Runner's Moon Trilogy Megabook Series (33 page)

No. It was backtracking to the left.

No...

No. Oh, shit, no! Don't tell me...

The creature rounded the birches, the silver little pencil weapon still aimed in his direction. Except there wasn't one of them anymore. There were two of them.

Two Arra. Two smaller Arra, instead of the one larger version that had been there just a moment ago. Each of them was coming from a different side now in an attempt at a squeeze play.

DeGrassi gasped in shock. "Son of a bitch!"

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The twins emerged from both sides of the strand to where he could get a better look at them. Even divided, the pair was bigger than him. Taller and wider. Without thinking, DeGrassi swung the Remington into his arms and aimed for the alien holding the pointed tube.

"You could divide yourself, but not your weapon?" he called out, knowing they couldn't answer him, much less understand what he was saying.

The sound of the shotgun nearly deafened him. But he watched with satisfaction as one of the pair was cut cleanly in half. The buckshot sent pieces of the Arra flying through the air, spewing its wet, chalky-colored blood like spaghetti through a strainer. There was another dying scream of pain from the creature, yet its demise didn't deter the second one from coming straight for him.

"Yeah. I heard you were a determined bunch of pricks," he commented almost casually, taking careful aim at the remaining creature. Sighting down the barrel, DeGrassi pumped another cartridge into the chamber and pulled the trigger.

The gun clicked emptily.

"What the—"

He tried to reload the shotgun and fire again. No luck. The shell had either misloaded, or something else was causing the gun to jam. DeGrassi dropped the rifle and pulled his pistol.

He began firing directly into the creature. Unfortunately, the smaller bullets didn't have the same effect as the lethal spray of burning buckshot did. Five times DeGrassi tried to bore a hole into the remaining Arra, with no luck. The alien 460

continued to advance upon him, moving more slowly now but just as determined. That left him with only one other choice.

Stuffing his gun into the holster, DeGrassi turned to grab Roni and make a run for it, hoping to escape with her by car, when he stopped in shock. The ground was bare. Roni was gone. Traces of the first dead Arra continued to run down the tree trunks and puddle in the dirt like watery mayonnaise.

The large, tubelike contraption that had been clamped around Roni's arms lay on the ground. But Roni had disappeared.

"Roni!"

He started to pivot around to look back at the approaching Arra when he heard her voice coming from somewhere overhead, up in the trees. "Thomas! Move back!" Without questioning, he began to backpedal.

Something flashed above him. There was a loud hiss of anger, and he watched as one mightily pissed off Ruinos female dove down upon the remaining Arra like an avenging green angel. He watched as she landed on top of the creature and began slashing at it with her sharp talons, slashing into its body and sending thin ribbons of pasty flesh fluttering into the air. She followed it downward as it tried to shield itself from her attack.

Years of pent-up fury gave her the strength to rend the creature into a dissolving slab of pus. The need to revenge herself upon the Arra had given her the ability to defeat the fear they had beaten into her, so that she screamed her rage at the alien as she dissected it into chunks no larger than her fist.

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Less than a dozen feet away, DeGrassi watched as Roni's actions grew weaker, her attack grew less forceful, and the heat of her anger cooled. She was coated with the Arra's thick, foamy blood. But when she finally got to her feet and turned to look at him, he could see her soul had finally been cleansed of much of her self-hatred. Both of them were breathing heavily in the warm spring night.

"Are you okay?" he asked gruffly, his eyes sweeping over her to double-check. The sight of her ripping into the creature had stirred his passion like nothing he had ever felt before.

Her strength and courage was a rush of sweet, hot adrenaline in his system, and he could feel himself straining against the buttons of his jeans.

Roni nodded. "Yeah. They bruised me up a bit, but I'll be all right."

DeGrassi turned around to glance back at the way they had come. "What about the other officers?"

"They're alive. The Arra took the one on the porch by surprise. They stunned him before they came inside to find me. They stunned the second cop when they were dragging me out of the house."

"The cops didn't see you in your real form?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I think they were too overwhelmed by the Arra to notice."

He nodded. Walking over to her, he cupped her face with one hand and stared into her eyes. In the dim light, the flecks seemed to reflect a light all their own. "You have night vision?"

"Yes."

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"Good. Then you can lead us out of here." He continued to stand beside her in the tiny clearing, their bodies almost touching, as his thumb traced the outline of her mouth. Her presence was back inside his head, a presence he knew he never wanted to be without again. How had he managed to live this long without its comforting warmth? "I heard you call out for me," DeGrassi whispered. "In my mind, I heard you call for me."

"And I felt you answer."

"Yeah?" he smiled lovingly.

She returned the smile. She had started to reach up with her own hand to hold his when she hesitated, reluctant to taint him with Arran gore. Giving a breathy little laugh, Roni opted to nuzzle his palm. "Yeah."

Her kiss was well worth all the crap they had just gone through, and then some. DeGrassi pulled away reluctantly when Roni turned to look in the direction where the Arra had been taking her.

"We have to find the ship."

"Huh?"

She stepped back, grabbed his hand and gave it a tug.

"We have to find their ship, Thomas. We have to destroy it, or else the other Arra will be able to locate it."

Snatching up the shotgun, DeGrassi followed after her. "Is it far?"

"Shouldn't be," she called back over her shoulder. "They don't move very well over uneven ground."

"So I've noticed. Say, Roni? When were you going to tell me you could fly?"

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She giggled lightly. "It's not real flying, Thomas. It's more like gliding. Your planet has squirrels that do the same thing."

No kidding? So where had he been when that lecture had come up in science class? He was about to ask her more about those thin, membranes he had seen under her arms when he heard her call out.

"Here it is."

It was like no spaceship he had ever seen in a movie or on television. In fact, if someone had shown him a picture of one and asked him what it was, DeGrassi's top ten answers would not have included the word spaceship.

"It looks like a giant suitcase," he told her as he watched her approach the side of the craft. She made a motion with one hand, and a thin vertical slit appeared in the side. Roni took a step toward the opening when DeGrassi stopped her.

"You're not going inside, are you?"

She gave him an almost fearful look. "I must, Thomas. I have to destroy the ship so the Arra can't find it. If they find it unmanned, they'll know their scouts are dead. But if we destroy it, the mother ship won't know what happened to it.

They won't know it landed here, so they'll keep searching for it somewhere else."

"Then I'm coming in with you," he told her. He got no argument from her.

The interior of the vessel was spacious, despite its outward appearance. It was basically a hollow center surrounded by sleek walls embedded with inscriptions and lights. There were no knobs or switches that DeGrassi could discern. No dials or wheels, or even a porthole to view out of. But there was one 464

piece of equipment he could not miss. It was a cage of translucent bars. Incredibly beautiful as it was strong, it couldn't have been any larger than a dog house. He caught sight of Roni's face as she glanced away after spotting it. At the same instant, that cold hand of dread reached inside him and clutched his lungs in their icy grip.

His eyes went back to the cell. It had been a cage similar to that one where Roni had spent years and years of her life.

Where she had fought the Arra in the only way she could, and yet had miraculously kept her sanity.

Closing his eyes, DeGrassi ignored the burning cold sense of hopelessness and thought about her. His fingers flexed as he remembered the soft warmth of her skin and the way she trembled beneath his touch. He thought about her scent and the incredible feeling of love that had poured into him when he had put his arms around her.

Looking at the woman standing a few feet away, DeGrassi willed the strength and tenderness of that love to her, hoping to reach her on that same level as she did when she touched him. He watched as her spine stiffened. Then, slowly, she turned around so he could see the wetness on her cheeks.

"You understand now, don't you?" Her voice was as haunting as rich velvet.

"Yeah. I do. This ... this life partner thing ... it's everything. I never thought anything could be stronger than love, but this connection between us can't be anything else.

You're that part of me that I never knew I was missing until we came together."

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A tiny smile curled one corner of her lip, and Roni turned back to the wall of the ship. He watched as she made a few more gestures. Swiping her hand over a glowing yellowish light, the ship immediately began to vibrate.

"Let's get out of here."

They hurried out and away from the vessel that was now humming at a low pitch. Stopping several yards away from it, they stayed to watch as thick smoke began to bellow from the interior of the ship. There were a few pops and some sizzling noises, then a loud whooshing sound. The scouting craft went Technicolor, from red to blue to white, then appeared to collapse upon itself. Within minutes, all that was left was a wide scorched smudge on the ground where it had stood.

DeGrassi sensed Roni shifting into her human guise before he glanced down at her. "Is that it?"

She nodded, leaning closer to him as his arm drew her against him. "Let's hope the Arra don't come back here."

"Wouldn't matter if they did," he murmured. He couldn't resist burrowing his nose into her black hair. As he had suspected all along, it was as satiny as he dreamed it would be. Roni giggled in his embrace.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because next time, I'll be sure to pack a Howitzer in the trunk, if I have to."

Roni laughed aloud. "A what?"

"Never mind, woman. Let's get you back to the house.

You've no business running around in the woods in your birthday suit. Besides, you need a good scrubbing, and I'm just the man to do it. And while I have you in the shower, I 466

want to check out those little wings you have. I'm dying to find out how they taste."

Roni's laughter sparkled in the moon-drenched air as DeGrassi hoisted her over one broad shoulder and began heading back to the cottage.

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When they reached the outskirts of the woods, DeGrassi stopped and lowered Roni to her feet. Silently, he unbuckled his shoulder holster before slipping his t-shirt over his head to hand to her. The shirt's hem came to mid-thigh on her, but it was long enough to give her some modesty until she could put on something more suitable.

"I called for backup before I came after you. Your place is probably crawling with cops right now."

"What are we going to tell them when they ask why we were in the woods?" Now that the Arra were gone, her body was quickly sinking into exhaustion. There was nothing else she wanted to do but to crawl into bed and surrender to his arms.

"Pretty much stick to the truth. I got a hunch and swung around to the house in time to see you heading for the woods. I grabbed my shotgun and came after you. I fired at some pesky creatures to help protect you. And that about sums it up." Throwing an arm around her shoulder, he gave her a wink. "Don't give up anything you can't prove or they can disprove."

By now they could see the squad cars gathered around the cottage, including an ambulance. Two uniformed officers spotted the couple emerging from the trees and began jogging toward them, but DeGrassi waved off their help. They were nearly at the house when Tayson emerged from the 468

cottage and gave them a sour look. Seconds later, three EMS

techs exited with Morrisey on a gurney.

"How's he doing?" DeGrassi inquired as the lieutenant strode up to them.

"They're still unconscious but alive. The Unsub must've hit

'em with some type of taser. The M.E. is thinking it was a high-wattage electrical probe, or something like it." Tayson's expression hardened. "What happened to you?"

"I saw the little lady running for the woods when I pulled up." DeGrassi hefted his shotgun for emphasis.

"You went after her before checking on the men?"

"Just following orders, Boss. Captain said her protection was top priority."

Tayson directed his attention at Roni. "Your neighbor called in to report she heard gunshots. What was that all about?"

Roni gave a shiver. "Snakes," she told the detective.

"Did you see the person who attacked the officers, Miss Tarakon?"

"No. I heard some kind of commotion going on outside, but I was too scared to look. So I climbed out of the window and ran for the woods." She caught DeGrassi's apprehensive look and understood why he was concerned. If the police didn't find the bedroom window open, her story would immediately become suspect. Flashing him a quick grin, she sighed loudly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Is it all right to go back inside?"

The detective glanced over his shoulder. "Crime Scene Unit should be finished in another couple of hours, maybe. Thom, 469

you'll need to check on their status. Hopefully, Morrisey and Morocco will be able to give us a description of the guy who tased them when they awaken." Turning back to DeGrassi, Tayson added, "It would probably be better if Miss Tarakon found other accommodations just for tonight."

"Will that really be necessary?" Roni asked.

"What if that guy comes back?" DeGrassi questioned her.

Although they knew the Arra were responsible for taking down the plainclothes officers, she understood that he felt it would be in their best interest to keep up the charade.

Besides, Cowven was still out there, and he was someone they couldn't afford to take lightly.

Tayson sided with him. "It would just be better all around if you went to a hotel or someplace where we could keep watching out for you," he told her.

Roni stepped closer to DeGrassi and witnessed the moment that Tayson became aware of something he probably had suspected all along. Throwing an incredulous look at his fellow cop, Tayson snorted. "Quit bullshitting me, Thom. You two are an item, aren't you?"

DeGrassi tensed. "Yeah. So?"

"For crying out loud, DeGrassi—"

"Shove it, Evan. It's our lives, not yours."

"Yeah, you're right," Tayson nodded. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

DeGrassi grinned at that comment. "I'm protecting my woman until we catch Cowven. That's what I'm doing. You sent two of your best, and look at what happened to them."

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Motioning back to the cottage with the butt of the shotgun, he added, "You really think our guy is responsible?"

"Who knows? I want to say yes, but my gut tells me no."

Sighing, Tayson ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.

Roni kept sweeping her eyes back and forth between the two men. Finally hearing a lull in their discussion, she broke in. "If I'm going to have to move to new digs, can I at least get a few of my things before I go? Like some clothes?"

It was DeGrassi who replied. "Sorry. Not until the investigation team clears the place. Don't worry. We'll get you a few things on our way over to my place."

"Your place?" Tayson reiterated.

DeGrassi frowned. "Yeah. If it really was Cowven who was here, then he's going to suspect we would put her up at a safe house somewhere. I don't know those places well enough to feel comfortable guarding her, but I know my apartment and the complex better than you probably know your own backyard. I'm taking Roni over there tonight and keeping her there until we catch this guy."

One of the investigators appeared in the doorway and gestured toward the two men. "Detective? You might want to look at this."

DeGrassi turned to Roni. "Why don't you go wait in the car until we're clear to leave? Lie down in the backseat and try to rest if you can. Car's unlocked."

She agreed. The weariness brought on by these past few days was giving her a tenuous hold on her human form.

DeGrassi had sensed it, and he was giving her the chance to 471

exclude herself from them so she could shift back if she needed to.

"What time is it?"

Tayson glanced at his watch. "Close to eleven."

"How long do you think you'll be?" She lifted her eyes up at DeGrassi to see him shrug.

"There's no telling. Don't worry. I'll wake you when we're done here or when they say it's okay to retrieve a few of your things." He gave her a tiny smile. It was enough to let her know she wouldn't be far from his thoughts while he did his job. Rolling her head around her shoulders to try to ease the tension, Roni gave a little grunt of acceptance and let the men to do what they had to do.

Rounding the corner of her cottage, she saw the lawn full of police vehicles. Someone had killed the circus lights, but there were still a few people, curious onlookers, gathered beyond the barrier erected around the cottage. Roni tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. Her life as it had been was over. The little cottage was no longer her sanctuary. The woods beyond it would not harbor her any longer.

Once she reached the sedan, Roni opened the door to the backseat and crawled inside, closing the door behind her. The upholstery still held DeGrassi's musky baby powder scent. A wide smile creased her face as she got into a comfortable position and closed her eyes. Slowly, her body unwound until she sank deep within sleep's grasp. Yes, her old life was over, but her new life would more than make up for the loss of her precious cottage. There would be another cottage. It would be their cottage. In it, they would make their home and future 472

together. And a life she never believed possible would overflow with warmth and light ... and the scent of sweet lemonade. The tear of joy that fell from under her lashes would not be her last.

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