Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) (60 page)
Read Deadly Pursuit (A Blood Hunter Novel, #2) Online
Authors: Nina Croft
Tags: #blood hunter, #nina croft, #break out, #deadly pursuit, #space opera, #sci-fi romance, #science fiction romance, #vampires, #werewolves, #aliens, #space
She
hurried
across
to
where
Skylar
and
Tannis
stood
talking
in
low
voices.
Skylar
glanced
up
as
Alex
approached,
and
a
flash
of
pity
showed
in
her
eyes.
That
look
terrified
Alex
all
over
again.
“What
happened?”
she
asked.
“Is
he
still
alive?
Who
took
him?”
“They
got
in,
got
the
information,
but
someone
must
have
been
monitoring
the
place.
A
squad
of
the
local
Guardia
turned
up.
Luckily,
it
wasn’t
Corps
or
we’d
probably
be
dead.
Janey
was
hit,
and
Rico
had
to
get
her
out
of
there.
There
was
no
way
they
could
win
in
a
full-frontal
attack,
so
Jon
offered
to
hold
them
off
while
Rico
took
Janey
out
the
back
route.”
Fear
and
panic
clawed
at
her
mind.
She
needed
to
think
straight.
They
didn’t
know
he
was
dead.
“How
many
were
there?
Is
there
any
chance
he
got
away?”
Skylar
shook
her
head.
“I’m
sorry,
Alex.
There
were
too
many.
But
I
intercepted
a
call.
The
Collective
are
on
their
way
to
pick
him
up.
So
right
now,
he’s
still
alive.”
“We
have
to
go
get
him.”
“We
will.”
It
was
Tannis
who
answered,
and
some
of
Alex’s
panic
receded.
“Do
we
need
to
move
the
ship?”
Skylar
asked.
“Do
you
think
he’ll
break?”
“Jon
won’t
break,”
Tannis
replied.
“I’ve
never
met
a
more
stubborn
bastard.”
Alex
agreed,
but
her
stomach
churned
at
the
thought
of
what
they
might
be
doing
to
him,
and
she
itched
with
the
need
to
get
moving.
She
wanted
to
jump
into
one
of
the
speeders
and
head
off
right
now.
But
she
didn’t
even
know
the
way.
“Come
on.
We’ll
go
get
some
more
weapons
while
we
wait
for
Rico.”
Alex
followed
them
up
the
ramp
and
across
the
docking
bay
to
the
weapons
locker.
She
waited
as
Skylar
strapped
on
a
second
laser
pistol.
Tannis
replaced
her
weapons
belt
with
a
new
one
that
was
bigger
and
bulkier.
She
slotted
a
number
of
round
grenades
into
the
pockets
at
the
front,
a
blaster
gun
on
one
hip,
and
a
laser
pistol
on
the
other.
She
was
finishing
up
as
Rico
appeared.
“You
need
anything
else?”
Skylar
asked.
He
shook
his
head.
“I’m
good.
Let’s
go.”
Alex
stepped
forward.
“I
want
another
gun.”
They
swung
around
to
stare
at
her.
No
way
were
they
leaving
her
behind.
“I’m
coming,”
she
said.
Rico
studied
her,
his
lips
pursed.
Finally,
after
what
seemed
an
age,
he
nodded.
“Give
her
the
medical
kit.
If
we
do
find
wolf-boy
alive
and
by
some
miracle
we
get
him
out
of
there,
she
can
mop
his
fevered
brow.”
His
gaze
returned
to
her
face.
“But
stay
out
of
the
line
of
fire—you’re
a
liability
we
don’t
need.”
…
The
speeder
drew
to
a
halt
outside
an
impressive
set
of
tall
gates.
They
stood
open,
and
Alex
could
see
the
imposing
house
at
the
end
of
the
drive.
At
least
five
vehicles
were
parked
outside,
but
since
none
of
them
were
Collective
they
still
might
be
in
time.
She
twitched
with
the
need
to
move,
and
there
was
a
definite
chance
that
she
might
throw
up
if
something
didn’t
happen
soon.
But
they
had
come
up
with
a
plan,
and
they’d
be
in
there
in
a
moment.
“Okay,”
Skylar
said.
“Give
me
a
couple
of
those
gas
grenades,
just
in
case.”
Tannis
handed
them
over,
and
Skylar
slipped
them
in
her
pocket.
“Alex,
you
come
with
me.
Bring
the
medical
kit.”
Skylar
planned
to
pretend
to
be
an
advance
from
the
Collective,
here
to
make
sure
the
prisoner
was
ready
and
in
a
fit
state
for
transfer.
Alex
was
obviously
the
medic,
in
case
he
wasn’t
in
a
fit
state,
but
she
didn’t
even
want
to
think
about
that.
The
best-case
scenario
was
they
would
get
Jon
out
without
a
fight
before
the
Collective
appeared
to
pick
him
up,
but
everyone
seemed
to
think
that
was
unlikely,
and
no
one
seemed
particularly
bothered
by
the
idea
of
a
fight.
Excited
more
like.
Alex
wished
she
could
feel
excitement,
but
she
couldn’t
see
beyond
the
panic
that
clawed
at
her
guts.
She
had
been
given
strict
instructions—if
Skylar
gave
her
the
signal
she
was
to
take
cover
fast.
The
signal
was
the
word
“backup.”
As
they
stepped
into
the
hallway,
Alex’s
mouth
dropped
open.
The
walls
were
lined
with
the
most
extremist
of
religious
images.
Loads
of
divine
retribution
was
being
dispensed
on
every
side.
The
place
appeared
full
of
people.
They’d
all
stopped
whatever
it
was
they
were
doing
and
looked
at
Skylar
as
she
stepped
through
the
doorway.
They
took
in
the
black
uniform
with
the
violet
insignia
of
the
Corps
blazoned
on
her
left
breast,
and
their
gazes
shifted
as
one
to
her
luminescent
violet
eyes.
And
every
one
of
them
inched
away
as
though
they
didn’t
want
to
get
too
close.
Alex
gave
her
a
sideways
glance.
She
had
come
to
think
of
Skylar
as
her
friend,
but
watching
her
now,
she
could
understand
why
they
backed
off.
Skylar
appeared
taller;
her
eyes
glowed
brighter.
A
shiver
ran
through
Alex.
While
maintaining
an
outward
show
of
support,
the
inner
circles
of
the
Church
had
always
maintained
that
the
Collective
were
ultimately
evil.
That
Meridian
somehow
changed
the
people
who
took
it,
tied
their
souls
to
their
bodies.
And
looking
at
Skylar
as
she
assumed
the
full
persona
of
the
Collective,
there
was
something
inhuman
about
her.
Alex
shook
off
the
feeling.
Skylar
might
be
different,
but
Alex
would
never
believe
she
was
evil.
“Where’s
the
prisoner?”
Skylar
spoke
to
the
room
in
general
without
bothering
to
introduce
herself.
No
one
seemed
to
want
to
take
responsibility
for
answering.
“Someone
better
speak
up.
Fast.”
Even
Alex
got
a
chill
of
fear
from
Skylar’s
tone.
Finally,
as
the
silence
stretched
out,
one
man
stepped
forward.