Shamara (19 page)

She rose and left the cockpit. As the panel slid shut behind her, Ranie began squealing. Maybe some good had come out of chasing after Eirene. Jarek reached down and released the lanrax from the padded pouch he'd secured on the side of the main console. Ranie climbed his leg and settled in his lap, chattering contentedly. At least he wasn't completely alone. He'd never in a hundred light years imagined a lanrax might keep him from the abyss of total emotional desolation.

Activating the automatic controls, he settled back and stared out at the dark depths of space. He did this often on long trips, watching the stars while he mentally sifted through the many decisions he had to weigh and consider, reviewed his immediate and long-term plans, listed whom he needed to contact, what orders to issue.

He didn't know how long he'd been in his reverie when the alert went off, the harsh clanging jarring him from his thoughts. He lurched forward, quickly shifting to present mode and reading the monitors.

Two ships were bearing down on him, both larger than his craft, both heavily armed. And both had their armaments activated. Where had they come from? He should have picked them up sooner, unless they had stealth capability. That could mean they were space pirates, Anteks, or worse, Controllers. Damn.

His subspace transceiver beeped, universal frequency. So the bastards wanted to talk to him. He activated Radd's program, although he didn't see how he could disable two ships, then hit the comm button. "Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded.

He didn't activate the camera on his videoviewer, so his assailants couldn't see him. But his screen flashed on, revealing a man with heavy jowls and small dull eyes. Probably part Antek, like Turlock.

"Greetings," the man hissed, showing rotten teeth. "San Ranul, we presume. Turlock informed us you might hide on Risa."

How could Turlock have possibly known that? The Leors were aware of Jarek's link with Moriah and Sabin, but that was it. Jarek made it a point to keep even his own people in the dark about his connections and activities, for everyone's protection.

He would not deny his identity this time. Even if he convinced these thugs it wasn't him they wanted, they wouldn't let him go. They'd murder him and confiscate his ship. Turlock always operated that way. Then they'd descend on Risa, looking for Jarek.

"Why didn't Turlock come after me himself?" he challenged, trying to buy time. "Afraid, after what happened our last encounter?"

"It's a big quadrant. Turlock's been looking other places. Figured you'd come out of your hole sooner or later."

Jarek studied the position of the two ships, his gut clenching. By the Fires! He was situated between   them. Even if Radd's data revealed a weakness in their ship structures, he couldn't disable both of them. The millisecond he fired, they'd retaliate with deadly force. That would be preferable to capture, but there was one problem. Eirene was on board.

"San Ranul? You there?"

What now? He rapidly considered possible options. He would never allow Turlock's thugs to take him into custody. And neither was there any way he could allow Eirene to fall into their hands. That would be unthinkable. He knew all too well how most renegades treated women.

"Answer me, san Ranul!"

"I'm here," he replied, still sifting through solutions. "Care to share your plans for me?"

"Glad to see you've got enough sense not to fire on us. Would hate to send you to the Fires on a torpedo."

"The Controllers don't pay bounties on debris," Jarek retorted. "Besides, I'm worth a lot more alive."

He'd sworn he'd never be taken alive. He knew too much, had information that would bring total and final destruction on the Shielders if it fell into the wrong hands. He'd taken precautions in the event he was captured, more so since the bounty had been issued on his head. If he disappeared, Liron and other colonies would be evacuated to sites known only to Jarek's chief officers. He himself didn't know those locations. He'd also undergone rigorous training to ensure his resistance to drugs and torture.

Despite the careful strategy, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't crack under torture; or that all Shielders could find a new place to hide, or reach alternate sites quickly enough. He had always planned on ending his own life if necessary. There was too much risk to his people otherwise. It saddened him that he had come to this point. He thought of beloved family and friends, all that he had shared with them. And of the possible solution for Shielder salvation, so close, almost within his grasp. So close, yet out of reach.

And there was another consideration. Eirene. She was possibly the only hope remaining for the Shielders. In the event anything happened to Jarek, Sabin had instructions to find her and carry out the plan to locate the wormhole.

Jarek still had no tangible evidence to support his theory, but he knew with every cell of his being that an Enhancer would be crucial for operating that equipment on Aldon. Research into the little-known details on the Enhancers had indicated that their equipment had been operated on mental power, rather than artificial, or solar and wind sources.

Enhancer or not, he simply couldn't bear the thought of Eirene being tortured or raped, or her life snuffed out. Not now. Not ever.

"Yeah," the hideous male on the screen growled. "Turlock wants you alive. We're taking you to Saron. He'll meet us there."

Jarek felt the ship lurch, heard the clank against the hull. A magnetic grappler had attached to his ship. He didn't have long.

"We'll be boarding immediately, and we'll be heavily armed," Turlock's man warned. "Don't try anything, san Ranul."

Jarek turned off the comm and raced to Eirene's cabin, urgency pounding through his veins. She whirled from the portal when he entered her cabin. Her face was pale and drawn.

"There are flashing lights out there and it feels—" She stopped abruptly. "What's going on?"

"The ship is about to be boarded. We don't have much time." He grabbed the satchel containing her things and took her arm, pulling her toward the corridor. "Come on."

She stumbled after him. "Boarded? Are these my uncle's men?"

No. It's me they're after. Hopefully, they know nothing about you."

"Then they're bounty hunters." She tried to slow, but he pulled her along.

"Yes. They're Turlock's men. And they're planning on taking me to Saron." He entered the galley and turned to Eirene. Her eyes were huge in her ashen face. The ship jolted and he grabbed her to steady her. Turlock's henchmen were docking. They only had a few moments until the airlock pressure stabilized, and they forced the entry.

"Listen carefully. We have two things in our favor. The first is that they will expect me to be alone, because I've always traveled alone. The second is that Turlock keeps the ships of his victims. He's creating a major fleet. They'll pilot this ship to Saron."

She stared at him, listening intently. Her energy spiked to high levels. Jarek wished he had time to reassure her. "I'm going to hide you. Most of our ships have concealed storage areas, a trick Moriah showed us. There's one in this galley, and it's stocked with food and water, for a situation such as this."

He reached behind the replicator and pushed a pad. A section of panel swung out, replicator and all, revealing a compartment large enough to hold weapons, gold, supplies—or two people.

Her eyes widened. "You want me to hide in there?"

"Yes, and quickly.

"But—"

"No arguments. Please, Eirene. We don't have time. Wait until it feels like the ship has landed. There's a release on the inside that will open the panel. Come out when you think it's clear. Use your powers to guide you. You'll know if others are nearby."

Her troubled eyes searched his face. "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine," he lied. He would say anything to get her safely inside.

"Jarek." She touched his face, and the force of his feelings hit him like a photon blast.

He cared deeply for her, far more than he would ordinarily ever admit. Far more than he had ever cared for any woman. Spirit, he hated to leave her.

He tossed her satchel into the compartment. Pulling her into his arms, he held her tightly for a moment of eternity that would never be long enough. Then he lifted her chin and kissed her, brief but deep, dipping inside her mouth for a taste of her to carry with him.

The airlock tone sounded. Reluctantly, he released her, giving her a gentle shove. "Now get in there. Quickly."

She stepped inside, turned to look at him. Ranie chattered, and he looked down to see the lanrax at his feet. He scooped her up and tossed her in with Eirene.

"The compartment is soundproof. They won't be able to hear you in there. But you can hear them. There is a speaker on the inside panel that will allow you to monitor anyone who might be on board." He paused, drinking in one last look. He'd never see her again, at least not in this physical plane. "Use your powers. Spirit gave them to you for a purpose."

Her unwavering gaze never left him as the panel swung shut. Relieved that she was safely hidden, he stepped into the corridor. He didn't want to end his life so close to where she was. Didn't want to draw Turlock's men to the galley, or for her possibly sense what was happening.

He'd have been long gone from this existence by now, if her safety hadn't been of paramount importance, but he still had time to do what must be done. He figured Turlock's men would gas his ship before they boarded, to prevent him from firing upon them. It would give his system a nasty jolt, but it wouldn't matter, because the poison was fast acting.

He slid the tiny capsule from his front pocket. Such a small thing to be so deadly. He thought of his sister and his mother, nieces and nephews; of his best friends, Sabin and Blake; of Eirene. He felt sadness, and regret—for so many things, especially for dragging her into this situation.

No more time.

Good-bye, Eirene. Be safe.

He raised the capsule to his mouth.

The cycles spent in the compartment were the worst in Eirene's life, even though the conditions weren't that bad. Light strips provided faint illumination. She had sufficient food and water, and blankets to offer padding for sitting and resting. Ranie had been content enough, as long as she was being held or petted.

But the horror of possible discovery and an untenable certainty about Jarek's fate gnawed at her incessantly. She couldn't stop thinking about how he had looked as the panel closed between them. His eyes had reflected a kaleidoscope of emotions, among them longing and desire. But it was the resignation she'd seen in those dark eyes that tore at her soul.

He knew he wouldn't survive this encounter with the bounty hunters, despite his bravado. They had both known it, both known he was lying for her benefit. She felt certain he wouldn't allow himself to be captured alive, not with his knowledge of Shielder activities.

A hero.
Jarek san Ranul was a true hero, a type of man she'd never imagined existed until she escaped the confines of Travan. In the darkness of her cramped quarters, she finally admitted to herself how much she admired and respected him, how much he'd come to mean to her in the short time she had known him. She'd never imagined she could care for any man. Her experiences on Travan and Rayna's dire warnings had entrenched distrust from an early age.

But Jarek had broken that mold, proven that Rayna's convictions didn't apply in every instance. He had captured her heart. And now he was gone. Eirene grieved during those long, dark hours in her hiding place. She grieved for Jarek, for the Shielder race that desperately needed his courage and vision, and for a world in dire need of healing.

All she could do was remain in the compartment, occasionally listening to the cruel, harsh voices of the two men who had boarded the ship and were now taking it to Saron. She avoided touching them mentally, as they radiated evil, insidious vibrations.

The ultimate irony of the situation was that Jarek's last act had given her what she'd wanted her entire life, what she'd wished for so adamantly while she'd been with him—a chance at freedom. With him gone, she finally understood that realizing a dream could bring pain as well as joy.

The hours crawled past. She had no idea how long she'd been confined when a sharp angling of the ship and a lot of turbulence told her they were descending. Ranie squealed in alarm, and Eirene snuggled her close, remembering how the little creature had clung to Jarek's legs and arms, always anxious to be near him.

The ship leveled out, and the hoverlifts switched on in a muted roar. The craft lowered until it jolted onto the landing pad. Moments later, the engines cut off, and an eerie silence replaced the noise. Eirene switched on the speakers and listened, anxious to know when the ship would be empty and she could leave.

"Well, we made it," grunted a rough male voice.

"No thanks to you, Keraat. I've seen a blind child fly a ship better than that."

"Shut up, you son of an Antek. We're here aren't we? And we managed to take san Ranul alive. Turlock will be pleased."

Alive? Jarek was alive?
Eirene leaned against the wall, stunned.

"He will, at that," the second man responded. "Alive, San Ranul is worth an extra five thousand miterons. Our take will be higher."

Jarek was alive!
She had assumed he would battle his captors, that he would be killed. Surely he would have found sacrificing his life preferable to being taken alive and creating greater risks for his people. Despite the dangers he now faced, she couldn't deny her happiness that he was living. Excitement buoyed her, gave her a surge of strength.

"Wonder why he came along so easily, without a fight? Guess them stories of him being so dangerous was just rumors."

"You never know. Ardonite gas takes the battle right out of 'em, even Shielders. Balen says san Ranul is still pretty indisposed."

Eirene's thoughts whirled as she considered the situation. Was there any way she could help him? She didn't know how to contact Sabin and Moriah, so she couldn't get outside help. She was on her own, assuming she was able to get off the ship without being seen. And assuming she could locate Jarek. Then she'd still have to get past the men guarding him, and find some way to get him free.