Rystani Warrior 02 - The Dare (31 page)

While Dora had been doing her best to misdirect the guard’s attention, Zical had gone to work with his knife, his fists, and his feet. One guard dropped to the floor, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Zical slit the second one’s throat and simultaneously struck the third
Pirinja
with a kick to the temple.

Dora picked up a chair and slammed it down on the captain’s head to make sure he wouldn’t get up. She didn’t take a moment to ascertain whether he was mortally wounded or dead, not with Kirek wailing.

Knowing Zical could take care of the one remaining guard, she used her psi to unlock the door and rushed to where Kirek had once again gone silent. Praying she wasn’t too late, she stumbled at the quick transformation from machine circuitry to human brain, jolting back into her body as she entered the room.

Even as she heaved through the door, she recovered enough to use her vocal cords. “Kirek. It’s Dora and Zical. We came to get you out of here.”

The boy backed away from them, his arms raised to block his face. “I am Tirips’ Oracle. Do not strike me.”

Stars. He was out of his head. His eyes unfocused. He didn’t recognize Dora or Zical.

She made her tone gentle. “Kirek. It’s Dora, sweetie. We’ve come to free you.”

“Dora?”

Kirek lowered his forearms. At the sight of the black circles below his eyes and his shaking frame, Dora barely held back a gasp. She didn’t know what they’d done to him, but he was clearly weak and totally exhausted.

“They wouldn’t let me sleep.”

She scooped him into her arms. “I’ve got you now. Sleep all you want.”

FROM THE MOMENT Zical had heard Kirek’s pathetic scream, he’d known they weren’t leaving the boy behind. Even if he’d wanted to try to talk Dora into leaving and returning again with Avanti and Deckar to back them up, the stubborn hardness in Dora’s eyes told him she’d never abandon the child. He adored her loyalty to Kirek. So her attitude was more than fine with him. Besides, holding back his fury would have been next to impossible. Anyone who would hurt a child didn’t deserve to breathe another minute.

While Zical didn’t take life without reason, he had no compunction about killing the
Pirinja
. As he led Dora, who lovingly carried Kirek, from L’Matti’s building, he remained alert. No one would stop their escape.

Earlier, Dora’s performance had been brilliant. She’d thought on her feet, using her charms and intelligence to get them close enough to take out the guards. She hadn’t hesitated to back him up in the fight, either, displaying a physical courage that revealed just how much she’d grown from the woman on Mystique who’d been afraid to leave her room.

So when Dora suddenly staggered on the stairs, almost dropping the boy, he took Kirek from her arms, fearing that killing a man had finally caught up with her emotionally. But he was dead wrong. She had that glazed look in her eyes, a soulless expression that told him she’d sent her mind elsewhere. Holding the boy over his shoulder with one arm, he wrapped his other around Dora to support her.

Meanwhile, his concern fed his anger. What in Stars was she doing linking with the computer system now? She needed to focus on her arms and legs and getting out of here before anyone discovered the dead guards they’d left behind. They couldn’t remain undiscovered for much longer, and he couldn’t carry her and Kirek, too, never mind fight if he must.

He set Kirek down in the stairwell. Then he shook her. “Dora. Come back.”

She didn’t respond, and the thought hit him that every time he figured that she’d made forward progress in her humanity, she did something to make him question her. But this was the first time she’d placed their lives at risk. Concern and anger battled within him. By now he knew her well enough to know she had good reasons for her actions, and that left him with nothing but anxiety. Had something outside gone awry? Had Avanti and Deckar betrayed them?

He chafed his hands up and down her arms. “Dora. We need you with us. Kirek needs you.”

Nothing.

Zical covered her mouth with his. At first, she didn’t move. But ever so slowly, her lips began to respond. Her eyes fluttered open. She jerked, spasming, and he realized that during their journey she’d gradually ceased her uncontrollable ticks and spasms. He wasn’t sure when she’d gained full control of her body, but now was not the time to discuss it.

“Dora?”

“Mmm.” She tried to draw him back into the kiss.

But once he was certain she was all the way back and wouldn’t fall down, he bent and picked up the sleeping Kirek. “We’ve got to go.”

He considered it a measure of restraint that he didn’t stop and demand to know what she’d been doing. This was no time for discussion. They had to get out of here. The sooner the better. He was about to climb the next set of stairs and return the same way they’d come.

“No.” She pointed to the door on this landing. “I altered the security system. The guards expect us to leave the way we came. This way.”

Zical didn’t know if she was strong enough to carry the boy. But if he had to fight, he’d need his hands free. “Are you up for carrying Kirek?” he asked, and when she nodded, he handed the boy back to her, and then started to open the door.

“Wait.” She drew a deep breath. “Ranth and I contacted Vax. He and Dr. Laduna have gathered at the ship with all our crew and scientists. The moment we are ready to leave, Avanti and Deckar will shut off the dampeners. Vax will fly the ship to this city’s spaceport to meet us.”

“You arranged all this?” He eyed her.

“With Ranth’s help.”

Dora had special abilities and a great mind. He’d been wrong not to trust her judgment, especially since she may have just saved his ass. Again.

“Okay. Which way?”

“Left.”

Dora’s plan went down as smooth as Osarian whiskey. They bypassed the employee entrance and walked out of L’Matti’s building as if they’d been invited guests. Only one guard questioned them and Zical took him out before he sounded the alarm, leaving him in a closet.

“The dampeners are gone,” Dora reported as they walked away from L’Matti’s building. “Ranth is back at full strength. With the security codes Deckar just gave Vax, our ship will land without attracting attention. Their computers will scan our ship, and the readings will show a Kwadii ship returning from space.”

“Good. How far to the spaceport?”

“Too far to walk.” Dora peered to her right. A skimmer pulled alongside them. “Ah, right on time.”

Avanti opened the skimmer door. Deckar was driving. “Need a ride?”

Within moments they were settled inside the skimmer. The hard part, rescuing Kirek, was over. But Zical couldn’t let down his vigilence. Until they left Kwadii and he was once again at the helm of his ship and in hyperspace, he wouldn’t relax. Although Avanti and Deckar had made some kind of alliance, he couldn’t miss the tension between them.

“How long until we reach the spaceport?”

“Ten minutes,” Avanti said.

“Except we’ve got a problem,” Deckar turned sharply to the right.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s an armed skimmer ahead. I’m changing our route.”

But the course correction did no good. A net dropped over their skimmer, stopping forward movement. A voice came over the skimmer’s speaker. “Exit the vehicle and keep your hands behind your heads.”

DORA COULDN’T CARRY Kirek and place her hands behind her head at the same time. “Let’s stay right here. Make them come to us.”

“Why?” Avanti asked.

“Maybe we can negotiate.”

Deckar shook his head. “They’re as likely to blow us up as negotiate. Selgrens are violent.”

Zical pulled his knife, his expression fierce. “If they want violence—”

“Put that away,” Dora snapped. She peered at Avanti and Deckar. “Can’t you two claim we’re on secret and official business?”

“One check into the computer,” Avanti said, “and that approaching guard will know the truth.”

“Let me handle the computer.” Dora and Ranth went to work. Since Ranth was now free, he needed little guidance from her, allowing her to monitor the conversation around her in a way she’d never done before. It was like listening to a conversation while a holovid program played in the background and she caught pieces of each.

While she and Ranth plunged into the Kwadii system and eradicated all efforts to capture them, she held on to Kirek, who stirred in her arms. As a
Pirinja
yanked open the door, she and Ranth quickly and efficiently erased the soldiers’ orders to capture them.

“Why have we been stopped?” Deckar asked with all the authority behind him of the class who’d ruled Kwadii for ten thousand years.

“Orders, sir.”

“I suggest you recheck your orders,” Deckar demanded in a tone of command that expected immediate obedience. “We are on a clandestine mission of vast importance. You’ve drawn attention to our presence and placed lives at risk.”

Avanti added her weight to the order. “I’ll hold you personally responsible if you delay our departure another minute.”

The
Pirinja
swore under his breath, apologized, and waved back a squad of men. However, he kept his weapon aimed at the skimmer, checked his wristvid for orders, and frowned. “Something must be wrong.”

“Something’s very wrong,” Zical snarled. “You, soldier, are stopping the Oracle.”

The
Pirinja’s
gaze went from his vidscreen to Zical. As if sensing his presence was required, Kirek opened his eyes. “Dregan hell. Why has my sleep been disturbed? Is there no rest for Tirips’ messenger?”

The Selgren soldier’s skepticism pulled his lips into an ugly sneer. “My missing order is highly unusual. I must check with my superior—”

“We have no time.” Zical tried to reach out and close the door.

The soldier placed a boot in the way and consulted his holovid. “You will please wait one moment. I could lose my rank if—”

“Here.” Kirek flipped the man a credit chip.

The
Pirinja
caught the credit chip in midair. He eyed it suspiciously, then as he saw the credit amount on the chip, his eyes widened, and Dora wondered where Kirek had acquired a large amount of Kwadii credits. He backed away and motioned them to shut the door. “Sorry to have delayed your trip.”

As the
Pirinja
stepped back smartly from the skimmer, motioning his men to raise the net, she surmised the bribe worked. Relief flowed through Dora as Deckar punched the engine and they zipped toward the spaceport. She hugged Kirek against her, smoothed his hair, and hoped he’d return to sleep. When she gazed down at his sleepy face, a smile flitted across his lips. When she looked up, she caught Zical’s burning gaze on her.

He was looking at her with a hungry expression of approval and need. She’d waited so long for him to look at her with that kind of regard that for a moment she’d thought she was imagining it. But no. The burning in his eyes remained steady, and she realized that despite all the problems on Kwadii she would remember the planet with fondness.

He’d picked a fine time to allow his passion to show. While in a crowded skimmer. While she held a child in her arms. While they fled for their lives.

During the last few days, she’d had little time to dwell on their personal relationship. This was not the time, either.

Deckar expertly parked the skimmer at the spaceport. As they all exited the vehicle, Dora linked with Ranth and monitored communications. They’d already sent the spaceport’s security detail to the far end of the tarmac to check out a bogus smuggling operation.