Coalition Reckoning

by Cassandra Chandler

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Blurb

  Dedication

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Look for More Titles by Cassandra Chandler

  Coalition Reckoning

  The Department of Homeworld Security

  Book Ten

  Cassandra Chandler

  Copyright Page

  You are a good person! You know that stealing is wrong. Remember, eBooks can’t be shared or given away. It’s against copyright law. So don’t download books you haven’t paid for or upload books in ways other people can access for free. That would be stealing.

  And you’re better than that.

  This book is pure fiction. All characters, places, names, and events are products of the author’s imagination or used solely in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to any people, places, things, or events that have ever existed or will ever exist is entirely coincidental.

  Coalition Reckoning

  The Department of Homeworld Security, Book Ten

  Copyright © 2019 by Cassandra Chandler

  ISBN: 978-1-945702-41-9

  Edited by Eliza Sinclair

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used, transmitted, or reproduced in any manner or form without written permission from the author, except for brief quotations used in critical articles and reviews.

  First eBook edition: July 2019

  cassandra-chandler.com

  P.O. Box 91

  Mission, Kansas 66201

  Things in the kitchen are about to heat up.

  When a reclusive billionaire hires Brigid as his personal chef, she has a feeling the job is too good to be true. The pay is jaw-dropping—as is the wannabe she’s replacing in the kitchen. Dane’s heart is in the right place, but seriously, baked beans over pasta? It’s like he learned to cook on another planet. He’s eager to learn her ways, and Brigid is more than happy to give him very personal lessons.

  Dane has never felt like he belonged anywhere. Not among his fellow Sadirian soldiers in the fleet of the Coalition of Planets and not as the highest ranking med-tech assigned to assist the Department of Homeworld Security on Earth. All of that changes the moment he meets Brigid.

  Resisting their mutual attraction is impossible—especially when soldiers from the Coalition arrive to arrest the Sadirians living on Earth and wipe the memories of all the Earthlings who’ve encountered them. But as Dane and Brigid fight to preserve their chance at a future together, they find that a new enemy has risen in the galaxy that threatens everything they know and love.

  As their worlds shift around them, can they hold on to the spark that connects their hearts?

  Dedication

  For the two Rays (Bradbury and Harryhausen)—illuminators of my life’s path.

  Don’t miss out on any of the alien action.

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  Author’s note: These events take place before, during, and after Export Duty.

  Chapter One

  Rich green foliage streaked past Brigid as the helicopter wove between mountains covered in pine trees. She hadn’t caught a glimpse of a city, town, or even a road for a long time.

  If she wasn’t so worked up over her new job, she might have tried to sleep. The jetlag from being flown all the way to Montana from Australia was murder.

  “Is this the only way to reach the lodge?” She glanced over at the pilot. “By helicopter?”

  He grunted, which was about as much as she’d been able to get out of the guy. At least he was nice to look at—with short dark hair, Hollywood-style jawline, and a physique that made it look like his second home was the gym.

  If he was one of the people she was supposed to cook for, she’d need to refresh her memory for healthy recipes. It had been a long time since she’d had a client who was into that sort of thing, and she wasn’t thinking clearly with how little sleep she’d managed on the plane.

  She only felt a little bad for leaving the trial-run as executive chef for the head of one of Australia’s up-and-coming production companies. The guy had been hard to pin down on any specifics, and she already wondered if his offer had been serious.

  The job she was heading for was solid, immediate, and came with a ludicrous salary. Brendan only needed her for a month, and was going to pay her more than she usually earned in a year. Sitting next to the silent man-wall, she was starting to question exactly what she was getting herself into, though.

  There were deep lines etched between the pilot’s eyebrows and he wore mirrored aviator glasses. From his bearing and how strongly he smelled of coffee, she had a feeling he worked security.

  His button-down shirt was open enough to show off some of his chest hair. It also let her see the gnarly scar that ran over his shoulder and across his neck, disappearing beyond her view.

  Maybe he was ex-military? He must have been through something terrible. She didn’t understand how he could have survived such an injury.

  The helicopter was raising almost as many questions as the pilot. For one, it looked way too heavy for the propeller blades to get it off the ground. Its body was made up mostly of big silver panels and thick windows that she was going to go ahead and guess were bulletproof. The landing gear things were huge and there were lights running along the length of them, unlike the simple metal bars that supported the few other helicopters she’d been this close to.

  Inside, it was even more high-tech. The control panels were completely smooth, with a mix of regular dials and gauges and weird pulsing lights. Everything was the same silver metal, too—except for the barely padded black chairs. Her butt had fallen asleep ten minutes after take-off.

  “I like the design etched on the panel.” She reached out to run her finger over the ivy-like pattern.

  The pilot grabbed her arm in a grip so tight it nearly hurt. He looked over at her and finally spoke.

  “Don’t. Touch. Anything,” he said.

  “My bad.”

  He let go of her arm, then ran a finger over one of the patterns. The etchings lit up, and the helicopter made a few beeping noises.

  Shoot, are those part of the controls?

  Brigid looked around more carefully, folding her hands in her lap and pulling her legs closer to the chair in an effort to not accidentally bump into anything.

  A glass and metal dome appeared amid the foliage, with three large spans of roof spreading out from it. If this was the lodge, it was the strangest mix of futuristic and rustic she’d ever seen.

  Finally.

  They swung around and hovered over a small landing pad before setting down. She couldn’t wait to stretch her legs—and to get out of this thing.

  A tall, thin man with red hair and a neatly trimmed beard was standing off to the side of where they landed. He was wearing jeans and a burgundy sweater.

  There was a woman next to him who was almost as tall as he was. She was absolutely stunning, with a huge smile on her supermodel-perfect face. Her hair was blonde, and she was dressed similarly, but her sweater was a clashing mish-mash of colors that no fashionista would be caught dead in.

  Under her breath, Brigid said, “Yikes.”

  “Just wait.”

&nb
sp; The pilot couldn’t have heard her, could he?

  The engine noises weren’t lessening, though they were quieter than she’d expected. They hadn’t even needed those oversized headphones people always wore in movies when they rode in helicopters.

  The red-head trotted up to the helicopter, ducking low under the propellers. One of the side doors in the back opened automatically.

  As soon as he was inside, he said, “Hi, I’m Brendan.”

  This was her new boss? He was cuter than she’d expected, especially when he smiled at her. He reached into the cockpit to shake her hand awkwardly.

  “Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’m Brigid.”

  Brendan chuckled. “I know.”

  “Right.” Of course he knew. He’d hired her and sent this man-wall to come get her.

  Brendan turned to the pilot, and said, “Zemanni, turn off the engine.”

  “No.” The pilot—Zemanni—shook his head. “Take your passenger and get out.”

  Wow.

  So much for this guy being one of Brendan’s security guards. She couldn’t imagine anyone tolerating that kind of attitude from a subordinate.

  At least Zemanni was rude to everyone and not just her. She’d been wondering if she had offended him somehow.

  What the heck kind of name is ‘Zemanni’ anyway?

  “You’re not coming in?” Brendan smirked, obviously baiting the pilot. “Everyone will be so torn up to miss you.”

  Brigid didn’t get the joke, and Zemanni didn’t seem to find it funny. He turned to glare at Brendan. The lights from the dashboard were doing some weird reflecting thing on the white scar tissue around Zemanni’s neck, because it almost looked like it was glowing.

  “Get out,” Zemanni repeated. “Or I’ll take her back with me and you’ll have to keep eating Dane’s cooking.”

  Brendan’s smirk faded. He nodded at Brigid and said, “We’d better go.”

  “Oh, sure.” She managed to unbuckle her safety harness and climb into the main cabin of the helicopter with Brendan. He picked up two of her bags, leaving her backpack for her to grab.

  The moment their feet hit the white concrete of the landing pad, the door behind them slid shut. The trill of the engine increased, but was drowned out by a high, screeching roar that echoed through the forest. Brigid had never heard anything like it. She ducked down, heart pounding, scanning the trees and sky.

  “What was that?” she said.

  “That?” Brendan shrugged. “Probably a bear.”

  “A bear?” Her voice was shrill. She realized she wasn’t using the best tone with her new boss, but couldn’t help herself.

  The helicopter took off.

  Craaaap.

  “There is no way that was a bear,” Brigid said.

  Brendan straightened as soon as the helicopter lifted off, and smiled down at her. “I thought I hired a chef, not a zoologist.”

  “My sister is a veterinarian.” A familiar sense of pride flooded her chest, followed by just a little bit of envy.

  Caitlin worked with all kinds of animals. She even assisted park rangers when they needed help with wildlife in the area around their home town in Arizona.

  Cooking could be important, too, but Brigid mainly catered to people who were just seeking entertainment or distraction. Her experiments in molecular gastronomy were the only accomplishments she was really proud of. The people she’d worked for had always seemed more interested in showing off her cuisine than actually enjoying it. It was all politics and posturing.

  “I didn’t know she’d been trained in identifying bear calls,” Brendan said.

  He talked almost as if he’d already known what Caitlin did. Brigid was used to people checking references when she started a new job, but they usually didn’t dig into her family.

  She thought about the helicopter again and the military-looking guy who piloted it. Maybe she was going to have a chance to do something more meaningful after all.

  The blonde woman approached them and took one of the bags from Brendan.

  “It sounded more like a mountain lion to me.” The woman extended her free hand toward Brigid. “I’m Vay. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

  “You…too.” Brigid was still giving most of her attention to the thick foliage around them. And crouching, she realized, as she looked up at Vay. Brigid forced herself to stand and tried to unbunch her shoulders. “Do you get many mountain lions around here?”

  “Not really,” Vay said.

  “Then why do you think that was a mountain lion?” Brigid asked.

  Vay opened her mouth, then shut it again and smiled, the skin around her eyes crinkling.

  At least she wasn’t afraid. Brendan seemed unfazed as well.

  “We should probably head inside,” Vay said.

  “That’s a great idea.” Brendan gestured toward the house. “After you.”

  What the heck have I gotten myself into?

  Vay headed up a pathway of stone steps. Brigid followed, flinching at every snap of a branch or rustle of the wind. When they reached the lodge, she hurried through the open glass door, only letting out her breath when it was securely closed behind them. Hopefully, it was made out of some sort of reinforced glass as well.

  How strong were mountain lions, anyway? Now she knew what she’d be talking to Caitlin about the next time they spoke.

  “Sorry about that,” Brendan said. “Zemanni isn’t the most welcoming person, but Ari wasn’t available to fly you in.”

  “That’s fine.” Brigid tried to regain her composure. “It was nice of you to send someone to pick me up at the airport.”

  Brendan smiled at her. “This isn’t exactly a place you can find on your own.”

  Now that she was safely inside, Brigid could be properly awed by the building. They had stepped into a huge atrium. The walls rose up two very tall stories and the space was capped with the dome she’d noticed when they were flying in.

  Two staircases hugged the walls across from them, heading up to a hallway. An ornate set of double-doors stood between the steps on the ground level, with gorgeous stained glass in geometric patterns set into their windows.

  Small archways led off into two hallways opposite from each other near the main door. Another was right behind her, near the door that led to the helipad. A larger archway led to what looked like the dining room, from what little she could see of it. Everything was wood, stone, and glass—except for the metal frames for the dome above.

  “Wow, this place is gorgeous,” she said.

  “Thanks.” Brendan strode to the center of the space and looked around. “I designed this one myself.”

  “This one?” Brigid asked.

  “Brendan has a bunch of houses like this.” Vay stepped closer, that big smile still in place.

  “They’re not all like this,” Brendan said. “Some are smaller.”

  “And some are bigger—like the one we’re building in Florida.” Vay rolled up onto her toes and bounced back down a few times.

  “That’s…great,” Brigid said. She had no idea how someone could seem so excited to meet her, but Vay was staring at Brigid like a kid waiting to be unleashed on the presents at Christmas.

  “Vay, don’t you think you should go check on Henry and the others?” Brendan asked.

  “Oh, right.” Vay handed Brigid the bag she’d been carrying. “It’s really great to have someone new around. I hope we can be friends.”

  Brigid had a strict rule about keeping up her professional boundaries at work—which also happened to be where she lived most of the time. She tried not to smile, but her mouth just wasn’t listening. Vay seemed so earnest and sweet. And Brigid could already tell this job wasn’t going to be like any of her others.

  “Me, too,” Brigid said.

  Vay’s smile deepened and her shoulders rose to her ears briefly. Brigid had never seen anyone so happy at the prospect of being her friend. It was hard to resist. Then Vay lurched forward and hugged her.


  So much for boundaries…

  “I’ll see you around, then.” Vay let go and stepped back, giving a little wave.

  “Like maybe at dinner,” Brendan said. “If we let Brigid get settled in soon enough.”

  Vay nodded. “I’ll go check on Henry and…the others.”

  She cast an odd look at Brigid as she finished her sentence. What “others” was she talking about?

  “See you at dinner.” Vay smiled once again, then turned and headed briskly for one of the hallways.

  “What Zemanni lacks in welcoming, Vay makes up for about a million-fold,” Brendan said.

  “She’s sweet.”

  And will take some getting used to.

  “We can put these in your room and then I can show you the kitchen,” Brendan said. “Unless you’d like to go there first?”

  “Dropping these off sounds good.” Brigid lifted the bag in her hand.

  He nodded, then headed to the staircase opposite the hallway that Vay had taken. Brigid followed, trying to take in as much of her surroundings as she could.

  The décor was minimal, but the place was still remarkably homey. That kind of thing could help Brigid gauge Brendan’s tastes. Dark wood panels covered the walls, but there were plenty of windows to let in sunlight. And there was that ultra-modern dome.

  A fusion of comfort food and some of her more innovative techniques, then. She’d have to ask about shipping in some liquid nitrogen.

  Her feet sank into the lush carpet as she followed her new boss up the stairs and into another hallway. He led her to the end of the hall and opened the door on their right.

  “This is your room,” he said.

  She stepped in and suppressed a gasp. A huge bed was nestled up against a wall that was mostly glass. The view was spectacular, and the linens were her favorite color—sea-foam green. She thought back to how Brendan had seemed to know details about Caitlin and wondered if it was a coincidence.