you go on a suicide mission either.” He pulled his phone from his pocket.

  “I will permit you to share the coordinates and the details of this operation with your colleague, Spyder, and with the former sheriff, because they have proven themselves trustworthy.”

  Max and I both have more contacts who are very capable and discreet. We could get a get a bigger team together if you give us a chance, Bree told Izzi.

  No. Either you abide by my conditions or you will not be involved at all.

  How about a compromise? Max and I each choose two more trusted people.

  The Commander rubbed her temple and squinted her eyes. “Fine. I give you and Max permission to choose one additional person to join us. You must make those choices with great care. If information is leaked, all of you will be sent to the IK stasis chambers.”

  Bree steadied herself, careful not to reveal her quivering insides. Son-of-a-fuck. She braced her shoulders against the heavy responsibility of asking others to join this team.

  “At this point, I’m only committing to providing intelligence.” Max walked to the kitchen with the phone at his ear, presumably calling Spyder.

  “Bree, may I examine your injuries?” Ipeshe asked.

  “I guess. Be quick about it,” Bree mumbled, deep in thought about who she’d trust on this op.

  After careful consideration, Bree called Rick and Cheveyo, an old friend of hers. He was a big guy, a former police officer, and someone who could be trusted to keep his mouth shut. Max, thankfully, had given in and decided to help. He’d contacted Spyder and his tech guru, Wizard.

  A little after three in the morning, the team assembled to prepare for the operation to capture Kozeb and Alrishiel and shut down their efforts to produce rage in humans. The KG members of their small team had transported the people and equipment to Max’s place.

  The humans dressed in dark tactical clothes and military helmets with built-in night vision and communication devices. They each carried an assortment of guns, knives, ammo, and other bad-ass weaponry strapped to their bodies and stuffed in pockets, loops, and tactical bags.

  Eyes closed, Bree took a couple of deep breaths. Damn, she missed the process of gearing up with her team. She pushed the pang of nostalgia away, needing to stay focused.

  The Kusharians were also dressed in dark clothes, but they didn’t need the helmets because they could see in the dark and they had their own com devices in
their brains. As for the KG, they had on their typical tactical gear and special helmets, which among many things, allowed them to communicate with the Kusharians.

  Iziqa and Wizard linked the humans’ com equipment with the alien com equipment so everyone could communicate in the field. They also uploaded the building specs to everyone’s system.

  Bree scanned the room, assessing her team. Most could hold their own if the op went to shit, but Jason and Nina lacked training and experience, putting them at most risk of getting hurt. Actually, putting the whole damn team at risk.

  Fuck! What was she thinking?

  Maybe she could knock them both out. A warm tingle at the nape of Bree’s neck prompted her to turn around. Izzi was staring at her.

  We need them. They’ll be safe. Kozeb has clearly gone rogue, but he’s still a Kusharian and he values life. It is fundamental to our nature.

  You need to wake the fuck up about what Kozeb is capable of doing. He tried to KILL me. Or have you forgotten already? If either of them gets hurt, I will fuck you up. Got it? Bree shot back at Iziqa through the mind sync.

  The Kusharian gave a slight nod in response.

  To Spyder, standing next to her, Bree whispered, “no matter what happens out there, the two rookies make it out whole. You understand me?”

  Spyder met Bree’s fierce eyes and gave a sharp nod. “I agree.”

  “Good. Spread that word.” Bree turned away. She intended for the entire team to come out of this, but the other humans were used to putting their lives on the line and did so on a regular basis. Bree assumed Iziqa had seen combat at some point in her career as a Commander. She wasn’t so sure about Ipeshe, but her priorities were the humans — especially her brother. Iziqa could worry about Ipeshe.

  “Okay, let’s do a check of our gear.” Bree pulled Jase and Nina close as the rest of the crew did their own checks. “Watch me and we’ll do it together.” She pulled the gun from her right thigh holster and popped the Glock’s magazine out to confirm it held all fifteen rounds. Nina looked nervous but followed along. Jason had plenty of practice at the shooting range so he handled his weapon well, but target practice and live action were a hell of a lot different.

  Cripes, what was she thinking? These two had no business being involved in this op. But they had to stop these rat bastards before they got everyone in Arizona k-snagged. Bree’s stomach knotted.

  The sound of the magazine clicking back into place settled her nerves. “Good job, guys. Now I’m going to do the same thing with my other gun.” Bree moved with practiced speed through the check on her second gun. “Now let’s make sure we have our extra ammo.” The rookies checked their pockets when she patted her own. She had plenty of extra magazines strategically tucked in pockets. Jason and Nina each had one gun and a couple of extra magazines, but the goal was to keep them out of any action.

  Nina’s face paled. “Do you think we’re going to need all this?”

  “No. If things go according to plan, you two won’t need any of it, but you still gotta be prepared.” Bree offered a weak smile.

  “How are you feeling?” Nina asked when Jason flitted over to Max. She spoke softly. “I can’t believe you’re even out of bed.”

  “I can’t believe it either.” Bree flexed her right arm. “It’s still sore, but I’ll be fine. I’m a bit freaked about how fast I’m healing though.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s all good, I guess.”

  “I’d be happy to talk it over with you. If that’d help.”

  “Thanks.” Bree smiled and patted Nina on the shoulder. “Let’s get through tonight and I’ll think about it.”

  “I believe everyone is ready now.” Everyone quieted and turned to Iziqa as she spoke. “Before we go, I’d like to thank you for helping. I appreciate both your assistance and your discretion. I also must remind you that our goal is to stop Kozeb without harming anyone. I’ve blocked your trackers and I’m allowing you to carry weapons, but I fully expect you to be cautious only use your guns if absolutely necessary to protect your own lives. Even though your nano-trackers are blocked, that doesn’t mean that I won’t still issue Instant Karma if I feel it’s necessary. Is this clear?”

  “Understood.” Bree said.

  The rest of the team nodded in agreement.

  “Excellent. The Karma Guards will transport all of us to an area near their facility.”

  37

  After everyone had been transported from Max’s place, the team set up a staging area behind a small hill near the target building. Far enough away that Kozeb wouldn’t hear them, but close enough to keep an eye on the place as they finalized their plan to infiltrate the building, rescue the humans, and take down the Kusharian and KG traitors.

  “Shit!” Spyder hissed. “There’re a lot of bodies in there.” He put down his thermal imaging scope.

  “How many?” Rick’s eyebrows pinched together.

  “A lot. And they aren’t all hostiles.” Spyder handed the scope to Rick.

  “What the hell is this place?” Rick’s voice tightened with concern as he handed the scope to Bree.

  “Holy. Mother. Dick.” Bree’s stomach turned at the sight. There were groups of bodies gathered in several areas on the second floor. Many of the bodies looked very small. The bastard had kids in there, and was doing who knows what to them. She was so gonna enjoy taking this sick fuck down.

  “What’s going on, Bree? What do you see?” Jason paced and threw practice punches in the small area behind the hill.

  “It looks like he has hostages, Jase. Some are kids.” Bree spoke through clenched teeth.

  “We need eyes and ears in there,” Wizard said.

  “We can use the nano-trackers of the hostages. As long as Kozeb has not disabled them,” Ipeshe chimed in.

  “I’ll send the Guards to place additional nanotech around the building so we can get video and sound from the building,” Iziqa said.

  Two KGs disappeared.

  “Make it fast. I want those kids out of there. ASAP!” Bree rolled her shoulders, trying to keep herself from charging the building before they were ready. She made a fist with her right hand and released it several times. Her arm still hurt. Ipeshe had checked it before they’d left Max’s place. Her bones were knitting back together, but a tiny fracture line remained on both bones. And her side was still tender, even though the ribs had already healed.

  “Okay. I’ve got it. Holy shit! Guys, you need to see this.” Wizard’s eyes stayed glued to the screen on her tablet even as she held it out for others to see.

  “Allow me.” Iziqa used her brain comp to project the video feeds in a holographic display in front of the group.

  Bree shuddered at the sight. Jase bent over. Poor kid was gonna vomit. She could hardly blame him.

  Bree put her hand on her brother’s back and leaned over to whisper so the others wouldn’t hear. “Do you wanna go home? One of the KGs can take you.”

  He shook his head and took a few deep breaths, then spit on the ground, but he didn’t vomit. “No, I’m staying. I have to help. We need to help those people, Bree.” He stood back up and looked at Bree with tears in his eyes.

  “I know, Jase, I know. We will, I promise.” Bree patted Jason’s back before returning her attention to the team and their plans.

  “You turn the trackers off?” Spyder asked Iziqa.

  “Yes. You’re all off-line until we complete this task.”

  “Alright. I think we’re good to go. On three?” Bree looked at everyone for confirmation. They all gave her a nod. “Okay, then. One… two… move out.”

  The team stalked toward the target building as one unit.

  Bree took in a big breath through her nose, detecting the smell of stress-sweat from the humans, the oil and metal scent of the guns, and a spicy smell that seemed to come from the Kusharians. The combination was exhilarating. Bree two-point-oh had a heightened sense of smell. Good to know.

  As they neared the spot where the group would split, Bree move
d next to Max, wishing she could mind sync with him. She desperately wanted to reiterate her threat, the one that included having him strung up by his balls and killing him very slowly if he let anything happen to Jason.

  She’d wanted to keep Jase with her, but she was leading the smaller Bravo team that would sneak in the back door to execute a precision strike on Kozeb in his office. The larger Alpha team would storm the front, take down the larger force of Karma Guards, and meet up with Bree’s team. Max had insisted that Jase would be safer with him. Despite great trepidation and a vague sense of doom filling her, Bree had finally relented and allowed Jase to go with their uncle.

  Max looked at Bree and nodded. Even though she couldn’t see his eyes through the helmet, she knew he understood their deal. He had to keep Jase safe. She had instructed the entire Alpha team to keep Jase safe.

  Shit! I should have locked Jase in the bunker.

  He’ll be fine, Izzi sent to her. And no, I didn’t eavesdrop. We can all see you are worried about Jason.

  He better be.

  Bree, Izzi, Ipeshe, and Nina broke off from the others and made their way to the back door. According to the recon, Kozeb had only one guard posted at the back door. They’d take him out then sneak up the back stairs to the third floor and capture Kozeb. Once the rat bastard was secured, Ipeshe and Nina would triage the hostages.

  Bree and her team reached the back door. “Alpha, this is Bravo, we’re in position.” She spoke through the linked com so everyone could hear.

  “Copy that, Bravo. Alpha’s in position,” Max responded.

  “Stick to the plan and we all stay whole.” A huge knot tightened in Bree’s gut. She had a bad feeling about this. She considered calling it off, but she knew they needed to act now or risk a helluva lot more people getting hurt. Her heart rate quickened and the blood pulsing through the arteries in her neck was loud enough that she wondered if the others could hear it through the coms.