She knew Earthlings were behind the rest of the universe in the technological world and for some reason, the Kiengir kept it that way. They only allowed dribs and drabs of the universe’s technology to infiltrate the Adamu. To Shia, it seemed as if they wanted them to remain stupid and blind to the reality of what truly lay in outer space.
“This thing belongs to a warrior. You’d think it’d be equipped with the latest innovations available or have the Paoni fallen from grace?” She couldn’t miss the sneer in his tone. “Where’s this one’s vimani?”
Vimani. If he only knew. She grinned. He was sitting in it. Wrapped in the disguise of a Bronco 4x4 was the latest in Kiengir technology. It had the ability to fly, teleport, shoot down enemy crafts and morph. Didn’t he know a vimani transformed into whatever its owner needed it to look like in order to hide it in plain sight? How long had this guy been incarcerated? Or was he just plain stupid? Remembering how he triggered her suit’s release mechanism with ease, she knew he wasn’t an idiot. A tad behind on his intel maybe, but not dumb. And it would do her wise to remember that for their next encounter.
“Don’t know,” the one named Dio replied. “I got the coordinates for home on this. Think we should go to the Paoni’s place, stock up on supplies then head out?”
“Not sure how safe that is. It’s possible others might be there and I’m in no condition to fight them right now.” She heard his heavy sigh and sensed he struggled to remain conscious. “Where are we?”
“Earth,” Dio stated. The steady tap on the GPS panel couldn’t be missed and she knew he input new coordinates. “My grandparents own vacation property on this planet. Since the big Roswell, New Mexico, fiasco, the Kiengir no longer sanction visits here, but it hasn’t stopped the vacation industry. In fact, it doubled it. How anyone crash landed in a flat desert is beyond me.”
Shia bit back the snort that threatened to escape. The kid stated the obvious that under different circumstances would have made her laugh. That accident happened before she was assigned to Earth, but every Paoni knew about it. It wasn’t a family set out on a vacation. It was a team of criminals on a mission to free their incarcerated boss from the bowels of hell. They encountered a Paoni task force as they entered the atmosphere. Their ship was damaged and the gravitational pull catapulted them into the ground.
Pictures from that crash were part of her training. The Paoni assigned to that region could have handled the cleanup differently, to the point no one knew it even happened. According to the textbooks, the Kiengir chose to use it as a means to thwart future escape attempts—a scare tactic as they called it. They allowed the Adamu to locate, retrieve and do limited experiments, before they turned the remains into what now appeared as a poor excuse for a sci-fi movie prop. Then they leaked the information across the intergalactic telecommunications network. It must have worked, because to her knowledge, there had never been another external attempt to help Hellions escape.
She wanted to believe if it had been anyone other then a trio of criminals in that crash, the Kiengir would have handled it differently. There would have been no evidence and the bodies would have been treated with respect. A shiver shot down her spine at the memory of the pictures posted in her textbooks of the Adamu’s experiments on the crew. A definite deterrent for even visiting this place, much less attempting to enable an escape as far as she was concerned.
Blocking out the images, she focused on the big man’s voice the moment he spoke. “How far is it?”
“According to this, we came out along the South Fork Flathead fault in the middle of nowhere Montana. My grandparents’ place is on a private island in Siskiwit Lake. That’s in the middle of Isle Royale in Lake Superior, which will take us about a full Earth day of travel in this thing.”
“Which equals?” His impatience couldn’t be missed in his weakened tone and Shia sensed he needed immediate medical attention or he wouldn’t last much longer.
“About twenty-three to twenty-four hours straight driving time.”
Part of her wanted to let him suffer and die. Without him, the Sirian would be easy prey for her. Let him die. But the fact he removed her helmet without a hitch, survived deadly weapons and incapacitated her with only the use of his hands tormented her curiosity. Who was he? No one other than a Paoni should have known about that trigger. What if he was a Paoni? How had he become labeled as the worst of all criminals, a Lanius, and incarcerated? Nothing in her teachings fit this scenario. She needed to know who the hell he was before she killed him.
Shia gathered as much saliva as possible in her dry mouth. Though it pained her to speak, she forced the words to exit. “Reset the GPS to home. There will be no other Paoni there. I live alone and my location is not public knowledge.”
Dio’s surprised look was comical, but Kal was in no mood to laugh. Simply breathing equaled a challenge at the moment.
“Why should we believe you?” Dio quipped before Kal gathered the strength to speak.
“Why should you not?” the feminine voice from the rear of the vehicle retorted.
Dio’s mouth opened, then shut, letting Kal know the young buck didn’t have a comeback for that one.
“Besides, I’m the only hope you’ve got for your friend’s survival.”
Damn if she didn’t state the obvious. Kal agreed. Every ounce of him hurt from his thigh, where the gash started to ooze blood through the bandage, to the steady throb in his head from the aftereffects of the drug still simmering in his system, to the just-been-beat-from-the-inside-out bruised sensation rewarded to him by the dart. Not to mention the shock his synapses received from the stun she hit him with first. Combined, it made clear thought a difficult objective, but he grasped for it anyway.
“A good Paoni always has a backup plan,” he stated without lifting his head from the headrest. “What’s yours?”
There was no hesitation in her response, which he had to respect. “To level the playing field by helping you heal, then I intend to kill you in the end and gift the Kiengir with your organs.”
A low laugh escaped at the determination in her tone. If nothing else, she had spunk by speaking the truth. He held no doubt she meant to kill him. His goal—not to let her. There was something he intended to do and no Paoni hell-bent on killing him was going to stop him. Not now, not ever. He’d made the mistake to trust another woman once and it cost him too many years of incarceration.
Kal closed his eyes for a moment and gathered his thoughts. They really had no other choice. He needed to find certain medical supplies to help him heal or he was toast. From the way he felt, if he saw morning it would be a miracle.
“Reset the GPS, Dio.” He breathed an exasperated sigh. He knew it was a deadly risk to listen to the Paoni, but something in his gut made him believe she spoke the truth about living alone. If he was lucky, she was a typical woman with something to prove by being a Paoni officer, which made her stubborn and headstrong. Stubborn and headstrong were traits that caused mistakes. He swallowed the smile because his lips were just too tired to comply.
“But, Kal,” Dio whined. “What if it’s a trick?”
“Then we’ll handle it when we get to that point.” A wave of electrical pins and needles skittered through his system, renewing the threat of death. It was a residual effect of the Pulsar dart. Though it had been removed, it left behind a jolt to his nerves that could continue to do damage for days or until he died, whichever came first, unless treated.
Dio mumbled under his breath but did as he was told, stopping the Bronco. Dio reset the coordinates to home. Kal winced at the movement as the vehicle lunged forward. He really didn’t have it in him to argue with the young buck. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the cool glass of the window. It eased the heat on that side of his face and he wished it would cool his whole body. Fever had set in. Kal swallowed hard, knowing his best chance at survival was to remain conscious. Dio needed someone to protect him until they found a way off this planet. Once they achieved that, Kal ha
d a mission to complete.
The vehicle bounced and jostled him until they finally exited the uninhabited area and worked their way onto a paved road. Kal watched through lowered lids. The red arrow on the GPS stood for their progress. To him, it looked like some sort of kid’s game. Why would a Paoni use such primitive technology? He listened for any sound of movement from the rear of the vehicle. There was none, but he knew not to underestimate their captive. She was a deadly force and had proven it during their fight.
For a woman, she had a warrior’s spirit. Kal concentrated and zoned in on her breathing. Slow, even breaths meant she was calm—for now. He smiled inwardly. He imagined she was more than pissed at being tied up in her own ride and if given the chance, he sensed she’d claw out his jugular with her bare hands.
An internal shockwave bloomed from mid-gut and percolated to the tips of his fingers and toes, causing him to visibly vibrate, even though he tried desperately to control it. Out of the corner of his eye, he knew Dio hadn’t witnessed the uncontrollable semi-seizure. Driving kept him busy. Good, no reason to upset the boy unnecessarily. He bit back a groan as he shifted in the seat. It took a tremendous effort to remain upright when all he wanted to do was crumble into a heap.
He blinked repeatedly, forcing his eyes to focus on the GPS and the red arrow. It seemed like time dragged before a miniature house finally appeared in the upper corner of the screen, indicating home was located around the next bend. Dio slowed to a stop.
“I think something’s wrong with the GPS. It’s saying turn here, but there’s no road.”
Kal heard the Paoni struggling to sit upright and sensed her frustration at failure. With her hands and ankles connected behind her, there was no applicable way she could accomplish that feat. The dryness of her tone reiterated her aggravation.
“Turn anyway. The path will light itself once the tires touch the grass.”
Dio followed her command and turned off the road into what appeared as a narrow field of grass, which led to nowhere but a dead-end at a dense thicket of trees. As she said, the moment all four tires were on the grass, a dim light outlined the way. The Bronco jerked, causing Dio to tighten his grip on the wheel.
“Release the steering wheel,” she snapped. Frustration and anger laced her words. “The guidance system will take it from here.”
“I don’t like this,” Dio whispered, leaning toward Kal. The boy’s brows bunched and his face blanched as he added on a rushed breath, “You don’t look good.”
Kal forced a smile even though it cost him a great deal of energy. “Had worse days than this, kid.”
“I doubt it.” Kal snorted at her mumbled words not meant for his ears. The woman had fire in her soul, which kept him on guard. Had she lied? Was this a trick?
“Dio, I need you to stay focused on everything around us.” Kal kept his voice low. Dio nodded and turned his face forward, watching nervously from side to side in the dark.
Without the energy to move, Kal kept his eyes on the monitor. It changed from the simplistic GPS to a more familiar system—a VIS, Virtual Intelligence Station. Now this was more like it. The screen produced valuable information in this format. Not only the layout of the house appeared, but also the perimeter. According to the data provided, basic security systems protected the house. Now that didn’t seem wise in his book. She seemed smarter than that to him.
He looked up in time to see the trees part, giving way to a narrow, dimly lit path, which led to the house. The second the vehicle cleared the trees, they returned to their original position, sheltering the compound from outside intruders. Nice touch. He had to give her that one. Manipulating the natural surroundings to hide in plain sight. Good technique.
The Bronco came to a halt in front of a large wide door. It lifted and slid backward into the ceiling, opening a large bay. An overhead light switched on. The Bronco rolled forward into the center and the door lowered behind it. After a few seconds, the vehicle shut itself off. Dio turned to Kal with a look of uncertainty mixed with fear and he knew the kid wasn’t sure what to do next.
Kal took a deep breath. He wasn’t exactly sure himself, but he had no choice other than to hope the Paoni hadn’t lied. Slowly, he opened his door and prayed his legs would hold him. He leaned heavily on the door as he shifted his weight onto his good leg and stood.
“Hand me the Magnum,” he said as Dio exited the vehicle and ran around to his side. It’d been a long time since he’d held something this powerful in his hand and he hated to admit, it felt nice. The cold metal soothed the heat of his flesh in his palm. Though the stock and trigger were designed for a much smaller hand, he maneuvered his fingers just right and prepared to release the Paoni. He waved the Magnum toward the rear of the Bronco. “It’s time to help our hostess out.”
Dio walked to the hatch and waited. With great care, Kal leaned against the side of the Bronco and worked his way toward the rear, taking slow, deliberate steps. Even the slightest weight on his leg caused severe pain. Without looking, he knew the moisture rolling down the inside of his thigh to his calf was a trail of blood. Kal stiffened, pointed the Magnum toward the hatch, and nodded for Dio to open it.
The angriest pair of golden-brown eyes he’d ever seen stared directly at him. Though her almond-shaped face, button nose and fair complexion hinted femininity, Kal didn’t let down his guard. He knew firsthand the tiger that lived beneath her womanly façade. For several seconds, he couldn’t help but admire her pleasant features that even a bruise on her forehead couldn’t mar. When his gaze fell to her lips, he shook himself internally for lingering too long on her physical attributes.
“We’re going to untie you. One wrong move and I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
Dio tugged her back toward the edge so he could untie the jumper cables from her wrists, then he released her ankles. In a split second, she was on her feet facing Kal. The look on her face was priceless when her legs gave away. Guess she didn’t count on lack of circulation when she jumped out. Kal managed to grab her around the waist. The added weight nearly buckled his good leg, but he pressed against the Bronco for support and somehow kept a hand on the Magnum at the same time.
He held her tight against him and made the mistake of breathing her in. Maple and honey, two fragrances he hadn’t smelled in years. It made his mouth water. His gaze locked on hers and the raw anger he read knocked some sense into his brain. This was a dangerous woman. She shifted, quickly groping for the holster he knew held the KO-2.
She thrashed about until he released her and she stumbled backward, but did not fall. Dio cleared his throat and she spun on her heels to face him. The younger man held the KO-2 and several other deadly items from her battle suit.
“What can I say,” Dio cracked in a smartass tone as he shot a look at Kal. “I’ve got a talent for pick-pocketing.”
The Paoni took a step toward Dio and Kal made sure she didn’t miss the sound of the Magnum energizing. She froze in place and glared across her shoulder at Kal. Unable to help it, he returned her glare and gave her a sideways smile that only added to her agitation. He didn’t take his eyes off her as he gave Dio instructions.
“You did good, kid. Put those weapons out of her reach, then I want you to place that strip of leather around her neck.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she hissed. He swore flames flickered to life in her eyes.
“Oh, but I would.” He watched her shoulders stiffen and her jaw twitched as Dio did as he was told. The moment the ends met, they became a solid circle. It thickened into a one-inch band around her neck. Immediately, she grasped hold and tugged.
“Naaaantah.” Kal clicked his tongue. “You know the rules. The more you tug the tighter it gets. Dio, hand me the thing that looks like a short baton.”
“What is this?” Dio handed it to Kal.
“It’s what a Paoni uses to control a criminal,” Kal explained without taking his eyes off his prisoner. “There are several levels of pain the Band of Submission can gi
ve its wearer. Any unwanted action from her and one press of a button guarantees she follows our commands or dies.”
He leveled a direct stare filled with deadly intent on the Paoni officer and hoped she didn’t do anything stupid. He’d hate to have to kill her.
Her eyes widened and he knew he had her full attention.
“Who are you?”
“I’m someone who doesn’t exist.” It took a great deal of energy and even more internal determination to stand and hover over her without relinquishing to the fiery pain ripping through every ounce of his being. He leaned in close to her ear and added on a heated breath, “Thanks to your precious Kiengir, my life’s been erased, which makes me a figment of your imagination. Welcome to my nightmare, sweetie. Now move.”
Chapter Three
Whoever he was, he knew more about Paoni weaponry than the average criminal. And his sidekick had the fastest hands she’d ever seen even though she hadn’t actually seen him work. Somehow he managed to lift all the weapons from her suit without her feeling it. Since the helmet was disengaged so was the intricate sensation monitors that would have shocked him the moment he laid a finger on one of her weapons. These two were a lethal pair. A lightning-quick pickpocket and a deadly assassin, with the label of Lanius attached to his soul.
Shia kept him in her peripheral vision as she moved toward the door. He must have thought she wasn’t watching and leaned heavily on Dio. Obviously, he hurt worse than he showed when facing her. Shia found his inner strength disconcerting. Would he survive this on sheer stubborn will or was he really a Kiengir super creation? She doubted he was the latter from the look of pure agony distorting his features as Dio helped him walk.
She disengaged the alarm and stepped inside. With the band around her neck, she had no choice other than to obey her captor named Kal, until she could somehow disarm him of the controls. From the looks of Kal when he was off-guard, she simply needed to wait until he finally passed out from the pain. She cut a glance at Dio. He wouldn’t be much of a problem once the big man was incapacitated. Deciding her path of escape led through the pretense of helping, she held the door open wide and plastered on a fake smile.