Infiltration (Katieran Prime Series Book 11) (11 page)

Chapter 19

Three Hours Later

Melody walked with StrykER to the docking bay. She insisted on seeing him off. She hated that he was going back down to the luna. She had a really bad feeling about it, but she fought the urge to beg him not to go.

She couldn’t do that to him. StrykER loved serving his people, keeping them safe from their enemies. Their relationship was brand new and they still had a lot to learn about each other. She would not be the type of girlfriend who interfered with her boyfriend’s job. No matter how much she worried or how much she loved him.

She stopped walking in the middle of the corridor as the realization of it hit her. She was in love with StrykER, completely and utterly in love with him. He was about to go off to dangers both known and unknown and she hadn’t had a chance to tell him. 

“Melody? Are you okay?” Stryker was standing next to her and stroked her cheek in concern.

Warriors passed them, staring. She didn’t care about anyone else. She needed to let him know. She looked up into his handsome face.

“I love you.”

He blinked like he hadn’t heard her so she said it again. “I love you.”

Then he smiled, took her into his arms and kissed her. “I love you too, my beautiful Melody.”

She wasn’t sure how long they stood there kissing each other and whispering their love. Finally, Stryker pulled away, keeping his arm around her shoulders. “I have to go.”

“I know.” She wiped away a tear that had escaped. Melody was determined to be strong for him. She could do this.

“StrykER, we’re boarding the shuttles now.” AshOR called out from the entrance of the docking bay.

Melody looked over and watched as Ava and AshOR said their goodbyes. She didn’t have any feelings for AshOR at all except for respect. She turned to StrykER. “Promise me that you’ll be safe.”

“I promise I’ll do everything that I can to come back to you safely.”

She watched him walk off to the bay where all the warships and shuttles were located. He was getting in the same shuttle with AshOR, which made him frown. She couldn’t help but smile. Those two were never going to be friends. Unlike she and Ava.

Ava came to stand next to her. “They’ll be all right.”

“I know.”

“So, you finally told him that you loved him, huh?”

“I know it might be too early in the relationship to say it but…”

“If you feel it and mean it, then you should be able to say it,” Ava told her without judgment.

“When did you know that you loved AshOR?”

“Pretty much the first time he told me to get my ass back on his ship and I refused.”

Melody laughed. “Yeah, my first meeting with StrykER didn’t go over so well.”

“You mentioned something about him interrogating you while we were at lunch. I bet that was frightening.”

She stared out as the docking bay doors opened and the shuttles and warships started to exit. “It was nothing compared to what I’m feeling right now.”
Please God, keep him safe.

*****

StrykER didn’t like that it was too quiet as they approached the luna. Where were the Purists’ warships? Surely OrIN has detected their shuttles by now. The pilot got his attention.

“The leader of the mining community is trying to communicate with us.”

AshOR frowned. “It took them long enough. Something’s up. Tell the leader that we’re coming for an early inspection. Also, have half our warships circle around the other side of the luna. I don’t want any ships leaving without my approval.”

“Yes, sir.”

AshOR looked back at StrykER. “What do you think?”

“OrIN knows we’re coming for him. I think he’ll make a run for it. I’m concerned about all the people on the luna who will suffer if things go badly.”

“I don’t know exactly how your abilities work. Leader LarIS can read minds from a bit of a distance. He was able to connect to his mate while he was on my transport and she was on a Morin transport.”

“I have to be closer than that. I have to be able to cause an emotional response in someone so that they project images. If they are already experiencing the distress, I could detect something.”

“Just keep your senses open. Maybe you can pick up on something. Our presence alone is going to have emotions running high. How heavily armed are they?”

“The community members themselves are civilians and don’t have weapons. OrIN has his own small set of warriors. They are the only ones with weapons.”

“How many warriors?”

“I didn’t see them all, but I’m estimating maybe twenty-five below ground and five to ten above ground. I didn’t get a chance to get a good look when we were escaping.”

“We’re entering the luna’s atmosphere. Expect to land in about five minutes,” the pilot called out.

StrykER checked his weapons.

“I’m curious, why did my brother agree to supply weapons to the Purists? It seems like a pretty stupid move to give the enemy more to use against us,” AshOR asked curiously.

“The weapons were older and a ruse, a way to get OrIN to buy into my being on his side. Once I found out all I could, I would leave their base and we would be able to activate a tracking signal on the weapons. If all else failed, we had them rigged so that once a weapon is discharged, it will self-destruct.”

“We should just get the weapons to self-destruct and be done with these crazy males.”

StrykER shook his head. “There are innocents involved. Whole families are in those mining communities.”

“They’re harboring threats to the ruling nations. They have attacked the primes with their words and their actions and have gone against the Goddess herself by harming a female—your female.”

StrykER growled and glared at AshOR. “I know what they did to her and yes, she is mine! I will kill anyone who would dare try to take her from me. I want OrIN to pay for what he has done more than anyone else.”

“We’re landing now, sir.”

Both StrykER and AshOR gave their full attention to the viewing screen, watching as the pilot landed the small shuttle.

“Everyone be on the alert for anything suspicious.” AshOR ordered.

“Commander, I think I should wait here,” StrykER said.

AshOR looked at him as he stood up. “Why?”

“They don’t know I’m with you, but the moment they see me, they might attack.” He hated the idea of staying behind, but if he could keep people from dying, it would be worth it.

“I need you with me so that you can use your abilities. Wear a warrior’s helmet.” AshOR pointed to the helmet one of his warriors was about to put on. It would shield enough of his face to disguise his features.

“Fine. Just don’t go in shooting first. I don’t want there to be a bloodbath.” StrykER grabbed the helmet. He was a warrior and had seen many battles but when innocent lives were destroyed, there was nothing worse.

He followed AshOR and the other warriors out of the shuttle. He kept toward the back of the group of warriors to try to blend in. AshOR spoke to him using their comm links.

“Do you see anything out of order?”

“They look scared, but I’m not picking up any images yet. That’s their leader approaching. I didn’t meet him personally but some of the miners that were forced to join the warriors spoke of him a little. He’s a weak leader but not a bad male. He just couldn’t protect them from OrIN.”

They stopped talking on their comms as the leader reached them. A few of the other members of the community came out with him.

“I’m Leader TarIS. I wasn’t told about an early inspection.”

“I’m Commander AshOR of the Colony.”

“Why is the Colony coming to a Kiljorn-run mining community?”

“I was asked to come here by Commander TylOR. I heard there were some problems with security in this area.”

StrykER could sense the male’s distress as AshOR questioned him. He moved a little closer and got images. Two females, one older and one younger, being dragged away. One word kept vibrating through the male’s mind: “Mate!”

He turned his back so no one would see and hit his comm link. “Commander, the leader’s family was taken hostage. I got the images from his mind. We need to get him somewhere private.”

AshOR moved closer to whisper so that no one else could hear. “Leader TarIS, I need to speak with you privately.”

“If you follow me, I’ll show you the surplus shed first then we can show you the mines if you like.”

“Very well.” They followed him to a nearby line of metal buildings. “You two warriors stay with me. The others stay outside.”

The leader looked around worriedly as some of the other members of the community suddenly disappeared.

“Inside here.” The leader opened the door and walked inside the building.

Chapter 20

AshOR took in every detail inside the building. This could be a trap of some sort. Shelves and pallets held supplies, food, and clothes. He looked around quickly. No weapons were included in the stockpiled items, and no cameras were visible. It was just the four of them inside the building. The leader turned to plead with them as soon as the door was secure.

“Please, I beg you to save my people. We didn’t ask for any of this.”

“You allowed OrIN to take over the community and use this luna as his base to launch his attacks on the three nations!” AshOR growled furiously.

“Easy, Commander, we don’t want anyone hearing this,” StrykER warned him.

Leader TarIS was shaking. “I didn’t have a choice. OrIN landed under false pretenses over a year ago. For months, he preached his words but most weren’t buying into it. Some of us did follow freely, but not all. He threatened my people and when we tried to revolt against him, he took our families as hostages. My mother and my mate were taken. They keep them separated from the rest of us in a compound and treat them no better than animals. We’re allowed to see them once a week. I get to be with my mate one day a week, that’s it.”

“I thought you said they took your mother as well?” StrykER asked.

“She didn’t make it. The captivity was too much for her and she went to the afterlife a few months ago.”

StrykER got images of the male as he was allowed to carry her body out of the compound to bury it. “I am sorry for your loss.”

“I don’t want your pity! I demand your help!” The leader was furious as he glared at StrykER.

“We are here to help,” Commander AshOR reassured him. He hit his comm link. “This is Commander AshOR. We have hostages being held in an outside compound. Find them and get them to safety.” He turned to the leader. “Take us to the underground bunker.”

“How can I trust you?” Leader TarIS asked.

“We’re the only chance you have to free your people.”

The leader paced back and forth. “I need reassurances that my people won’t be hurt.”

“There is going to be fighting. It can’t be helped. Our priority is to shut down OrIN. As long as your people follow orders and keep out of the way, hopefully injuries will be limited,” AshOR told him.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Tell someone you trust to help your people clear this area while you act like you are going to show us more supplies, as you normally would for an inspection.”

TarIS nodded his head and opened the door to exit. They followed him out and watched as he pulled one of his males aside. Then he turned to AshOR and motioned to him to follow him.

StrykER followed, keeping back so that he could observe what was going on around them. He passed a male that was dressed like a civilian, but he carried himself like a warrior. That had StrykER turning to watch the male, and then he found himself following him. The closer he got, the more that the warrior picked up his pace, glancing back at StrykER worriedly.

Images started coming to him of the male trying to get to an escape shuttle. There was urgency. Something was happening. He couldn’t allow this guy to get away. As soon as they rounded the corner of a building, StrykER took off after him. The male caught sight of him coming and began running full out.

StrykER stopped and pulled out his phaser and shot the male’s leg. He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground. He approached with caution and when the male on the ground pulled out a phaser, StrykER shot the male’s hand, making the weapon drop to the ground.

“Don’t move or the next thing I put a hole in will be your head,” StrykER warned him.

“Who are you? What in Kitana are you shooting me for?”

“Why were you running?”

“Hey! You’re the traitor that stole the female. OrIN has a price on your head.”

He was expecting that. “Where is OrIN?”

The male grimaced in pain then snorted. “Like I’d tell you anything, traitor.”

“The way I see it, you’re the traitor. You helped kidnap a female and abused her and are helping plan to overtake the ruling nations. You’ll be lucky if the council allows you to live.”

He recognized the emotion of fear as it flashed over the male’s face. “If fact, many of our warriors are so outraged you would dare harm a female that you may not make it to trial.”

“I didn’t hurt a female!” He yelled out, shaking.

Images appeared in his mind then of detonations being set and a young warrior being tied up next to it. He recognized the young warrior immediately.
TaymAR
.

“Where are the detonators?”

“What? I don’t know what you mean.”

He hit his comm link. “Commander AshOR, get everyone off the luna now! There are detonators somewhere. I am trying to locate them but I don’t want to take the chance they’ll go off. Evacuate the civilians immediately.”

“Are you sure?” AshOR asked.

“Yes.”

“You have twenty minutes to get back to the shuttle or we leave without you.”

“I understand. Commander, if I don’t make it back, make sure that Prime Leader KadEN treats Melody as my true mate and offers her all that I own.”

There was a pause. “I will, but for her sake, make it to that shuttle. Good luck.”

“You as well.” He ended communications and looked back at the warrior on the ground. “Get up. You’re going to take me to those detonators.”

The male panicked. “No! We need to leave now!”

StrykER grabbed the back of the male’s shirt and yanked him to his feet. The male stumbled a little with his injured leg. “Show me where the detonators are located.”

“I can’t do that! Leader OrIN will kill me!”

“You do it or I’ll kill you!”

“I don’t know where they are!”

StrykER got more images from the male down within in the tunnels and in the armory room. He knew where that was. That was deeper than he wanted to go but he couldn’t let TaymAR die.

“How were you planning to leave?”

“There’s a shuttle that I hid from OrIN, just in case. He was so trying to find his own escape, he didn’t pay attention to a missing shuttle. I’ll take you there.”

“I’ll let you go if you tell me the other passages out of the base.”

“Three other exits. One by OrIN’s quarters, one on the opposite end and one in the middle.”

“Take me to the closest one to the armory.”

“Then you’ll let me go?”

“Sure.”

The male hobbled down a path hidden behind small buildings and homes. They came up to a stonewall. He watched as the male waved his hand in front of a hole that hid a scanner. The rock door slid open to reveal an entrance.

“You enter first.”

“You’re supposed to let me go.”

“Not until I get to the armory.”

“I won’t go.” The male tried to back away. StrykER reached over and hit the male on the head hard enough to knock him unconscious. He would come back for the male if they weren’t blown up before then. He entered the dark entrance using his own memories of the tunnels and what he could piece together from the other male’s memories.

*****

AshOR gave out orders. “Get those females on the shuttles!”

“Sir, we aren’t going to have enough shuttles.”

AshOR had a feeling that was going to happen. He hit his comm link. “This is Commander AshOR, connect me with Commander TylOR.”

“Commander, report.”

“OrIN is gone but they have rigged up detonators. We’re loading up the civilians now but we’re not going to have enough shuttles.”

“Load up and get off that luna. You’ve done everything you can. I won’t have the Colony lose its commander and I won’t lose a brother.”

AshOR turned so that his warriors wouldn’t see how much that meant to him. He and TylOR may have had different mothers and been raised apart, but they were brothers through and through.

“I can’t leave the civilians if I can help it. StrykER is trying to locate the detonators.”

“I think there’s a Katieran transport close by. I’ll see if they can help with the civilians. I want you off that luna.”

“I’ll leave in ten minutes. If I don’t make it back, make sure that you take care of my mate. StrykER has claimed Melody so make sure she is treated as his mate and entitled to the benefits of survivors.”

“Kitana! I do not want to tell those females that their mates are dead. Get off that luna and drag StrykER’s ass out of there!”

“Yes, Commander,” AshOR ended communications. He hoped StrykER found a way to defuse the detonators.

*****  

StrykER knew he was getting closer. The door to the armory was left ajar. He pushed it open and frowned. The warships were gone but all the stockpile of weapons he had given them were still there. On a chair close by was TaymAR. His face was badly beaten and hung down over his chest.

He went to the male. “Warrior? Can you hear me?”

TaymAR lifted his head and squinted the one eye still open at him. “Specialist StrykER? Why are you here? Is the female safe?”

“She is fine. Did OrIN order this to be done to you?”

TaymAR shook his head. “I told my cousins and uncle that I was glad that the female escaped and they beat me, then turned me over to OrIN.”

StrykER couldn’t believe one family member would do that to another. “I came here to stop the detonators. I’m going to untie you. Don’t try to stand right away because you might fall.” He cut the bindings. Then he stood up and went over to where he saw the detonators. “Warrior TaymAR, do you know if there are more detonators?”

“I think I heard OrIN say something about two more detonators in the tunnels. Commander MarIK stuck this in my pocket and asked me to give it to you if you returned.” He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to StrykER.

He opened it. The sheet contained numbers. The code to the detonator! He quickly entered the code and the green light turned off. They now had the chance to escape this tunnel, but there were other detonators still active in other areas of the tunnel. There wasn’t much time left before all of their routes were destroyed.

“Come on, warrior, we need to get out of here.” He went over to help TaymAR stand up. They went back through the tunnel and up to the entrance. The male he had knocked unconscious was just starting to stir.

He leaned TaymAR against the side of the rock wall and walked over to the half-conscious male. He leaned down and slapped the male on the face. “Wake up!”

“What in Kitana! What did you do to me?”

He dragged the male up by his shirt. “Take us to your shuttle!” He knew they didn’t have time to make it back to the Kiljorn shuttle.

“Kitana.” The male groaned as he hobbled his way through the buildings. StrykER hit his comm link and tried to contact AshOR.

“StrykER, where in Kitana are you?”

“There are multiple detonators throughout the tunnel. Did you get the civilians off?”

“A Katieran transport was close by and sent shuttles. We have them off. I was waiting for your return.”

“Get off the luna now.”

“What about you?”

“I have a Purist warrior here who says he has a shuttle hidden. He’s leading us there now.”

“Can he be trusted?”

“No, but he doesn’t want to die.”

“Don’t die, StrykER, you have a mate waiting on you to return to her.”

StrykER ended the communication. He looked at TaymAR. “How are you doing?”

“Better. Thank you for coming for me.”

“My mate would be devastated if something happened to you. She took a liking to you.”

“You mated with Miss Melody?”

“Yes, is that a problem?”

“No, sir.”

StrykER could see the shuttle hidden in the greenery. The Purist warrior opened the door when they got closer. Then suddenly the ground started to shake, causing them to momentarily lose their footing. “Get in the shuttle now!” He shoved the Purist warrior in unceremoniously.

“Sit down and buckle up!” StrykER took the pilot’s seat. The luna was shaking and the ground underneath the shuttle was starting to cave. He fired up the shuttle and started lifting off. The shuttle rocked as trees began falling around them.

“Now might be the time to start praying to the Goddess to forgive your sins,” StrykER called out.