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JARDUN
Using the tunnels was not the first time I had experienced discomfort at being in a confined area. During the war, infiltrating tight and uncomfortable places overtaken by Sarus’s males was commonplace. Though I enjoyed the constant view of Laria’s backside, I was greatly relieved when we arrived on an upper level where we could utilize a passageway.
I thought about the exquisite night I had spent with Laria in my arms and knew with my entire being that she was my ketiorra. Over the last few days, I had witnessed her fighting abilities and she had earned my respect. It did not mean I would stop doing everything possible to protect her. I did not know what dangers awaited us once we reached the labs. After instructing Garyck to take the lead, I stayed at the rear of our group, so we could ensure the females remained between us.
“Is anyone besides me surprised that this level has power?” Laria paused in the middle of the passage, her gaze focused on the illuminated panels running along the metal floor.
“Is that a problem?” I asked.
“Actually, yes.” Sloane glanced at me over her shoulder but kept walking. “These shouldn’t be functioning. The loss of power and communications was a big problem after the crash. It was one of the topics the council members discussed with all the families before everyone was relocated.”
“It appears someone has discovered a way to make the power work.” It was fascinating to witness the human technology I had only read about. Had we been in a different, less threatening situation, I would have asked more questions about their functionality.
Sloane frowned and shot Laria a sidelong glance. “Makes you wonder what else we’re going to find, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Laria answered with trepidation.
When it came to technology, humans were far more advanced than my people. While some of their inventions were admirable, such as this space vessel capable of traveling to other worlds, there were other, more treacherous things I feared. The ability to design deadly weapons and toxins were at the top of the list.
“Which way?” Garyck slowed his pace. The passageway ended by connecting with two new corridors, one leading to the right, the other to the left.
“I’m pretty sure the labs are on the right.” Sloane scooted past Garyck.
“Little one,” Garyck growled under his breath when she ducked away from him and eased toward the adjoining passageway.
Sloane’s movements were quick and silent. She held a finger to her lips, then knelt on the floor, pressing her body against the wall so she could peek around the corner.
She ignored Garyck’s glare and spoke directly to me. “There’s two guards posted in front of the door to the labs. And, big surprise, they’re armed with laser pistols.”
Vurell must still be alive. There was no reason for armed sentries to be outside the lab unless there was something, or someone, inside they wished to prevent from leaving. I knew if we engaged the males directly, we would not be able to get close to the room without one of us getting injured. I rubbed my nape. “Is this the only entrance?”
“I’m afraid so.” Laria tapped her chin. “Although, there is an air supply duct that runs along the ceiling. We could access the room that way. Then maybe we could draw the guards inside and disarm them.”
“Do I want to know how you are aware of this system?” I asked.
“Sloane had a crush on one of the guys, er, males, who worked in the agricultural lab, so we...”
Sloane pinched Laria’s arm. “I’m sure they’re not interested in hearing about our teenage exploits.”
Garyck’s grunt earned him a glower from Sloane.
We headed back the way we came. Once inside the engineering tunnel again, Laria showed us the duct hidden behind a panel in the wall. After the cover was removed, Garyck held the glow emitter so we could see inside.
“The space looks pretty tight. Are you sure you guys want to go in there? Sloane and I can go and check out the lab.”
“We will be fine.” I appreciated her concern, but I was not letting her go anywhere without me, not when I didn’t know what she’d be facing.
This time, Garyck did not have a problem letting Sloane lead the way. We crawled on our hands and knees through the tight space, an anxious twitch running along my tail. When we reached an area where the metal enclosure narrowed further, I was forced to skim the smooth surface on my belly. The fear of getting stuck was overridden by having Laria a hand’s reach in front of me.
“Here it is.” Sloane’s whisper echoed back to me.
Fortunately, the duct in this area was considerably wider, providing room between my shoulders and the cold metal. By the time Laria and I reached Sloane and Garyck, they had scooted to the other side of a vented panel that covered the opening leading into a room.
“We can’t see much from here. This vent accesses a storage alcove next to the lab,” Laria said.
I leaned past Laria and peered through the thin metal slats. There was a large structure beam located on the left side of the vent, and she was correct—from this angle it was difficult to view the remainder of the room.
“The main area is around the corner to the right. If we enter here, we should be able to see what’s going on without anyone seeing us.” Laria retrieved a thin blade from her boot and used it to remove the vent covering.
Once she pushed the panel aside, Garyck moved in front of Sloane. “It is a long way to the floor. I will go first and catch you.”
“What makes you think I can’t get down there by myself?” Sloane huffed.
Garyck made one of his insistent grunts.
“Fine, but if you drop me, I’m going to kick your ass.”
Garyck laughed. “Do not worry, little one. I will not drop you.” He lowered his long legs through the opening. “I do not understand what is wrong with my backside or why you would want to kick it. But you are more than welcome to try any time you choose.”
“It’s a human saying. When we get back to the city, I’ll be happy to give you a demonstration.” Sloane patted his cheek before he dropped to the floor. She rolled onto her stomach, swung her legs out backward. “I mean it, Garyck” was all she said before disappearing from sight.
As much as I wanted to get out of the tight enclosure and find Vurell, I could not stop thinking about the interaction between Garyck and Sloane. It had been a very long time since I had heard my friend speak that many words in a single conversation.
Without my having to say anything to Laria, she moved and motioned for me to exit next. Once my feet touched the ground, she was already hanging over the edge, so I reached up and helped her the rest of the way down.
Silently, I moved ahead and headed in the direction that Laria said would lead to the main area of the lab. I heard noises and the mumble of a familiar male voice. With my hand on the hilt of my sword, I inched around the corner, glad to see that the room was free of any more guards. I spotted Vurell hovering near a table covered with various-sized glass containers, some filled with different colored liquids. There were also a variety of cylinder pots containing suclorra plants, which I knew were the source of the toxin.
His hair was mussed, some of the dark strands having escaped the tie at his nape. He did not appear happy with whatever he was working on. His brow appeared permanently etched into a frown. Next to him stood a young human male dressed in an oversized shirt, the hem stretching to the knees of a faded pair of baggy pants, the long sleeves rolled to expose a portion of his hands. Dirt smudged his face, and he wore an odd-looking piece of fabric that covered the back of his head, concealing his hair and a majority of his forehead. He saw us and froze, shock gleaming in a pair of dark eyes.
“Um, Vurell.” The male nudged my friend, his gaze locked on Garyck and me.
Vurell jerked his head in our direction, first with a look of surprise, then disapproval. “Jardun, Garyck, what are you doing here?” His tone suggested he wasn’t happy to see us, but his shoulders sagging with relief said otherwise.
He was five years my senior, an exemplary physician and a good friend. He was also a valued healer, one who had seen to my injuries on more occasions than I could count. A bruise marred his jaw, the skin beneath his eyes darkened from exhaustion. He’d obviously refused to do as Doyle had instructed and taken a beating for it. His arms were covered in injuries, some older and healing, some more recent. It appeared as if someone had peeled several of the scales from the skin on his arms.
I clenched my fists. The need to exact revenge on the humans who had done this to him replaced the relief I felt at finding him alive. “We came to take you home.”
“You should not have come. We won’t make it out of the vessel.” Vurell’s frantic gaze shot to a flat, rectangular black panel on the wall in a corner near the ceiling. “When the humans got the power to work, they also activated the ship’s cameras. They have been monitoring my movements closely and will send guards once they realize you are here.”
“Crap.” Sloane shared a knowing look with Laria. “I forgot about the cameras.”
No sooner had she made the statement than the door leading into the outside corridor retracted. Two males, presumably the ones Sloane had seen, walked into the room, each aiming a laser pistol in our direction.
“Well, look what we’ve got here. The doc has some new friends,” Rick, the human male we had seen at the outpost, said with a sneer. “I was a little surprised that Burke didn’t recognize me. I knew there was no way he’d be involved with one of the drezdarr’s inspections. I guess Doyle was right when he said you’d be coming for the doctor.”
“You know if Doyle decides to let us pass the women around, I call dibs on the pretty blonde.” The male standing next to Rick licked his lower lip. He had been staring at the Laria and Sloane from the moment he entered the room.
I snarled, pushing Laria behind me at the same time Garyck took a protective step in front of Sloane. The male would die slowly if he touched her. I knew many ways to inflict pain with a blade that would not result in an instant death.
“Don’t,” Laria whispered, then squeezed my arm, urging me to ease my hand away from the hilt of my sword.
“You might want to listen to her,” the other male said. “One shot from my weapon and you’ll be dead before you reach the ground.”
“Carl, go tell Doyle we found the rest of his uninvited visitors,” Rick ordered, then grabbed the young male who had been working with Vurell and shoved him toward the doorway.
Carl paused in the corridor, casting a worried glance at Laria and Sloane.
“I said go.” When Rick took a threatening step toward Carl, he didn’t hesitate to disappear from view.
Rick returned his attention to us. “Take off your swords and put them on the counter, then take a seat against that wall over there.” He motioned toward an empty space on the floor.
“What about the women?” Rick’s friend asked.
“Until we know what Doyle wants to do with them, they can take a seat with the ketaurrans.”
LARIA
I would’ve preferred a chair rather than having to sit on the cold metal floor with my back braced against the wall. The rest of the group didn’t look particularly comfortable either. Garyck was sitting on Jardun’s left with his elbows balanced on his knees, his angry glare never leaving Rick or the other male. I’d taken the spot on Jardun’s right, with Sloane sitting next to me.
Jardun maintained his composure well, the twitch of his tail the only sign of his frustration.
“Stop worrying about your friends, Doc. You should be more concerned about what Doyle’s going to do to you if you don’t get back to work.” Rick spoke from the other side of the room. He’d spent the last ten minutes or so with his back pressed against the frame of the open doorway, his attention periodically shifting from us to the outside corridor.
The other guard, whose name we learned was Neil, perched on the corner of a nearby worktable. Apparently bored, he passed the time by randomly picking up one of several vials filled with colorful liquids from a plastic rack sitting next to his hip. After holding the thin clear tube in the air and studying its contents, he’d return it to the stand and select another.
“We need to find a way to dispose of these human males,” Garyck muttered.
“As long as they possess the laser weapons, there is little we can do.” I was not willing to let anyone I cared about be injured or killed. All I could do was bide my time until an opportunity presented itself.
“Maybe you can’t, but I can.” Sloane pushed to her feet.
“Sloane, don’t do it.” I wasn’t quick enough to grab my friend’s arm and yank her back to the floor before she took several slow steps in Rick’s direction. I knew exactly what she was planning to do. She’d done it before. During those instances, our opponents were armed with blades, something we were trained to battle. Not lethal laser weapons that could end a life with a simple blast.
Garyck growled and would have wrestled her back to the ground if Jardun hadn’t grabbed his arm to stop him. I was glad Jardun had figured out what Sloane was planning to do without me having to say anything.
“Hey there, handsome.” Sloane took a few more steps, adding an additional sway to her hips.
“You need to go sit back down.” Rick pushed away from the frame and moved farther into the room.
“Nah, Rick, let her stay.” Neil slid off the table, his interest piqued.
“Thanks. It’s just that sitting on the floor is putting my ass to sleep.” Sloane rubbed her right butt cheek for emphasis. “And I was getting bored.”
“I’m sure we can find something to do to pass the time. Maybe you’d like me to give you a personal tour of the store room in the back.” Neil lowered his weapon.
We didn’t get a chance to find out if Sloane’s plan to lure Neil away from Rick would work. The sound of loud coughing echoed through the room and drew everyone’s attention to Carl, who was standing in the doorway.
Rick startled, then pivoted, his gun aimed at Carl’s chest. “Damn it, kid. Don’t you know any better than to sneak up on someone? I could’ve shot you.” He aimed the weapon at the floor, then glanced at the empty corridor behind Carl. “What are you doing back here anyway? I told you to go find Doyle.”
“Did.” Carl shrugged, then sauntered between Sloane and Neil. He moved toward the table filled with vials and glass containers, absently running his finger along the edge of the cluttered surface.
“Well, what did he say? Is he on his way here?” Rick asked.
Carl made a noncommittal noise and shrugged again.
“Rick asked you a question.” Neil lowered his pistol and fisted the sleeve of Carl’s shirt.
In a graceful and swift move, Carl smacked his hand away, then grabbed one of the containers filled with a dark green liquid and smashed it over his head. Glass shattered, the liquid coating his hair and face. Whatever was in the container must have stung because Neil yelped and dropped his weapon, then frantically tried to wipe his face and eyes. Unable to see where he was going, he staggered backward and bounced off the table.
Some of the liquid had dripped on the floor, and when he caught it with his heel, he slipped and landed on his ass. Before Neil could get back up, Carl kicked him in the chest, the blow sending him the rest of the way to the floor.
Sloane used the distraction to yank the laser pistol from Rick’s hand. No sooner had she leveled the weapon at his chest than the rest of us were at her side, ready to assist.
“Thanks.” Carl winked, then stepped over Neil’s unconscious body and picked up his dropped weapon. After lifting her shirt, she tucked the gun in the back of her pants.
I couldn’t figure out why Carl’s voice sounded so familiar or why Sloane was staring at him as if he were a newly discovered life form.
Vurell joined us, his wide-eyed glance jerking from Neil to the young male. “Carl, why...how?”
“Vurell, I...”
“I knew it,” Sloane interrupted, her lips widening into a beaming grin. “There’s only one person I know who uses those sneaky moves.” She threw herself at Carl, the force of the hug nearly knocking them both over.
I thought my friend had lost her mind until Carl giggled and returned the embrace. “Good to see you too.”
“Little one, please explain.” Garyck still looked like he wanted to throttle Sloane for her earlier actions. I couldn’t blame him, I’d thought about choking her myself for trying something so reckless. “Do you know this male?”
“Not a male.” Sloane snatched the knit hat from Carl’s head, revealing a mop of short, dark chestnut curls.
“No way. Cara...how?” I mumbled, too shocked to form a complete sentence. I pulled her into a quick hug, a lot of questions rolling through my mind. Why she was wearing a dirty and smelly disguise was at the top of the list.
“You’ve been gone for months. I was afraid something had happened to you.” I swallowed against the constriction in my throat. “That we’d never see you again.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” Cara snatched the hat back and returned it to her head, tucking the loose curls inside. “When Burke heard there was a possibility that some laser weapons had been found, he asked for volunteers to infiltrate Doyle’s compound. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. The fewer people who knew, the better my odds of getting the information we needed.”
“Is that why you’re dressed like a guy?” Sloane asked.
“These creeps will nail anything with breasts.” Cara rolled her eyes in disgust at Rick, then kicked Neil’s leg. “Pretending to be a guy was the only way I could keep from being forced to be someone’s bunk partner. Most of the men ignored me, so it was easy to move around the ship without anyone getting suspicious.”
She held up a hand. “I know you have more questions, but they’re going to have to wait. Doyle has Burke and Celeste.” She glanced at Jardun and Garyck. “And I’m assuming the ketaurran with them is one of your friends.”
Jardun nodded. “Yes...Zaedon.”
“Sorry, Cara. This is Jardun and Garyck.” I pointed at each of them.
“Nice to meet you, but we need to go.” The playfulness left Cara’s voice. “I jammed the signal on the cameras, and it won’t be long before someone comes to investigate.”
“We cannot leave without the antidote,” Vurell stated gruffly, then reached beneath one of the rectangular tables to retrieve a small insulated bag with a long strap.
“Fine, gather whatever samples you need while I lock Neil and Rick in the storage room,” Cara said.
Hearing there was a cure and knowing we had a chance to save the drezdarr’s life filled me with hope. Now the only problem we faced was getting the miraculous drug back to the city. I shared a concerned glance with Jardun before he followed Vurell across the room to help him select vials from one of the worktables.
Rick pursed his lips and glared at Cara. “Carl, or whoever you are, there’s no way you’ll make it out of here alive.”
“We’ll see. Now move.” Cara shoved him toward the closed door in the corner of the room.
“Would you mind sharing those beefy muscles of yours and giving her a hand?” Sloane patted Garyck’s arm and tipped her head at Neil’s unmoving form.
“Pleasure.” Garyck grabbed Neil by the ankle and dragged him effortlessly behind Cara. I couldn’t tell if Neil banging his head on a table leg along the way was an accident or part of Garyck’s plan. The ketaurran didn’t seem bothered by it either way.
While Cara secured the lock, Sloane and I grabbed our swords, then checked the corridor outside the main entryway. So far, the passageway was empty.
“You guys ready to go?” Cara said once everyone had joined us. “Good, then follow me and stay close.”
