Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (73 page)

Actually,
he’d
be
excited
himself
if
it
wasn’t
for
the
fact
that
he
was
on
a
strict
timetable
here.
Callum
Meridian
was
the
founding
member
of
the
Collective.
The
one
who
had
started
it
all.
He’d
crash
landed
on
Trakis
Seven
over
five
hundred
years
ago,
somehow
survived
the
radiation
levels,
and
discovered
Meridian.
He
was
the
first.
The
oldest.
He
was
also
a
recluse
and
hadn’t
been
seen
in
years.
Now,
he
was
coming
to
talk
to
Jon.

“Well,
isn’t
this
turning
into
a
party,”
he
muttered.
“But
you
know,
we
really
don’t
have
time
for
this.”

She
shrugged,
opened
her
mouth
to
answer,
when
her
gaze
fixed
over
his
left
shoulder.
Jon
twisted
around
so
he
could
see
out
of
the
window.
Out
in
the
courtyard
the
double
gates
were
opening.

“They’re
here,”
Skylar
said.

She
drew
her
laser
pistol
and
shot
the
colonel
through
the
chest.

…

The
speeder
came
to
a
halt
in
front
of
a
set
of
double
metal
gates,
black
with
the
violet
insignia
of
the
Corps
stamped
on
each.
Alex
wiped
her
hands
down
the
side
of
her
dress
and
adjusted
the
makeshift
headdress.
She’d
lost
the
original
when
she’d
handed
herself
over
to
Hezrai,
but
Tannis
had
improvised,
ripping
up
one
of
Rico’s
black
shirts
and
making
a
passable
replacement.
At
least
if
you
didn’t
look
too
closely.

Rico
was
in
the
driver’s
seat
with
Tannis
beside
him,
and
Alex
sat
in
the
back,
gnawing
on
her
lip
while
she
waited
for
someone
to
come.
If
they
failed
to
get
inside
the
gates,
the
whole
thing
would
be
off.
The
place
was
impenetrable.

At
last,
the
gates
opened
slightly,
and
two
guards
walked
through.
From
the
color
of
their
eyes,
it
was
obvious
they
were
human
not
Collective,
and
she
hoped
they
wouldn’t
have
to
kill
them.

“Okay,
you’re
on,”
Rico
murmured.
When
she
didn’t
move,
he
peered
over
his
shoulder.
“You
can
do
this.”

Alex
wasn’t
sure
about
that,
but
she
had
to
try.
She
fumbled
with
the
door,
managed
to
release
the
lock,
and
almost
fell
out
of
the
vehicle.
She
straightened
the
headdress
and
forced
her
face
into
her
best
high
priestess
expression,
and
addressed
the
first
of
the
guards.

“I
am
the
Lady
Alexia,
High
Priestess
of
the
Church
of
Everlasting
Life.”

“Really?”

The
guard
examined
her,
his
gaze
running
over
her
tattered
robes.
He
didn’t
appear
impressed,
and
she
hurried
on.
“I
apologize
for
my
appearance,
but
the
last
few
days
have
been
difficult,
and
there
was
no
time
to
change.
I
must
see
your
colonel.”

“Identification?”

“I
don’t
have
any—it
was
taken
from
me,
but
you
can
check
the
database.
I’ve
been
missing—the
Church
has
been
looking
for
me.”

“Step
forward.”

She
moved
closer
as
he
flipped
on
a
palm
scanner
and
passed
it
in
front
of
her
face.
He
read
the
screen
and
turned
to
the
other
guard.
“She’s
telling
the
truth.
There’s
a
flag
attached
to
the
file—missing
presumed
kidnapped.
So
why
do
you
need
to
see
the
colonel?”

“I
have
information
regarding
the
assassination
of
Aiden
Ross.”

“You
do?”

He
sounded
skeptical,
and
she
nodded.
“I
think
the
men
who
kidnapped
me
were
responsible.
These
kind
people”—she
waved
a
hand
at
Rico
and
Tannis,
who
still
sat
in
the
speeder—“saved
me
from
a
fate
worse
than
death
and
brought
me
here.”

The
guard
looked
from
her
to
the
vehicle
where
Rico
and
Tannis
were
both
doing
their
best
to
look
like
“kind”
people.
It
couldn’t
have
been
easy
for
them.

After
what
seemed
like
a
lifetime,
the
guard
nodded.
“Drive
through;
wait
at
the
gate
while
we
contact
the
colonel.”

Alex
released
her
breath.
They
were
in.
“Thank
you.”

She
climbed
back
into
the
speeder,
collapsed
on
the
backseat,
and
gripped
her
hands
together
to
stop
the
shaking.

“You
did
well,”
Rico
said
quietly
as
the
gates
opened.

They
followed
the
guards
into
the
compound.
One
of
them
turned
and
held
up
a
hand
for
them
to
halt,
and
the
speeder
pulled
up
beside
him.
They
were
in
a
large
open
area,
surrounded
by
two-story
buildings
built
of
sandy-colored
stone.
There
was
no
one
else
in
sight,
and
she
searched
the
doorways
for
some
sign
of
Jon
or
Skylar,
willing
them
to
miraculously
appear.

“Wait
here.”
The
guard
headed
off
across
the
compound
and
disappeared
inside
one
of
the
buildings.

Rico
and
Tannis
climbed
out
of
the
speeder.
Alex
was
halfway
out
when
Rico
moved.
He
flew
through
the
air
and
crashed
into
the
remaining
guard,
gripping
his
throat.
A
second
later
and
the
man
collapsed
the
ground.

Alex
stared
at
the
body
then
at
Rico.
It
had
been
so
fast.

“Don’t
look
at
me
like
that,”
Rico
snarled.
“He’s
only
un-conscious.
Though
now
is
not
the
time
to
be
squeamish.
I
have
a
feeling
there
are
going
to
be
a
few
casualties
before
the
day
is
over.”

Alex
didn’t
answer,
just
stepped
down.
Tannis
had
returned
to
the
vehicle
and
was
pulling
the
weapons
belts
from
under
the
seat.
She
handed
one
to
Rico
and
a
second
to
Alex.
She
strapped
it
around
her
waist,
the
heavy
weight
of
the
blaster
dragging
her
down.
Not
for
the
first
time,
the
enormity
of
what
she
was
doing
hit
her.
While
she’d
been
concentrating
on
the
idea
of
saving
Jon,
she
hadn’t
thought
about
the
people
who
might
die
achieving
her
goal.
Or
more
likely
not
achieving
it.
Even
if
they
failed,
people
were
going
to
die.

For
as
long
as
she
could
remember,
she’d
had
doubts
about
her
faith.
But
she
knew
what
was
right
and
wrong,
and
she’d
always
believed
that
killing
was
wrong.

But
maybe
people
had
to
have
someone
they
were
willing
to
die
for.
And
kill
for.

Rico
dragged
the
body
of
the
guard
behind
the
speeder
and
stood,
surveying
the
courtyard.
“Come
on,
let’s
start
looking.
This
place
will
be
crawling
with
Corps
any
second.”

But
at
that
moment,
Skylar
appeared
in
one
of
the
open
doorways.
She
was
alone,
and
Alex’s
heart
stopped
beating.
Then
Jon’s
tall
figure
appeared
behind
her,
and
Alex
swayed
as
relief
washed
over
her.

As
he
stepped
out
into
the
open,
she
ran
toward
him,
skidding
to
a
halt
only
inches
away.
For
a
second,
she
just
stared
at
him,
then
she
clenched
her
fist
and
punched
him
as
hard
as
she
could
on
the
nose.
It
hurt
a
lot.
Her,
at
least.
Jon
didn’t
even
flinch.
“What
the
hell
did
you
think
you
were
doing?”
she
asked.

“Protecting
you.”

“I
don’t
want
protecting.”

“Then
you
should
never
have
told
me
you
loved
me.”

“You
told
me
first.”

He
shook
his
head.
“I
wish
you
hadn’t
come.”

She
reached
up
and
stroked
his
cheek.
“It’s
a
two-way
deal,
this
protection
thing,
and
I
couldn’t
let
you
die
without
trying
to
save
you.”

Jon
lowered
his
head
and
kissed
her
fleetingly.
“I
still
wish
you
hadn’t.”
He
stepped
back
and
turned
to
Rico.
“I’d
made
my
decision.
You
had
no
right
to
come
here.”

Rico
shrugged.
“It
wasn’t
my
choice.
And
perhaps
we
could
argue
about
it
later.
Right
now,
we
need
to
get
out
of
here.”