Up in Flames (2 page)

An alarm pealed, signaling the powering up of the automatic extinguishers, and she breathed a sigh of relief, but the cabin was quickly filling with smoke.

“Lenak? What are you doing?” she asked as Lenak began to pull her to another room.

“You must do this, Cara,” he said as he shoved her toward a small tube.

“I must do what?” she asked as she stared with concern at the small black coffin.

She knew what this was. It was experimental, something her father’s scientists were working on. It would hold one person inside and emit a gas that would keep the occupant asleep while it flew through space to its desired location. It was essentially an escape pod. One Lenak apparently wanted her to get inside.

“You will be asleep,” Lenak began.

“Lenak, you can’t be serious. Besides, they’ll see the pod as it leaves the ship.”

“The pod has a cloaking device and a distress beacon that will activate once you’ve dropped out of warp.”

She frowned. “This pod has warp capability?”

Lenak nodded and pushed her closer to the pod. “You have no choice, Cara. Not if you want to survive.”

He stepped forward and stabbed her in the side of the neck with a long needle. Cara gasped in surprise at the sharp bite of pain. She raised her hand to fight back. Unfortunately, the drug worked too fast. Her mind clouded, not allowing her mental or physical control. She went into limbo, thoughts in slow motion fading in and out, unable to form a solid impression. Something was wrong—terribly wrong.

Chapter Two

Hayden Marcone strolled into his brother, Christian’s, apartment at the senate building on Rhinari. He was exhausted and was supposed to be off Rhinari already and headed to Daego for a much-needed break, but as the head trauma surgeon at one of Rhinari’s largest hospitals, he had no choice but to stay and help with the influx of injured from the factory accident.

Despite medical advancements, he couldn’t save everyone, and the losses weighed heavily on his shoulders. Some things were just unfixable, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

He walked over to the bar and poured a Scotch. He took a large sip, hoping the alcohol would help numb the feeling of failure and regret. He would never get used to losing patients.

“Isn’t it a little early to be drinking?” Sharna asked as she emerged from Christian’s home office.

Hayden turned from the bar and looked at his brother’s assistant. She was tall with flame-red hair and eyes so deep blue they reminded him of the summer sky back home on Tilarus. Sharna was full figured with a body and curves a man could hold on to. Why his brother hadn’t gotten with Sharna was beyond him, but Chris kept his distance, insisting she was the best assistant he’d ever had, and he didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.

“It’s been a long night,” Hayden replied.

“I heard about the accident,” Sharna said as she set Chris’s electronic files on the large island that separated the kitchen from the living area. “How many died?”

Hayden sighed and stared at the Scotch in his glass. “Too many.”

“You’re a good doctor, Hayden, but you’re not a god. You can’t save everyone.”

“I know.” That didn’t stop him from grieving. He set the glass down and walked to the island. “Where is my no-good brother? I need to talk to him before I head to Daego.”

She shrugged. “I think he went home with that blonde from the benefit last night. He wasn’t here when I came through about an hour ago to pick up the legislation he was supposed to sign and of course didn’t.”

There was a sadness in her eyes she tried to hide, but Hayden didn’t miss it. “Why do you put up with it, Sharna?”

“He’s just in a funk. It will pass.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Hayden said softly.

Sharna poured herself and Hayden a cup of coffee, then set his before him on the island. “At least he didn’t bring her here.”

Was his brother ever going to see how Sharna felt about him? The whole family knew, and they all believed Sharna was perfect for him. If only Chris would see it.

“What’s this funk all about, anyway?” Hayden asked.

Sharna took a sip of coffee. She turned to face him and leaned her curvy hips against the opposite counter. “I’m not sure. He’s very frustrated.”

“Is it the senate?”

“It’s the corruption. Too many senators are being bought off. Someone out there is forking over a lot of money to make sure those two big pieces of legislation Chris is working on don’t go through.”

“One’s the slave trade,” Hayden said. “What’s the other?”

Sharna set her cup down beside her. “The other is the legislation that will further limit the senate regent and what that position can do without senate approval.” She leveled her concerned gaze on Hayden. “We all know half the senators dabble in the slave trade, especially sex slaves, so the interference there doesn’t surprise me. But the other one does. Someone doesn’t want the regent’s power limited and is trying to block that bill’s passage.”

Hayden frowned. “Of course they are. The people and companies backing the regent want to continue to control him and therefore control the senate.”

“And by controlling the galactic senate, they control the massive federation of planets that belong to it. Chris sees things heading down a path similar to before. We can’t afford another dictator taking control, and that’s where it’s headed with all this damn corruption. Nobody cares about the people anymore. All they care about are their backers and how much money they can get out of them.”

“Let me guess. Chris is losing, and he’s giving up.”

Sharna sighed. “He’s tired. He’s overwhelmed and overworked. I’ve tried twice now to get him to take a vacation. Leave for a while and come back fresh, but…” She shrugged.

“Jonah said something about Chris looking into the BDSM resort on Palivan. The one Ambassador Dorn is part owner of. Purgatory, right?”

Sharna winced. “Purgatory. Talk about your extremes. Senator one day, Master of Purgatory the next. If Chris seriously decides to venture down that road, wonder how long he’ll continue to need me.”

Hayden snorted. “Chris can’t wipe his ass without you.”

Sharna grinned. “Chris couldn’t find his ass without me.”

“I heard that,” Chris said as he strolled tiredly into his apartment.

“Good,” Hayden replied. “Then you know how invaluable Sharna is.”

Chris scowled as he walked past the kitchen toward his bedroom. “I know exactly how invaluable she is, and I pay her accordingly.”

Hayden glanced over at Sharna, who rolled her eyes.

“And tell her I saw that too,” Chris called from the bedroom.

Hayden chuckled. “He knows you well, doesn’t he?”

“Too well,” she murmured.

She poured a cup of coffee and held it out for Chris as he walked back into the kitchen. It was as though she knew exactly when he’d be back.

Hayden really looked at his brother. Chris seemed tired and run-down. His thick collarbone-length platinum-blond hair appeared in need of a good grooming. His clothes were wrinkled and his eyes dull. Sharna was right. Chris definitely needed a vacation. Unfortunately, Chris never listened to any of them. He’d work himself into a grave first.

Chris took the cup. “Thank you, Shar.”

“Uh-huh,” she mumbled. “And thank you for not leaving me with the trash this morning.”

Hayden choked on his sip of coffee at Sharna’s dig toward the woman Chris had been with last night. He watched Sharna leave the kitchen and head toward Chris’s home office.

“What’s with the sarcasm this morning?” Chris called, but Sharna ignored him. Chris turned a frown toward Hayden. “What did you do to put Shar in such a mood?”

Hayden’s brows went up as he turned to stare at his brother. Was his brother seriously that dense? “Me? Man, if you really don’t know, Dad needs to sit you down and have a serious talk with your ass.”

Chris sighed. “I know what I did,” he said softly.

Hayden glanced toward Chris’s office door before turning back to his brother. “The real question is why the hell did you do it, then?”

“I didn’t.” Chris pursed his lips and stared into his cup of coffee before mumbling just barely loud enough for Hayden to hear. “I called her Sharna, and she threw me out.”

Hayden’s eyes widened. He tried to fight the smile. He really did. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and the second he relaxed his mouth, his smile turned into full-blown laughter.

Chris rolled his eyes and waved his hand in dismissal. “I don’t have time for this. Why are you here?”

Hayden settled his laughter and drew in a slow breath before answering, but the smile was still plastered to his face. Sooner or later, his brother would finally get his shit together and make a move on Sharna if for no other reason than he could no longer keep his hands off her.

“I was going to have you handle something for me while I headed home, but you have your hands full enough. I’ll get Miya to do it.”

Chris nodded. “That would probably be best. I’m not the most…” His gaze wandered over Sharna’s curvy figure as she walked across the room to the terrace. He glanced back at Hayden and frowned. “What was I saying?”

“That it’s finally time for you to throw Sharna over your shoulder, carry her to your room, and do to her what you’ve wanted to do to her for months now.”

Chris curled his lips at Hayden’s amusement. “Very funny, and no.”

Hayden snorted softly as he lifted his cup to take a sip. “And here I always thought you were the sadist of the family. Turns out you’re the masochist.”

“I need her, Hayden. Here. Keeping me on schedule and focused. Hell, my office has never been more organized. My life has never been more organized. I don’t know what the hell I would do without her. I can’t screw this up by screwing her. Period.”

Hayden sighed and walked his cup to the sink. “I’ve got to get going. Trying to talk sense into you is like talking to a brick wall. I’ll see you when I get back.” Hayden left, shutting the door softly on his way out. His brother was such a damn idiot sometimes. As he turned to head down the hall, he spotted Miya walking toward him.

He stopped and waited for his little sister to catch up. She looked so much like their mother with her dark brown hair and deep green eyes. Compared to his and Chris’s six-feet-five-inch height, Miya was tiny. She barely reached his collarbone, so they’d given her the nickname Little Bit, which of course she hated.

“Hey, I thought you would already be headed to Daego by now,” Miya said.

“Not yet.”

Hayden opened his arms and allowed Miya to step into them. She wrapped hers around his neck and gave him a hug. He sighed and held tight to his baby sister.

One of the patients he’d lost was a young woman who’d reminded him a lot of her. Miya was so sweet, so soft-spoken. He couldn’t imagine her hurting anyone or anything. He couldn’t think of a life without her and that sweet smile.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

“I’m okay.” He pulled away and smiled down at her. “It’s just been a long night.”

“I heard. I’m so sorry. Was the accident as bad as they said?”

“Worse.” Hayden shook his head. “But that’s not important.”

“Can you come in for a few more minutes?”

“No. I need to go. The ship’s waiting for me.”

“Are you staying at the lake house?” she asked.

“Yeah. Mom and Dad are on Earth for a few weeks, so I’ll finally get some much-needed alone time.”

Miya snorted. “Right. There’s always somebody at the lake house.”

Hayden chuckled softly. “True enough, but I think this time it’s actually empty, so I plan to take full advantage of it. I do need you to take care of my apartment while I’m gone, though.”

“Of course.”

“And while you’re here go inside and check on Sharna. Chris was with some blonde last night.”

Miya’s smile faded. “Here?”

“No, but Sharna knew where he was.”

“What is wrong with him? Why doesn’t he see what he could have with her?”

“Because he’s an idiot.” Hayden started toward the elevator at the far end of the hall. “Do something.”

“Like he listens to me,” Miya called.

Hayden smiled at her over his shoulder. If Chris listened to anyone, it was usually Miya if for no other reason than he didn’t want to disappoint her. Chris would usually do whatever Miya wanted because she had Chris wrapped around her little finger tighter than anyone else.

He made his way to the roof and the ship waiting for him there. The smaller ship would take him to the cruiser in orbit around Rhinari.

The cruiser had the ability to open the transport gate and allow him to reach home faster than if he took one of the larger passenger ships. Besides, the cruiser would give him privacy and time to rest before arriving on Daego.

* * * *

Hayden awoke to an insistent beeping noise. He sat up and looked at the small clock by his bed. He’d been asleep less than two hours. He scowled toward the door, the source of the persistent noise.

After arriving on the cruiser, he’d told the captain not to bother him unless it was life or death. After only two hours sleep, if it wasn’t life or death, it soon would be.

Hayden sat up with a sigh and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He set his feet on the floor and called out, “It’s open.”

The first officer stuck his head in the door. “Sorry to bother you, Doc, but Captain Shaw needs you in the cargo bay.”

Hayden frowned. “What the hell for?”

“He said to tell you you’ll see when you get there, but that it’s important.”

Hayden pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He hoped it wasn’t life or death. He was too tired to think straight, much less save someone’s life. “I’ll be right there.”

The first officer nodded and left the room. Hayden quickly dressed and headed to the turbo chute that would take him three levels down to the cargo bay and engineering area of the ship.

He walked into the cargo bay and spotted the captain by a long metal structure that reminded Hayden of an oversize cigar tube.

“You called me in here to show me a giant vibrator?” Hayden drawled as he moved to stand by Captain Shaw.

“Funny,” Shaw said as he continued to stare at the tube. “This thing crossed our path emitting a distress beacon accessible only by ships of the militia. Whatever it is, they only wanted military ships to find it.”