A Touch of Frost (14 page)

 
Chapter 23

Frost pressed a kissed to Lacey’s bare shoulder before he reluctantly slid from the bed. He padded over to the dresser on bare feet and picked up the remote device. He had only two hours before his spaceship self-destructed. He glanced over to where Lacey lay sleeping.

His body felt sated and relaxed after their lovemaking. All he really wanted to do was crawl back into bed next to her, but he needed to take care of this before he could relax. He would have to talk to her tomorrow. He needed to tell her of the decision he made.

He silently slipped on his clothes. He didn’t bother with his utility belt or the vest full of weapons that lay in the top drawer of the dresser. The only thing he needed was the remote device to locate where his ship had been moved too. Brice had said he had moved it to a canyon not far from Lacey’s house. It shouldn’t take long to cancel the self-destruct order. He would be back probably before Lacey woke.

He carried his boots in one hand into the living room. Sitting on the edge of the couch, he slid them on. He smiled at the fish swimming circles in the large bowl on the end table.

“Let her know I’ll be back shortly should she wake before I return,” he murmured to the fish. “I have to return to my ship.”

Frost shook his head as the fish stared back at him, opening and closing its mouth. Standing, he quietly walked over to the front door and opened it. It was still light out, but he could feel the coolness in the air as night quietly approached. Closing the door, he stepped lightly down the steps and took off at an easy jog following the signal.

To stay or to return?
He thought as he ran. He thought of his older brother and the plans they had already set in motion. Then, he thought of Lacey. There was no doubt which choice he would make. He already had. He would send the transport back to his world… without him.

They will think I was killed. I will program a message saying that Taar had been terminated and that I was unable to return,
he thought.
Passion would never send another Star Ranger to confirm it. Especially if I leave evidence that I was dead.

He ran for almost forty minutes before he slowed. The device told him that he was nearly on top of his ship. He breathed in the cooler night air. Twilight was settling over the land. Lacey said that the days were getting shorter now that their summer was over.

He walked up to the edge of one of the canyons holding the device out. The small blip on it remained steady. He looked down. It took a minute for him to see the shadow of it a short distance further down. The drop to the bottom of the canyon was approximately thirty feet. The top of the transport rose above it.

He chuckled when he saw that Brice had camouflaged the ship by using its reflective surface combined with the red dust and plant life. It looked like it was part of the canyon cliffs. He walked over to the edge and climbed up onto the top of it. He strode over to the upper hatch and pressed in the security code. The sound of the lock disengaging echoed in the quiet atmosphere of the desert.

His muscles strained as he lifted the lid. He twisted, stepping down onto the interior ring and started climbing down. He paused to shut the lid. He jumped the last few feet, his boots ringing out as they hit the metal grating that made up the walkway.

Frost ducked his head as he worked his way to the front pilot seat. He slid into the seat and twisted. His hands flew over the console. Lights came on under his skillful fingers.

“Computer, disengage self-destruct, Star Ranger Frost, Directive four two two eight one six,” Frost ordered.

“Star Ranger Frost voice command confirmed. Self-destruct disengaged,” the computer responded.

Frost leaned back in the pilot’s seat and released his breath as the tension in his shoulders dissolved. He stared at the console. His eyes roamed the advanced features. He would never feel the freedom of soaring through the stars again. His eyes closed as he thought of never seeing his beautiful world again.

He would miss the cold. There were places on this planet that were cold. Perhaps there would be a way for him and Lacey to visit them. He would miss his family as well and regretted that they would grieve his death.

It is better they grieve thinking I am dead than always wondering if I am alive, but unable to return home,
he thought looking out the front viewport.

He leaned forward preparing to enter the video record of Taar’s death when his natural warning system alerted him that he was not alone. He twisted out of his seat, freezing when he saw the stunner pointed at him. His eyes rose in surprise and he stared into the eyes of Star Ranger Coal’s midnight black eyes.

“You should have notified us sooner,” Coal replied.

“What are you doing here?” Frost bit out, straightening.

“Saving you from making the biggest mistake of your life,” Coal growled. “Passion was afraid you might need backup.”

“I don’t,” Frost declared, cutting his hand outward through the air. “Taar is dead.”

“I figured that when I saw that you had destroyed his ship and yours was hidden,” Coal said, leaning back against the doorway, but not lowering his pistol.

“I’m not going back,” Frost bit out harshly. “I’m staying here.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Coal muttered with a shake of his head. “I’ve got orders to bring you in.”

“I’m not going, Coal,” Frost reiterated, taking a step closer. “I’m staying here.”

“It’s the female, isn’t it? You’ve had a taste and now you think you can live happily ever after on a primitive planet fucking her and making little half alien babies,” Coal retorted, straightening. “That is a direct violation of the Directive, Frost. You know that can’t happen. If you are captured and they get your knowledge, it could have devastating results.”

“I would die before I revealed anything to them,” Frost replied heatedly. “I would never break.”

“Not even if they used the female?” Another voice asked from behind Coal.

Frost jerked back when he heard his older brother’s voice. “Idan!”

“It is time to go,” Idan said. “We don’t have much time.”

“Time… What have you done?” Frost asked as his older brother started to turn away. “Idan, what have you done?”

Fear twisted his stomach at the look on his oldest brother’s face. The distant look of regret, but determination. The look of…

“Lacey,” Frost muttered as he put a name to the look. “NO!”

Coal fired into Frost as he surged forward. He dropped the pistol and caught Frost around the waist as he collapsed. Bending, he slung his friend’s body over his shoulder with regret. Frost may hate them now, but it was better than taking a chance of Frost making an even bigger mistake.

“Lock him up,” Idan instructed. “I’ll fly the other transport and you take this one since you are familiar with it.”

“What did you do to the female, Idan?” Coal asked as he stepped into the narrow passageway.

“What had to be done to prevent Frost from coming back,” Idan stated in a voice devoid of emotion.

Coal’s mouth tightened, but he refrained from saying anything else. Instead, he took Frost back to the containment unit. Laying his friend’s body on the bed, he pressed the button and watched as the bed slid into the wall. A mixture of gases filled the unit once it was in the tube.

Coal watched as the computer measured Frost’s life support. Once it registered that he was in a complete medical stasis, he glanced over his shoulder at Idan. His face reflected his disapproval.

“You know he is going to hate you,” Coal remarked grimly.

“At least he’ll be alive to do so,” Idan replied. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 24

Lacey rolled and coughed. She struggled to open her eyes and when she did, the acidic smoke in the air stung, making her close them again. She pulled the covers up over her nose and mouth and forced her eyes open again. Fear poured through her when she saw the flames licking at the ceiling. She rolled toward the other side of the bed, her hand frantically seeking Frost.

“Frost!” Lacey cried, crawling up onto her knees and across the bed. “Frost!”

The sound of frantic barking echoed through the smoke. Lacey fell to the floor disoriented. Waves of heat made the room look like it was moving. She knew she should use her magic to put the fire out, but there was something else in the smoke. Something that was making her sleepy.

“Frost!” Lacey called out again, covering her mouth and nose with another layer of the sheet.

A soft whine came from in front of her. Little Bit was crawling across the floor on her belly. Her back legs pushing her across as she stayed low to the floor. Lacey reached for the pup and curled her fingers into the fur near her neck.

“Little Bit,” Lacey whispered hoarsely. “Where’s Frost?”

Little Bit sneezed as the smoke burned her sensitive nose. Lacey felt more than saw the pup growing. Another sneeze mixed with the crackling of the fire. Little Bit grew larger with each sneeze until she was as big as the bed. The puppy opened her mouth and wrapped her tongue around Lacey and pulled her into her mouth. Turning on her belly, Little Bit rose and shot out through the doorway just as the ceiling in the bedroom collapsed.

“Lacey!” A soft feminine voice cried out.

“Mom?” Lacey choked. “Frost.”

“I’ll check,” her father said grimly as he raised his hands to the sky.

Rain began pouring over the burning house. Lacey vaguely saw her dad pull a hooded cape over his head as he ran up the steps. She felt so weak.

“Set her down, Little Bit,” Evanna ordered gently. “Joanna, Sam, see to the burns on Little Bit.”

Evanna tenderly swept her hands over Lacey. With each pass, Lacey began to feel more alert. She gripped the tattered remains of the dirty sheet around her as several more men came to help her father search for Frost.

She struggled to sit up and held out her hands as Simon, Joseph and Jonah’s father, came down the steps holding Alfred’s soot-covered fish bowl. She pulled it to her as she waited for her father to come back out.

She began to shake the longer it took. Her face crumpled when she saw him step out of the smoldering house empty-handed. Silent tears ran down her face, creating dirty tracks as they clung to her chin before falling into Alfred’s bowl.

“Nothing,” Brice said as he came to stand near her. “He wasn’t there.”

Relief mixed with grief. Where could he be? What if her father missed him and Frost had been in the bedroom when the ceiling collapsed? She wished Alfred could talk so he could tell her if he had seen Frost.

She set Alfred’s bowl on the ground and struggled to rise. She fell back when the fish bowl exploded. The water soaked the thin sheet covering her. The sounds of cursing filled the air. At first, Lacey thought it was from her father. It took a moment for her to realize that it was coming from where the fish bowl had been. From where Alfred had been.

Lacey blinked several times before she realized that a very odd and strangely dressed little man sat on the remains of what had been Alfred’s home. The man had a long nose, thick, full lips and dark green eyes. His hair was matted and solid white. He was wearing a bright blue jacket with red stripes on it and matching dark blue velvet pants that ended just below his knees. White, knee-high stockings and black buckle shoes finished off the outfit.

“Alfred?” Lacey murmured.

“Of course, its Alfred,” the short man snapped, jumping to his feet. “Alfred van Der Merr, the third, my lady.”

Lacey pushed her hair back from her face as she stared at the bowing white head. Confusion darkened her eyes and she glanced up at her father for help. He looked just as puzzled as she was and was looking at her mother.

“Evanna?” Brice asked. “He came from your side of the family.”

“I… he was handed down,” Evanna replied.

“Of course I was handed down,” Alfred snapped. “I couldn’t very well take care of myself otherwise.”

“Alfred,” Lacey said, reaching for his hand. “Did you see Frost? Do you know where he is?”

“He said he was going to his ship and he would return shortly, my lady,” Alfred said, tilting his head to the side so water could drain. “He said to inform you that he would return shortly.”

“Aunt Lacey,” Jonah yelled, running. “Aunt Lacey, they took him.”

“Who… Jonah,” Lacey said, scrambling to her feet. “Who took him? Frost?”

“Yeah,” Jonah said breathlessly. “Joseph and I was bringin’ Little Bit home and we saw Frost running from the house. Joseph told me to go ahead and bring Little Bit the rest of the way while he followed him. I... I wanted to see the spaceship, though, so I told Little Bit to go home and I followed Joseph and Frost.”

“Where is your brother, Jonah?” Simon asked in a gravelly voice.

Jonah looked at everyone before his eyes finally moved back to his father. His lower lip trembled as he drew in a deep breath. He stared up at his dad with a pleading look.

“He’s on the spaceship,” Jonah whispered. “We saw one of the men shoot Frost. I ran back to the hatch and climbed out. I thought Joseph was behind me, but he must have followed the men. I saw them lift off. I was coming to tell you when I saw the smoke.”

“Daddy!” Lacey cried out, swaying.