Quest For Earth (11 page)

Her body jostled against his as he bounded forward with a ground-eating stride. Wedged so tight against him, she could feel the flex and pull of his thick, corded muscles. His arms bound her to him securely and yet his touch was protective.
Why am I not terrified of this man? Why can I sense only determination in him and no threat to myself?
Desperate to escape from his unsettling presence and also to resume her search, she wriggled, flailing her legs and arms.

He growled and tightened his grip. ‘Cease this useless struggle. We must leave this place, quickly.'

A disconcerting sense of comfort and safety stole into her essence, calming her. She hissed in a sharp breath.
He is doing it again!

‘Stop that!' Sherise thumped his chest with her fist. ‘I demand you release me.'

He stopped. ‘Hush.'

Against her will, she obeyed the quiet demand.
Now what?

Cold air from the rising wind chilled her flesh. Fallen leaves and debris rattled along the road. She held her breath and listened. No sound came from her captor, but there was something else …

Scratching claws. Rhythmic thumping upon the earth. Footsteps. Many footsteps. She strained her eyes, searching the road in front of them, but failed to detect any movement.

‘They have passed us, to the north,' he said.

Sherise lifted her head to peer over his brawny arm into the darkness.

‘They have found other prey,' he said and Sherise shuddered, feeling as if the very marrow in her bones had just frozen.

***

Bree sank down onto her shaking knees and buried her face in her hands as a low keening erupted from her throat. Bone-shaking sobs wracked her body as she huddled amongst the weeds.

How long she crouched there, she had no idea, but eventually her tears eased into watery hiccups. She pushed to her haunches and used the bottom of her old tee to mop her face, then blew her nose on a tatty handkerchief she fished out of her pocket. After scrunching it into a moist ball she shoved it back before heaving a long, shuddering breath. Sharp pebbles pricked her skin through the thin material of her pants.

Shit. It's getting dark.

The air was cold with a chill that caught at the back of her throat and constricted her lungs. She shivered and rubbed her arms. Shadows painted the block with dark shapes that made her think of the monsters she had believed lived under her bed when she was small.

Now she knew those monsters did exist.

She adjusted the straps of her medie satchel, which also contained emergency rations and water, and lurched to her feet. Time to return to the shuttle. But she was reluctant to take that first step away from her past.

Claws scratched over stone.

Bree held her breath and listened.

An animal? Here? She doubted it would be friendly. Ever so slowly, she unclipped her stunner from the holster on her hips and breathed again. The stunner vibrated in her hand as it charged. She shifted her hold, her index finger now on the trigger, all her senses tuned outward for the slightest hint of danger.

A shadow raced across the ground. She saw the misshapen form slip behind a sculpture of fallen masonry and steel. A flicker of movement.
Shit! Another one?
Whatever they were, she recognised their tactic—they would continue to circle her until one or more would attack from a direction she would not expect. She heard more scratching, louder this time.

They had friends.

Footsteps pounded. She whirled and froze when she saw the stuff of nightmares racing towards her. With a gaping mouth of blood-stained teeth, goose-ball eyes glowing with evil intent, the scrawny, humped-back figure was within a few feet before self-preservation kicked into gear.

Bree opened her mouth wide, screamed, and pressed the trigger.

The creature slammed backwards from the force of the blast. She hoped like hell the stun would be sufficient to keep it unconscious long enough for her to escape. From the corner of her eye, she spied a movement. She spun to the side, the stunner bucking in her hand as she fired again. Another creature fell. Five others rushed towards her. Swords and axes gripped in clawed hands, they screeched obscenities like a scene from hell.

Her heart gave a painful leap.
I'm gonna die
.

Then the lead creature exploded in a mass of broken limbs and blood that sprayed over his companions like confetti. One by one, they were dispatched with quick efficiency and Bree raised eyes wet with fresh tears to stare into the grim face of the Relic warlord, Kondo.

‘I should have known you would cause trouble. You were ordered not to stray far from the shuttle,' he ground out through clenched teeth. He grabbed her arm and hauled her across the yard. ‘As usual, you waste my time. We need to leave here fast.'

Her gratitude died a quick death.
What an arse
.

‘I don't, and never will, take orders from you.' She jerked her arm to release his grip; to no avail. His fingers dug tighter. There would be bruises on her skin tomorrow but she would be dammed if she asked him for latitude. ‘How did you find me?'

He snorted and, as usual, didn't bother to respond.
Mr High-and-mighty-I-don't-have-to-explain-myself.
She sniffed and tripped. Kondo lifted her over a massive concrete beam without breaking stride. Her breath came in short, hard pants as she jogged at his side in an effort to keep up with his long strides. She heard the sound of plitza fire in the distance. The pound of running feet became louder by the minute.

Kondo hustled her down the road. They ran around the corner and came face-to-face with the crew from the shuttle. One soldier had a hand pressed to his side where blood ran in rivulets between his fingers and down his arm.

‘Let me help him,' she pleaded as she tried to wrench free.

‘Later. How close are the creatures?' demanded Kondo of his second-in-command, who cast a swift look behind him.

‘They will be on us in a few sectons.'

‘Assist him.' Kondo jerked his head towards the wounded man. ‘Make all haste to the shuttle.'

They surged forward. Kondo pulled Bree along behind him and she lengthened her stride, her heartbeats frantic. Her breathing laboured, but still she lagged. He muttered a curse, looped his arm about her waist and carried her on his hip as if she weighed little more than a sack of food. Too out of breath to yell at him, Bree concentrated on controlling the dizziness in her head, miserably aware he would enjoy berating her later for landing them in this mess. It was her own fault, of course, that he constantly sniped at her. She should never have crawled into his bed that first time, after he and his team rescued the prisoners on Gazood. A brief interlude of pure wonder and delight, destroyed by self-recriminations; from both of them. It was never a good idea to have sex with the promised life partner of your best friend.

Although, as she continually reminded herself, she hadn't known that Kondo had an agenda that made no allowances for an insignificant Earth woman.

What did she care, anyway? On her part, it had been gratitude, pure and simple. And on his part? Hey, what guy would say
‘no'
when a naked woman jumps into his bed? All the same, she had deemed it wiser to stay out of his orbit. And yet here she was, back in his vicinity again. And worse, now she had to be grateful he'd saved her from those ghouls.
God, I'm an idiot
.
I should have waited.
She sniffled.
If anyone dies here, it will be because of my selfish actions.

The next instant he dumped her onto her feet. Bree curled her fingers over the hard muscles in his forearm to keep her balance. Fear crawled like an attacking scorpion down her spine.

Kondo had drawn his weapon.

‘What is it?' Fear made her voice shrill. She flinched at the cold contempt in his eyes when he swept a glance over her dishevelled body.

‘Charge your stunner, female. We are surrounded.'

Chapter 8

‘Define what you mean by
they
?' Sherise croaked.

‘The Half-dead.'

Cercis's cloak!
‘My friend could be in danger. You must release me.' Her dagger slicked into her fingers. Dread quivered along her spine. Was she capable of slicing her knife into his flesh? Yes, if her life was at stake, but her every sense told her this was not the case.

In one swift movement, he removed his arm from beneath her legs and allowed her to slide against his length until her feet hit the ground. Her ankle throbbed anew under the weight of her body, but she choked back her whimper of distress and stepped away from his support.

‘I find your repeated attempts to harm me irritating.' He reached out and tapped the point of her blade. ‘A most interesting weapon. What else do you have hidden on your body?'

A vision of him removing her garments one by one shuddered into her mind. His hot touch would brush against her naked skin, evoking a trail of need she would be powerless to resist.

‘A pity I do not have time to investigate.' His voice reeked with hungry anticipation and a tremble quaked through her. Had he shared her vision? ‘Why do you insist on delaying us?'

‘Us? As in, you and me?' Astounded, Sherise gaped at his shadowy form before saying, ‘It is clear to me your brain is seriously underdeveloped.' She leaned forward and prodded his chest with the hilt of her knife. ‘One, there is no “
us
”. Two, I do not want to go with you. Three, I intend to find my friend.'

‘Aah, this Bree, of whom you think often.'

By Cercis's cloak, how can he know this?

‘You may return your weapon to its hiding place.' He touched her wrist. ‘It gives me comfort to know you are armed.'

Sherise hissed, her hand tightening over her knife as she allowed herself the pleasant image of pummelling his dense head with a large stick. But his utter stillness gave her pause. He no longer attended to her but looked into the distance, over her shoulder. She shivered. What could he see that she couldn't?

‘Your Bree is not without a protector.' He gripped her upper arm and propelled her along with him.

Could he be talking of Kondo?
‘How do you know this? Wait! Who is protecting her? By the stars, let go of me!'

He stopped and swung round to face her and lowered his head until his gaze was level with hers. His eyes caught the starlight above and glistened. His spicy breath teased her nostrils.

‘You may walk or you will be carried.'

‘Neither,' she choked out. What were his intentions?
Perhaps I should have used my knife on him when I had the chance.

He sighed and straightened, passing a hand over the back of his head. ‘Very well.'

One fluid movement and he had her draped over his shoulder; his arm about the back of her legs locked her in place. He set off again, his loping gait made her head bounce against the small of his back until she braced her hands above his buttocks.

A woman's shrill scream sliced through the night.

‘Wait! Stop! That could be Bree.'

Her captor quickened his pace. She was sure he headed in the opposite direction, increasing the distance between them.

‘Where are you taking me? Fool! You're going in the wrong direction.' Sherise dug her nails into his flesh above his belt. He grunted but didn't stop. She pounded his back with clenched fists, knowing she should draw her dagger and plunge it into him. Her stomach rolled over. Whatever he deserved, it was not that; he had shown nothing but consideration for her wellbeing, even if he was fixated on his own agenda.

A last resort only. My stunner. Where is it?
She patted his buttocks.
Higher.
She ran her fingers along what she could reach of his belt.

Nothing.

‘If you seek your weapon, I have it in my hand. But do not stop. I find your touch most pleasant.' A short laugh rumbled through him.

Sherise snapped her teeth together. ‘What do you want to know about us?' Maybe she could get him to stop long enough for her to wriggle free.

The wind howled down the long road, gathering force. Loose metal and timber clanged and rattled, leaves flicked up against her legs, adding to her discomfort.

He muttered what sounded like a curse, stopped and lowered her to the ground. Dizzy from the rush of blood, she staggered, grateful for the support of the arm he kept about her waist. He gripped her chin with a firm touch, directing her attention to the east.

‘Beyond the moon,' he whispered near her ear, his breath stirring tendrils of her hair. His low tones caused expectancy to feather over her skin, need gnawing deep in her belly. She stabbed her nails into the palms of her hands to rid herself of this useless complication and stared into the sky.

Above the jagged outline of the broken city, the glow of the full moon revealed clouds forming in a churning pattern that reminded her of boiling lava. Even as she watched, a snaking tunnel arrowed towards the ground. The air surrounding them crackled with electrical energy.

‘What is that?' Despite her best intentions, her voice shook with fear.

‘Tornado. We need to be underground within minutes.' He indicated the nearest building. ‘In there will be a basement where we can wait out the storm. Can you walk?'

‘Yes,' she ground out. She would crawl on hands and knees before she asked for his assistance. ‘But what about Bree? The others? I cannot leave them.'

‘Your Bree is with your soldiers. My men have found them and will lead them to safety.' He tugged at her arm.

She limped beside him, struggling to keep up with his long stride. ‘How can you know this?'

He shrugged and remained irritatingly silent.

She punched the air with her fist. ‘You could have told me about this earlier instead of letting me think Bree was out there, defenceless. You could be lying.'

His voice cool, ‘I have no need to lie and I do not explain myself.' He muttered something further under his breath but his words were swallowed by the fury of the wind. The next moment he swung her into his arms, vaulted up a flight of steps and entered a building where the darkness was as impenetrable as the
black
.